title: MuB protein allosterically activates strand transfer by the transposase of phage Mu.
abstract: The MuA and MuB proteins collaborate to mediate efficient transposition of the phage Mu genome into many DNA target sites. MuA (the transposase) carries out all the DNA cleavage and joining steps. MuB stimulates strand transfer by activating the MuA-donor DNA complex through direct protein-protein contact. The C-terminal domain of MuA is required for this MuA-MuB interaction. Activation of strand transfer occurs irrespective of whether MuB is bound to target DNA. When high levels of MuA generate a pool of free MuB (not bound to DNA) or when chemical modification of MuB impairs its ability to bind DNA, MuB still stimulates strand transfer. However, under these conditions, intramolecular target sites are used exclusively because of their close proximity to the MuA-MuB-donor DNA complex.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizuuchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuuchi
mesh_terms: D000494:Allosteric Regulation; D010583:Bacteriophage mu / Q000235:genetics*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D005033:Ethylmaleimide / Q000737:chemistry; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D019895:Transposases; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C069215:MuB protein, Enterobacteria phage Mu; D014764:Viral Proteins; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases; D019895:Transposases; D005033:Ethylmaleimide