Interactions between proteins and DNA are of eminent importance to all living organisms with the scope of these contacts ranging from rather unspecific binding to highly specific molecular recognition in the case of e.g.transcription factors.Protein domains that bind to DNA in a sequence-specific manner occur e.g.in transcription factors.Cationic amphiphilic peptides,where the positive charge is predominantly located on one face of the helix,bind to DNA by interaction with the negatively charged phosphate groups.DNA may function as a template and induces helical structures in basic peptides.Besides these unspecific interactions,amphiphilic helices form specific contacts and serve as recognition elements in protein-DNA contacts as found in transcription factors.
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