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The FtsK γ domain directs oriented DNA translocation by interacting with KOPS

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology volume 13, pages 965–972 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

The bacterial septum-located DNA translocase FtsK coordinates circular chromosome segregation with cell division. Rapid translocation of DNA by FtsK is directed by 8-base-pair DNA motifs (KOPS), so that newly replicated termini are brought together at the developing septum, thereby facilitating completion of chromosome segregation. Translocase functions reside in three domains, α, β and γ. FtsKαβ are necessary and sufficient for ATP hydrolysis–dependent DNA translocation, which is modulated by FtsKγ through its interaction with KOPS. By solving the FtsKγ structure by NMR, we show that γ is a winged-helix domain. NMR chemical shift mapping localizes the DNA-binding site on the γ domain. Mutated proteins with substitutions in the FtsKγ DNA-recognition helix are impaired in DNA binding and KOPS recognition, yet remain competent in DNA translocation and XerCD-dif site-specific recombination, which facilitates the late stages of chromosome segregation.

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Figure 1: Solution NMR structures of FtsKγ and FtsKγ-DNA binding.
Figure 2: FtsKγ recognizes KOPS.
Figure 3: KOPS recognition determined by triplex displacement.
Figure 4: FtsKγ binds KOPS DNA preferentially.

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Acknowledgements

Research was supported by the Medical Research Council (Cambridge) and the Wellcome Trust (Oxford). We acknowledge our collaborators in the N.R. Cozzarelli and C. Bustamante laboratories (University of California, Berkeley) and would like to dedicate this paper to N.R. Cozzarelli, who died while this work was in progress. We thank our Oxford colleagues, P. Antrobus for his help with mass spectroscopy and I. Grainge for valuable discussions. V.S. was supported by an Oxford University Clarendon Postgraduate Award.

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Author notes

  1. Viknesh Sivanathan and Mark D Allen: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK

    Viknesh Sivanathan, Charissa de Bekker, Rachel Baker, Lidia K Arciszewska & David J Sherratt

  2. Centre for Protein Engineering, Medical Research Council, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2QH, UK

    Mark D Allen, Stefan M Freund & Mark Bycroft

  3. Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Medical Research Council, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2QH, UK

    Jan Löwe

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  1. Viknesh Sivanathan
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Contributions

V.S., molecular biology and manuscript preparation. M.D.A., biochemistry, NMR and manuscript preparation. C.d.B., molecular biology. R.B., molecular biology. L.K.A., project direction and manuscript preparation. S.M.F., NMR. M.B., NMR. J.L., molecular biology, structural biology, project direction and manuscript preparation. D.J.S., project conception, project direction and manuscript preparation.

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Correspondence to David J Sherratt.

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Supplementary information

Supplementary Fig. 1

HSQC spectra of KOPS-FtsKγ interaction. (PDF 117 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 2

13C HSQC of E. coli FtsKγ. (PDF 98 kb)

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Sivanathan, V., Allen, M., de Bekker, C. et al. The FtsK γ domain directs oriented DNA translocation by interacting with KOPS. Nat Struct Mol Biol 13, 965–972 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb1158

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