Open AccessThe XerC recombinase of Proteus mirabilis : characterization and interaction with other tyrosine recombinases
Author(s) -
Villion Manuela,
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)00577-9
Subject(s) - recombinase , proteus mirabilis , biology , site specific recombination , genetics , escherichia coli , gene , recombination
XerC and XerD are two site‐specific recombinases, which act on different sites to maintain replicons in a monomeric state. This system, which was first discovered and studied in Escherichia coli , is present in several species including Proteus mirabilis , where the XerD recombinase was previously characterized by our laboratory. In this paper, we report the presence of the xerC gene in P. mirabilis . Using in vitro reactions, we show that the two P. mirabilis recombinases display binding and cleavage activity on the E. coli dif site and the ColE1 cer site, together or in collaboration with E. coli recombinases. In vivo, P. mirabilis XerC and XerD are able to resolve and monomerize a plasmid containing two cer sites, increasing its stability. However, P. mirabilis XerC, in combination with E. coli XerD, is unable to perform these functions.