Hi everyone, I'm trying to crystallize a truncated DNA-binding domain of a transcription factor (Nuclear Factor I X) but its DNA-binding affinity is not optimal, therefore the complex is not very stable and its crystallization is quite tricky. I was wondering if there is one or more compounds that are known to favour DNA-protein interaction in such a way to promote complex formation and to make it more stable.
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It might help to include a divalent cation such as Mg2+ to neutralize the charge on the DNA backbone, if there is electrostatic repulsion. On the other hand, it might be better to minimize the ionic strength (salt concentration) as much as possible to favor ionic interactions.
You could also try a macromolecular crowding agent like PEG or Ficoll, though I don't know whether these would be appropriate for crystallization or not.
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