title: Sequential binding of SeqA protein to nascent DNA segments at replication forks in synchronized cultures of Escherichia coli.
abstract: To demonstrate that sequestration A (SeqA) protein binds preferentially to hemimethylated GATC sequences at replication forks and forms clusters in Escherichia coli growing cells, we analysed, by the chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay using anti-SeqA antibody, a synchronized culture of a temperature-sensitive dnaC mutant strain in which only one round of chromosomal DNA replication was synchronously initiated. After synchronized initiation of chromosome replication, the replication origin oriC was first detected by the ChIP assay, and other six chromosomal regions having multiple GATC sequences were sequentially detected according to bidirectional replication of the chromosome. In contrast, DNA regions lacking the GATC sequence were not detected by the ChIP assay. These results indicate that SeqA binds hemimethylated nascent DNA segments according to the proceeding of replication forks in the chromosome, and SeqA releases from the DNA segments when fully methylated. Immunofluorescence microscopy reveals that a single SeqA focus containing paired replication apparatuses appears at the middle of the cell immediately after initiation of chromosome replication and the focus is subsequently separated into two foci that migrate to 1/4 and 3/4 cellular positions, when replication forks proceed bidirectionally an approximately one-fourth distance from the replication origin towards the terminus. This supports the translocating replication apparatuses model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Konoe, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuyoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamazoe
authors.forename: Shun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Shigehiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanaya
authors.forename: Katsufumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohsumi
authors.forename: Sota
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hiraga
mesh_terms: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000502:physiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D011485:Protein Binding; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C089746:SeqA protein, E coli