A simplified mathematical model of directional DNA site-specific recombination by serine integrases.

ABSTRACT: Serine integrases catalyse site-specific recombination to integrate and excise bacteriophage genomes into and out of their host's genome. These enzymes exhibit remarkable directionality; in the presence of the integrase alone, recombination between attP and attB DNA sites is efficient and irreversible, giving attL and attR products which do not recombine further. However, in the presence of the bacteriophage-encoded recombination directionality factor (RDF), integrase efficiently promotes recombination between attL and attR to re-form attP and attB The DNA substrates and products of both reactions are approximately isoenergetic, and no cofactors (such as adenosine triphosphate) are required for recombination. The thermodynamic driving force for directionality of these reactions is thus eni

SUBMITTER: Pokhilko A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5310728 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature