Overview

The binding of proteins to DNA and the manipulation of DNA by proteins in such processes as recombination, transcription and topoisomerization are crucial aspects of the biological role of DNA in the living cell. This book provides a comprehensive and lucid discussion of the molecular interactions involved, with the emphasis on our current understanding of the structural and mechanistic basis of these phenomena in both bacteria and higher organisms. Among the questions addressed are: how do proteins recognize specific DNA sequences and structures; how do they melt short regions of DNA prior to transcription and DNA replication; how do DNA binding proteins cooperate to regulate transcription; how is DNA packaged in chromatin, and what is the relevance of DNA structure and topology to these processes? The text assumes a knowledge of basic molecular biology and is suitable for research students and final year undergraduates. This book should be of interest to advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students and research workers in biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics.

Full Product Details

Author:   A. Travers
Publisher:   Chapman and Hall
Imprint:   Chapman and Hall
Edition:   Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1993
Dimensions:   Width: 15.50cm , Height: 1.00cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.610kg
ISBN:  

9780412259906

ISBN 10:   0412259907
Pages:   192
Publication Date:   30 April 1993
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

1 DNA structure.- 1.1 Structural features of DNA.- 1.2 DNA polymorphism.- 1.3 Conformational variability of DNA.- 1.4 Intrinsic bending of DNA.- 1.5 DNA supercoiling and topology.- 1.6 The topology of protein-bound DNA.- 1.7 Structure of supercoiled DNA.- References.- 2 DNA—protein interactions: The three-dimensional architecture of DNA—protein complexes.- 2.1 General principles.- 2.2 Local DNA conformation and protein binding.- 2.3 DNA wrapping.- 2.4 DNA configuration and sequence periodicity.- 2.5 The establishment of DNA architecture.- References.- 3 DNA—protein interactions: Sequence specific recognition.- 3.1 General principles of sequence specific recognition.- 3.2 Structural motifs for sequence specific binding.- 3.3 Co-operative binding to DNA.- 3.4 Co-operativity at a distance: DNA looping.- 3.5 Protein flexibility in DNA—protein complexes.- References.- 4 The mechanism of RNA chain initiation.- 4.1 The promoter.- 4.2 RNA polymerases.- 4.3 The kinetics of transcription initiation.- 4.4 The molecular interactions of RNA polymerase with a promoter site.- 4.5 The topological consequences of transcription.- 4.6 Transcriptional activators.- 4.7 Transcriptional activation by negative superhelicity.- 4.8 How does RNA polymerase melt promoter DNA?.- References.- 5 The regulation of promoter selectivity in eubacteria.- 5.1 Control of stable RNA synthesis.- 5.2 Stable RNA promoters.- 5.3 The transition from exponential growth to stationary phase and vice versa.- 5.4 Sigma factors and promoter recognition.- 5.5 The heat shock response.- 5.6 ?54: A target for transcriptional enhancers.- 5.7 The transcriptional programmes of bacterial viruses.- References.- 6 The mechanism of eukaryotic transcription.- 6.1 Eukaryotic transcriptional regulatory elements.- 6.2Eukaryotic transcriptional regulators: structure.- 6.3 Specificity and selectivity of eukaryotic transcription factors.- 6.4 Sp1 transcription factor.- 6.5 Heat shock transcription factor (HSF).- 6.6 How do transcriptional activators work?.- 6.7 Transcription by RNA polymerase III.- 6.8 The establishment of repression.- References.- 7 Chromatin and transcription.- 7.1 Local control of chromatin structure.- 7.2 The structural organization of chromatin.- 7.2.1 Chromosomal superstructure.- 7.3 Heterochromatin.- 7.4 The regulation of transcriptional competence.- References.

Reviews

The value of this analysis is found in the insight it provides into the mechanism of complex systems... the text is generally well-written and flows smoothly. [this work] is full of insights and stimulating in its unification of structure and function, a perspective that is increasingly inmportant in molecular biology. Trends in Genetics; Andrew Travers has done an excellent job of selecting examples illustrating the central theme of the book...the figures are instructive, well designed and selected...I wholeheartedly recommend this book for all structural and molecular biologists who are interested in the biological role of DNA - Trends in Biochemical Sciences; ...the book does bring together areas in a juxtaposition unique to its author...explained with the authority one would expect from Travers. - Nature; ...the book quickly takes us beyond the straightforward undergraduate texts, to provide a helpful source of information and discussion material for advanced undergraduate or Masters'courses. Journal of Biological Education; The value of this analysis is found in the insight it provides into the mechanism of complex systems... the text is generally well-written and flows smoothly. [this work] is full of insights and stimulating in its unification of structure and function, a perspective that is increasingly r portant in molecular biology. Trends in Genetics; Overall, this is a densely detailed text and worth its place on the shelf of practitioners in the field who wish to maintain an overall view...gathers together current knowledge in a useful way - Current Biology

The value of this analysis is found in the insight it provides into the mechanism of complex systems... the text is generally well-written and flows smoothly. [this work] is full of insights and stimulating in its unification of structure and function, a perspective that is increasingly inmportant in molecular biology. Trends in Genetics; Andrew Travers has done an excellent job of selecting examples illustrating the central theme of the book...the figures are instructive, well designed and selected...I wholeheartedly recommend this book for all structural and molecular biologists who are interested in the biological role of DNA - Trends in Biochemical Sciences; ...the book does bring together areas in a juxtaposition unique to its author...explained with the authority one would expect from Travers. - Nature; ...the book quickly takes us beyond the straightforward undergraduate texts, to provide a helpful source of information and discussion material for advanced undergraduate or Masters'courses. Journal of Biological Education; The value of this analysis is found in the insight it provides into the mechanism of complex systems... the text is generally well-written and flows smoothly. [this work] is full of insights and stimulating in its unification of structure and function, a perspective that is increasingly r portant in molecular biology. Trends in Genetics; Overall, this is a densely detailed text and worth its place on the shelf of practitioners in the field who wish to maintain an overall view...gathers together current knowledge in a useful way - Current Biology

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