The MksG nuclease is the executing part of the bacterial plasmid defense system MksBEFG.

ABSTRACT: Cells are continuously facing the risk of taking up foreign DNA that can compromise genomic integrity. Therefore, bacteria are in a constant arms race with mobile genetic elements such as phages, transposons and plasmids. They have developed several active strategies against invading DNA molecules that can be seen as a bacterial 'innate immune system'. Here, we investigated the molecular arrangement of the Corynebacterium glutamicum MksBEFG complex, which is homologous to the MukBEF condensin system. We show here that MksG is a nuclease that degrades plasmid DNA. The crystal structure of MksG revealed a dimeric assembly through its C-terminal domain that is homologous to the TOPRIM domain of the topoisomerase II family of enzymes and contains the corresponding ion binding site essential fo

SUBMITTER: Weiß M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10123090 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature