UV light-induced duplex-to-duplex crosslinking of DNA molecules in aqueous ethanol solutions
Language English Country United States Media print
Document type Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PubMed
9559582
Knihovny.cz E-resources
- MeSH
- Bacteriophage phi X 174 MeSH
- DNA, Viral chemistry drug effects radiation effects MeSH
- Ethanol pharmacology MeSH
- Formamides pharmacology MeSH
- Cations, Divalent pharmacology MeSH
- Cations, Monovalent pharmacology MeSH
- Methanol pharmacology MeSH
- Plasmids chemistry drug effects radiation effects MeSH
- Cross-Linking Reagents MeSH
- Restriction Mapping MeSH
- Solutions MeSH
- Base Sequence MeSH
- Ultraviolet Rays * MeSH
- Water MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Names of Substances
- DNA, Viral MeSH
- Ethanol MeSH
- formamide MeSH Browser
- Formamides MeSH
- Cations, Divalent MeSH
- Cations, Monovalent MeSH
- Methanol MeSH
- Cross-Linking Reagents MeSH
- Solutions MeSH
- Water MeSH
Ultraviolet light is known to generate crosslinks between the complementary strands of DNA and between DNA and proteins. Here we demonstrate that the UV light also crosslinks DNA duplexes to other DNA duplexes. However, the duplex-to-duplex crosslinks only appear in the presence of about 75% (vol/vol) ethanol plus a millimolar or submillimolar concentration of monovalent or divalent cations, e.g. 2 mM Na+. Methanol or formamide are ineffective. The present observations provide a direct means to detect physical contacts of DNA molecules or their parts, e.g. during recombination. It is remarkable that the solution conditions leading to the duplex-to-duplex UV light-induced crosslink formation are the same as those inducing the B-to-A conformational transition of DNA.
Mapping the B-A conformational transition along plasmid DNA
