Studies on the mechanism of DNA cleavage by ethidium.
- 1 February 1976
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Nucleic Acids Research
- Vol. 3 (2), 315-324
- https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/3.2.315
Abstract
Ethidium causes the cleavage of DNA via a light and oxygen dependent process. Using covalently closed circular DNA as a substrate, the saturation kinetics and the dependence on superhelical density of the cleavage indicate that intercalated ethidium is mainly responsible for nicking DNA. Superoxide dismutase has little effect on the reaction and catalase none. Lowering the pH inhibited the reaction. The reaction mechanism and its use in determining superhelical densities of covalently closed circular DNA's are discussed.Keywords
This publication has 14 references indexed in Scilit:
- The sense of naturally occurring superhelices and the unwinding angle of intercalated ethidiumJournal of Molecular Biology, 1975
- Native and denatured DNA, cross-linked and palindromic DNA and circular covalently-closed DNA analysed by a sensitive fluorometric procedureBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1974
- The degree of unwinding of the DNA helix by ethidiumJournal of Molecular Biology, 1974
- Free Radicals and Inflammation: Protection of Synovial Fluid by Superoxide DismutaseScience, 1974
- Production of superoxide ions by photosensitization of dyesBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1974
- On the structure of the folded chromosome of Escherichia coliJournal of Molecular Biology, 1972
- F1 sex factor of Escherichia coli. Size and purification in the form of a strand-specific relaxation complex of supercoiled deoxyribonucleic acid and proteinBiochemistry, 1971
- Electron microscopic study of the ethidium bromide-DNA complexJournal of Molecular Biology, 1971
- The utility of superoxide dismutase in studying free radical reactions. I. Radicals generated by the interaction of sulfite, dimethyl sulfoxide, and oxygen.1969
- The interaction of closed circular DNA with intercalative dyesJournal of Molecular Biology, 1968