Xer Recombination in Escherichia coli
Open accessAbstract
Xer site-specific recombination functions in maintaining circular replicons in the monomeric state in Escherichia coli. Two recombinases of the bacteriophage lambda integrase family, XerC and XerD, are required for recombination at the chromosomal site, dif, and at a range of plasmid-borne sites. Xer recombination core sites contain the 11-base pair binding sites for each recombinase separated by a 6 to 8-base pair central region. We report that both XerC and XerD act as site-specific type I topoisomerases by relaxing supercoiled plasmids containing a dif site. Relaxation by either XerC or XerD occurs in the absence of the partner recombinase and requires only a single recombination core site. XerC or XerD relaxation activities are completely inhibited by the addition of the partner recombinase, providing that the DNA recognition sequence for the inhibiting partner is present.
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The 11-kb LIR encoded a tyrosine recombinase that belonged to the integrase family.
“The 11-kb LIR encoded a tyrosine recombinase that belonged to the integrase family.43 , 44”
From Whole genomic DNA sequencing and comparative genomic analysis of<i>Arthrospira platensis</i>: high genome plasticity and genetic diversity (2016) · cites this paper as [43]
The introductory passage (page unavailable) identifies XerC and XerD as recombinases related to the integrase family and describes the catalytic role of tyrosine. It does not identify an 11-kb LIR or say that such a region encodes a recombinase; its reference to 11-base-pair sites concerns recombinase binding, not an 11-kb region. (LLM, conf=0.85)
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- Authors
- Cornet, F., Hallet, B., & Sherratt, D. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Sherratt, David J.
- Venue
- Journal of Biological Chemistry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1997-08
- Volume
- 272
- Issue
- 35
- Pages
- 21927-21931
- ISSN
- 0021-9258 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2053286804
- Cited by
- 44
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 1.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Biological Chemistry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Access to Libraries (Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), l'Université de Namur (UNamur) and the Université Saint-Louis (USL-B)) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › DNA Repair Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Keywords
- XerC, XerD, Escherichia coli, topoisomerase I, dif site, plasmid maintenance
- MeSH terms
- Binding Sites, DNA Nucleotidyltransferases, DNA Topoisomerases, Type I, DNA, Bacterial, DNA, Superhelical, Escherichia coli, Nucleic Acid Conformation, Plasmids, Substrate Specificity, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Integrases, Escherichia coli Proteins, Recombinases
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