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Imanian B, Pombert JF, Keeling PJ. The complete plastid genomes of the two 'dinotoms' Durinskia baltica and Kryptoperidinium foliaceum. PLoS One 2010; 5:e10711. [PMID: 20502706 PMCID: PMC2873285 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0010711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2010] [Accepted: 04/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In one small group of dinoflagellates, photosynthesis is carried out by a tertiary endosymbiont derived from a diatom, giving rise to a complex cell that we collectively refer to as a 'dinotom'. The endosymbiont is separated from its host by a single membrane and retains plastids, mitochondria, a large nucleus, and many other eukaryotic organelles and structures, a level of complexity suggesting an early stage of integration. Although the evolution of these endosymbionts has attracted considerable interest, the plastid genome has not been examined in detail, and indeed no tertiary plastid genome has yet been sequenced. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here we describe the complete plastid genomes of two closely related dinotoms, Durinskia baltica and Kryptoperidinium foliaceum. The D. baltica (116470 bp) and K. foliaceum (140426 bp) plastid genomes map as circular molecules featuring two large inverted repeats that separate distinct single copy regions. The organization and gene content of the D. baltica plastid closely resemble those of the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. The K. foliaceum plastid genome is much larger, has undergone more reorganization, and encodes a putative tyrosine recombinase (tyrC) also found in the plastid genome of the heterokont Heterosigma akashiwo, and two putative serine recombinases (serC1 and serC2) homologous to recombinases encoded by plasmids pCf1 and pCf2 in another pennate diatom, Cylindrotheca fusiformis. The K. foliaceum plastid genome also contains an additional copy of serC1, two degenerate copies of another plasmid-encoded ORF, and two non-coding regions whose sequences closely resemble portions of the pCf1 and pCf2 plasmids. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE These results suggest that while the plastid genomes of two dinotoms share very similar gene content and genome organization with that of the free-living pennate diatom P. tricornutum, the K. folicaeum plastid genome has absorbed two exogenous plasmids. Whether this took place before or after the tertiary endosymbiosis is not clear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behzad Imanian
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jean-François Pombert
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Patrick J. Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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2
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Abstract
Sequence analysis revealed that the integrase of the Bacteroides conjugative transposon CTnDOT (IntDOT) might be a member of the tyrosine recombinase family because IntDOT has five of six highly conserved residues found in the catalytic domains of tyrosine recombinases. Yet, IntDOT catalyses a reaction that appears to differ in some respects from well-studied tyrosine recombinases such as that of phage lambda. To assess the importance of the conserved residues, we changed residues in IntDOT that align with conserved residues in tyrosine recombinases. Some substitutions resulted in a complete loss or significant decrease of integration activity in vivo. The ability of the mutant proteins to cleave and ligate CTnDOT attachment site (attDOT) DNA in vitro in general paralleled the in vivo results, but the H345A mutant, which had a wild-type level of integration in vivo, exhibited a slightly lower level of cleavage and ligation in vitro. Our results confirm the hypothesis that IntDOT belongs to the tyrosine recombinase family, but the catalytic core of the protein seems to have somewhat different organization. Previous DNA sequence analyses showed that CTnDOT att sites contain 5 bp non-homologous coupling sequences which were assumed to define the putative staggered sites of cleavage. However, cleavage assays showed that one of the cleavage sites is 2 bp away from the junction of CTnDOT and coupling sequence DNA. The site is in a region of homology that is conserved in CTnDOT att sites.
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Rajeev L, Salyers AA, Gardner JF. Characterization of the integrase of NBU1, a Bacteroides mobilizable transposon. Mol Microbiol 2006; 61:978-90. [PMID: 16859497 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05282.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
NBU1 is a Bacteroides mobilizable transposon (MTn) that is integrated within the host chromosome and requires CTnDOT functions for its excision and transfer into a new host. The NBU1 integrase IntN1 has been classified as a tyrosine recombinase based on the presence of conserved residues. We created alanine mutants of the residues R291, K314, H393, R396, H419 and the conserved substitution Y429F and tested them for integration efficiency. The results suggest that these residues in IntN1 are important for integration, and Y429 could be the catalytic nucleophile. We employed suicide substrates and partially purified IntN1 to determine the positions of IntN1 cleavage within the 14 bp common core region that is identical in both NBU1 att sites. We show that IntN1 makes 7 bp staggered cuts on the top and bottom strands. From previous mutational analysis of the att sites, we show that two specific mutations near the site of bottom strand cleavage within this 7 bp region increased integration, and mutations of the two bases near top strand cleavage site had no effect on integration. These results indicate that IntN1 lacks the strict requirement for homology between the recombining sites seen with other tyrosine recombinases. We also show that phosphorothioate substitutions at the cleavage site and 1 bp downstream inhibited cleavage by IntN1. This differs from other studied tyrosine recombinases where inhibition occurs by substitutions at the cleavage site only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Rajeev
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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4
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Lee L, Sadowski PD. Strand Selection by the Tyrosine Recombinases. PROGRESS IN NUCLEIC ACID RESEARCH AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2005; 80:1-42. [PMID: 16164971 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6603(05)80001-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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5
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Letzelter C, Duguet M, Serre MC. Mutational analysis of the archaeal tyrosine recombinase SSV1 integrase suggests a mechanism of DNA cleavage in trans. J Biol Chem 2004; 279:28936-44. [PMID: 15123675 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m403971200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The only tyrosine recombinase so far studied in archaea, the SSV1 integrase, harbors several changes in the canonical residues forming the catalytic pocket of this family of recombinases. This raised the possibility of a different mechanism for archaeal tyrosine recombinase. The residues of Int(SSV) tentatively involved in catalysis were modified by site-directed mutagenesis, and the properties of the corresponding mutants were studied. The results show that all of the targeted residues are important for activity, suggesting that the archaeal integrase uses a mechanism similar to that of bacterial or eukaryotic tyrosine recombinases. In addition, we show that Int(SSV) exhibits a type IB topoisomerase activity because it is able to relax both positive and negative supercoils. Interestingly, in vitro complementation experiments between the inactive integrase mutant Y314F and all other inactive mutants restore in all cases enzymatic activity. This suggests that, as for the yeast Flp recombinase, the active site is assembled by the interaction of the tyrosine from one monomer with the other residues from another monomer. The shared active site paradigm of the eukaryotic Flp protein may therefore be extended to the archaeal tyrosine recombinase Int(SSV).
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Letzelter
- Laboratoire d'Enzymologie des Acides Nucléiques, Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Bātiment 400, Université Paris Sud, Orsay Cedex 91405, France
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6
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Aihara H, Kwon HJ, Nunes-Düby SE, Landy A, Ellenberger T. A conformational switch controls the DNA cleavage activity of lambda integrase. Mol Cell 2003; 12:187-98. [PMID: 12887904 DOI: 10.1016/s1097-2765(03)00268-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The bacteriophage lambda integrase protein (lambda Int) belongs to a family of tyrosine recombinases that catalyze DNA rearrangements. We have determined a crystal structure of lambda Int complexed with a cleaved DNA substrate through a covalent phosphotyrosine bond. In comparison to an earlier unliganded structure, we observe a drastic conformational change in DNA-bound lambda Int that brings Tyr342 into the active site for cleavage of the DNA in cis. A flexible linker connects the central and the catalytic domains, allowing the protein to encircle the DNA. Binding specificity is achieved through direct interactions with the DNA and indirect readout of the flexibility of the att site. The conformational switch that activates lambda Int for DNA cleavage exposes the C-terminal 8 residues for interactions with a neighboring Int molecule. The protein interactions mediated by lambda Int's C-terminal tail offer a mechanism for the allosteric control of cleavage activity in higher order lambda Int complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideki Aihara
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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7
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Subramaniam S, Tewari AK, Nunes-Duby SE, Foster MP. Dynamics and DNA substrate recognition by the catalytic domain of lambda integrase. J Mol Biol 2003; 329:423-39. [PMID: 12767827 DOI: 10.1016/s0022-2836(03)00469-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophage lambda integrase (lambda-Int) is the prototypical member of a large family of enzymes that catalyze site-specific DNA recombination via the formation of a Holliday junction intermediate. DNA strand cleavage by lambda-Int is mediated by nucleophilic attack on the scissile phosphate by a conserved tyrosine residue, forming an intermediate with the enzyme covalently attached to the 3'-end of the cleaved strand via a phosphotyrosine linkage. The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of lambda-Int (C170) obtained in the absence of DNA revealed the tyrosine nucleophile at the protein's C terminus to be located on a beta-hairpin far from the other conserved catalytic residues and adjacent to a disordered loop. This observation suggested that a conformational change in the C terminus of the protein was required to generate the active site in cis, or alternatively, that the active site could be completed in trans by donation of the tyrosine nucleophile from a neighboring molecule in the recombining synapse. We used NMR spectroscopy together with limited proteolysis to examine the dynamics of the lambda-Int catalytic domain in the presence and absence of DNA half-site substrates with the goal of characterizing the expected conformational change. Although the C terminus is indeed flexible in the absence of DNA, we find that conformational changes in the tyrosine-containing beta-hairpin are not coupled to DNA binding. To gain structural insights into C170/DNA complexes, we took advantage of mechanistic conservation with Cre and Flp recombinases to model C170 in half-site and tetrameric Holliday junction complexes. Although the models do not reveal the nature of the conformational change required for cis cleavage, they are consistent with much of the available experimental data and provide new insights into the how trans complementation could be accommodated.
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8
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Nunes-Düby SE, Radman-Livaja M, Kuimelis RG, Pearline RV, McLaughlin LW, Landy A. Gamma integrase complementation at the level of DNA binding and complex formation. J Bacteriol 2002; 184:1385-94. [PMID: 11844768 PMCID: PMC134844 DOI: 10.1128/jb.184.5.1385-1394.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2001] [Accepted: 11/02/2001] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Site-specific recombinases of the gamma Int family carry out two single-strand exchanges by binding as head-to-head dimers on inverted core-type DNA sites. Each protomer may cleave its own site as a monomer in cis (as for Cre recombinase), or it may recruit the tyrosine from its partner in trans to form a composite active site (as for Flp recombinase). The crystal structure of the gamma Int catalytic domain is compatible with both cleavage mechanisms, but two previous biochemical studies on gamma integrase (Int) generated data that were not in agreement. Support for cis and trans cleavage came from assays with bispecific DNA substrates for gamma and HK022 Ints and from functional complementation between recombination-deficient mutants, respectively. The data presented here do not provide new evidence for cis cleavage, but they strongly suggest that the previously described complementation results cannot be used in support of a trans-cleavage mechanism. We show here that IntR212Q retains some residual catalytic function but is impaired in binding to core-type DNA on linear substrates and in forming higher-order attL intasome structures. The binding-proficient mutant IntY342F can stabilize IntR212Q binding to core-type DNA through protein-protein interactions. Similarly, the formation of higher-order Int complexes with arm- and core-type DNA is boosted with both mutants present. This complementation precedes cleavage and thus precludes any conclusions about the mechanism of catalysis. Cross-core stimulation of wild-type HK022-Int cleavage on its cognate site (in cis) by mutant gamma Ints on bispecific core DNA suicide substrates is shown to be independent of the catalytic tyrosine but appears to be proportional to the respective core-binding affinities of the gamma Int mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone E Nunes-Düby
- Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
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9
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Abstract
Integrons are genetic elements capable of integrating genes by a site-specific recombination system catalyzed by an integrase. Integron integrases are members of the tyrosine recombinase family and possess the four invariant residues (RHRY) and conserved motifs (boxes I and II and patches I, II, and III). An alignment of integron integrases compared to other tyrosine recombinases shows an additional group of residues around the patch III motif. We have analyzed the DNA binding and recombination properties of class I integron integrase (IntI1) variants carrying mutations at residues that are well conserved among all tyrosine recombinases and at some residues from the additional motif that are conserved among the integron integrases. The well-conserved residues studied were H277 from the conserved tetrad RHRY (about 90% conserved), E121 found in the patch I motif (about 80% conserved in prokaryotic recombinases), K171 from the patch II motif (near 100% conserved), W229 and F233 from the patch III motif, and G302 of box II (about 80% conserved in prokaryotic recombinases). Additional IntI1 mutated residues were K219 and a deletion of the sequence ALER215. We observed that E121, K171, and G302 play a role in the recombination activity but can be mutated without disturbing binding to DNA. W229, F233, and the conserved histidine (H277) may be implicated in protein folding or DNA binding. Some of the extra residues of IntI1 seem to play a role in DNA binding (K219) while others are implicated in the recombination activity (ALER215 deletion).
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Affiliation(s)
- N Messier
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
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10
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Shaikh AC, Sadowski PD. Chimeras of the Flp and Cre recombinases: tests of the mode of cleavage by Flp and Cre. J Mol Biol 2000; 302:27-48. [PMID: 10964559 DOI: 10.1006/jmbi.2000.3967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The Flp and Cre recombinases are members of the integrase family of tyrosine recombinases. Each protein consists of a 13 kDa NH(2)-terminal domain and a larger COOH-terminal domain that contains the active site of the enzyme. The COOH-terminal domain also contains the major determinants for the binding specificity of the recombinase to its cognate DNA binding site. All family members cleave the DNA by the attachment of a conserved nucleophilic tyrosine residue to the 3'-phosphate group at the sites of cleavage. In order to gain further insights into the determinants of the binding specificity and modes of cleavage of Flp and Cre, we have made chimeric proteins in which we have fused the NH(2)-terminal domain of Flp to the COOH-terminal domain of Cre ("Fre") and the NH(2)-terminal domain of Cre to the COOH-terminal domain of Flp ("Clp"). These chimeras have novel binding specificities in that they bind strongly to hybrid sites containing elements from both the Flp and Cre DNA targets but poorly to the native target sites. In this study we have taken advantage of the unique binding specificities of Fre and Clp to examine the mode of cleavage by Cre, Flp, Fre and Clp. We find that the COOH-terminal domain of the recombinases determines their mode of cleavage. Thus Flp and Clp cleave in trans whereas Cre and Fre cleave in cis. These results agree with the studies of Flp and with the cocrystal structure of Cre bound to its DNA target site. They disagree with our previous findings that Cre could carry out trans cleavage. We discuss the variations in the experimental approaches in order to reconcile the different results.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C Shaikh
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 1A8, Canada
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11
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Cassell G, Klemm M, Pinilla C, Segall A. Dissection of bacteriophage lambda site-specific recombination using synthetic peptide combinatorial libraries. J Mol Biol 2000; 299:1193-202. [PMID: 10873445 DOI: 10.1006/jmbi.2000.3828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A wide variety of tools have been used to dissect biochemical pathways, inhibitors being chief among them. Combinatorial approaches have made the search for inhibitors much more efficient. We have applied such an approach to identify hexapeptides which inhibit different steps in a site-specific recombination reaction mediated by the bacteriophage lambda integrase protein. Integrase's mechanism is still incompletely understood, in large part because several pathway intermediates remain hard to isolate. Integrase-catalyzed recombination is very efficient, but if blocked, it is highly reversible to substrates; this combination makes some intermediates exceedingly transient. We have used synthetic peptide combinatorial libraries to screen for hexapeptides that affect the recombination pathway at different stages, and have identified two families of peptides: one probably blocks DNA cleavage, the other may stabilize the Holliday junction intermediates. These peptides do not resemble parts of integrase or any of the other helper functions in the pathway. The deconvolution of hexapeptide libraries based both on inhibition of an enzymatic reaction as well as on accumulation of reaction intermediates is a novel approach to finding useful tools for dissecting a biochemical pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Cassell
- Department of Biology and Molecular Biology Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182-4614, USA
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12
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Klemm M, Cheng C, Cassell G, Shuman S, Segall AM. Peptide inhibitors of DNA cleavage by tyrosine recombinases and topoisomerases. J Mol Biol 2000; 299:1203-16. [PMID: 10873446 DOI: 10.1006/jmbi.2000.3829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The study of biochemical pathways requires the isolation and characterization of each and every intermediate in the pathway. For the site-specific recombination reactions catalyzed by the bacteriophage lambda tyrosine recombinase integrase (Int), this has been difficult because of the high level of efficiency of the reaction, the highly reversible nature of certain reaction steps, and the lack of requirements for high-energy cofactors or metals. By screening synthetic peptide combinatorial libraries, we have identified two related hexapeptides, KWWCRW and KWWWRW, that block the strand-cleavage activity of Int but not the assembly of higher-order intermediates. Although the peptides bind DNA, their inhibitory activity appears to be more specifically targeted to the Int-substrate complex, insofar as inhibition is resistant to high levels of non-specific competitor DNA and the peptides have higher levels of affinity for the Int-DNA substrate complex than for DNA alone. The peptides inhibit the four pathways of Int-mediated recombination with different potencies, suggesting that the interactions of the Int enzyme with its DNA substrates differs among pathways. The KWWCRW and KWWWRW peptides also inhibit vaccinia virus topoisomerase, a type IB enzyme, which is mechanistically and structurally related to Int. The peptides differentially affect the forward and reverse DNA transesterification steps of the vaccinia topoisomerase. They block formation of the covalent vaccinia topoisomerase-DNA intermediate, but have no apparent effect on DNA religation by preformed covalent complexes. The peptides also inhibit Escherichia coli topoisomerase I, a type IA enzyme. Finally, the peptides inhibit the bacteriophage T4 type II topoisomerase and several restriction enzymes with 2000-fold lower potency than they inhibit integrase in the bent-L pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Klemm
- Department of Biology and Molecular Biology Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
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13
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Jessop L, Bankhead T, Wong D, Segall AM. The amino terminus of bacteriophage lambda integrase is involved in protein-protein interactions during recombination. J Bacteriol 2000; 182:1024-34. [PMID: 10648529 PMCID: PMC94379 DOI: 10.1128/jb.182.4.1024-1034.2000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage lambda integrase (Int) catalyzes at least four site-specific recombination pathways between pairs of attachment (att) sites. Protein-protein contacts between monomers of Int are presumed to be important for these site-specific recombination events for several reasons: Int binds to the att sites cooperatively, catalytic Int mutants can complement each other for strand cleavage, and crystal structures for two other recombinases in the Int family (Cre from phage P1 and Int from Haemophilus influenzae phage HP1) show extensive protein-protein contacts between monomers. We have begun to investigate interactions between Int monomers by three approaches. First, using a genetic assay, we show that regions of protein-protein interactions occur throughout Int, including in the amino-terminal domain. This domain was previously thought to be important only for high-affinity protein-DNA interactions. Second, we have found that an amino-terminal His tag reduces cooperative binding to DNA. This disruption in cooperativity decreases the stable interaction of Int with core sites, where catalysis occurs. Third, using protein-protein cross-linking to investigate the multimerization of Int during recombination, we show that Int predominantly forms dimers, trimers, and tetramers. Moreover, we show that the cysteine at position 25 is present at or near the interface between monomers that is involved in the formation of dimers and tetramers. Our evidence indicates that the amino-terminal domain of Int is involved in protein-protein interactions that are likely to be important for recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Jessop
- Department of Biology and Molecular Biology Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182-4614, USA
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14
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Abstract
The integrase family of site-specific recombinases (also called the tyrosine recombinases) mediate a wide range of biological outcomes by the sequential exchange of two pairs of DNA strands at defined phosphodiester positions. The reaction produces a recombinant arrangement of the DNA sequences flanking the cross-over region. The crystal structures of four integrase family members have revealed very similar three-dimensional protein folds that belie the large diversity in amino acid sequences among them. The active sites are similar in organization to those seen in structures of eukaryotic type IB topoisomerases, and conservation of catalytic mechanism is expected. The crystal structures, combined with previous biochemical knowledge, allow the refinement of models for recombination and the assignment of catalytic function to the active site residues. However, each system has its own peculiarities, and the exact sequence of events that allows the reaction to proceed from the first exchange reaction to the second is still unclear for at least some family members.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Grainge
- Department of Microbiology and The Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 78712, USA.
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15
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Abstract
Three-dimensional structural information on the integrase family of site-specific recombinases has only recently become available, with the crystal structures of catalytic domains, full-length proteins and protein-DNA complexes of this family reported over the past two years. These results have led to a model for the overall architecture and active site stereochemistry of the recombination pathway that addresses a number of interesting mechanistic issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- D N Gopaul
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Johnson Research Foundation, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 37th and Hamilton Walk, A602 Richards Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6089, USA
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16
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Collis CM, Kim MJ, Stokes HW, Hall RM. Binding of the purified integron DNA integrase Intl1 to integron- and cassette-associated recombination sites. Mol Microbiol 1998; 29:477-90. [PMID: 9720866 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.1998.00936.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The site-specific recombinase Intl1, encoded by class 1 integrons, catalyses the integration and excision of gene cassettes by recognizing two classes of sites, the integron-associated attl1 site and the 59-base element (59-be) family of sites that are associated with gene cassettes. Intl1 includes the four conserved amino acids that are characteristic of members of the integrase family, and Intl1 proteins with single amino acid substitutions at each of these positions had substantially reduced catalytic activity, consistent with this classification. Intl1 was purified as a fusion protein and shown to bind to isolated attl1 or 59-be recombination sites. Binding to attl1 was considerably stronger than to a 59-be. Binding adjacent to the recombination cross-over point was not detected. A strong Intl1 binding site within attl1 was localized by both deletion and footprinting analysis to a 14 bp region 24-37 bp to the left of the recombination cross-over point, and this region is known to be critical for recombination in vivo (Recchia et al., 1994). An imperfect (13/15) direct repeat of this region, located 41-55 bp to the left of the recombination cross-over point, contains a weaker Intl1 binding site. Mutation of the stronger binding site showed that a single base pair change accounted for the difference in the strength of binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Collis
- CSIRO Molecular Science, Sydney Laboratory, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
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17
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Cheng C, Kussie P, Pavletich N, Shuman S. Conservation of structure and mechanism between eukaryotic topoisomerase I and site-specific recombinases. Cell 1998; 92:841-50. [PMID: 9529259 DOI: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)81411-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Vaccinia DNA topoisomerase breaks and rejoins DNA strands through a DNA-(3'-phosphotyrosyl)-enzyme intermediate. A C-terminal catalytic domain, Topo(81-314), suffices for transesterification chemistry. The domain contains a constellation of five amino acids, conserved in all eukaryotic type IB topoisomerases, that catalyzes attack of the tyrosine nucleophile on the scissile phosphate. The structure of the catalytic domain, consisting of ten alpha helices and a three-strand beta sheet, resembles the catalytic domains of site-specific recombinases that act via a topoisomerase IB-like mechanism. The topoisomerase catalytic pentad is conserved in the tertiary structures of the recombinases despite scant sequence similarity overall. This implies that the catalytic domains of type IB topoisomerases and recombinases derive from a common ancestral strand transferase.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Cheng
- Molecular Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10021, USA
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18
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Nunes-Düby SE, Kwon HJ, Tirumalai RS, Ellenberger T, Landy A. Similarities and differences among 105 members of the Int family of site-specific recombinases. Nucleic Acids Res 1998; 26:391-406. [PMID: 9421491 PMCID: PMC147275 DOI: 10.1093/nar/26.2.391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 344] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alignments of 105 site-specific recombinases belonging to the Int family of proteins identified extended areas of similarity and three types of structural differences. In addition to the previously recognized conservation of the tetrad R-H-R-Y, located in boxes I and II, several newly identified sequence patches include charged amino acids that are highly conserved and a specific pattern of buried residues contributing to the overall protein fold. With some notable exceptions, unconserved regions correspond to loops in the crystal structures of the catalytic domains of lambda Int (Int c170) and HP1 Int (HPC) and of the recombinases XerD and Cre. Two structured regions also harbor some pronounced differences. The first comprises beta-sheets 4 and 5, alpha-helix D and the adjacent loop connecting it to alpha-helix E: two Ints of phages infecting thermophilic bacteria are missing this region altogether; the crystal structures of HPC, XerD and Cre reveal a lack of beta-sheets 4 and 5; Cre displays two additional beta-sheets following alpha-helix D; five recombinases carry large insertions. The second involves the catalytic tyrosine and is seen in a comparison of the four crystal structures. The yeast recombinases can theoretically be fitted to the Int fold, but the overall differences, involving changes in spacing as well as in motif structure, are more substantial than seen in most other proteins. The phenotypes of mutations compiled from several proteins are correlated with the available structural information and structure-function relationships are discussed. In addition, a few prokaryotic and eukaryotic enzymes with partial homology with the Int family of recombinases may be distantly related, either through divergent or convergent evolution. These include a restriction enzyme and a subgroup of eukaryotic RNA helicases (D-E-A-D proteins).
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Affiliation(s)
- S E Nunes-Düby
- Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
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19
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Lee J, Tonozuka T, Jayaram M. Mechanism of active site exclusion in a site-specific recombinase: role of the DNA substrate in conferring half-of-the-sites activity. Genes Dev 1997; 11:3061-71. [PMID: 9367987 PMCID: PMC316700 DOI: 10.1101/gad.11.22.3061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The Flp site-specific recombinase assembles its active site by recruiting the catalytic tyrosine (Tyr-343) from one Flp monomer into the pro-active site containing a triad of Arg-191, His-305, and Arg-308 from a second monomer. In principle, two active sites may be assembled from a Flp dimer by simultaneous, reciprocal contribution of the shared amino acids by its constituent monomers. In practice, only one of the two active sites is assembled at a time, as would be consistent with a recombination mechanism involving two steps of single-strand exchanges. By using substrates containing strand-specific base bulges, we demonstrate that the relative disposition of their DNA arms can account for this active site exclusion. We also show that the exclusion mechanism operates only at the level of positioning Tyr-343 with respect to the pro-active site, and not at the level of orienting the labile phosphodiester bond within the DNA chain. It is not negative cooperativity of substrate binding but, rather, the substrate-induced negative cooperativity in protein orientation that accomplishes half-of-the-sites activity in the Flp system.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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20
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Esposito D, Scocca JJ. The integrase family of tyrosine recombinases: evolution of a conserved active site domain. Nucleic Acids Res 1997; 25:3605-14. [PMID: 9278480 PMCID: PMC146934 DOI: 10.1093/nar/25.18.3605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The integrases are a diverse family of tyrosine recombinases which rearrange DNA duplexes by means of conservative site-specific recombination reactions. Members of this family, of which the well-studied lambda Int protein is the prototype, were previously found to share four strongly conserved residues, including an active site tyrosine directly involved in transesterification. However, few additional sequence similarities were found in the original group of 27 proteins. We have now identified a total of 81 members of the integrase family deposited in the databases. Alignment and comparisons of these sequences combined with an evolutionary analysis aided in identifying broader sequence similarities and clarifying the possible functions of these conserved residues. This analysis showed that members of the family aggregate into subfamilies which are consistent with their biological roles; these subfamilies have significant levels of sequence similarity beyond the four residues previously identified. It was also possible to map the location of conserved residues onto the available crystal structures; most of the conserved residues cluster in the predicted active site cleft. In addition, these results offer clues into an apparent discrepancy between the mechanisms of different subfamilies of integrases.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Esposito
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, 5 Center Drive MSC0560, Bethesda, MD 20782, USA.
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21
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Hallet B, Sherratt DJ. Transposition and site-specific recombination: adapting DNA cut-and-paste mechanisms to a variety of genetic rearrangements. FEMS Microbiol Rev 1997; 21:157-78. [PMID: 9348666 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.1997.tb00349.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In bacteria, two categories of specialised recombination promote a variety of DNA rearrangements. Transposition is the process by which genetic elements move between different locations of the genome, whereas site-specific recombination is a reaction in which DNA strands are broken and exchanged at precise positions of two target DNA loci to achieve determined biological function. Both types of recombination are represented by diverse genetic systems which generally encode their own recombination enzymes. These enzymes, generically called transposases and site-specific recombinases, can be grouped into several families on the basis of amino acid sequence similarities, which, in some cases, are limited to a signature of a few residues involved in catalysis. The well characterised site-specific recombinases are found to belong to two distinct groups whereas the transposases form a large super-family of enzymes encompassing recombinases from both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In spite of important differences in the catalytic mechanisms used by these three classes of enzymes to cut and rejoin DNA molecules, similar strategies are used to coordinate the biochemical steps of the recombination reaction and to control its outcome. This review summarises our current understanding of transposition and site-specific recombination, attempting to illustrate how relatively conserved DNA cut-and-paste mechanisms can be used to bring about a variety of complex DNA rearrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Hallet
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK.
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22
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Mondragón A. Solving the cis/trans paradox in the Int family of recombinases. NATURE STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 1997; 4:427-9. [PMID: 9187646 DOI: 10.1038/nsb0697-427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Structures of the catalytic domains of lambda Int and HP1 integrase provide insight into the diversity of the Int family of recombinases, which nevertheless catalyse very similar chemical events.
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23
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Hickman AB, Waninger S, Scocca JJ, Dyda F. Molecular organization in site-specific recombination: the catalytic domain of bacteriophage HP1 integrase at 2.7 A resolution. Cell 1997; 89:227-37. [PMID: 9108478 DOI: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80202-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
HP1 integrase promotes site-specific recombination of the HP1 genome into that of Haemophilus influenzae. The isolated C-terminal domain (residues 165-337) of the protein interacts with the recombination site and contains the four catalytic residues conserved in the integrase family. This domain represents a novel fold consisting principally of well-packed alpha helices, a surface beta sheet, and an ordered 17-residue C-terminal tail. The conserved triad of basic residues and the active-site tyrosine are contributed by a single monomer and occupy fixed positions in a defined active-site cleft. Dimers are formed by mutual interactions of the tail of one monomer with an adjacent monomer; this orients active-site clefts antiparallel to each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- A B Hickman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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24
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Abstract
The Cre protein is a conservative site-specific recombinase that is encoded by bacteriophage P1. Its function in vivo is to resolve dimeric lysogenic P1 plasmids that arise by general recombination. In this way Cre facilitates effective partition of the P1 prophage. Cre is a member of the integrase family of conservative site-specific recombinases. Cleavage of the DNA by the integrases involves covalent attachment of a conserved nucleophilic tyrosine to the 3'-phosphoryl end at the site of the break. We have used in vitro complementation tests to show that the Cre protein, like the Flp protein of the 2-microm plasmid of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, cleaves its target lox site in trans. Moreover, the data are compatible with two modes of cleavage; one requires the reconstitution of a pseudo full-site from half-sites and the other requires the assembly of a higher order complex that resembles a synaptic complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C Shaikh
- Department of Medical Genetics and Microbiology, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 1A8, Canada
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25
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MacWilliams M, Gumport RI, Gardner JF. Mutational analysis of protein binding sites involved in formation of the bacteriophage lambda attL complex. J Bacteriol 1997; 179:1059-67. [PMID: 9023184 PMCID: PMC178798 DOI: 10.1128/jb.179.4.1059-1067.1997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage lambda site-specific recombination requires the formation of higher-order protein-DNA complexes to accomplish synapsis of the partner attachment (att) sites as well as for the regulation of the integration and excision reactions. The att sites are composed of a core region, the actual site of strand exchange, and flanking arm regions. The attL site consists of two core sites (C and C'), an integration host factor (IHF) binding site (H'), and three contiguous Int binding arm sites (P'1, P'2, and P'3). In this study, we employed bacteriophage P22 challenge phages to determine which protein binding sites participate in attL complex formation in vivo. The C', H', and P'1 sites were critical, because mutations in these sites severely disrupted formation of the attL complex. Mutations in the C and P'2 sites were less severe, and alteration of the P'3 site had no effect on complex formation. These results support a model in which IHF, bound to the H' site, bends the attL DNA so that the Int molecule bound to P'1 also interacts with the C' core site. This bridged complex, along with a second Int molecule bound to P'2, helps to stabilize the interaction of a third Int with the C core site. The results also indicate that nonspecific DNA binding is a significant component of the Int-core interactions and that the cooperativity of Int binding can overcome the effects of mutations in the individual arm sites and core sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- M MacWilliams
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 61801, USA
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26
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MacWilliams MP, Gumport RI, Gardner JF. Genetic analysis of the bacteriophage lambda attL nucleoprotein complex. Genetics 1996; 143:1069-79. [PMID: 8807282 PMCID: PMC1207379 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/143.3.1069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Site-specific recombination in bacteriophage lambda involves interactions among proteins required for integration and excision of DNA molecules. We have analyzed the elements required to form an in vivo nucleoprotein complex of integrase (Int) and integration host factor (IHF). Interaction of Int with the core (the site of strand exchange) is stabilized by the flanking arm region of attL. IHF, in addition to Int, is required for efficient Int-core binding. We used the in vivo attL binding assay to characterize several Int variants for their abilities to form stable attL complexes. Substitution of Int active site tyrosine 342 by phenylalanine had no effect on the ability of the protein to form attL complexes. Three other amino acids that are completely conserved in the integrase family of recombinases (arginine 212, histidine 308, and arginine 311) were separately substituted by glutamine, leucine, and histidine, respectively. In each case, the mutant protein was altered in its ability to form attL complexes while retaining its ability to bind to the lambda arm-type sites. We propose that, in addition to their role in catalysis, this triad of amino acids helps the Int protein to interact with the lambda core sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P MacWilliams
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801, USA
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27
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Le Marrec C, Moreau S, Loury S, Blanco C, Trautwetter A. Genetic characterization of site-specific integration functions of phi AAU2 infecting "Arthrobacter aureus" C70. J Bacteriol 1996; 178:1996-2004. [PMID: 8606175 PMCID: PMC177896 DOI: 10.1128/jb.178.7.1996-2004.1996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
All the essential genetic determinants for site-specific integration of corynephage phi AAU2 are contained within a 1,756-bp DNA fragment, carried on the integrative plasmid p5510, and are shown to be functional in Escherichia coli. One open reading frame, ORF4, encoding a protein of 266 amino acids was shown to represent the phi AAU2 integrase. The nucleotide sequence of the phi AAU2 attachment site, attP, and the attB, attL, and attR sequences in the host "Arthrobacter aureus" C70 were determined. Identical nucleotide sequences were shown to be responsible for the integration of p5510 in the chromosomes of Corynebacterium glutamicum, Brevibacterium divaricatum, and B. lactofermentum, and a sequence almost identical to attB was found to be present in these three strains. In contrast to other phage site-specific recombination systems, a plasmid encompassing only int-attP failed to integrate into the host chromosome. This led to the identification of an 800-bp noncoding region, immediately upstream of int, absolutely required for site-specific integration of p5510.
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28
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Abstract
The FLP recombinase promotes a site-specific recombination reaction in the 2mu plasmid of yeast. The protein-DNA complex that carries out the reaction is asymmetric. Three FLP monomers bound to specific FLP-recognition sequences are required to efficiently carry out one set of reciprocal DNA cleavage and strand exchange events on a Holliday junction substrate. If a fourth monomer plays an auxiliary role in the reaction, it is bound without sequence specificity. The data suggest a modified model for cleavage of DNA in trans by the FLP recombinase that might help reconcile some seemingly conflicting resulted obtained with integrase class recombinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- X H Qian
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706, USA
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29
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Affiliation(s)
- W M Stark
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Glasgow, UK
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30
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Dupont L, Boizet-Bonhoure B, Coddeville M, Auvray F, Ritzenthaler P. Characterization of genetic elements required for site-specific integration of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus bacteriophage mv4 and construction of an integration-proficient vector for Lactobacillus plantarum. J Bacteriol 1995; 177:586-95. [PMID: 7836291 PMCID: PMC176632 DOI: 10.1128/jb.177.3.586-595.1995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Temperate phage mv4 integrates its DNA into the chromosome of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strains via site-specific recombination. Nucleotide sequencing of a 2.2-kb attP-containing phage fragment revealed the presence of four open reading frames. The larger open reading frame, close to the attP site, encoded a 427-amino-acid polypeptide with similarity in its C-terminal domain to site-specific recombinases of the integrase family. Comparison of the sequences of attP, bacterial attachment site attB, and host-phage junctions attL and attR identified a 17-bp common core sequence, where strand exchange occurs during recombination. Analysis of the attB sequence indicated that the core region overlaps the 3' end of a tRNA(Ser) gene. Phage mv4 DNA integration into the tRNA(Ser) gene preserved an intact tRNA(Ser) gene at the attL site. An integration vector based on the mv4 attP site and int gene was constructed. This vector transforms a heterologous host, L. plantarum, through site-specific integration into the tRNA(Ser) gene of the genome and will be useful for development of an efficient integration system for a number of additional bacterial species in which an identical tRNA gene is present.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Dupont
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaire du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Toulouse, France
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31
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Sadowski PD. The Flp Recombinase of th 2-μm Plasmid of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PROGRESS IN NUCLEIC ACID RESEARCH AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 1995. [DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6603(08)60876-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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32
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Baker TA, Kremenstova E, Luo L. Complete transposition requires four active monomers in the mu transposase tetramer. Genes Dev 1994; 8:2416-28. [PMID: 7958906 DOI: 10.1101/gad.8.20.2416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
A tetramer of Mu transposase (MuA) cleaves and joins multiple DNA strands to promote transposition. Derivatives of MuA altered at two acidic residues that are conserved among transposases and retroviral integrases form tetramers but are defective in both cleavage and joining. These mutant proteins were used to analyze the contribution of individual monomers to the activity of the tetramer. The performance of different protein combinations demonstrates that not all monomers need to be catalytically competent for the complex to promote an individual cleavage or joining reaction. Furthermore, the results indicate that each pair of essential residues is probably donated to the active complex by a single monomer. Although stable, tetramers composed of a mixture of mutant and wild-type MuA generate products cleaved at only one end and with only one end joined to the target DNA. The abundance of these abortive products and the ratios of the two proteins in complexes stalled at different steps indicate that the complete reaction requires the activity of all four monomers. Thus, each subunit of MuA appears to use the conserved acidic amino acids to promote one DNA cleavage or one DNA joining reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- T A Baker
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
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33
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Balzer D, Pansegrau W, Lanka E. Essential motifs of relaxase (TraI) and TraG proteins involved in conjugative transfer of plasmid RP4. J Bacteriol 1994; 176:4285-95. [PMID: 8021214 PMCID: PMC205640 DOI: 10.1128/jb.176.14.4285-4295.1994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Two essential transfer genes of the conjugative plasmid RP4 were altered by site-directed mutagenesis: traG of the primase operon and traI of the relaxase operon. To evaluate effects on the transfer phenotype of the point mutations, we have reconstituted the RP4 transfer system by fusion of the transfer regions Tra1 and Tra2 to the small multicopy replicon ColD. Deletions in traG or traI served to determine the Tra phenotype of mutant plasmids by trans complementation. Two motifs of TraG which are highly conserved among TraG-like proteins in several other conjugative DNA transfer systems were found to be essential for TraG function. One of the motifs resembles that of a nucleotide binding fold of type B. The relaxase (TraI) catalyzes the specific cleaving-joining reaction at the transfer origin needed to initiate and terminate conjugative DNA transfer (W. Pansegrau, W. Schröder, and E. Lanka, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:2925-2929, 1993). Phenotypes of mutations in three motifs that belong to the active center of the relaxase confirmed previously obtained biochemical evidence for the contributions of the motifs to the catalytic activity of TraI. Expression of the relaxase operon is greatly increased in the absence of an intact TraI protein. This finding suggests that the relaxosome which assembles only in the presence of the TraI in addition to its enzymatic activity plays a role in gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Balzer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Genetik, Berlin, Germany
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