Determination of the molecular weight of DNA-bound protein(s) responsible for gel electrophoretic mobility shift of linear DNA fragments examplified with purified viral myb protein.

A protein-DNA complex has less gel electrophoretic mobility than the free DNA fragment. One parameter for the degree of retardation of a linear DNA fragment in a protein-DNA complex is the molecular weight of the bound protein(s). The quotient of the migration distances of free DNA (m) and protein-DNA complex (m') is a function of the molecular weight (MW) of the bound protein(s). Based on the evaluation of the lac repressor induced mobility shift of a 203 bp DNA fragment containing the lac operator in a 5% non-denaturating polyacrylamide gel a direct proportionality could be shown between (m/m'-1) and MW with the proportionality factor K = 215 kDa. The factor K depends on the acrylamide concentration in the gel, getting lower values with increasing acrylamide concentrations. A calculation is given to determine the molecular weight of DNA-binding factors responsible for the decreased electrophoretic mobility of a linear DNA fragment. As an example this calculation was used in order to analyse DNA-binding of the isolated viral myb protein. It could be demonstrated that the viral myb protein binds to DNA as a monomer and as a dimer.