Open AccessTheoriCunwinding bydammethylation inEscherichia coli
Author(s) -
Hirofumi Yamaki,
Eiichi Ohtsubo,
Kazuo Nagai,
Yoshimi Maeda
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
nucleic acids research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 9.008
H-Index - 537
eISSN - 1362-4954
pISSN - 0305-1048
DOI - 10.1093/nar/16.11.5067
Subject(s) - biology , library science , methylation , dna , genetics , computer science
It has been shown that dam methylation is important in the regulation of initiation of DNA replication in E.coli. The question then arises as to whether dam methylation in the oriC region mediates any structural changes in DNA involved in the regulation of initiation of DNA replication. We demonstrate that the thermal melting temperature of the oriC region is lowered by adenine methylation at GATC sites. The regulation of initiation of DNA replication by dam methylation may be attributed to the ease of unwinding at GATC sites in oriC.