Abstract:
Common throughout life is the need to compact and organize the genome. Possible mechanisms involved in this process include supercoiling, phase separation, charge neutralization, macromolecular crowding, and nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs). NAPs are special in that they can organize the genome at multiple length scales, and thus are often considered as the architects of the genome. NAPs shape the genome by either bending DNA, wrapping DNA, bridging DNA, or forming nucleoprotein filaments on the DNA. In this mini-review, we discuss recent advancements of unique NAPs with differing architectural properties across the tree of life, including NAPs from bacteria, archaea, and viruses. To help the characterization of NAPs from the ever-increasing number of metagenomes, we recommend a set of cheap and simple in vitro biochemical assays that give unambiguous insights into the architectural properties of NAPs. Finally, we highlight and showcase the usefulness of AlphaFold in the characterization of novel NAPs.
摘要:
在整个生命中常见的是需要紧凑和组织基因组。此过程中可能涉及的机制包括超卷,相分离,电荷中和,大分子拥挤,和类核相关蛋白(NAP)。国家行动方案的特殊之处在于它们可以在多个长度尺度上组织基因组,因此通常被认为是基因组的建筑师。NAP通过弯曲DNA来塑造基因组,包裹DNA,桥接DNA,或者在DNA上形成核蛋白丝。在这个小型审查中,我们讨论了在整个生命之树中具有不同建筑属性的独特国家行动方案的最新进展,包括来自细菌的国家行动方案,古细菌,和病毒。为了帮助从不断增加的宏基因组中表征国家行动方案,我们推荐一套廉价而简单的体外生化检测方法,这些方法可以明确了解NAP的结构特性.最后,我们强调并展示了AlphaFold在表征新型国家行动方案中的有用性。