期刊名称:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN:0027-8424
电子版ISSN:1091-6490
出版年度:1982
卷号:79
期号:19
页码:5837-5841
DOI:10.1073/pnas.79.19.5837
语种:English
出版社:The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要:The int protein of bacteriophage lambda catalyzes the site-specific integrative recombination that inserts lambda DNA into the host chromosome. The attachment site region of lambda DNA required for this reaction spans 230 base pairs and includes four separable binding sites for int protein. We have used the electron microscope to determine the functional consequences of the interaction of int with its multiple binding sites. We find that int condenses a 230-base pair segment of DNA into a compact structure about 14 nm in diameter; the condensed region includes all of the four binding sites for int. Condensed segments will form paired structures between attachments sites. We suggest that a sequential cooperative interaction between bound int molecules provides for a distinct reactive DNA conformation and for pairing between substrate sites.