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Analysis of Element Composition of DNA-Protein Crystals In Vitro

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Abstract

The universal response of Escherichia coli to stress is enhancing the synthesis of specific histone-like Dps proteins that bind bacterial DNA. As a result, two-dimensional and three-dimensional crystalline arrays can be observed in the cytoplasm of starving bacteria. Conditions for obtaining in vitro co-crystals of DNA-Dps were selected, and their elemental composition was studied using analytical electron microscopy. It was found that Dps in the co-crystal retains its ferritin-like activity; that is, it can stimulate the oxidation of Fe2+ ions to Fe3+ and facilitate the accumulation of iron in the form of Fe2O3 in the inner cavity of the oligomer.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Analytical electron and fluorescence microscopy were performed with the financial support from the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 19-74-30003). The expression and purification of the Dps protein was carried out as part of the state task of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science (topic 0082-2014-0001, no. AAAA-A17-117040610310-6, and topic 0104-2019-0005). The electron microscopy was carried out using a JEOL2100 analytical electron microscope (JEOL, Japan) as part of a unique research facility “Three-Dimensional Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy” of the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Moscow State University, 119234, Moscow, Russia

    A. V. Moiseenko, O. V. Chertkov, A. V. Feofanov & O. S. Sokolova

  2. Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, Moscow, Russia

    N. G. Loiko

  3. Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117977, Moscow, Russia

    N. G. Loiko & Yu. F. Krupyanskii

  4. Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997, Moscow, Russia

    A. V. Feofanov

Authors
  1. A. V. Moiseenko
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  2. N. G. Loiko
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  3. O. V. Chertkov
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  4. A. V. Feofanov
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  5. Yu. F. Krupyanskii
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  6. O. S. Sokolova
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to O. S. Sokolova.

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The authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest.

COMPLIANCE WITH ETHICAL STANDARDS

The study was performed without the use of animals or people as subjects.

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Moiseenko, A.V., Loiko, N.G., Chertkov, O.V. et al. Analysis of Element Composition of DNA-Protein Crystals In Vitro. Moscow Univ. Biol.Sci. Bull. 74, 240–245 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392519040102

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392519040102

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