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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Direct Restart of a Replication Fork Stalled by a Head-On RNA Polymerase
Published on: April 29, 2010
Host factors that promote transpososome disassembly and the PriA-PriC pathway for restart primosome assembly
Stella H North1, Hiroshi Nakai
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Room 331 Basic Science Bldg., 3900 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20057-1455, USA.
Abstract:
Initiation of bacteriophage Mu DNA replication by transposition requires the disassembly of the transpososome that catalyses strand exchange and the assembly of a replisome promoted by PriA, PriB, PriC and DnaT proteins, which function in the host to restart stalled replication forks. Once the molecular chaperone ClpX weakens the very tight binding of the transpososome to the Mu ends, host disassembly factors (MRFalpha-DF) promote the dissociation of the transpososome from the DNA template and the assembly of a new nucleoprotein complex. Prereplisome factors (MRFalpha-PR) further alter the complex, allowing PriA binding and loading of major replicative helicase DnaB onto the template promoted by the restart proteins. MRFalpha-PR is essential for DnaB loading by restart proteins even on the deproteinized Mu fork whereas MRFalpha-DF is not required on the deproteinized template. When the transition from transpososome to replisome was reconstituted using MRFalpha-DF and MRFalpha-PR, initiation of Mu DNA replication was strictly dependent upon added PriC and PriA helicase. In contrast, initiation on the deproteinized template was predominantly dependent upon PriB and did not require PriA's helicase activity. The results indicate that transition mechanisms beginning with the transpososome disassembly can determine the pathway of replisome assembly by restart proteins.
Insights
Bacteriophage Mu DNA replication initiation involves transpososome disassembly and replisome assembly. Host factors dictate the specific pathway, influencing replication restart proteins like PriA and PriB.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Virology
- DNA Replication
Background:
- Bacteriophage Mu DNA replication initiates via transposition, requiring transpososome disassembly and replisome assembly.
- Host replication restart proteins (PriA, PriB, PriC, DnaT) are crucial for this transition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the roles of host factors in bacteriophage Mu DNA replication initiation.
- To understand the transition mechanism from transpososome to replisome.
Main Methods:
- Reconstitution of the transition from transpososome to replisome using purified factors.
- Investigating the dependence on specific host proteins (PriA, PriB, PriC) and helicase activity.
Main Results:
- Molecular chaperone ClpX and host disassembly factors (MRFalpha-DF) facilitate transpososome dissociation.
- Prereplisome factors (MRFalpha-PR) are essential for DnaB helicase loading by restart proteins.
- Replication initiation is dependent on PriC and PriA helicase when starting from the transpososome, but primarily on PriB without PriA helicase on a deproteinized template.
Conclusions:
- Transpososome disassembly initiates distinct replisome assembly pathways.
- Host replication restart proteins play a critical role in directing DNA replication initiation mechanisms.
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