High-Molecular-Weight DNA Fragmentation
and Its Possible Role in Genome Rearrangements

T. Yu. Kolotova and N. V. Vasil’ev

Mechnikov Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Khar’kov, 310057 Ukraine

Received October 7, 1997; in final form, June 8, 1998

Abstract—Features common of DNA breaks inducing yeast meiotic recombination, V(D)J recombination of
the immunoglobulin genes, and other rearrangements are analyzed. High-molecular-weight DNA fragmenta-
tion in early apoptosis is considered not only as a cause of irreversible DNA degradation, but as a stress response
of the genome as well. Double-strand DNA breaking occurs in nuclease-hypersensitive regions with open chro-
matin structure, and is regulated by the interaction of DNA with site-specific DNA-binding proteins.

Key words: high-molecular-weight DNA fragmentation, DNA rearrangement, apoptosis

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