title: Motoring along with the bacterial RecA protein.
abstract: The recombinases of the RecA family are often viewed only as DNA-pairing proteins - they bind to one DNA segment, align it with homologous sequences in another DNA segment, promote an exchange of DNA strands and then dissociate. To a first approximation, this description seems to fit the eukaryotic (Rad51 and Dmc1) and archaeal (RadA) RecA homologues. However, the bacterial RecA protein does much more, coupling ATP hydrolysis with DNA-strand exchange in a manner that greatly expands its repertoire of activities. This article explores the protein activities and experimental results that have identified RecA as a motor protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 433 Babcock Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1544, USA. cox@biochem.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Cox
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004261:DNA Replication; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008957:Models, Genetic; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D011938:Rec A Recombinases