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Gabija restricts phage circularization and DNA replication.

Anti-bacteriophage systems such as restriction-modification and CRISPR-Cas have DNA substrate specificity mechanisms that enable the identification of invaders. How Gabija, a highly prevalent nuclease-helicase antiphage system, limits phage replication while executing self- vs. non-self-discrimination remains unknown. Here, we show that phage-encoded DNA end-binding proteins that antagonize host RecBCD sensitize phages to Gabija. When targeting a temperate lambda-like phage in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Gabija prevents phage genome circularization and subsequent replication. DNA end-binding complexes, including a phage exonuclease and a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-annealing protein or GamMu dimers that prevent loading of the host repair complex RecBCD, are necessary and sufficient to license phage and plasmid sensitivity to Gabija. Mutant escape phages lacking these DNA end-binding proteins become protected from Gabija by RecBCD translocation activities. RecBCD activity on the bacterial genome, presumably whenever it is linearized, also prevents Gabija from targeting self-DNA. Therefore, we propose that Gabija antagonizes the circularization and replication of linear DNA devoid of RecBCD as a mechanism to identify and antagonize foreign invaders.

DNA Replication

Oriented binding of transcription factors to nucleosomes remodels chromatin at human promoters.

Transcription factors (TFs) can access nucleosomes via five distinct modes: gyre-spanning, periodic-binding, dyad-binding, and end-binding modes as well as an oriented binding mode, where the TF binding motif shows orientational preference relative to the nucleosome. Here, we report the first structure of an oriented TF:nucleosome complex, where two ELF2 proteins bind to a double motif located at superhelical location +4, unwinding four helical turns of DNA from the nucleosome. We further show that unlike previously described pioneer factors, ELF2 is able to occupy all of its unmethylated, high-affinity double motifs in vivo. Motifs of ELF2 and another oriented nucleosome binder, YY1, are highly enriched downstream of transcription start sites (TSSs) of highly expressed genes, with the motifs oriented in such a way that the TSS becomes accessible upon TF binding. Our results suggest that oriented binding may be generally important for high transcriptional activity.

Nucleosomes

Role of the A protein-binding sites in the in vitro transposition of mu DNA. A complex circuit of interactions involving the mu ends and the transpositional enhancer.

To investigate the role of the A protein-binding sites at the Mu ends in the DNA strand transfer reaction, we constructed mutant mini-Mu molecules in which these sites were deleted (L3 or R3) or substituted (L2 or R2) to conserve the spacing arrangements at the adjacent sites. The single site mutants are poor substrates for phosphodiester bond hydrolysis at the Mu ends in Type 1 reactions in the absence of Escherichia coli integration host factor (IHF). Addition of IHF to the reaction stimulates Type 1 cleavage more than 10 times for the delta-R3, delta-L3, S-L2 mutants and more than five times in the case of the S-R2 mutant under alternate conditions. The site of IHF stimulation resides within the transpositional enhancer which implicates the end-binding sites L2, L3, R2, and R3 in interactions with the enhancer. At least two of the L2, L3, and R3 sites are required for proficient reaction in the presence of IHF. By combining the single site mutants with O1 or O2 partially deleted enhancer elements, we have tentatively localized some of the interactions to each side of the functional enhancer revealing a complex circuit of end-enhancer interactions. The R3 site is suggested to be involved in interactions only with O2 and the L3 site only with O1. The data also suggest the possibility that L2 and R2 may be involved in interactions with both O1 and O2. Finally, our working model predicts that the L3-O1 and R3-O2 interactions may be required contacts for discriminating between the Mu left and right ends in transpososome formation.

Bacterial Proteins