DNA-Protein Interactions / Edition 1

by A. Travers

Overview

Our understanding of the mechanisms regulating gene expression, which determine the patterns of growth and development in all living organisms, ultimately involves the elucidation of the detailed and dy­ namic interactions of proteins with nucleic acids -both DNA and RNA. Until recently the commonly presented view of the DNA double helix­ as visualized on the covers of many textbooks and journals - was as a monotonous static straight rod incapable in its own right of directing the processes necessary for the conservation and selective reading of genetic information. This view, although perhaps extreme, was reinforced by the necessary linearity of genetic maps. The reality is that the biological functions of both DNA and RNA are dependent on complex, and sometimes transient, three-dimensional nucleoprotein structures in which genetically distant elements are brought into close spatial proximity. It is in such structures that the enzymatic manipulation of DNA in the essential biological processes as DNA replication, transcription and recombination are effected - the complexes are the mediators of the 'DNA transactions' of Hatch Echols.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780412259906
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	04/30/1993
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1993
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.02(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

Table of Contents

1 DNA structure.- 1.1 Structural features of DNA.- 1.2 DNA polymorphism.- 1.3 Conformational variability of DNA.- 1.4 Intrinsic bending of DNA.- 1.5 DNA supercoiling and topology.- 1.6 The topology of protein-bound DNA.- 1.7 Structure of supercoiled DNA.- References.- 2 DNA—protein interactions: The three-dimensional architecture of DNA—protein complexes.- 2.1 General principles.- 2.2 Local DNA conformation and protein binding.- 2.3 DNA wrapping.- 2.4 DNA configuration and sequence periodicity.- 2.5 The establishment of DNA architecture.- References.- 3 DNA—protein interactions: Sequence specific recognition.- 3.1 General principles of sequence specific recognition.- 3.2 Structural motifs for sequence specific binding.- 3.3 Co-operative binding to DNA.- 3.4 Co-operativity at a distance: DNA looping.- 3.5 Protein flexibility in DNA—protein complexes.- References.- 4 The mechanism of RNA chain initiation.- 4.1 The promoter.- 4.2 RNA polymerases.- 4.3 The kinetics of transcription initiation.- 4.4 The molecular interactions of RNA polymerase with a promoter site.- 4.5 The topological consequences of transcription.- 4.6 Transcriptional activators.- 4.7 Transcriptional activation by negative superhelicity.- 4.8 How does RNA polymerase melt promoter DNA?.- References.- 5 The regulation of promoter selectivity in eubacteria.- 5.1 Control of stable RNA synthesis.- 5.2 Stable RNA promoters.- 5.3 The transition from exponential growth to stationary phase and vice versa.- 5.4 Sigma factors and promoter recognition.- 5.5 The heat shock response.- 5.6—54: A target for transcriptional enhancers.- 5.7 The transcriptional programmes of bacterial viruses.- References.- 6 The mechanism of eukaryotic transcription.- 6.1 Eukaryotic transcriptional regulatory elements.- 6.2Eukaryotic transcriptional regulators: structure.- 6.3 Specificity and selectivity of eukaryotic transcription factors.- 6.4 Sp1 transcription factor.- 6.5 Heat shock transcription factor (HSF).- 6.6 How do transcriptional activators work?.- 6.7 Transcription by RNA polymerase III.- 6.8 The establishment of repression.- References.- 7 Chromatin and transcription.- 7.1 Local control of chromatin structure.- 7.2 The structural organization of chromatin.- 7.2.1 Chromosomal superstructure.- 7.3 Heterochromatin.- 7.4 The regulation of transcriptional competence.- References.

Editorial Reviews

The value of this analysis is found in the insight it provides into the mechanism of complex systems.... the text is generally well-written and flows smoothly. [this work] is full of insights and stimulating in its unification of structure and function, a perspective that is increasingly inmportant in molecular biology. Trends in Genetics; Andrew Travers has done an excellent job of selecting examples illustrating the central theme of the book...the figures are instructive, well designed and selected...I wholeheartedly recommend this book for all structural and molecular biologists who are interested in the biological role of DNA - Trends in Biochemical Sciences; ...the book does bring together areas in a juxtaposition unique to its author...explained with the authority one would expect from Travers. - Nature; ...the book quickly takes us beyond the straightforward undergraduate texts, to provide a helpful source of information and discussion material for advanced undergraduate or Masters'courses. Journal of Biological Education; The value of this analysis is found in the insight it provides into the mechanism of complex systems.... the text is generally well-written and flows smoothly. [this work] is full of insights and stimulating in its unification of structure and function, a perspective that is increasingly r portant in molecular biology. Trends in Genetics; Overall, this is a densely detailed text and worth its place on the shelf of practitioners in the field who wish to maintain an overall view...gathers together current knowledge in a useful way - Current Biology

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