Open AccessInteractions of the Caulobacter crescentus XerC and XerD recombinases with the E. coli dif site
Author(s) -
Jouan Loubna,
Szatmari George
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1016/s0378-1097(03)00311-2
Subject(s) - caulobacter crescentus , recombinase , biology , holliday junction , escherichia coli , chromosome segregation , fusion protein , cooperativity , homologous recombination , genetics , dna , maltose binding protein , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , chromosome , recombination , recombinant dna , bacterial protein
In most bacteria, chromosome dimers arise from homologous recombination between replicated chromosomes. These dimers are then resolved by the action of the XerC and XerD recombinases, which act on the chromosomal dif site in the presence of the FtsK cell division protein. We have cloned the xerC and xerD genes from Caulobacter crescentus , and overexpressed them as maltose‐binding protein fusion proteins. These fusion proteins were purified and used in in vitro DNA‐binding assays to the Escherichia coli dif site with each protein individually, and in combination with each other. In addition, combinations of Xer proteins from E. coli were also tested for cooperativity with the corresponding C. crescentus proteins.