title: Interactions of the RepA1 protein with its replicon targets: two opposing roles in control of plasmid replication.
abstract: By studying the interaction of derivatives of RepFIC miniplasmids, we were able to demonstrate that under certain conditions the RepA1 initiator protein inhibits plasmid replication. An analysis of cloned derivatives whose replication is inhibited by the RepA1 protein revealed the existence of two areas of the RepFIC genome that interact with RepA1 in the inhibition reaction. One of these areas, which occurs in the origin region, was explored by in vivo methylation protection footprinting studies. The protected area was 200 bp long and showed a definite periodicity of protected and hypersensitive sites, suggesting that RepA1 promotes a topological change in the RepFIC genome. The significance of our results is discussed in the context of plasmid replication control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016, USA. maasr01@mcrcr6.med.nyu.edu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Maas
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004261:DNA Replication; D008745:Methylation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C070013:REPA1 protein, Bacteria