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DNA transport in bacteria

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 2, pages 538–545 (2001)Cite this article

Key Points

  • DNA transport is important for several processes in bacteria, including chromosome segregation, conjugation, phage infection and assembly, and transformation

  • SpoIIIE-like proteins comprise an important family of DNA transporters that act to move chromosomal DNA out of closing cell division septa.

  • This provides an important final step contributing to the fidelity of chromosome segregation.

  • SpoIIIE-like proteins might also couple chromosome segregation to other events during division, including closure of the division septum and resolution of chromosome dimers (in circular chromosomes).

  • Proteins related to SpoIIIE are also involved in DNA transfer from donor to recipient cells during conjugation (mating).

  • DNA transport probably involves ATP hydrolysis and might occur by a mechanism similar to DNA translocation by hexameric ring helicases.

  • Some important problems remain, including the directionality of transfer, how ATP hydrolysis is coupled to movement of the DNA, and how transfer complexes are generated and resolved.

Abstract

DNA transport is important in various biological contexts — particularly chromosome segregation and intercellular gene transfer. Recently, progress has been made in understanding the function of a family of bacterial proteins involved in DNA transfer, and we focus here on one of the best-understood members, SpoIIIE. Studies of SpoIIIE-like proteins show that they might couple DNA transport to processes such as cell division, conjugation (mating) and the resolution of chromosome dimers.

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Figure 1: Sporulation and the role of SpoIIIE.
Figure 2: Domain structure of SpoIIIE and related proteins.
Figure 3: FtsK and the resolution of chromosome dimers.
Figure 4: DNA tracking assay for SpoIIIE.
Figure 5: Topological problems of chromosome–SpoIIIE interaction and the problem of directionality.

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Acknowledgements

Work in the Errington lab is supported by grants from the BBSRC. J.E. acknowledges receipt of a BBSRC Senior Research Fellowship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK

    Jeff Errington, Jonathan Bath & Ling Juan Wu

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  1. Jeff Errington
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Related links

Related links

DATABASE LINKS

SpoIIIE

ftsK

XerC

CodV

RipX

FURTHER INFORMATION

ProDom web site

Errington lab

Glossary

MOBILE GENETIC ELEMENTS

Plasmids, transposons and insertion elements that can readily spread from genome to genome and/or from cell to cell.

ENDOSPORE

A type of spore that develops within the cytoplasm of an enveloping mother cell or sporangium.

EUBACTERIA

All prokaryotes excluding the Archaea.

NUCLEOID

Equivalent to the nucleus of bacteria, in the absence of a nuclear membrane.

HOLLIDAY JUNCTION INTERMEDIATE

An X-shaped DNA structure formed during recombination, after strand exchange between homologous DNA duplexes.

WALKER A AND B MOTIFS

Highly conserved short-sequence motifs found in numerous proteins that bind and sometimes hydrolyse ATP.

RELAXOSOME COMPLEX

Complex of a Tra protein bound to its DNA recognition site (oriT), at which a single-stranded nick occurs to initiate DNA transfer.

ROLLING-CIRCLE DNA REPLICATION

Form of DNA replication on a circular template in which a single DNA strand is synthesized, continuously displacing the non-template strand.

DNA POLYMERASE III HOLOENZYME

Multisubunit protein complex responsible for the bulk of chromosome replication in bacteria.

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Errington, J., Bath, J. & Wu, L. DNA transport in bacteria. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2, 538–545 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35080005

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