• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1841-1847
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• 2007

We previously identified the origin of replication of p703/5, a small cryptic plasmid from the KBL703 strain of Enterococcus faecalis. The origin of replication contains putative regulatory cis-elements required for replication and a replication initiator (RepA) gene. The replicon of p703/5 is similar in its structural organization to theta-type plasmids, and RepA is homologous to a family of Rep proteins identified in several plasmids from Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we report molecular interactions between RepA and the replication origin of p703/5. DNase I footprinting using recombinant RepA together with electrophoretic mobility shift assays confirmed the binding of RepA to the replication origin of p703/5 via iterons and an inverted repeat. We also demonstrated the formation of RepA dimers and the different binding of RepA to the iteron and the inverted repeat using gel filtration chromatographic analysis, a chemical crosslinking assay, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride. Our results suggest that RepA plays a regulatory role in the replication of the enterococcal plasmid p703/5 via mechanisms similar to those of typical iteroncarrying theta-type plasmids.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.97-103
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• 2005

Under the condition of expression of $\lambda$ P protein at lethal level, the oriC DNA-binding activity is significantly affected in wild-type E. coli but not in the rpl mutant. In purified system, the $\lambda$ P protein inhibits the binding of both oriC DNA and ATP to the wild-type DnaA protein but not to the rpl DnaA protein. We conclude that the $\lambda$ P protein inhibits the binding of oriC DNA and ATP to the wild-type DnaA protein, which causes the inhibition of host DNA synthesis initiation that ultimately leads to bacterial death. A possible beneficial effect of this interaction of $\lambda$ P protein with E. coli DNA initiator protein DnaA for phage DNA replication has been proposed.

• Proceedings of the Korea Crystallographic Association Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.8-8
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• 2001

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.584-589
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• 2001

One of the cryptic plasmids from the oil degrading bacterium Klebsiella sp. KCL-2, the small plasmid pGD2, has been identified and characterized. This plasmid has a size of 3.6 kb with unknown functions. We constructed the recombinant plasmid pMGD2. The nucleotide sequences of the plasmid were determined and two open reading frames were detected. ORF1 encodes a replication initiator protein (RepA), which has a high degree of homology with the protein of ColE2 plasmid. The product encoded by ORF2 showed a high similarity with the transposase protein of IS5. IS5 is 1195 by long and contains an inverted terminal repetition of 16 bp with one mismatch. Stem-loop structures in the 5'untranslated region of the repA suggest that a putative gene, incA, is located in a complementary strand to the leader region of the repA mRNA.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.191-195
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• 1995

IciA protein has been shown as an inhibitor for the initiation of E. coli chromosomal DNA replication at oriC. IciA protein binds the AT-rich region in oriC and then blocks the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication. Two binding sites for IciA protein were identified in dnaA gene, encoding the initiator for the E. coli chromosomal replication, promoter region by gel-shift assay and DNase I footprinting, One, named as IciA site I, is located upstream of the dnaA promoter 1P. The other, named as IciA site II, is located downstream of the dnaA promoter 2P. The sequence comparison of the regions protected from the DNase I cleavage did not result in a clear consensus sequence for the binding of IciA protein, suggesting that IciA protein may be a member of multimeric complex dsDNA binding proteins. This study provided information about the binding mode of IciA protein. Even though the IciA site II and IciA binding site in oriC seem to be composed of two IciA binding units, one binding unit is likely enough to cause the binding of IciA protein to the IciA site I. The binding of IciA protein to the dna4 promoter implies that IciA protein may involve not only the control of the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication but also the control of the dna4 gene expression.

• Korean Journal of Crystallography
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.20-23
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• 1994

Specific binding to the oric region of E, coli chromsome by IciA protein inhibits initiation of chrorrnsomal replication in vitro by blocking the opening of this region effected by the initiator DnaA protein. The IciA protein has been suggested play a critical role in a key stage of the cell cycle. In order to study the structure-function relationship of IciA protein, we are determining the three-dimensional structure of IciA Votein by X-ray crystallography, As a first step toward its structure detumination E. coli IciA protein has been crystallized using sodium formate as a precipitant.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2001.09a
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• pp.82-82
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• 2001

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.89-96
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• 2005

Earlier, we reported that the bacteriophage $\lambda$ P gene product is lethal to Escherichia coli, and the E. coli rpl mutants are resistant to this $\lambda$ P gene-mediated lethality. In this paper, we show that under the $\lambda$ P gene-mediated lethal condition, the host DNA synthesis is inhibited at the initiation step. The rpl8 mutation maps around the 83 min position in the E. coli chromosome and is 94% linked with the dnaA gene. The rpl8 mutant gene has been cloned in a plasmid. This plasmid clone can protect the wild-type E. coli from $\lambda$ P gene-mediated killing and complements E. coli dnaAts46 at $42^{\circ}C$. Also, starting with the wild-type dnaA gene in a plasmid, the rpl-like mutations have been isolated by in vitro mutagenesis. DNA sequencing data show that each of the rpl8, rpl12 and rpl14 mutations has changed a single base in the dnaA gene, which translates into the amino acid changes N313T, Y200N, and S246T respectively within the DnaA protein. These results have led us to conclude that the rpl mutations, which make E. coli resistant to $\lambda$ P gene-mediated host lethality, are located within the DNA initiator gene dnaA of the host.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.86-93
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• 2024

Since replication of plasmids must be strictly controlled, plasmids that generally perform rolling circle replication generally maintain a constant copy number by strictly controlling the replication initiator Rep at the transcriptional and translational levels. Plasmid pJB01 contains three orfs (copA, repB, repC or repABC) consisting of a single operon. From analysis of amino acid sequence, pJB01 CopA was homologous to the Cops, as a copy number control protein, of other plasmids. When compared with a CopG of pMV158, CopA seems to form the RHH (ribbon-helix-helix) known as a motif of generalized repressor of plasmids. The result of gel mobility shift assay (EMSA) revealed that the purified fusion CopA protein binds to the operator region of the repABC operon. To examine the functional role of CopA on transcriptional level, 3 point mutants were constructed in coding frame of copA such as CopA R16M, K26R and E50V. The repABC mRNA levels of CopA R16M, K26R and E50V mutants increased 1.84, 1.78 and 2.86 folds more than that of CopA wt, respectively. Furthermore, copy numbers owing to mutations in three copA genes also increased 1.86, 1.68 and 2.89 folds more than that of copA wt, respectively. These results suggest that CopA is the transcriptional repressor, and lowers the copy number of pJB01 by reducing repABC mRNA and then RepB, as a replication initiator.

• Proceedings of the Polymer Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.334-334
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• 2006

Helical polymers like polyisocyanates with single screw sense are essential to exhibit sophisticated functions like molecular recognition, self-replication, chirality memory and catalytic activity. One approach that has not been explored is the effect on handedness of the polyisocyanates through end-capping with a chiral residue. Induction of chirality in poly(n-hexyl isocyanate) was studied by end-capping with chiral (R and S) 2-bromo-3-methylbutyryl chloride(R-BMBC and S-BMBC). We have shown that a control over living anionic polymerization of HIC by using a suitable initiator affords an opportunity to introduce chiral end-groups with 100% yield and in high purity. This has resulted in helicity induction through extended lengths several orders of magnitude.