Protein-DNA complexes in mycobacteriophage L5 integrative recombination

J Bacteriol. 1999 Jan;181(2):454-61. doi: 10.1128/JB.181.2.454-461.1999.

Abstract

The temperate mycobacteriophage L5 integrates site specifically into the genomes of Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin. This integrative recombination event occurs between the phage L5 attP site and the mycobacterial attB site and requires the phage-encoded integrase and mycobacterial-encoded integration host factor mIHF. Here we show that attP, Int-L5, and mIHF assemble into a recombinationally active complex, the intasome, which is capable of attB capture and formation of products. The arm-type integrase binding sites within attP play specialized roles in the formation of specific protein-DNA architectures; the intasome is constructed by the formation of intramolecular integrase bridges between one pair of sites, P4-P5, and the attP core, while an additional pair of sites, P1-P2, is required for interaction with attB.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • Chromosomes, Bacterial / genetics
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • DNA, Bacterial / metabolism
  • Integrases / metabolism
  • Lysogeny
  • Mycobacteriophages / genetics*
  • Mycobacteriophages / metabolism*
  • Mycobacterium bovis / genetics
  • Mycobacterium bovis / virology*
  • Mycobacterium smegmatis / genetics
  • Mycobacterium smegmatis / virology*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / virology*
  • Recombination, Genetic
  • Viral Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Proteins / metabolism
  • Virus Integration*

Substances

  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Viral Proteins
  • Integrases