title: TraJ protein of plasmid RP4 binds to a 19-base pair invert sequence repetition within the transfer origin.
abstract: Transfer of plasmid RP4 during bacterial conjugation requires the plasmid-encoded TraJ protein, which binds to the transfer origin (Fürste, J. P., Pansegrau, W., Ziegelin, G., Kröger, M., and Lanka, E. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 1771-1775). As indicated by traJ mutants, the TraJ protein is a constituent of the relaxosome, the initiation complex of transfer DNA replication. The traJ gene maps adjacent to the transfer origin (oriT). The structural gene consists of a 372-base pair sequence encoding a polypeptide of 122 amino acids (13,282 Da). TraJ was purified from an Escherichia coli strain overproducing the protein. DNA footprinting experiments involving DNase I demonstrated that the purified protein binds to the right arm of a 19-base pair inverted repeat within oriT. Hydroxyl radical footprints of the DNA-protein complex revealed that TraJ protein is bound to only one side of the DNA helix.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Genetik, Abteilung Schuster, Berlin, West Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ziegelin
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Fürste
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lanka
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D007446:Chromosome Inversion; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005609:Free Radicals; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005609:Free Radicals; C488999:TraJ protein, E coli; C041427:TraJ protein, bacteria; D004247:DNA