Dps and Bacterial DNA (IMAGE)

University of Rochester

Dps and Bacterial DNA

Caption

Dps (in green) densely compacts DNA (blue strands), but this doesn't have any detectable effect on gene expression. RNA polymerase (pink) is still able to bind to the DNA and make RNA transcripts and express genes (shown in purple), while proteins that could cut and damage DNA are completely blocked.

Credit

University of Rochester illustration / Elio Abbondanzieri

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