The hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis is resistant to pervasive negative supercoiling activity of DNA gyrase.

ABSTRACT: In all cells, DNA topoisomerases dynamically regulate DNA supercoiling allowing essential DNA processes such as transcription and replication to occur. How this complex system emerged in the course of evolution is poorly understood. Intriguingly, a single horizontal gene transfer event led to the successful establishment of bacterial gyrase in Archaea, but its emergent function remains a mystery. To better understand the challenges associated with the establishment of pervasive negative supercoiling activity, we expressed the gyrase of the bacterium Thermotoga maritima in a naïve archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis which naturally has positively supercoiled DNA. We found that the gyrase was catalytically active in T. kodakarensis leading to strong negative supercoiling of plasmid DNA which

SUBMITTER: Villain P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8643681 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature