Use of benzoyl-naphthyl-DEAE-cellulose chromatography for determining the ability of proteins from Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, binding with single-stranded DNA (SSB-proteins), to destabilize the DNA double helix]

Single-stranded DNA-binding proteins (SSB-proteins) isolated from Ehrlich ascites tumour (EAT) cells were incubated for 30 min at 5 mM NaCl with salmon sperm DNA or 3H]DNA from EAT at the SSB-protein/DNA ratio (w/w) of 0 to 4.5. After addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate up to a 0.05% concentration, the proteins were applied to columns with benzoylated naphthoylated DEAE-cellulose. Double-stranded DNA was eluted by 1 M NaCl; the DNA containing single-stranded regions was eluted by 50% dimethylformamide. There was a progressive lowering of the DNA content in the first eluate and a rise in the second eluate, as could be evidenced from the increase in the SSB-protein/DNA w/w ratio. This effect was more pronounced in the case of homologous DNA and was not coupled with the nuclease activity of SSB proteins. It was concluded that EAT SSB-proteins are "DNA-unwinding" proteins.