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Nuclease digestion studies of chromatin structure

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5209229

Micrococcal nuclease, which preferentially cleaves linker DNA in chromatin, was immobilized by covalent attachment to CNBr-activated agarose beads and used to study the accessibility of linker DNA in chromatin fibers prepared from chicken erythrocyte nuclei. This immobilized nuclease was able to cleave chromatin fibers into the typical pattern of fragments corresponding to multiples of mononucleosomes. Cleavage from only the ends of the fibers was ruled out by examining the products of cleavage of fibers end-labelled with /sup 35/P. Comparison of the rate of digestion by immobilized and soluble micrococcal nuclease indicated that the fiber structure does not significantly affect access to linker DNA. The absence of an effect of reducing temperatures on the rate of digestion of fibers, as compared to short oligonucleosomes, indicated that breathing motions to allow access to the fiber interior were not required for cleavage of linker DNA.

Research Organization:
California Univ., Los Angeles (USA)
OSTI ID:
5209229
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English