Radiolytic footprints

Franchet-Beuzit J, Spotheim-Maurizot M, Sabattier R, Blazy-Baudras B, Charlier M (1993) Radiolytic footprint. (1 rays, y photons, and fast neutrons probe DNA-protein interactions. Biochemistry 32 2104-2110... 

Sequencing gel electrophoresis patterns of DNA fragments irradiated in presence of bound proteins reveal regions in which no FSB are occurring. They are called protein "radiolytic footprints" on DNA [15]. Such protected regions were observed when irradiating the operator-lactose repressor complexes (see Inset 1). 

This result validates the experimental method of radiolytic footprinting as a very interesting tool for revealing the sites of "contact" between the protein and DNA when they are not known. 

Xu, G. Chance, M.R. Radiolytic modification and reactivity of amino acid residues serving as structural probes for protein footprinting. Anal. Chem. 2005, 77, 4549-4555. 

Takamoto K, Chance MR. (2006) Radiolytic protein footprinting with mass spectrometry to probe the structure of macromolecular complexes. Annual Review of Biophysics and Biomolecular Structure 35 251-276. 

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