Analysis by the circular permutation assay of the human epsilon-globin gene region revealed that the DNA bend sites were located every 682.5 +/- 132.0 base pairs on average, separating the region into domains. Among 10 major and 1 minor bend sites mapped in the region, the transcription initiation and termination sites of the epsilon-globin gene were located close to the bend sites, and the first and the second exons of the epsilon-globin gene were separated from the third exon by another site. The bend sites were also located anterior to the two Alu family sequences. Short poly(dA).poly(dT) tracts typical for DNA bending were not always present in the sites. Fine mapping of a bend site having no poly(dA).poly(dT) tracts with concatenated oligonucleotides and analysis by S1 nuclease nicking assay indicated that the unusual structure, a base slippage or a partial triplex DNA structure, formed by a polypurine.polypyrimidine sequence in the region is the basis of bending. The bend sites were mapped in the promoter region (within approximately 300 base pairs from the cap site) of the human beta-globin and in c-myc and erythropoietin receptor genes, as well as in the mouse beta maj-globin gene. The conservation and the periodicity of the bend sites in the noncoding region suggest the active role of the sites that is a signal for nucleosome phasing.