Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ncar!boulder!eddy
From: eddy@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Sean Eddy)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Chromatin Packing
Keywords: Chromatin
Message-ID: <3020@boulder.Colorado.EDU>
Date: 29 Aug 88 14:20:34 GMT
References: <707@dukempd.UUCP> <3006@boulder.Colorado.EDU> <709@dukempd.UUCP>
Sender: news@boulder.Colorado.EDU
Reply-To: eddy@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Sean Eddy)
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Lines: 23

In article <709@dukempd.UUCP> crown@dukempd.UUCP (Rick Crownover) writes:
[design of a cross-linking study to probe chromatin structure]

This is somewhat similar to an approach I've heard rumor of, so
I'm going to take the opportunity to bring it up.

"DNA footprinting" is a popular technique for learning where a
protein binds to a particular piece of DNA. Basically, the
protein blocks modification of the DNA helix and protects
its binding site from chemical or enzymatic cleavage;
this "protection" can be detected and is called the "footprint"
of the protein.

Now, has anyone heard of _protein_ footprinting being used to probe
protein-protein or protein-nucleic acid interactions?
Would a protein-protein interaction
protect appropriate peptide bonds from cleavage by, say, a protease?
Would a protein make a protease-insensitive "footprint" on another
protein? (Like I said, I've heard rumor that the answers are yes;
anyone know anything about this?)

- Sean Eddy
- Molecular/Cellular/Developmental Biology; U. of Colorado at Boulder
- eddy@boulder.colorado.EDU		!{hao,nbires}!boulder!eddy