A novel form of the DNA double helix imposed on the TATA-box by the TATA-binding protein

The structure of the TATA-box bound to the TATA-binding protein revealed a new and unexpected deformation of the double helix leading to a sharp change in the DNA trajectory. Here we show that the deformation imposed upon the TATA-box represents a novel form of the double helix—named TA-DNA—which differs from A-DNA by a single conformational parameter, namely the rotation around the glycosidic bond. This rotation causes a 50° inclination of the base pairs in the TATA-box which in turn results in abrupt change in the trajectory of the flanking B-DNA segments. The observation that the TATA sequence can assume an A-DNA conformation coupled to the simplicity of the transition from A-DNA to TA-DNA may be the reason for the presence of the TATA sequence in a wide range of promoters.