The sporulation protein SirA inhibits the binding of DnaA to the origin of replication by contacting a patch of clustered amino acids

Citation:

Rahn-Lee L, Merrikh H, Grossman AD, Losick R. The sporulation protein SirA inhibits the binding of DnaA to the origin of replication by contacting a patch of clustered amino acids. J Bacteriol [Internet]. 2011;193:1302-7.

Abstract:

Bacteria regulate the frequency and timing of DNA replication initiation by controlling the activity of the replication initiator protein DnaA. SirA is a recently discovered regulator of DnaA in Bacillus subtilis whose synthesis is turned on at the start of sporulation. Here, we demonstrate that SirA contacts DnaA at a patch of 3 residues located on the surface of domain I of the replication initiator protein, corresponding to the binding site used by two unrelated regulators of DnaA found in other bacteria. We show that the interaction of SirA with domain I inhibits the ability of DnaA to bind to the origin of replication. DnaA mutants containing amino acid substitutions of the 3 residues are functional in replication initiation but are immune to inhibition by SirA.

Notes:

Rahn-Lee, LilahMerrikh, HouraGrossman, Alan DLosick, RichardGM093408/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/GM18568/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/GM41934/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/J Bacteriol. 2011 Mar;193(6):1302-7. Epub 2011 Jan 14.

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