The Bacteroides fragilis BtgA mobilization protein binds to the oriT region of pBFTM10.

The Bacteroides fragilis conjugal plasmid pBFTM10 contains two genes, btgA and btgB, and a putative oriT region necessary for transfer in Bacteroides fragilis and Escherichia coli. The BtgA protein was predicted to contain a helix-turn-helix motif, indicating possible DNA binding activity. DNA sequence analysis of the region immediately upstream of btgA revealed three sets of inverted repeats, potentially locating the oriT region. A 304-bp DNA fragment comprising this putative oriT region was cloned and confirmed to be the functional pBFTM10 oriT by bacterial conjugation experiments using E. coli and B. fragilis. btgA was cloned and overexpressed in E. coli, and the purified protein was used in electrophoretic mobility shift assays, demonstrating specific binding of BtgA protein to its cognate oriT. DNase I footprint analysis demonstrated that BtgA binds apparently in a single-stranded fashion to the oriT-containing fragment, overlapping inverted repeats I, II, and III and the putative nick site.

The influence of antibiotics and antitumor agents on the relaxation activity of Pisum sativum leaf chloroplast topoisomerase I.

DNA topoisomerase was isolated from pea leaf chloroplasts. The relaxation activity of this topoisomerase was Mg2+ dependent and sensitive to ethidium bromide and novobiocin, a gyrase inhibitor. Chloroplast topoisomerase (Topo I) was ATP independent, as shown by the characteristic gel distribution of topoisomers. Topoisomerase, compared with the known eucaryotic topoisomerase I, was not stimulated by polyamines as are spermidine, spermine, and cadaverine. Ethidium bromide, DAPI, heparin, nalidixic acid, and m-AMSA (but not camptothecin) were able to inhibit the relaxation activity of chloroplast topo I. Nalidixic acid, novobiocin, m-AMSA, camptothecin, and amiloride were tested for their effects on the topoisomerase-catalyzed "cleavage complex" between DNA and chloroplast DNA topoisomerase I.