DNA topoisomerases perform essential roles in DNA replication, gene transcription, and chromosome segregation. Recently, we identified a new type of topoisomerase II poison: the CcdB protein of plasmid F. When its action is not prevented by CcdA protein, the CcdB protein is a potent cytotoxin. In this paper, using purified CcdB, CcdA and gyrase, we show that CcdB protein efficiently traps gyrase in a cleavable complex. The CcdA protein not only prevents the gyrase poisoning activity of CcdB but also reverses its effect on gyrase. The mechanism by which the CcdB protein induces DNA strand breakage is closely related to the action of quinolone antibiotics. However, the ATP dependence of the CcdB cleavage process differentiates the CcdB mechanism from quinolone-dependent reactions because the quinolone antibiotics stimulate efficient DNA breakage, whether or not ATP is present. We previously showed that bacteria resistant to quinolone antibiotics are sensitive to CcdB and vice versa. Elucidation of the mechanism of action of CcdB protein may permit the design of drugs targeting gyrase so as to take advantage of this new poisoning mechanism.
We have shown previously that some particular mutations in bacteriophage Mu repressor, the frameshift vir mutations, made the protein very sensitive to the Escherichia coli ATP-dependent Clp protease. This enzyme is formed by the association between a protease subunit (ClpP) and an ATPase subunit. ClpA, the best characterized of these ATPases, is not required for the degradation of the mutant Mu repressors. Recently, a new potential ClpP associated ATPase, ClpX, has been described. We show here that this new subunit is required for Mu vir repressor degradation. Moreover, ClpX (but not ClpP) was found to be required for normal Mu replication. Thus ClpX has activities that do not require its association with ClpP. In the pathway of Mu replicative transposition, the block resides beyond the strand transfer reaction, i.e. after the transposition reaction per se is completed, suggesting that ClpX is required for the transition to the formation of the active replication complex at one Mu end. This is a new clear-cut case of the versatile activity of polypeptides that form multi-component ATP-dependent proteases.
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