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Left-handed Z-DNA is induced by supercoiling in physiological ionic conditions

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Abstract

In physiological ionic conditions (200mM NaCl), the (dC–dG)16 and (dC–dG)13 blocks in plasmid pRW751 are in a left-handed state when the negative superhelical density of the plasmid is greater than 0.072. As the salt concentration decreases or when (dmC–dG) sequences are present, less negative supercoiling is required to induce the right- to left-handed DNA transition. Furthermore, the single strand-specific nuclease, S1, recognizes and cleaves aberrant structural features at the junction between neighbouring right- and left-handed DNA regions.

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Author notes

  1. Charles K. Singleton, Jan Klysik & Robert D. Wells

    Present address: Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Biochemistry, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, USA

  2. Steven M. Stirdivant

    Present address: The Biological Laboratories, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA

    Charles K. Singleton, Jan Klysik, Steven M. Stirdivant & Robert D. Wells

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  1. Charles K. Singleton
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  2. Jan Klysik
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  3. Steven M. Stirdivant
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  4. Robert D. Wells
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Singleton, C., Klysik, J., Stirdivant, S. et al. Left-handed Z-DNA is induced by supercoiling in physiological ionic conditions. Nature 299, 312–316 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/299312a0

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