Global structure and mechanical properties of a 10-bp nucleosome positioning motif

The method of DNA cyclization kinetics reveals special properties of the TATAAACGCC sequence motif found in DNA sequences that have high affinity for core histones. Replacement of 30 bp of generic DNA by th ree 10-bp repeats of the motif in smalt cyclization constructs increases cyclization rates by two orders of magnitude. We document a 13 degrees bend in the motif and characterize the direction of curvature. The bending force constant is smaller by nearly 2-fold and there is a 35% decrease in the twist modulus, relative to generic DNA. These features are the likely source of the high affinity far bending around core histones to farm nucleosomes. Our results establish a protocol for determination of the ensemble-averaged global solution structure and mechanical properties of any approximate to 10-bp DNA sequence element of interest, providing information complementary to that from NMR and crystallographic structural studies.