Archaeal nucleosome positioning by CTG repeats

Abstract

DNA shape recognition determines the preferred binding sites for sequence-independent DNA binding proteins, and here we document that archaeal histones assemble archaeal nucleosomes in vitro centered preferentially within (CTG)6 and (CTG)8 repeats, close to junctions with flanking mixed- sequence DNA. Archaeal nucleosomes were not positioned by (CTG)4-, (CTG)5- , or (CTG)3AA(CTG)3-containing DNA sequences. The features of CTG repeat- containing sequences that direct eucaryal nucleosome positioning may also be similarly recognized by archaeal histones.