Elastic motion of RecA filaments and its role in recombination.
RecA filaments form two types of structures having different helical pitches according to the nucleotide condition. We have investigated the effect of nucleotide cofactor exchange upon the RecA-ssDNA filaments by observing a fluorescently-labelled single molecule in water solution. The result indicated that the RecA-ssDNA filamentous complex is an elastic helical molecule whose length is controlled by binding and release of nucleotide cofactors. We propose that this elastic motion couples to the DNA rotation within the filament by synchronizing the helical phases, and promotes exchange of homologous strands of two DNAs.
Nishinaka
Taro
T
ERATO Yashima Super-stractured Helix Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 101 Creation Core Nagoya, 2266-22 Anagahora, Shimoshidami, Moriyama-ku, Nagoya 463-0003, Japan. nishinak@yp-jst.jp
Doi
Yuko
Y
Hara
Reiko
R
Yashima
Eiji
E
D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry*; D004548:Elasticity; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000737:chemistry*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012399:Rotation
D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D011938:Rec A Recombinases