Homocopolymer sequences in the spacer of a sea urchin histone gene repeat are sensitive to S1 nuclease (original) (raw)

Nature volume 295, pages 714–716 (1982)Cite this article

Abstract

The concept of specific functional elements in genes comprising localized or transient structural discontinuities, such as Z-DNA or cruciforme, is becoming increasingly plausible1–6. Cruciforms were first detected as supercoil-dependent single-strand nuclease (S1)-sensitive sites characterized by hyphenated inverted repeat DNA sequences2,3. Here I describe examples of a novel type of S1 nuclease site found in a sea urchin histone gene repeat and characterized by homocopolymer sequences. Endonucleolytic cleavage within these sequences does not depend on supercoiling, is highly sensitive to the salt concentration and shows a reproducible pattern of maxima and minima. This type of S1 sensitivity may reflect the potential for out-of-register DNA slippage in such sequences and I speculate that related slippage events in vivo could lead to their acting as foci for recombinational events.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nordheim, A. et al. Nature 294, 417–422.
  2. Lilley, D. M. J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 6468–6472 (1980).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  3. Panayotatos, N. & Wells, R. D. Nature 289, 466–470 (1981).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  4. Lilley, D. M. J. Nucleic Acids Res. 9, 1271–1289 (1981).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  5. Wells, R. D. et al. Prog. Nucleic Acid Res. molec. Biol. 24, 167–267 (1980).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  6. Cantor, C. R. Cell 25, 293–295 (1981).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  7. Schaffner, W. et al. Cell 14, 655–671 (1978).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  8. Hentschel, C. C. & Birnstiel, M. L. Cell 25, 301–313 (1981).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  9. Sutcliffe, J. G. Nucleic Acids Res. 5, 2727 (1978).
    Google Scholar
  10. Vogt, V. Eur. J. Biochem. 33, 192–200 (1973).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  11. Sutton, W. D. Biochim. biophys. Acta 240, 522 (1971).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  12. Schildkraut, C. & Lifson, S. Biopolymers 3, 195 (1968).
    Article Google Scholar
  13. Cantor, C. R. & Schimmel, P. R. in Biophysical Chemistry Vol. 3, Ch. 22 (Freeman, San Francisco).
  14. Maxam, A. M. & Gilbert, W. Meth. Enzym. 65, 499–560 (1980).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  15. Nishioka, Z. & Leder, P. J. biol. Chem. 255, 3691–3694 (1980).
    CAS Google Scholar
  16. Miesfeld, R., Krystal, M. & Arnheim, N. Nucleic Acids Res. 9, 5931–5947 (1981).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  17. Kedes, L. H. An. Rev. Biochem. 48, 837–870 (1979).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  18. Childs, G., Maxson, R., Cohn, R. & Kedes, L. H. Cell 23, 651–663 (1981).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  19. Isenberg, I. A. Rev. Biochem. 48, 159–191 (1979).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  20. Hohmann, P. Int. Rev. Cytol. 71, 41–93 (1971).
    Article Google Scholar
  21. Streisinger, G. et al. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 31, 77–84 (1966).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  22. Farabaugh, P. J., Schmeissner, U., Hofer, M. & Miller, J. H. J. molec. Biol. 126, 847–863 (1978).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  23. Efstratiadis, A. et al. Cell 21, 653–668 (1980).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  24. Slightom, J. L., Blech, A. E. & Smithies, O. Cell 21, 627–638 (1980).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  25. Nikaido, T., Nakai, S. & Hongo, T. Nature 292, 845–848 (1981).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  26. Southern, E. Meth. Enzym. 68, 152–176 (1979).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  27. Sharp, P. A., Sugden, B. & Sambrook, J. Biochemistry 12, 3055–3063 (1973).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  28. Sanger, F. & Coulson, A. R. FEBS Lett. 87, 107 (1978).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  29. Hofstetter, H., Kressmann, A. & Birnstiel, M. L. Cell 24, 573–585 (1981).
    Article CAS Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Christopher C. Hentschel
    Present address: Department of Molecular Genetics, Celltech Limited, 250 Bath Road, Slough, SL1 4DY, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut fur Molekularbiologie II der Universitat Zurich, Honggerberg, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
    Christopher C. Hentschel

Authors

  1. Christopher C. Hentschel
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hentschel, C. Homocopolymer sequences in the spacer of a sea urchin histone gene repeat are sensitive to S1 nuclease.Nature 295, 714–716 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/295714a0

Download citation