Premium
Crystal structure of the site‐specific recombinase, XerD
Author(s) -
Subramanya Hosahalli S.,
Arciszewska Lidia K.,
Baker Rachel A.,
Bird Louise E.,
Sherratt David J.,
Wigley Dale B.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/16.17.5178
Subject(s) - biology , recombinase , binding site , genetics , computational biology , evolutionary biology , recombination , gene
The structure of the site‐specific recombinase, XerD, that functions in circular chromosome separation, has been solved at 2.5 Å resolution and reveals that the protein comprises two domains. The C‐terminal domain contains two conserved sequence motifs that are located in similar positions in the structures of XerD, λ and HP1 integrases. However, the extreme C‐terminal regions of the three proteins, containing the active site tyrosine, are very different. In XerD, the arrangement of active site residues supports a cis cleavage mechanism. Biochemical evidence for DNA bending is encompassed in a model that accommodates extensive biochemical and genetic data, and in which the DNA is wrapped around an α‐helix in a manner similar to that observed for CAP complexed with DNA.