| Language: | English |
|---|---|
| Type: | Article |
| Authors: | Yuko Yoshikawa, Mari Suzuki, Ning Chen, Anatoly A. Zinchenko, Shizuaki Murata, Toshio Kanbe, Tonau Nakai, Hidehiro Oana and Kenichi Yoshikawa |
| Journal: | European Journal of Biochemistry |
| ISSN: | 0014-2956 |
| Volume: | 270 |
| Number: | 14 |
| Month: | 7 |
| Year: | 2003 |
| Actual year: | 2003 |
| Pages: | 3101-3106 |
| doi: | 10.1046/j.1432-1033.2003.03699.x |
| Abstract: | Ascorbic acid is often regarded as an antioxidant in vivo , where it protects against cancer by scavenging DNA-damaging reactive oxygen species. However, the detailed mechanism of the action of ascorbic acid on genetic DNA is still unclear. We examined the effect of ascorbic acid on the higher-order structure of DNA through real-time observation by fluorescence microscopy. We found that ascorbic acid generates a pearling structure in single giant DNA molecules, with elongated and compact regions coexisting along a molecular chain. Results from electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy indicate that the compact regions assume a loosely packed conformation. A possible mechanism for the induction of this conformational change is discussed in relation to the interplay between the higher-order and second-order structures of DNA. |
Yuko Yoshikawa, Mari Suzuki, Ning Chen, Anatoly A. Zinchenko, Shizuaki Murata, Toshio Kanbe, Tonau Nakai, Hidehiro Oana and Kenichi Yoshikawa, European Journal of Biochemistry, 270, 3101-3106 (2003)