Photoaffinity labeling as an approach to study supramolecular nucleoprotein complexes

The modern approaches for studying the detailed structure of nucleoprotein complexes involved in replication and transcription, based on the use of nucleic acids with photoreactive groups incorporated into definite positions of polynucleotide chain, are considered. Methods of preparation of photoreactive nucleic acids of this type are presented, Their use for positioning of RNA polymerase III and transcription factors as well as of the main participants of the replication machinery at the respective templates is described, A survey of the data concerning the amino acid residues modified in the course of photoaffinity labeling of proteins is also presented and some complications are discussed. (C) 1998 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.