Silencing of Genes Flanking the P1 Plasmid Centromere

• DOI: 10.1126/science.283.5401.546
• Publication Date: 2002-07-27T09:40:50Z
• Authors: Oleg Rodionov; Małgorzata Łobocka; Michael Yarmolinsky
• Keywords: DNA, Bacterial; 0303 health sciences; Binding Sites; Centromere; DNA Helicases; Proteins; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; DNA-Binding Proteins; Repressor Proteins; 03 medical and health sciences; Cross-Linking Reagents; Bacterial Proteins; Genes, Reporter; Formaldehyde; Mutation; Escherichia coli; Trans-Activators; Plasmids

Partition modules stabilize bacterial plasmids and chromosomes by actively promoting their segregation into daughter cells. The partition module of plasmid P1 is typical consists a centromere site, parS , genes that encode proteins ParA ParB. We show ParB can silence flanking (to which binds), apparently polymerizing along the DNA from nucleation site at . Wild-type contacts an extensive region DNA; silencing-defective proteins, were found to be partition-defective, are less able spread. Hence, silenced structure appears function in partitioning.