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. 1984 Nov;81(22):6958–6962. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.22.6958

Drosophila DNA topoisomerase I is associated with transcriptionally active regions of the genome.

G Fleischmann, G Pflugfelder, E K Steiner, K Javaherian, G C Howard, J C Wang, S C Elgin
PMCID: PMC392055  PMID: 6095263

Abstract

The distribution of DNA topoisomerase I within Drosophila polytene chromosomes was observed by immunofluorescent staining with affinity-purified antibodies. The enzyme is preferentially associated with active loci, as shown by prominent staining of puffs. The heat shock loci 87A-87C are stained after, but not before, heat shock induction. A detailed comparison of the distribution of topoisomerase I with that of RNA polymerase II reveals a similar, although not identical, pattern of association. Topoisomerase I is also found in association with the nucleolus, the site of transcription by RNA polymerase I.

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