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A novel host factor for integration of mycobacteriophage L5
M L Pedulla1, M H Lee, D C Lever
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
Abstract:
Bacterial integration host factors (IHFs) play central roles in the cellular processes of recombination, DNA replication, transcription, and bacterial pathogenesis. We describe here a novel mycobacterial IHF (mIHF) of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis that stimulates integration of mycobacteriophage L5. mIHF is the product of a single gene and is unrelated at the sequence level to other integration host factors. By itself, mIHF does not bind preferentially to attP DNA, although it significantly alters the pattern of integrase (Int) binding, promoting the formation of specific integrase-mIHF-attP intasome complexes.
Insights
A novel bacterial protein, mycobacterial integration host factor (mIHF), from Mycobacterium smegmatis and tuberculosis, enhances phage integration. It works with integrase to form specific complexes, aiding L5 phage integration.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Bacterial integration host factors (IHFs) are crucial for DNA recombination, replication, transcription, and pathogenesis.
- Mycobacterium species, including M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis, are significant pathogens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize a novel integration host factor (IHF) in mycobacteria.
- To investigate the role of this novel factor in the integration of mycobacteriophage L5.
Main Methods:
- Identification and characterization of a novel protein (mIHF) from Mycobacterium species.
- Analysis of mIHF's interaction with attP DNA and integrase (Int) using binding assays.
- Investigation of mIHF's effect on the formation of intasome complexes.
Main Results:
- A novel mycobacterial IHF (mIHF) was identified in Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
- mIHF is unrelated to known IHFs at the sequence level.
- mIHF alone does not bind attP DNA but alters integrase binding, promoting specific integrase-mIHF-attP intasome complex formation.
- mIHF stimulates the integration of mycobacteriophage L5.
Conclusions:
- The novel mIHF plays a significant role in stimulating mycobacteriophage L5 integration.
- mIHF functions by modulating integrase binding to attP DNA, facilitating intasome formation.
- This finding expands the known repertoire of integration host factors and their mechanisms in bacterial systems.