scholarly journals The recombinase protein is a torque sensitive molecular switch

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott X. Atwell ◽  
Aurélie Dupont ◽  
Daniel Migliozzi ◽  
Jean-Louis Viovy ◽  
Giovanni Cappello
Keyword(s):  
Homologous Recombination ◽  
Statistical Physics ◽  
Biological Process ◽  
Magnetic Tweezers ◽  
Genetic Mutations ◽  
Homologous Sequence ◽  
Dna Fragment ◽  
Two State Model ◽  
Dna Complex ◽  
Damaged Dna

AbstractHow a nano-searcher finds its nano-target is a general problem in non-equilibrium statistical physics. It becomes vital when the searcher is a damaged DNA fragment trying to find its counterpart on the intact homologous chromosome. If the two copies are paired, that intact homologous sequence serves as a template to reconstitute the damaged DNA sequence, enabling the cell to survive without genetic mutations. To succeed, the search must stop only when the perfect homology is found. The biological process that ensures such a genomic integrity is called Homologous Recombination and is promoted by the Recombinase proteins. In this article, we use torque-sensitive magnetic tweezers to measure the free-energy landscape of the human Recombinase hRad51 protein assembled a DNA fragment. Based on our measurements we model the hRad51/DNA complex as an out-of-equilibrium two-state system and provide a thermodynamical description of Homologous Recombination. With this dynamical two-state model, we suggest a mechanism by which the recombinase proteins discriminate between homologous and a nonhomologous sequences.

scholarly journals Target frequency and integration pattern for insertion and replacement vectors in embryonic stem cells

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 4509-4517
Author(s):  
P Hasty ◽  
J Rivera-Pérez ◽  
C Chang ◽  
A Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Homologous Recombination ◽  
Gene Targeting ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Germ Line ◽  
Es Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Homologous Sequence ◽  
Reciprocal Recombination ◽  
Replacement Vector ◽  
Insertion Vector

Gene targeting has been used to direct mutations into specific chromosomal loci in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells. The altered locus can be studied in vivo with chimeras and, if the mutated cells contribute to the germ line, in their offspring. Although homologous recombination is the basis for the widely used gene targeting techniques, to date, the mechanism of homologous recombination between a vector and the chromosomal target in mammalian cells is essentially unknown. Here we look at the nature of gene targeting in ES cells by comparing an insertion vector with replacement vectors that target hprt. We found that the insertion vector targeted up to ninefold more frequently than a replacement vector with the same length of homologous sequence. We also observed that the majority of clones targeted with replacement vectors did not recombine as predicted. Analysis of the recombinant structures showed that the external heterologous sequences were often incorporated into the target locus. This observation can be explained by either single reciprocal recombination (vector insertion) of a recircularized vector or double reciprocal recombination/gene conversion (gene replacement) of a vector concatemer. Thus, single reciprocal recombination of an insertion vector occurs 92-fold more frequently than double reciprocal recombination of a replacement vector with crossover junctions on both the long and short arms.

Molecular cloning and characterization of mutant and wild-type human beta-actin genes

1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. 1961-1969
Author(s):  
J Leavitt ◽  
P Gunning ◽  
P Porreca ◽  
S Y Ng ◽  
C S Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Homologous Recombination ◽  
Human Fibroblasts ◽  
Actin Gene ◽  
Actin Genes ◽  
Beta Actin ◽  
Gene Libraries ◽  
Actin Mrna ◽  
Dna Fragment ◽  
Specific Sequences

There are more than 20 beta-actin-specific sequences in the human genome, many of which are pseudogenes. To facilitate the isolation of potentially functional beta-actin genes, we used the new method of B. Seed (Nucleic Acids Res. 11:2427-2446, 1983) for selecting genomic clones by homologous recombination. A derivative of the pi VX miniplasmid, pi AN7 beta 1, was constructed by insertion of the 600-base-pair 3' untranslated region of the beta-actin mRNA expressed in human fibroblasts. Five clones containing beta-actin sequences were selected from an amplified human fetal gene library by homologous recombination between library phage and the miniplasmid. One of these clones contained a complete beta-actin gene with a coding sequence identical to that determined for the mRNA of human fibroblasts. A DNA fragment consisting of mostly intervening sequences from this gene was then used to identify 13 independent recombinant copies of the analogous gene from two specially constructed gene libraries, each containing one of the two types of mutant beta-actin genes found in a line of neoplastic human fibroblasts. The amino acid and nucleotide sequences encoded by the unmutated gene predict that a guanine-to-adenine transition is responsible for the glycine-to-aspartic acid mutation at codon 244 and would also result in the loss of a HaeIII site. Detection of this HaeIII polymorphism among the fibroblast-derived clones verified the identity of the beta-actin gene expressed in human fibroblasts.

scholarly journals Beyond switches: Rotaxane- and catenane-based synthetic molecular motors

2008 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Euan R. Kay ◽  
David A. Leigh
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Motors ◽  
Physical Science ◽  
Statistical Physics ◽  
Biological Process ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Molecular Machines ◽  
Interlocked Molecules ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
New Generation ◽  
First Time

Nature uses molecular motors and machines in virtually every significant biological process, but learning how to design and assemble simpler artificial structures that function through controlled molecular-level motion is a major challenge for contemporary physical science. The established engineering principles of the macroscopic world can offer little more than inspiration to the molecular engineer who creates devices for an environment where everything is constantly moving and being buffeted by other atoms and molecules. Rather, experimental designs for working molecular machines must follow principles derived from chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and nonequilibrium statistical physics. The remarkable characteristics of interlocked molecules make them particularly useful for investigating the control of motion at the molecular level. Yet, the vast majority of synthetic molecular machines studied to date are simple two-state switches. Here we outline recent developments from our laboratory that demonstrate more complex molecular machine functions. This new generation of synthetic molecular machines can move continuously and progressively away from equilibrium, and they may be considered true prototypical molecular motors. The examples discussed exemplify two, fundamentally different, "Brownian ratchet" mechanisms previously developed in theoretical statistical physics and realized experimentally in molecular-level devices for the first time in these systems.

scholarly journals Combination of magnetic tweezers with DNA hairpin as a potential approach to the study of RecA-mediated homologous recombination

2016 ◽  
Vol 65 (21) ◽  
pp. 218702
Author(s):  
Zhang Yu-Wei ◽  
Yan Yan ◽  
Nong Da-Guan ◽  
Xu Chun-Hua ◽  
Li Ming
Keyword(s):  
Homologous Recombination ◽  
Magnetic Tweezers ◽  
Dna Hairpin ◽  
Potential Approach

scholarly journals Probing the stability of the SpCas9-DNA complex after cleavage

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Aldag ◽  
Fabian Welzel ◽  
Leonhard Jakob ◽  
Andreas Schmidbauer ◽  
Marius Rutkauskas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Magnetic Tweezers ◽  
Slowing Down ◽  
Target Strand ◽  
Dna Strands ◽  
Dna Strand ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Dna Complex

CRISPR-Cas9 is a ribonucleoprotein complex that sequence-specifically binds and cleaves double-stranded DNA. Wildtype Cas9 as well as its nickase and cleavage-incompetent mutants have been used in various biological techniques due to their versatility and programmable specificity. Cas9 has been shown to bind very stably to DNA even after cleavage of the individual DNA strands, inhibiting further turnovers and considerably slowing down in-vivo repair processes. This poses an obstacle in genome editing applications. Here, we employed single-molecule magnetic tweezers to investigate the binding stability of different S. pyogenes Cas9 variants after cleavage by challenging them with supercoiling. We find that different release mechanisms occur depending on which DNA strand is cleaved. After non-target strand cleavage, supercoils are immediately but slowly released by swiveling of the non-target strand around the DNA with friction. Consequently, Cas9 and its non-target strand nicking mutant stay stably bound to the DNA for many hours even at elevated torsional stress. After target-strand cleavage, supercoils are only removed after the collapse of the R-loop. We identified several states with different stabilities of the R-loop. Most importantly, we find that the post-cleavage state of Cas9 exhibits a higher stability compared to the pre-cleavage state. This suggests that Cas9 has evolved to remain tightly bound to its cut target.

scholarly journals A Family of Telomere-Associated Autonomously Replicating Sequences and Their Functions in Targeted Recombination inHansenula polymorpha DL-1

1999 ◽  
Vol 181 (3) ◽  
pp. 1005-1013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung-Hoon Sohn ◽  
Eui-Sung Choi ◽  
Hyun Ah Kang ◽  
Joon-Shick Rhee ◽  
Sang-Ki Rhee
Keyword(s):  
Homologous Recombination ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Southern Blotting ◽  
Hansenula Polymorpha ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Repeat Sequence ◽  
Telomeric Repeat ◽  
The Common ◽  
Dna Fragment ◽  
Targeted Recombination

ABSTRACT A family of multiple autonomously replicating sequences (ARSs) which are located at several chromosomal ends of Hansenula polymorpha DL-1 has been identified and characterized. Genomic Southern blotting with an ARS, HARS36, originating from the end of a chromosome, as a probe showed several homologues in the genome ofH. polymorpha. Nucleotide sequences of the three fragments obtained by a selective cloning for chromosomal ends were nearly identical to that of HARS36. All three fragments harbored an ARS motif and ended with 18 to 23 identical repetitions of 5′-GGGTGGCG-3′ which resemble the telomeric repeat sequence in other eukaryotes. Transformation of H. polymorpha with nonlinearized plasmids containing the newly obtained telomeric ARSs almost exclusively resulted in the targeted integration of a single copy or multiple tandem copies of the plasmid into the chromosomes. The sensitivity to exonuclease Bal31 digestion of the common DNA fragment in all integrants confirmed the telomeric origin of HARS36 homologues, suggesting that several chromosomal ends, if not all of them, consisted of the same ARS motif and highly conserved sequences observed in HARS36. Even though the frequencies of targeted recombination were varied among the ends of the chromosomes, the overall frequency was over 96%. The results suggested that the integration of the plasmids containing telemeric ARSs occurred largely through homologous recombination at the telomeric repeats, which serve as high-frequency recombination targets.

Duplication of insertion element IS50 associated with Tn5 transposition in Azospirillum brasilense

1998 ◽  
Vol 44 (11) ◽  
pp. 1110-1113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anil K Tripathi ◽  
Rachna Tripathi ◽  
Abhijit Ganguli ◽  
Marco Bazzicalupo
Keyword(s):  
Homologous Recombination ◽  
Restriction Endonuclease ◽  
Azospirillum Brasilense ◽  
Southern Hybridization ◽  
Recombinant Dna ◽  
Nucleotide Sequencing ◽  
Insertion Element ◽  
Dna Fragment ◽  
Endonuclease Mapping

The characterization of a DNA fragment with a Tn5 insertion in a regulatory nif gene of Azospirillum brasilense is reported. Restriction endonuclease mapping, Southern hybridization with a Tn5 probe, and nucleotide sequencing revealed that IS50 had duplicated in Tn5. The duplication of an IS50 element suggests the occurrence of a replicative mechanism of transposition. A strategy, based on the bacterial ability of homologous recombination that was used to precisely eliminate Tn5 along with the duplicated IS50 element, is presented.Key words: Tn5, IS50, Azospirillum brasilense, recombinant DNA.

scholarly journals HBx-induced degradation of Smc5/6 complex impairs homologous recombination-mediated repair of damaged DNA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuma Sekiba ◽  
Motoyuki Otsuka ◽  
Kazuyoshi Funato ◽  
Yu Miyakawa ◽  
Eri Tanaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Homologous Recombination ◽  
Damaged Dna

scholarly journals Molecular cloning and characterization of mutant and wild-type human beta-actin genes.

1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. 1961-1969 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Leavitt ◽  
P Gunning ◽  
P Porreca ◽  
S Y Ng ◽  
C S Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Homologous Recombination ◽  
Human Fibroblasts ◽  
Actin Gene ◽  
Actin Genes ◽  
Beta Actin ◽  
Gene Libraries ◽  
Actin Mrna ◽  
Dna Fragment ◽  
Specific Sequences

There are more than 20 beta-actin-specific sequences in the human genome, many of which are pseudogenes. To facilitate the isolation of potentially functional beta-actin genes, we used the new method of B. Seed (Nucleic Acids Res. 11:2427-2446, 1983) for selecting genomic clones by homologous recombination. A derivative of the pi VX miniplasmid, pi AN7 beta 1, was constructed by insertion of the 600-base-pair 3' untranslated region of the beta-actin mRNA expressed in human fibroblasts. Five clones containing beta-actin sequences were selected from an amplified human fetal gene library by homologous recombination between library phage and the miniplasmid. One of these clones contained a complete beta-actin gene with a coding sequence identical to that determined for the mRNA of human fibroblasts. A DNA fragment consisting of mostly intervening sequences from this gene was then used to identify 13 independent recombinant copies of the analogous gene from two specially constructed gene libraries, each containing one of the two types of mutant beta-actin genes found in a line of neoplastic human fibroblasts. The amino acid and nucleotide sequences encoded by the unmutated gene predict that a guanine-to-adenine transition is responsible for the glycine-to-aspartic acid mutation at codon 244 and would also result in the loss of a HaeIII site. Detection of this HaeIII polymorphism among the fibroblast-derived clones verified the identity of the beta-actin gene expressed in human fibroblasts.

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