Uncoupling of the recBC ATPase from DNase by DNA crosslinked with psoralen

DNA Repair in Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of both superficial and invasive infections of humans and animals. Despite a potent host response and apparently appropriate antibiotic therapy, staphylococcal infections frequently become chronic or recurrent, demonstrating a remarkable ability of S. aureus to withstand the hostile host environment. There is growing evidence that staphylococcal DNA repair makes important contributions to the survival of the pathogen in host tissues, as well as promoting the emergence of mutants that resist host defenses and antibiotics. While much of what we know about DNA repair in S. aureus is inferred from studies with model organisms, the roles of specific repair mechanisms in infection are becoming clear and differences with Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli have been identified. Furthermore, there is growing interest in staphylococcal DNA repair as a target for novel therapeutics that sensitize the pathogen to host defenses and antibiotics. In this review, we discuss what is known about staphylococcal DNA repair and its role in infection, examine how repair in S. aureus is similar to, or differs from, repair in well-characterized model organisms, and assess the potential of staphylococcal DNA repair as a novel therapeutic target.

The HelQ human DNA repair helicase utilizes a PWI-like domain for DNA loading through interaction with RPA, triggering DNA unwinding by the HelQ helicase core

Genome instability is a characteristic enabling factor for carcinogenesis. HelQ helicase is a component of human DNA maintenance systems that prevent or reverse genome instability arising during DNA replication. Here, we provide details of the molecular mechanisms that underpin HelQ function-its recruitment onto ssDNA through interaction with replication protein A (RPA), and subsequent translocation of HelQ along ssDNA. We describe for the first time a functional role for the non-catalytic N-terminal region of HelQ, by identifying and characterizing its PWI-like domain. We present evidence that this domain of HelQ mediates interaction with RPA that orchestrates loading of the helicase domains onto ssDNA. Once HelQ is loaded onto the ssDNA, ATP-Mg²⁺ binding in the catalytic site activates the helicase core and triggers translocation along ssDNA as a dimer. Furthermore, we identify HelQ-ssDNA interactions that are critical for the translocation mechanism. Our data are novel and detailed insights into the mechanisms of HelQ function relevant for understanding how human cells avoid genome instability provoking cancers, and also how cells can gain resistance to treatments that rely on DNA crosslinking agents.

Targeting the bacterial SOS response for new antimicrobial agents: drug targets, molecular mechanisms and inhibitors

Antimicrobial resistance is a pressing threat to global health, with multidrug-resistant pathogens becoming increasingly prevalent. The bacterial SOS pathway functions in response to DNA damage that occurs during infection, initiating several pro-survival and resistance mechanisms, such as DNA repair and hypermutation. This makes SOS pathway components potential targets that may combat drug-resistant pathogens and decrease resistance emergence. This review discusses the mechanism of the SOS pathway; the structure and function of potential targets AddAB, RecBCD, RecA and LexA; and efforts to develop selective small-molecule inhibitors of these proteins. These inhibitors may serve as valuable tools for target validation and provide the foundations for desperately needed novel antibacterial therapeutics.

Staphylococcal DNA Repair Is Required for Infection

To cause infection, Staphylococcus aureus must withstand damage caused by host immune defenses. However, the mechanisms by which staphylococcal DNA is damaged and repaired during infection are poorly understood. Using a panel of transposon mutants, we identified the rexBA operon as being important for the survival of Staphylococcus aureus in whole human blood. Mutants lacking rexB were also attenuated for virulence in murine models of both systemic and skin infections. We then demonstrated that RexAB is a member of the AddAB family of helicase/nuclease complexes responsible for initiating the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Using a fluorescent reporter system, we were able to show that neutrophils cause staphylococcal DNA double-strand breaks through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the respiratory burst, which are repaired by RexAB, leading to the induction of the mutagenic SOS response. We found that RexAB homologues in Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus gordonii also promoted the survival of these pathogens in human blood, suggesting that DNA double-strand break repair is required for Gram-positive bacteria to survive in host tissues. Together, these data demonstrate that DNA is a target of host immune cells, leading to double-strand breaks, and that the repair of this damage by an AddAB-family enzyme enables the survival of Gram-positive pathogens during infection.IMPORTANCE To cause infection, bacteria must survive attack by the host immune system. For many bacteria, including the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, the greatest threat is posed by neutrophils. These immune cells ingest the invading organisms and try to kill them with a cocktail of chemicals that includes reactive oxygen species (ROS). The ability of S. aureus to survive this attack is crucial for the progression of infection. However, it was not clear how the ROS damaged S. aureus and how the bacterium repaired this damage. In this work, we show that ROS cause breaks in the staphylococcal DNA, which must be repaired by a two-protein complex known as RexAB; otherwise, the bacterium is killed, and it cannot sustain infection. This provides information on the type of damage that neutrophils cause S. aureus and the mechanism by which this damage is repaired, enabling infection.

Identification of a potent small-molecule inhibitor of bacterial DNA repair that potentiates quinolone antibiotic activity in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

The global emergence of antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious challenges facing modern medicine. There is an urgent need for validation of new drug targets and the development of small molecules with novel mechanisms of action. We therefore sought to inhibit bacterial DNA repair mediated by the AddAB/RecBCD protein complexes as a means to sensitize bacteria to DNA damage caused by the host immune system or quinolone antibiotics. A rational, hypothesis-driven compound optimization identified IMP-1700 as a cell-active, nanomolar potency compound. IMP-1700 sensitized multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus to the fluoroquinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin, where resistance results from a point mutation in the fluoroquinolone target, DNA gyrase. Cellular reporter assays indicated IMP-1700 inhibited the bacterial SOS-response to DNA damage, and compound-functionalized Sepharose successfully pulled-down the AddAB repair complex. This work provides validation of bacterial DNA repair as a novel therapeutic target and delivers IMP-1700 as a tool molecule and starting point for therapeutic development to address the pressing challenge of antibiotic resistance.

Dual nuclease and helicase activities of Helicobacter pylori AddAB are required for DNA repair, recombination, and mouse infectivity

Helicobacter pylori infection of the human stomach is associated with disease-causing inflammation that elicits DNA damage in both bacterial and host cells. Bacteria must repair their DNA to persist. The H. pylori AddAB helicase-exonuclease is required for DNA repair and efficient stomach colonization. To dissect the role of each activity in DNA repair and infectivity, we altered the AddA and AddB nuclease (NUC) domains and the AddA helicase (HEL) domain by site-directed mutagenesis. Extracts of Escherichia coli expressing H. pylori addA(NUC)B or addAB(NUC) mutants unwound DNA but had approximately half of the exonuclease activity of wild-type AddAB; the addA(NUC)B(NUC) double mutant lacked detectable nuclease activity but retained helicase activity. Extracts with AddA(HEL)B lacked detectable helicase and nuclease activity. H. pylori with the single nuclease domain mutations were somewhat less sensitive to the DNA-damaging agent ciprofloxacin than the corresponding deletion mutant, suggesting that residual nuclease activity promotes limited DNA repair. The addA(NUC) and addA(HEL) mutants colonized the stomach less efficiently than the wild type; addB(NUC) showed partial attenuation. E. coli DeltarecBCD expressing H. pylori addAB was recombination-deficient unless H. pylori recA was also expressed, suggesting a species-specific interaction between AddAB and RecA and also that H. pylori AddAB participates in both DNA repair and recombination. These results support a role for both the AddAB nuclease and helicase in DNA repair and promoting infectivity.

RecBCD enzyme and the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks

The RecBCD enzyme of Escherichia coli is a helicase-nuclease that initiates the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks by homologous recombination. It also degrades linear double-stranded DNA, protecting the bacteria from phages and extraneous chromosomal DNA. The RecBCD enzyme is, however, regulated by a cis-acting DNA sequence known as Chi (crossover hotspot instigator) that activates its recombination-promoting functions. Interaction with Chi causes an attenuation of the RecBCD enzyme's vigorous nuclease activity, switches the polarity of the attenuated nuclease activity to the 5' strand, changes the operation of its motor subunits, and instructs the enzyme to begin loading the RecA protein onto the resultant Chi-containing single-stranded DNA. This enzyme is a prototypical example of a molecular machine: the protein architecture incorporates several autonomous functional domains that interact with each other to produce a complex, sequence-regulated, DNA-processing machine. In this review, we discuss the biochemical mechanism of the RecBCD enzyme with particular emphasis on new developments relating to the enzyme's structure and DNA translocation mechanism.

ATPase activity of RecD is essential for growth of the Antarctic Pseudomonas syringae Lz4W at low temperature

RecD is essential for growth at low temperature in the Antarctic psychrotrophic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae Lz4W. To examine the essential nature of its activity, we analyzed wild-type and mutant RecD proteins with substitutions of important residues in each of the seven conserved helicase motifs. The wild-type RecD displayed DNA-dependent ATPase and helicase activity in vitro, with the ability to unwind short DNA duplexes containing only 5' overhangs or forked ends. Five of the mutant proteins, K229Q (in motif I), D323N and E324Q (in motif II), Q354E (in motif III) and R660A (in motif VI) completely lost both ATPase and helicase activities. Three other mutants, T259A in motif Ia, R419A in motif IV and E633Q in motif V exhibited various degrees of reduction in ATPase activity, but had no helicase activity. While all RecD proteins had DNA-binding activity, the mutants of motifs IV and V displayed reduced binding, and the motif II mutant showed a higher degree of binding to ssDNA. Significantly, only RecD variants with in vitro ATPase activity could complement the cold-sensitive growth of a recD-inactivated strain of P. syringae at 4 degrees C. These results suggest that the requirement for RecD at lower temperatures lies in its ATP-hydrolyzing activity.

Inhibition of RecBCD enzyme by antineoplastic DNA alkylating agents

To understand how bulky adducts might perturb DNA helicase function, three distinct DNA-binding agents were used to determine the effects of DNA alkylation on a DNA helicase. Adozelesin, ecteinascidin 743 (Et743) and hedamycin each possess unique structures and sequence selectivity. They bind to double-stranded DNA and alkylate one strand of the duplex in cis, adding adducts that alter the structure of DNA significantly. The results show that Et743 was the most potent inhibitor of DNA unwinding, followed by adozelesin and hedamycin. Et743 significantly inhibited unwinding, enhanced degradation of DNA, and completely eliminated the ability of the translocating RecBCD enzyme to recognize and respond to the recombination hotspot chi. Unwinding of adozelesin-modified DNA was accompanied by the appearance of unwinding intermediates, consistent with enzyme entrapment or stalling. Further, adozelesin also induced "apparent" chi fragment formation. The combination of enzyme sequestering and pseudo-chi modification of RecBCD, results in biphasic time-courses of DNA unwinding. Hedamycin also reduced RecBCD activity, albeit at increased concentrations of drug relative to either adozelesin or Et743. Remarkably, the hedamycin modification resulted in constitutive activation of the bottom-strand nuclease activity of the enzyme, while leaving the ability of the translocating enzyme to recognize and respond to chi largely intact. Finally, the results show that DNA alkylation does not significantly perturb the allosteric interaction that activates the enzyme for ATP hydrolysis, as the efficiency of ATP utilization for DNA unwinding is affected only marginally. These results taken together present a unique response of RecBCD enzyme to bulky DNA adducts. We correlate these effects with the recently determined crystal structure of the RecBCD holoenzyme bound to DNA.

When a helicase is not a helicase: dsDNA tracking by the motor protein EcoR124I

Using a combination of single molecule and bulk solution measurements, we have examined the DNA translocation activity of a helicase, the Type I restriction modification enzyme EcoR124I. We find that EcoR124I can translocate past covalent interstrand crosslinks, inconsistent with an obligatory unwinding mechanism. Instead, translocation of the intact dsDNA occurs principally via contacts to the sugar-phosphate backbone and bases of the 3'-5' strand; contacts to the 5'-3' strand are not essential for motion but do play a key role in stabilising the motor on the DNA. A model for dsDNA translocation is presented that could be applicable to a wide range of other enzyme complexes that are also labelled as helicases but which do not have actual unwinding activity.

Continuous assays for DNA translocation using fluorescent triplex dissociation: application to type I restriction endonucleases

Fluorescent assays and accompanying kinetic models are described for the analysis of DNA translocation independent of duplex unwinding. A triplex binding site (TBS) was introduced into DNA substrates at precise loci downstream of recognition sequences for type IA, IB and IC restriction endonucleases (EcoKI, EcoAI and EcoR124I, respectively). Each endonuclease was incubated (without ATP) with substrates on which a hexachlorofluoroscein-labelled triplex-forming oligonucleotide (HEX-TFO) was pre-bound. Following addition of ATP, 1-D enzyme motion resulted in collision with, and displacement of, the HEX-TFO, producing a >twofold increase in fluorescent intensity. Alternatively, a decrease in anisotropy following displacement of a rhodamine-labelled TFO was monitored. Using rapid mixing in a stopped-flow fluorimeter, continuous kinetic profiles were produced in which displacement is preceded by a lag-phase, directly proportional to the distance moved. For each enzyme, we obtained not only the translocation rate but also information on slow isomerisation step(s) at initiation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that enzymes deficient in DNA cleavage but with maximal ATPase activity showed initiation and translocation rates identical to wild-type, confirming that DNA strand breaks are not a pre-requisite of motion.

G4 DNA unwinding by BLM and Sgs1p: substrate specificity and substrate-specific inhibition

To understand the specific genetic instabilities associated with deficiencies in RecQ family helicases, we have studied the substrate preferences of two closely related members of this family, human BLM and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sgs1p. Here we show that both BLM and Sgs1p preferentially unwind G4 DNA relative to Holliday junction substrates, and that substrate preference reflects binding affinity and maps to the conserved central helicase domain. We identify the porphyrin N-methyl mesoporphyrin IX (NMM) as a specific inhibitor of G4 DNA unwinding, and show that in the presence of NMM the helicase becomes trapped on the NMM-G4 DNA complex, consuming ATP but unable to unwind or dissociate. These results suggest that BLM and Sgs1p function proactively in replication to remove G4 DNA structures which would otherwise present obstacles to fork progression, rather than by promoting recombination to restart a fork that has stalled.

A point mutation in Escherichia coli DNA helicase II renders the enzyme nonfunctional in two DNA repair pathways. Evidence for initiation of unwinding from a nick in vivo

Biosynthetic errors and DNA damage introduce mismatches and lesions in DNA that can lead to mutations. These abnormalities are susceptible to correction by a number of DNA repair mechanisms, each of which requires a distinct set of proteins. Escherichia coli DNA helicase II has been demonstrated to function in two DNA repair pathways, methyl-directed mismatch repair and UvrABC-mediated nucleotide excision repair. To define further the role of UvrD in DNA repair a site-specific mutant was characterized. The mutation, uvrDQ251E, resides within helicase motif III, a conserved segment of amino acid homology found in a superfamily of prokaryotic and eukaryotic DNA helicases. The UvrD-Q251E protein failed to complement the mutator and ultraviolet light-sensitive phenotypes of a uvrD deletion strain indicating that the mutant protein is inactive in both mismatch repair and excision repair. Biochemical characterization revealed a significant defect in the ability of the mutant enzyme to initiate unwinding at a nick. The elongation phase of the unwinding reaction was nearly normal. Together, the biochemical and genetic data provide evidence that UvrD-Q251E is dysfunctional because the mutant protein fails to initiate unwinding at the nick(s) used to initiate excision and subsequent repair synthesis. These results provide direct evidence to support the notion that helicase II initiates unwinding from a nick in vivo in mismatch repair and excision repair.

Biochemistry of homologous recombination in Escherichia coli

Homologous recombination is a fundamental biological process. Biochemical understanding of this process is most advanced for Escherichia coli. At least 25 gene products are involved in promoting genetic exchange. At present, this includes the RecA, RecBCD (exonuclease V), RecE (exonuclease VIII), RecF, RecG, RecJ, RecN, RecOR, RecQ, RecT, RuvAB, RuvC, SbcCD, and SSB proteins, as well as DNA polymerase I, DNA gyrase, DNA topoisomerase I, DNA ligase, and DNA helicases. The activities displayed by these enzymes include homologous DNA pairing and strand exchange, helicase, branch migration, Holliday junction binding and cleavage, nuclease, ATPase, topoisomerase, DNA binding, ATP binding, polymerase, and ligase, and, collectively, they define biochemical events that are essential for efficient recombination. In addition to these needed proteins, a cis-acting recombination hot spot known as Chi (chi: 5'-GCTGGTGG-3') plays a crucial regulatory function. The biochemical steps that comprise homologous recombination can be formally divided into four parts: (i) processing of DNA molecules into suitable recombination substrates, (ii) homologous pairing of the DNA partners and the exchange of DNA strands, (iii) extension of the nascent DNA heteroduplex; and (iv) resolution of the resulting crossover structure. This review focuses on the biochemical mechanisms underlying these steps, with particular emphases on the activities of the proteins involved and on the integration of these activities into likely biochemical pathways for recombination.

Alteration by site-directed mutagenesis of the conserved lysine residue in the consensus ATP-binding sequence of the RecB protein of Escherichia coli

The RecB and RecD subunits of the RecBCD enzyme of Escherichia coli contain amino acid sequences similar to a consensus mononucleotide binding motif found in a large number of other enzymes. We have constructed by site-directed mutagenesis a lysine-to-glutamine mutation in this sequence in the RecB protein. The mutant enzyme (RecB-K29Q-CD) has essentially no nuclease or ATP hydrolysis activity on double-stranded DNA, showing the importance of RecB for unwinding double-stranded DNA. However, ATP hydrolysis stimulated by single-stranded DNA is reduced by only about 5-8-fold compared to the wild-type, nuclease activity on single-stranded DNA is reduced by less than 2-fold, and the nuclease activity of the RecB-K29Q-CD enzyme requires ATP. The effects of the RecB mutation suggest that the RecD protein hydrolyzes ATP and can stimulate the RecBCD enzyme nuclease activity on single-stranded DNA.

DNA helicases of Escherichia coli

A great deal has been learned in the last 15 years with regard to how helicase enzymes participate in DNA metabolism and how they interact with their DNA substrates. However, many questions remain unanswered. Of critical importance is an understanding of how NTP hydrolysis and hydrogen-bond disruption are coupled. Several models exist and are being tested; none has been proven. In addition, an understanding of how a helicase disrupts the hydrogen bonds holding duplex DNA together is lacking. Recently, helicase enzymes that unwind duplex RNA and DNA.RNA hybrids have been described. In some cases, these are old enzymes with new activities. In other cases, these are new enzymes only recently discovered. The significance of these reactions in the cell remains to be clarified. However, with the availability of significant amounts of these enzymes in a highly purified state, and mutant alleles in most of the genes encoding them, the answers to these questions should be forthcoming. The variety of helicases found in E. coli, and the myriad processes these enzymes are involved in, were perhaps unexpected. It seems likely that an equally large number of helicases will be discovered in eukaryotic cells. In fact, several helicases have been identified and purified from eukaryotic sources ranging from viruses to mouse cells (4-13, 227-234). Many of these helicases have been suggested to have roles in DNA replication, although this remains to be shown conclusively. Helicases with roles in DNA repair, recombination, and other aspects of DNA metabolism are likely to be forthcoming as we learn more about these processes in eukaryotic cells.

Action at a distance along a DNA

A number of ways are known by which an event at one location on a DNA molecule can affect an event at a distant location on the same molecule. Three classes of mechanisms are described for such distal actions: tracking or translocation of a protein along a DNA, the association of two proteins bound at separate sites to form a DNA loop in between, and distal interactions that are affected by the topology of the DNA. The basic characteristics of each type of mechanism are discussed in terms of the known physicochemical properties of DNA. The various modes of action at a distance are often interrelated. Examples include the formation of positively and negatively supercoiled DNA loops by tracking and the strong effects of DNA topology on looping.

Resolution and reconstitution of the rec BC deoxyribonuclease of Escherichia coli

The inactivation of rec BC nuclease activity and simultaneously the separation of 3 DNA-dependent ATPases and an ATP-independent DNases specific for single-stranded DNA have been observed after DEAE-cellulose chromatography of cell extracts from Escherichia coli. Two of the ATPases catalyze the strand separation of duplex DNA. Reconstitution of ATP-dependent DNase activity has been carried out by the combination of the separated enzymes.

A third DNA-dependent ATPase from Bacillus cereus free of ATP-dependent DNase activity

The purification of ATP-dependent DNase from Bacillus cereus led to the isolation and characterization of a third DNA-dependent ATPase. The enzyme called ATPase III has been purified free of nuclease activity. None of the expected ATPases proved to be identical with ATP-dependent DNase-DNA-dependent ATPase. Separation of ATPase I, II and III and a DNase specific for single-stranded DNA from the same source excludes the possibility of ATP-dependent DNase being the action of a single enzyme molecule.

PaeExo IX: a unique deoxyribonuclease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa active in the presence of EDTA

A new deoxyribonuclease, PaeExo IX, has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from extracts of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO. This enzyme, which is active in the presence of EDTA, is equally efficient in hydrolyzing native and heart-denatured DNA to acid-s-luble products. The enzyme is partially or totally inhibited by the presence of several divalent cations. The active protein has a molecular weight of 1.6 +/- 0.1 x 10(5) and is composed of two nonidentical polypeptides with molecular weights of 78,000 and 69,000.

Properties of Bacillus subtilis ATP-dependent deoxyribonuclease

A purification procedure described previously resulting in electrophoretically pure Bacillus subtilis ATP-dependent DNAse has now been modified by adding a fractionation stage with Polymin P to permit large-scale isolation of the enzyme. It has been found that the enzyme molecule (Mr = 300000) consists of two large subunits with Mr 155000 and 140000. The purified enzyme has three activities: (1) DNAse on linear single-stranded and double-stranded DNAs (2) DNA-unwinding and (3) ATPase. Circular DNAs were not affected by the enzyme. Study of the dependence of these activities on temperature, pH, and ATP and Mg2+ concentrations has revealed two different states of the enzyme. At low ATP concentrations and alkaline pH, it showed chiefly nuclease action, degrading considerable amounts of DNA to small fragments five residues long on average. At higher ATP concentrations and neutral pH (more physiological conditions) it predominantly unwound DNA. Simultaneously it cut preferentially one of the duplex strands to fragments more than 1000 residues in length. The results obtained suggest that the energy of the enzyme-cleaved ATP is mainly expended on unwinding rather than on degrading DNA molecules.

The recBC enzyme of Escherichia coli K12: premature cessation of catalytic activities in vitro and reactivation by potassium ions

It is shown that in vitro the degradation of native and single-stranded DNA as well as the hydrolysis of ATP by purified recBC enzyme ceases 2-3 min after the start of the reaction. The presence of potassium ions (60-100 mM), bovine serum albumin (1 mg/ml) or protein from cell-free Escherichia coli extract (10 microgram/ml) prevents the cessation of the activity. Once the cessation has occurred, the activity of the enzyme can be completely restored by the addition of potassium ions, but not by bovine serum albumin. Sedimentation studies revealed that, in contrast to the active recBC enzyme, the 'silent' enzyme is no longer associated with substrate DNA of high molecular weight. On the basis of these results and other observations it is hypothesized that during the degradation of DNA in the absence of potassium ions or bovine serum albumin the recBC enzyme is subject to an alteration of its molecular conformation which results in an inactive form.

Purification and properties of two deoxyribonucleases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A survey of the major deoxyribonucleases in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO was undertaken. Two activities predominated in Brij-58 lysates of this organism. These have been purified from contaminating nuclease activities, and some of their properties have been elucidated. The first was a nuclease that degraded heat-denatured deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to mono- and dinucleotides. The activity of this enzyme was confined to single-stranded DNA, and 100% of the substrate was hydrolyzed to acid-soluble material. The Mg2+ optimum is low (1 to 3mM), and the molecular weight is 6 X 10(4). The second predominant activity was an adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-dependent deoxyribonuclease. This enzyme had an absolute dependence on the presence of ATP Mg2+ concentrations of approximately 10 mM. Five moles of ATP was consumed for each mole of phosphodiester bonds cleaved. The acid-soluble products of the reaction consisted of short oligonucleotides from one to six bases in length. Only 50% of the double-stranded DNA was rendered acid soluble in a limit digest. The molecular weight of this enzyme is 3 X 10(5). The observation of these enzymes in P. aeruginosa is consistent with the possibility that recombinational pathways similar to those of Escherichia coli are operating in this organism.

Purification and properties of the gamma-protein specified by bacteriophage lambda: an inhibitor of the host RecBC recombination enzyme

Previous experiments have indicated that the gam gene of bacteriophage lambda is responsible for an inhibition of the RecBC DNase-an enzyme that is essential for the major host pathway of genetic recombination. We report here experiments that define the inhibitor as the protein product of the gam gene ("gamma-protein") and that characterize the inhibition reaction with highly purified preparations of gamma-protein and RecBC DNase. Genetic characterization was performed with partially purified fractions prepared from cells infected with various lambda mutants. An activity that inhibits RecBC DNase was absent in extracts prepared after infection by phage that carry nonsense or deletion mutations in the gam gene; this activity was highly thermolabile in an extract prepared after infection by phage that carry a temperature-sensitive mutation in the gam gene. For biochemical characterization, the gamma-protein has been purified more than 800-fold. This highly purified preparation inhibited all of the known catalytic activities associated with the RecBC enzyme, but exhibited no detectable DNase or ATPase activities by itself. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for regulation of genetic recombination and bacteriophage lambda development.