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The IntP C-terminal segment is not required for excision of bacteriophage Mx8 from the Myxococcus xanthus chromosome

Nobuki Tojo1, Teruya Komano

  • 1Department of Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minamiohsawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.

Journal of Bacteriology
|March 20, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Myxophage Mx8 DNA integrates into Myxococcus xanthus chromosomes, creating a new protein, IntR. This IntR protein is active in excising the phage DNA, but requires the xis gene for this process.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Myxophage Mx8 DNA integrates into the Myxococcus xanthus chromosome via site-specific recombination at the attB site.
  • The Mx8 attP site is located within the intP gene, leading to the formation of a novel protein, IntR, upon integration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the activity of the IntR protein in the excision of Myxophage Mx8 DNA.
  • To determine the genetic requirements for Myxophage Mx8 excision.

Main Methods:

  • Construction of plasmids containing various lengths of intP-attP and intR-attR regions, along with the lacZ gene.
  • Assessing the frequency of Mx8 excision from M. xanthus chromosomes using these constructed plasmids.

Main Results:

  • The IntR protein demonstrated high activity in excising integrated Mx8 DNA.
  • The excision of Mx8 was found to require both the intR gene and an additional gene, designated xis.

Conclusions:

  • IntR is an active protein mediating the excision of Myxophage Mx8.
  • The xis gene is essential, in addition to intR, for the efficient excision of Myxophage Mx8 from the M. xanthus chromosome.

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