Biopolymers and cell. 2009; 25 (6): 451 - 456

MARs Wars: heterogeneity and clustering of DNA-binding domains in the nuclear matrix

Y. S. Vassetzky^{1, 2}, E. S. Ioudinkova³, S. V. Razin³

¹CNRS UMR8126, Universite Paris Sud 11, Institut de Cancerologie Gustave Roussy Villejuif, F-94805 France

²N. K. Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 26, Ul. Vavilova, Moscow, Russian Federation, 119334
³Institute of Biology of the Gene, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5, Ul. Vavilova, Moscow, Russian Federation, 119334

Aim. CO326 is a chicken nuclear scaffold/matrix attachment region (MAR) associated with the nuclear matrix in several types of chicken cells. It contains a binding site for a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein, F326. We have studied its interaction with the nuclear matrix. Methods. We have used an in vitro MAR assay with isolated matrices from chicken HD3 cells. Results. We have found that an oligonucleotide binding site for the F326 inhibits binding of the CO326 to the nuclear matrix. At the same time, the binding of heterologous MARs is enhanced. Conclusions. Taken together, these data suggest that there exist several classes of MARs and MAR-binding domains and that the MAR-binding proteins may be clustered in the nuclear matrix.

Keywords: nuclear matrix, DNA-protein interactions, MAR, SAR.