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Uwe Pieper, Thomas Schweitzer, Detlef H. Groll, Alfred Pingoud

Defining the Location and Function of Domains of McrB by Deletion Mutagenesis

The GTP-dependent restriction endonuclease McrBC of E. coli K12, which recognizes cytosine-methylated DNA, consists of two protein subunits, McrB and McrC. We have investigated the structural assignment and interdependence of the McrB subunit functions, namely (i) specific DNA recognition and (ii) GTP binding and hydrolysis. Extending earlier work, we have produced McrB variants comprising N- and C-terminal fragments. The variants McrB_1–162 and McrB_1–170 are still capable of specific DNA binding. McrB_169–465 shows GTP binding and hydrolysis characteristics indistinguishable from full-length McrB as well as wild-type like interaction with McrC. Thus, DNA and GTP binding are spatially separated on the McrB molecule, and the respective domains function quite independently.

Biological Chemistry, Walter de Gruyter

Print ISSN: 1431-6730
Volume: 380, 10/1999
Pages: 1225 - 1230

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