Remodeling Chromatin Induces Z-DNA Conformation Detected through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
Yalin Li, Qing Huang, Guohua Yao, Xiaoyi Wang, Fengqiu Zhang, Tao Wang, Changsheng Shao, Xinxin Zheng, Xumiao Jing, Huiyue Zhou
Abstract
The SWI/SNF complex is a highly conserved chromatin remodeling complex and can hydrolyze ATP by its catalytic subunit BRG1 or BRM to reconstruct the chromatin. To investigate whether this ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling could affect the DNA conformation, we therefore regulated (knocked down or overexpressed) BRG1/BRM in the cells and applied Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to probe DNA conformational changes. As a result, we found that BRG1/BRM was indeed associated with the DNA conformational changes, in which knockdown of BRG1/BRM reduced Z-DNA conformation, while overexpression of BRG1/BRM enhanced Z-DNA conformation. This Z-DNA conformational transformation was also verified using the Z-DNA-binding proteins. Therefore, this work has provided a direct analytical tool to probe Z-DNA transformation upon ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling.