TPM analyses reveal that FtsK contributes both to the assembly and the activation of the XerCD-dif recombination synapse.

ABSTRACT: Circular chromosomes can form dimers during replication and failure to resolve those into monomers prevents chromosome segregation, which leads to cell death. Dimer resolution is catalysed by a highly conserved site-specific recombination system, called XerCD-dif in Escherichia coli. Recombination is activated by the DNA translocase FtsK, which is associated with the division septum, and is thought to contribute to the assembly of the XerCD-dif synapse. In our study, direct observation of the assembly of the XerCD-dif synapse, which had previously eluded other methods, was made possible by the use of Tethered Particle Motion, a single molecule approach. We show that XerC, XerD and two dif sites suffice for the assembly of XerCD-dif synapses in absence of FtsK, but lead to inactive XerCD-di

SUBMITTER: Diagne CT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3919580 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature