Interactions between single‐stranded DNA‐binding proteins (SSBs) and the DNA replication machinery are found in all organisms, but the roles of these contacts remain poorly defined. In Escherichia coli, SSB's association with the χ subunit of the DNA polymerase III holoenzyme has been proposed to confer stability to the replisome and to aid delivery of primers to the lagging‐strand DNA polymerase. Here, the SSB‐binding site on χ is identified crystallographically and biochemical and cellular studies delineate the consequences of destabilizing the χ/SSB interface. An essential role for the χ/SSB interaction in lagging‐strand primer utilization is not supported. However, sequence changes in χ that block complex formation with SSB lead to salt‐dependent uncoupling of leading‐ and lagging‐strand DNA synthesis and to a surprising obstruction of the leading‐strand DNA polymerase in vitro, pointing to roles for the χ/SSB complex in replisome establishment and maintenance. Destabilization of the χ/SSB complex in vivo produces cells with temperature‐dependent cell cycle defects that appear to arise from replisome instability.

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MukB is a structural maintenance of chromosome-like protein required for DNA condensation. The complete condensin is a large tripartite complex of MukB, the kleisin, MukF, and an accessory protein, MukE. As found previously, MukB DNA condensation is a stepwise process. We have defined these steps topologically. They proceed first via the formation of negative supercoils that are sequestered by the protein followed by hinge-hinge interactions between MukB dimers that stabilize topologically isolated loops in the DNA. MukB itself is sufficient to mediate both of these topological alterations; neither ATP nor MukEF is required. We show that the MukB hinge region binds DNA and that this region of the protein is involved in sequestration of supercoils. Cells carrying mutations in the MukB hinge that reduce DNA condensation exhibit nucleoid decondensation.

Edited by Patrick SungProperly condensed chromosomes are necessary for accurate segregation of the sisters after DNA replication. The Escherichia coli condesin is MukB, a structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC)-like protein, which forms a complex with MukE and the kleisin MukF. MukB is known to be able to mediate knotting of a DNA ring, an intramolecular reaction. In our investigations of how MukB condenses DNA we discovered that it can also mediate catenation of two DNA rings, an intermolecular reaction. This activity of MukB requires DNA binding by the head domains of the protein but does not require either ATP or its partner proteins MukE or MukF. The ability of MukB to mediate DNA catenation underscores its potential for bringing distal regions of a chromosome together.The Escherichia coli chromosome is condensed about 1000-fold to fit into the nucleoid of the bacterium. A number of factors contribute to this extreme DNA condensation, among them are: DNA supercoiling, the binding of various nucleoid associated proteins like HU, Fis, and H-NS, and the binding of the structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) 3 -like condensin MukBEF (1, 2). SMC proteins act to manage the shape and behavior of chromosomes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes (3). These proteins dimerize at a hinge region that is flanked by long coiled-coil regions that can be 40 -50 nm in length and that end in head domains that bind and hydrolyze ATP, as well as the bridging kleisin protein (MukF for the E. coli condensin (4)). The kleisin is then itself bound by another protein (MukE for the E. coli condensin (4)). There are three versions of the eukaryotic SMC proteins: the condensin, required for packaging of the chromosomes and comprised of SMC2 and SMC4; the cohesin, required for holding sister chromosomes together during mitosis and comprised of SMC1 and SMC3; and the SMC5-SMC6 complex, required for various aspects of DNA repair (3).It is generally acknowledged that the eukaryotic condensin and cohesin trap DNA topologically in the protein triangle formed by the SMC proteins and the kleisin (5, 6), although an alternative model for DNA binding for the eukaryotic cohesin exists (7). Recent reports suggest that the Bacillus subtilis SMC protein (8) and MukB (9) also trap chromosomes topologically. MukB binds linear and circular DNA in vitro and can induce negative supercoils and knots in relaxed circular DNA in the presence of a topoisomerase (10). Binding of MukB to chromosomal DNA in vivo requires ATP and MukEF (11, 12), although MukB DNA binding in vitro does not (10, 13).We (14) and the Burger and Oakley (15) labs have shown that the MukB hinge region interacts with the C-terminal ␤-propeller region of the ParC subunit of the cellular decatenase topoisomerase IV (Topo IV). We have reported (16) that this interaction stimulates the intramolecular activities of Topo IV, negative supercoil relaxation and knotting, but not the intermolecular activities of Topo IV, catenation/decatenation of DNA rings; whereas Berger, Oakley and colleag...

The bacterial condensin MukB and the cellular decatenating enzyme topoisomerase IV interact. This interaction stimulates intramolecular reactions catalyzed by topoisomerase IV, supercoiled DNA relaxation, and DNA knotting but not intermolecular reactions such as decatenation of linked DNAs. We have demonstrated previously that MukB condenses DNA by sequestering negative supercoils and stabilizing topologically isolated loops in the DNA. We show here that the MukB-topoisomerase IV interaction stabilizes MukB on DNA, increasing the extent of DNA condensation without increasing the amount of MukB bound to the DNA. This effect does not require the catalytic activity of topoisomerase IV. Cells carrying a mutant allele that encodes a protein that does not interact with topoisomerase IV exhibit severe nucleoid decompaction leading to chromosome segregation defects. These findings suggest that the MukB-topoisomerase IV complex may provide a scaffold for DNA condensation.