Preferential Binding of the Archaebacterial Histone-Like MC1 Protein to Negatively Supercoiled DNA Minicircles

The interaction of the archaebacterial MC1 protein with 207 bp negatively supercoiled DNA minicircles has been examined by gel retardation assays and compared to that observed with the relaxed DNA minicircle. MC1 binding induces a drastic DNA conformational change of each minicircle, leading to an increase of the electrophoretic mobility of the DNA. A slight increase in salt concentration enhances the amount of bound MC1, and high NaCl concentrations are required to dissociate the complexes. Furthermore, the salt effect on binding depends on the supercoiling state of the DNA. The dissociation rates decrease with increasing linking difference of the minicircles relative to their relaxed configuration to reach a maximum at −2 turns. In addition, differences between the topoisomers are also observed in terms of stoichiometry of the strongest complexes. So with the −2 topoisomer the complex with two MC1 molecules is the most stable, while with the −1 and −3 topoisomers, the strongest ones are those with one MC1 molecule per DNA ring.