The nucleoid contains the genomic DNA, and molecules of RNA and proteins. The main proteins of the nucleoid are: RNA polymerase, topoisomerases and the histone-like proteins: HU, H-NS (H1), H, HLP1, IHF and FIS. ... DNA supercoiling is generated by the activity of the topoisomerases and by DNA-protein interactions.

What does a nucleoid not contain?

Prokaryotic cells do not contain nuclei or other membrane-bound organelles. In fact, the word "prokaryote" literally means "before the nucleus." The nucleoid is simply the area of a prokaryotic cell in which the chromosomal DNA is located. ... coli chromosome is several orders of magnitude larger than the cell itself.

What is nucleoid made up of?

The nucleoid (meaning nucleus-like) is an irregularly-shaped region within the cell of a prokaryote that contains all or most of the genetic material. ... Experimental evidence suggests that the nucleoid is largely composed of about 60% DNA, plus a small amount of RNA and protein.