Article abstract
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 15, 94 - 100 (2008)
Published online: 23 December 2007 | doi:10.1038/nsmb1356
The structure of a DnaB-family replicative helicase and its interactions with primase
Ganggang Wang1,2, Michael G Klein1,2, Etienne Tokonzaba1, Yi Zhang1, Lauren G Holden1 & Xiaojiang S Chen1
Abstract
Helicases are essential enzymes for DNA replication, a fundamental process in all living organisms. The DnaB family are hexameric replicative helicases that unwind duplex DNA and coordinate with RNA primase and other proteins at the replication fork in prokaryotes. Here, we report the full-length crystal structure of G40P, a DnaB family helicase. The hexamer complex reveals an unusual architectural feature and a new type of assembly mechanism. The hexamer has two tiers: a three-fold symmetric N-terminal tier and a six-fold symmetric C-terminal tier. Monomers with two different conformations, termed cis and trans, come together to provide a topological solution for the dual symmetry within a hexamer. Structure-guided mutational studies indicate an important role for the N-terminal tier in binding primase and regulating primase-mediated stimulation of helicase activity. This study provides insights into the structural and functional interplay between G40P helicase and DnaG primase.
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, 1050 Childs Way, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.
- These authors contributed equally to this work.
Correspondence to: Xiaojiang S Chen1 e-mail: xiaojiang.chen@usc.edu
MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS
These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.
NEWS AND VIEWS
Understanding how the replisome worksNature Structural & Molecular Biology News and Views (01 Feb 2008)
Helical proteins initiate replication of DNA helicesNature Structural & Molecular Biology News and Views (01 Aug 2006)
See all 6 matches for News And ViewsRESEARCH
Single-molecule studies of fork dynamics in Escherichia coli DNA replicationNature Structural & Molecular Biology Article (01 Feb 2008)
The DnaB???DnaC complex: a structure based on dimers assembled around an occluded channelThe EMBO Journal Article (15 Mar 2001)
See all 65 matches for Research
