Assembly architecture and DNA binding of the bacteriophage P22 terminase small subunit.

ABSTRACT: Morphogenesis of bacteriophage P22 involves the packaging of double-stranded DNA into a preassembled procapsid. DNA is translocated by a powerful virally encoded molecular motor called terminase, which comprises large (gp2, 499 residues) and small (gp3, 162 residues) subunits. While gp2 contains the phosphohydrolase and endonuclease activities of terminase, the function of gp3 may be to regulate specific and nonspecific modes of DNA recognition as well as the enzymatic activities of gp2. Electron microscopy shows that wild-type gp3 self-assembles into a stable and monodisperse nonameric ring. A three-dimensional reconstruction at 18 A resolution provides the first glimpse of P22 terminase architecture and implies two distinct modes of interaction with DNA-involving a central channel of 20

SUBMITTER: Nemecek D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2577774 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature