Insight into F plasmid DNA segregation revealed by structures of SopB and SopB-DNA complexes.

ABSTRACT: Accurate DNA segregation is essential for genome transmission. Segregation of the prototypical F plasmid requires the centromere-binding protein SopB, the NTPase SopA and the sopC centromere. SopB displays an intriguing range of DNA-binding properties essential for partition; it binds sopC to form a partition complex, which recruits SopA, and it also coats DNA to prevent non-specific SopA-DNA interactions, which inhibits SopA polymerization. To understand the myriad functions of SopB, we determined a series of SopB-DNA crystal structures. SopB does not distort its DNA site and our data suggest that SopB-sopC forms an extended rather than wrapped partition complex with the SopA-interacting domains aligned on one face. SopB is a multidomain protein, which like P1 ParB contains an all-helical

SUBMITTER: Schumacher MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2910045 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature