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Updated: Jun 12, 2025

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Motion Dynamics of the Eukaryotic Replisome Components at the Single-Molecule Level
Published on: July 26, 2024
Thermostable Nucleoid Protein Cren7 Slides Along DNA and Rapidly Dissociates From DNA While Not Inhibiting the
Trishit Banerjee1, K Geethika2, Saori Kanbayashi3
1Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan; Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.
Abstract:
A nucleoid protein Cren7 compacts DNA, contributing to the living of Crenarchaeum in high temperature environment. In this study, we investigated the dynamic behavior of Cren7 on DNA and its functional relation using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. We found two mobility modes of Cren7, sliding along DNA and pausing on it, and the rapid dissociation kinetics from DNA. The salt dependence analysis suggests a sliding with continuous contact to DNA, rather than hopping/jumping. The mutational analysis demonstrates that Cren7 slides along DNA while Trp (W26) residue interacts with the DNA. Furthermore, Cren7 does not impede the target search by a model transcription factor p53, implying no significant interference to other DNA-binding proteins on DNA. At high concentration of Cren7, the molecules form large clusters on DNA via bridging, which compacts DNA. We discuss how the dynamic behavior of Cren7 on DNA enables DNA-compaction and protein-bypass functions.
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