Characterization of the unique C terminus of the Escherichia coli tau DnaX protein. Monomeric C-tau binds alpha AND DnaB and can partially replace tau in reconstituted replication forks. Journal Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • A contact between the dimeric tau subunit within the DNA polymerase III holoenzyme and the DnaB helicase is required for replication fork propagation at physiologically-relevant rates (Kim, S., Dallmann, H. G., McHenry, C. S., and Marians, K. J. (1996) Cell 84, 643-650). In this report, we exploit the OmpT protease to generate C-tau, a protein containing only the unique C-terminal sequences of tau, free of the sequences shared with the alternative gamma frameshifting product of dnaX. We have established that C-tau is a monomer by sedimentation equilibrium and sedimentation velocity ultracentrifugation. Monomeric C-tau binds the alpha catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase III with a 1:1 stoichiometry. C-tau also binds DnaB, revealed by a coupled immunoblotting method. C-tau restores the rapid replication rate of inefficient forks reconstituted with only the gamma dnaX gene product. The acceleration of the DnaB helicase can be observed in the absence of primase, when only leading-strand replication occurs. This indicates that C-tau, bound only to the leading-strand polymerase, can trigger the conformational change necessary for DnaB to assume the fast, physiologically relevant form.

publication date

  • May 19, 2000

has subject area

Date in CU Experts

  • October 1, 2013 12:09 PM

Full Author List

  • Dallmann HG; Kim S; Pritchard AE; Marians KJ; McHenry CS

author count

  • 5

Other Profiles

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0021-9258

Additional Document Info

start page

  • 15512

end page

  • 15519

volume

  • 275

issue

  • 20