Volume 270,
Number 13,
Issue of March 31, 1995 pp. 7045-7046
©1995 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
In
Vivo Quantitative Characterization of Intermolecular Interactions
(Received for publication, January 5, 1995; and in revised form, February 8, 1995)
Ziv
Reich,
Ellen
J.
Wachtel
,
Abraham
Minsky
Extensive effort has been directed toward a quantitative
evaluation of forces which operate between biomacromolecules since the
characterization of such forces is essential to a thorough
understanding of fundamental biological processes. However, all studies
hitherto reported were conducted in vitro, using isolated
species. Here we report the first quantitative characterization of
forces operating between DNA molecules within living bacteria.
Evaluation of x-ray scattering studies conducted on intact bacteria
indicates that, at DNA-DNA surface separations characteristic of DNA
assemblies, interactions are dominated by repulsive hydration forces
which originate from the structuring of water molecules. The results
support the notion that the mechanisms by means of which macromolecules
function, fold, and interact with each other crucially depend upon
their hydration properties.