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Restriction Enzymes

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

DNA Sequence Recognition by DNA Primase Using High-Throughput Primase Profiling

DNA Sequence Recognition by DNA Primase Using High-Throughput Primase Profiling

Published on: October 8, 2019

The structural basis of differential DNA sequence recognition by restriction-modification controller proteins.

N J Ball¹, J E McGeehan, S D Streeter

¹Biomolecular Structure Group, Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK.

Nucleic Acids Research

|September 4, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Controller proteins finely tune gene expression by binding differently to DNA. This study reveals how subtle protein structure changes enable differential regulation of restriction-modification genes, explaining a key genetic switch.

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Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Structural Biology
Genetics

Background:

Controller (C) proteins are key regulators in restriction-modification (RM) systems.
The Esp1396I RM system uniquely features a C protein controlling both restriction (R) and methyltransferase (M) genes.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the molecular mechanism of differential gene regulation by the Esp1396I C protein.
To investigate the structural basis for the C protein's distinct binding affinities to R and M gene promoters.

Main Methods:

X-ray crystallography to determine the structure of the C protein bound to the M promoter.
Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to quantify binding affinities to operator sequences.
Comparative structural analysis of C protein-DNA complexes.

Main Results:

The crystal structure of the C protein-M promoter complex was determined.
Differential binding affinities of the C protein to R and M promoters were quantified.
Subtle protein conformational changes and altered DNA interactions were identified between R and M promoter complexes.

Conclusions:

Differential DNA sequence recognition and dual symmetry recognition underlie the C protein's regulatory mechanism.
Small changes in protein structure and DNA interactions explain the molecular basis of differential gene expression control.
This provides insight into the finely tuned genetic switch governing RM systems.