DNase I footprinting of small molecule binding sites on DNA

Methods Mol Biol. 2005:288:319-42. doi: 10.1385/1-59259-823-4:319.

Abstract

Nuclease footprinting techniques were initially developed to investigate protein-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) interactions but these tools of molecular biology have also become instrumental for probing sequence-selective binding of small molecules to DNA. Here, the method is described and technical details are given for performing deoxyribonuclease (DNase) I footprinting with DNA-binding drugs. An example is presented where DNase I is used (as well as DNase II and micrococcal nuclease) to probe the patterns of sequence-selective recognition of DNA by the anticancer antibiotic actinomycin D. DNase I is a convenient endonuclease for detecting and locating the position of actinomycin-binding sites within GC-rich sequences.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Autoradiography
  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • DNA / metabolism*
  • DNA Footprinting / methods*
  • Dactinomycin / metabolism
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Molecular Sequence Data

Substances

  • Dactinomycin
  • DNA