One-Dimensional Movements of Nucleic Acid-Binding Proteins and Their Biological Functions
Numerous kinetic studies have documented the 1D(one-dimensional)movements of nucleic acid-binding proteins along macromolecular nucleic acid.These movements,although generally independent of specific nucleic acid sequences,play critical roles in various biological processes.For example,transcription fac-tors locate promoter or enhancer regions through 1D movements to regulate gene expression;DNA repair proteins detect DNA damage and initiate repair signals by 1D movements;SMCs(structural maintenance of chromosomes)also employ 1D movements to regulate chromosome structure,etc.However,evaluating the physiological signifi-cance of these motions in relation to the nucleic acid-binding protein's functions remains a major challenge.This paper will introduce the modes of 1D movements of the nucleic acid-binding proteins,discuss the applications and advantages of single-molecule techniques for real-time observation of 1D movement,and summarize recent discov-eries regarding their biological functions.