An automated multidimensional protein identification technology, which combines biphasic liquid chromatography with electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), was employed to analyse tryptic peptides from Escherichia coli cells treated with the antiproliferation agent [(eta(6)-p-cymene)RuCl(2)(DMSO)], where DMSO is dimethyl sulfoxide. MS/MS spectra were recorded for molecular ions generated by neutral loss of p-cymene from intensive peptide ions coordinated by the (eta(6)-p-cymene)Ru(II) fragment. Matching of the MS/MS spectra of the ruthenated peptides to spectra of proteins in the E. coli database enabled the identification of five protein targets for [(eta(6)-p-cymene)RuCl(2)(DMSO)]. One of these is the constitutive cold-shock protein cspC, which regulates the expression of genes encoding stress-response proteins, and three of the other targets, ppiD, osmY and sucC, are proteins of the latter type. The DNA damage-inducible helicase dinG was likewise established as a protein target. Aspartate carboxylate functions were identified as the probable Ru binding sites in cspC, ppiD and dinG, and threonine and lysine side chains in osmY and sucC, respectively.

The biological meaning of abundant simple repetitive DNA sequences in eukaryote genomes is obscure. Therefore, (GAA)n, (GT)n, and composite (GT)n(GA)m blocks were characterized for protein binding in the repeat and flanking sequences of cloned genomic DNA fragments. In gel mobility shift and competition assays the binding of nuclear proteins to the repeats was specific (including some flanking single copy sequences). DNase footprinting revealed the target sequences within and adjacent to the repeats. Chemical modifications (OsO4, DEPC) demonstrated non-B DNA structures in the polypurine blocks. The binding of nuclear proteins in and around simple repeat sequences refute biological insignificance of all of these ubiquitously interspersed elements.

UV-B irradiation is often inevitable for visualization of DNA fragments after ethidium bromide staining. Three different simple-repeat-containing, double-stranded genomic DNA fragments were analyzed for UV-B (312 nm) damage using different gel electrophoretic systems. The effects of UV-B light were obvious after 5 min (31.5 kJ/m2) of irradiation in native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Standard single-strand conformation analyses revealed no alterations while a modification did. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-PAGE was found to be highly sensitive with regard to the detection of damages and their time/dosage dependency. In addition, SDS-PAGE analysis pointed to different events occurring during UV-B irradiation. Alterations in DNA conformation were detected in every single strand analyzed after 1 min (6.3 kJ/m2) of UV-B exposure. Gel retardation analyses revealed significant changes of protein binding to target DNAs after 2 min of irradiation--possibly stemming from structural modifications and/or originating from binding sites for proteins involved in DNA repair.

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