PcrA

• Description: ATP-dependent DNA helicase, facilitates unwinding of ICEBs1 DNA for horizontal transfer
  
  

Gene name	pcrA
Synonyms	yerF
Essential	yes PubMed
Product	ATP-dependent DNA helicase
Function	plasmid rolling-circle replication, conjugative transfer of ICEBs1
Gene expression levels in SubtiExpress: pcrA
Interactions involving this protein in SubtInteract: PcrA
MW, pI	83 kDa, 5.767
Gene length, protein length	2217 bp, 739 aa
Immediate neighbours	pcrB, ligA
Sequences	Protein DNA DNA_with_flanks
Genetic context This image was kindly provided by SubtiList
Expression at a glance   PubMed

Categories containing this gene/protein

DNA repair/ recombination, mobile genetic elements, essential genes

This gene is a member of the following regulons

LexA regulon

The gene

Basic information

• Locus tag: BSU06610

Phenotypes of a mutant

essential PubMed

Database entries

• BsubCyc: BSU06610

• DBTBS entry: [1]

• SubtiList entry: [2]

The protein

Basic information/ Evolution

• Catalyzed reaction/ biological activity:
  • PcrA anchors itself to the template duplex using the 2B subdomain and reels in the lagging strand, extruding a single-stranded loop PubMed
  • dismantles RecA filaments PubMed

• Protein family: uvrD-like helicase C-terminal domain (according to Swiss-Prot)

• Paralogous protein(s): YjcD

Extended information on the protein

• Kinetic information:

• Domains:
  • two RecA-like domains PubMed
  • intrinxically disordered C-terminal domain (for interaction with RNA polymerase) PubMed

• Modification:

• Cofactor(s):

• Effectors of protein activity:
  • unwinding of the double-stranded ICEBs1 DNA is stimulated by HelP PubMed
  • helicase activity is stimulated by interaction with RNA polymerase PubMed

• Interactions:
  • the C-terminal domain of PcrA interacts with the RNA polymerase PubMed
  • YxaL-PcrA PubMed
  • YerB-PcrA PubMed
  • YwhK-PcrA PubMed
  • UvrB-PcrA PubMed
  • YwqA-PcrA PubMed

• Localization:

Database entries

• BsubCyc: BSU06610

• Structure:
  • 2PJR (product complex, complex with sulphate ion, Geobacillus stearothermophilus)
  • 1PJR (substrate complex, complex with DNA, Geobacillus stearothermophilus)

• UniProt: O34580

• KEGG entry: [3]

• E.C. number:

Expression and regulation

• Operon: pcrB-pcrA-ligA-yerH PubMed

• Expression browser: pcrA PubMed

• Sigma factor:

• Regulation:
  • induced by DNA damage (LexA) PubMed

• Regulatory mechanism:
  • LexA: transcription repression PubMed

• Additional information:
  • number of protein molecules per cell (minimal medium with glucose and ammonium): 114 PubMed
  • number of protein molecules per cell (complex medium with amino acids, without glucose): 250 PubMed

Biological materials

• Mutant:

• Expression vector:

• lacZ fusion:

• GFP fusion:

• two-hybrid system:

• Antibody:

References

Original Publications

Emma J Gwynn, Abigail J Smith, Colin P Guy, Nigel J Savery, Peter McGlynn, Mark S Dillingham
The conserved C-terminus of the PcrA/UvrD helicase interacts directly with RNA polymerase.
PLoS One: 2013, 8(10);e78141
[PubMed:24147116] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I e)

Jacob Thomas, Catherine A Lee, Alan D Grossman
A conserved helicase processivity factor is needed for conjugation and replication of an integrative and conjugative element.
PLoS Genet: 2013, 9(1);e1003198
[PubMed:23326247] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Olivier Delumeau, François Lecointe, Jan Muntel, Alain Guillot, Eric Guédon, Véronique Monnet, Michael Hecker, Dörte Becher, Patrice Polard, Philippe Noirot
The dynamic protein partnership of RNA polymerase in Bacillus subtilis.
Proteomics: 2011, 11(15);2992-3001
[PubMed:21710567] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Jeehae Park, Sua Myong, Anita Niedziela-Majka, Kyung Suk Lee, Jin Yu, Timothy M Lohman, Taekjip Ha
PcrA helicase dismantles RecA filaments by reeling in DNA in uniform steps.
Cell: 2010, 142(4);544-55
[PubMed:20723756] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Catherine A Lee, Ana Babic, Alan D Grossman
Autonomous plasmid-like replication of a conjugative transposon.
Mol Microbiol: 2010, 75(2);268-79
[PubMed:19943900] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Ye Yang, Shuo-Xing Dou, Hua Ren, Peng-Ye Wang, Xing-Dong Zhang, Min Qian, Bing-Yi Pan, Xu Guang Xi
Evidence for a functional dimeric form of the PcrA helicase in DNA unwinding.
Nucleic Acids Res: 2008, 36(6);1976-89
[PubMed:18276648] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Syam P Anand, Haocheng Zheng, Piero R Bianco, Sanford H Leuba, Saleem A Khan
DNA helicase activity of PcrA is not required for the displacement of RecA protein from DNA or inhibition of RecA-mediated strand exchange.
J Bacteriol: 2007, 189(12);4502-9
[PubMed:17449621] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Nora Au, Elke Kuester-Schoeck, Veena Mandava, Laura E Bothwell, Susan P Canny, Karen Chachu, Sierra A Colavito, Shakierah N Fuller, Eli S Groban, Laura A Hensley, Theresa C O'Brien, Amish Shah, Jessica T Tierney, Louise L Tomm, Thomas M O'Gara, Alexi I Goranov, Alan D Grossman, Charles M Lovett
Genetic composition of the Bacillus subtilis SOS system.
J Bacteriol: 2005, 187(22);7655-66
[PubMed:16267290] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

M-F Noirot-Gros, P Soultanas, D B Wigley, S D Ehrlich, P Noirot, M-A Petit
The beta-propeller protein YxaL increases the processivity of the PcrA helicase.
Mol Genet Genomics: 2002, 267(3);391-400
[PubMed:12073041] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

P Soultanas, M S Dillingham, P Wiley, M R Webb, D B Wigley
Uncoupling DNA translocation and helicase activity in PcrA: direct evidence for an active mechanism.
EMBO J: 2000, 19(14);3799-810
[PubMed:10899133] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

S S Velankar, P Soultanas, M S Dillingham, H S Subramanya, D B Wigley
Crystal structures of complexes of PcrA DNA helicase with a DNA substrate indicate an inchworm mechanism.
Cell: 1999, 97(1);75-84
[PubMed:10199404] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

M A Petit, E Dervyn, M Rose, K D Entian, S McGovern, S D Ehrlich, C Bruand
PcrA is an essential DNA helicase of Bacillus subtilis fulfilling functions both in repair and rolling-circle replication.
Mol Microbiol: 1998, 29(1);261-73
[PubMed:9701819] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)