A dual role for the FtsK protein in Escherichia coli chromosome segregation.
FtsK is a multifunctional protein that acts in Escherichia coli cell division and chromosome segregation. Its C-terminal domain is required for XerCD-mediated recombination between dif sites that resolve chromosome dimers formed by recombination between sister chromosomes. We report the construction and analysis of a set of strains carrying different Xer recombination sites in place of dif, some of which recombine in an FtsK-independent manner. The results show that FtsK-independent Xer recombination does not support chromosome dimer resolution. Furthermore, resolution of dimers by the Cre/loxP system also requires FtsK. These findings reveal a second role for FtsK during chromosome dimer resolution in addition to XerCD activation. We propose that FtsK acts to position the dif regions, thus allowing a productive synapse between dif sites.
Capiaux
Hervé
H
Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaire du CNRS, 118, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex, France.
Lesterlin
Christian
C
Pérals
Koryn
K
Louarn
Jean Michel
JM
Cornet
François
F
D001483:Base Sequence; D020090:Chromosome Segregation; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D004254:DNA Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D019426:Integrases / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000378:metabolism; D045522:Recombinases; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C096452:FtsK protein, E coli; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D045522:Recombinases; D014764:Viral Proteins; C045073:Cre recombinase; D004254:DNA Nucleotidyltransferases; D019426:Integrases; D011938:Rec A Recombinases