Structure and Function of Periodic Bent DNA in Higher Eukaryotes

Abstract

We found that a type of bent DNA appears periodically in the genomic DNA of higher eukaryotes and mapped their positions in a total of 93kb regions. Based on the structural characteristics and the relationship to nucleosome phases, this periodic bent DNA appears once in four nucleosomes on average and determines the phases first at these positions and then at the neighboring positions, thereby eventually aligning all nucleosomes on the genomic DNA.