Abstract

Characterization of the nucleoid from themophilic crenarchaeon sulfolobus acidocaldarius

Author(s): Zeenath Fathima, K.S.Jaya, Tangirala Suryanarayana

Nucleoid of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, a hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon, was analyzed to determine the composition of its nucleoprotein complexes. The nucleoid was found to have two components, a tightly aggregated membrane associated component and the membrane free component. The two components differ with respect to DNA, RNA and protein compositions. Analysis of micrococcal nuclease digest of the nucleoid suggests that the S. acidocaldarius chromatin lacks nucleosomal structure and its DNA is bound by different sets of proteins in different (domains) regions of varying length.