Detection of covalent DNA-bound Spo11 and topoisomerase complexes

Methods Mol Biol. 2011:745:65-77. doi: 10.1007/978-1-61779-129-1_5.

Abstract

Topoisomerases can release topological stress and resolve DNA catenanes by a DNA strand breakage and re-ligation mechanism. During the lifetime of the DNA break, the topoisomerase remains covalently linked to the DNA and removes itself when the break is re-ligated. While the lifetime of a covalent topoisomerase-DNA complex is usually short, several clinically important cancer drugs kill cancer cells by inhibiting the removal of covalently linked topoisomerases. The topoisomerase-like protein Spo11 is responsible for meiotic double strand break formation. Spo11 is not able to remove itself and is removed by nucleolytic cleavage. This chapter describes a method which allows the reproducible and quantitative detection of proteins covalently bound to the DNA.

MeSH terms

  • DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / genetics
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / metabolism*
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type II / genetics
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type II / metabolism
  • Endodeoxyribonucleases / genetics
  • Endodeoxyribonucleases / metabolism*
  • Schizosaccharomyces / genetics
  • Schizosaccharomyces / metabolism*
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / genetics
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins
  • Endodeoxyribonucleases
  • meiotic recombination protein SPO11
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type I
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type II