Abstract
FtsK is a prokaryotic multidomain DNA translocase that coordinates chromosome segregation and cell division. FtsK is membrane anchored at the division septum and, guided by highly skewed DNA sequences, translocates the chromosome to bring the terminus of replication to the septum. Here, we use in vitro single-molecule and ensemble methods to unveil a mechanism of action in which the translocation and sequence-recognition activities are performed by different domains in FtsK.
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Acknowledgements
We dedicate this work to our friend and colleague Nick Cozzarelli, who passed away during preparation of this paper. We thank J. Moffitt, J. Gore, P. Pease and N. Crisona for critiques. US National Institutes of Health Grant GM31655 (J.L.P. and N.R.C.) and the Human Frontiers Science Organization (M.N.) supported this work.
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Supplementary information
Supplementary Fig. 1
FtsK50CΔγ triplex displacement is not affected by FRS orientation. (PDF 87 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 2
Burst size distributions. (PDF 122 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 3
FtsK50C recognizes FRS, whereas FtsK50CΔγ does not. (PDF 100 kb)
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Ptacin, J., Nöllmann, M., Bustamante, C. et al. Identification of the FtsK sequence-recognition domain. Nat Struct Mol Biol 13, 1023–1025 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb1157
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb1157
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