title: Control of bacterial DNA supercoiling.
abstract: Two DNA topoisomerases control the level of negative supercoiling in bacterial cells. DNA gyrase introduces supercoils, and DNA topoisomerase I prevents supercoiling from reaching unacceptably high levels. Perturbations of supercoiling are corrected by the substrate preferences of these topoisomerases with respect to DNA topology and by changes in expression of the genes encoding the enzymes. However, supercoiling changes when the growth environment is altered in ways that also affect cellular energetics. The ratio of [ATP] to [ADP], to which gyrase is sensitive, may be involved in the response of supercoiling to growth conditions. Inside cells, supercoiling is partitioned into two components, superhelical tension and restrained supercoils. Shifts in superhelical tension elicited by nicking or by salt shock do not rapidly change the level of restrained supercoiling. However, a steady-state change in supercoiling caused by mutation of topA does alter both tension and restrained supercoils. This communication between the two compartments may play a role in the control of supercoiling.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Research Institute, New York, New York 10016.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Drlica
mesh_terms: D027101:DNA Topoisomerase IV; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / Q000378:metabolism*; D004250:DNA Topoisomerases, Type II / Q000378:metabolism*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004278:DNA, Superhelical; D027101:DNA Topoisomerase IV; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I; D004250:DNA Topoisomerases, Type II