title: DNA arms do the legwork to ensure the directionality of lambda site-specific recombination.
abstract: The integrase protein of bacteriophage lambda (Int) catalyzes site-specific recombination between lambda phage and Escherichia coli genomes. Int is a tyrosine recombinase that binds to DNA core sites via a C-terminal catalytic domain and to a collection of arm DNA sites, distant from the site of recombination, via its N-terminal domain. The arm sites, in conjunction with accessory DNA-bending proteins, provide a means of regulating the efficiency and directionality of Int-catalyzed recombination. Recent crystal structures of lambda Int tetramers bound to synaptic and Holliday junction intermediates, together with new biochemical data, suggest a mechanism for the allosteric control of the recombination reaction through arm DNA binding interactions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Medicine-Box G, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radman-Livaja
authors.forename: Tapan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ellenberger
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Landy
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aihara
mesh_terms: D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000502:physiology*; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D016662:Virus Integration / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D019426:Integrases