Asymmetric loading of TnsE regulates Tn7 targeting of DNA replication structures.

ABSTRACT: Tn7 transposable elements are known for their sophisticated target-site selection mechanisms. For the prototypical Tn7 element, dedicated transposon-encoded proteins direct insertions to either a conserved site in the chromosome or replicating DNA structures in conjugal plasmids, ensuring the vertical and horizontal spread of the element. While the pathway targeting the attTn7 site in the bacterial chromosome has been extensively studied, the pathway targeting DNA replication structures remains poorly understood. We have used an integrative structural biology approach to elucidate how the Tn7-encoded protein TnsE recognizes replication sites. Using native mass spectrometry, we found that TnsE forms 1:1 and 2:1 (TnsE:DNA) complexes on 3'-recessed DNA, with gain-of-function TnsE variants fav

SUBMITTER: Krishnan SS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12153342 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature