Molecular accessibility assay

1. A method for assaying the amount of bound nucleic acid-binding polypeptide in a sample comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring the level of fluorescence in a sample comprising a nucleic acid, a nucleic acid-binding fluorescent reporter, and a nucleic acid-binding polypeptide, wherein the nucleic acid comprises a fluorescent reporter-binding sequence and a binding polypeptide-binding sequence positioned such that binding polypeptide bound to the nucleic acid inhibits binding of the fluorescent reporter to the nucleic acid and modulates the level of fluorescence in the sample, and wherein the binding-polypeptide binding sequence of the nucleic acid is one or more damaged nucleic acid bases, and wherein the fluorescent reporter is fluorescent 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), distamycin A, Hoechst 33258, netropsin, berenil, 2-hydroxystilbamidine, chromomycin A3, or a fluorophore-tethered peptide or oligopeptide, and

(b) comparing the level of fluorescence in the sample to a control level of fluorescence, wherein a difference in the level of fluorescence in the sample compared to the control level of fluorescence indicates the amount of bound nucleic acid-binding polypeptide in the sample.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid-binding polypeptide is a DNA-binding polypeptide.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the DNA-binding polypeptide is an enzyme, histone, telomere binding polypeptide, transcription factor, or other regulatory polypeptide.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the enzyme is a glycosylase, polymerase, nuclease, methyl transferase, or topoisomerase.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is obtained from an enzyme preparation or cell extract.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent reporter is a fluorescent molecule whose fluorescence is modified when the reporter binds a nucleic acid compared to the fluorescence of the reporter when not bound to the nucleic acid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid has a sequence comprising two or more fluorescent reporter-binding sequences and/or two or more binding-polypeptide binding sequences positioned such that binding polypeptide bound to the nucleic acid interferes with binding of the fluorescent reporter to the nucleic acid.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid is a natural, synthetic, or modified DNA or RNA.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the damaged nucleic acid bases comprise at least one 5,6-dihydrouracil, 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine, 5,6-dihydroxy-5,6-dihydrothymine, 5-hydroxycytosine, 5,6-dihydrothymine, 5-hydroxyuracil, or 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoadenine.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binding polypeptide is covalently or non-covalently bound to the nucleic acid.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the binding polypeptide is covalently bound to the nucleic acid by an intermediate trapped by a trapping agent.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the intermediate is a Schiff base.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the trapping agent is 2-deoxyribonolactone, oxanine, or, cis-Platinum.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the trapping agent is a reducing agent.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the reducing agent is a borohydride compound, NaBH 4 or NaCNBH 3 .