The bacterial SMC complex displays two distinct modes of interaction with the chromosome
09.05.2013
Kleine Borgmann LA, Ries J, Ewers H, Ulbrich MH, Graumann PL
Cell Rep. 2013 May 30;3(5):1483-92
The bacterial SMC complex binds nonspecifically to DNA in vitro and forms two discrete subcellular centers in vivo, one in each cell half. We show by time-lapse imaging of single molecules that the localization is achieved through limited, yet rapid movement of the SMC subunits through the nucleoid. Whereas SMC alone dynamically interacts with many sites on the chromosome, it forms static assemblies together with ScpAB complex partners. Our findings reveal two distinct modes of interaction of SMC with the chromosome and indicate that limited diffusion within a confined space may be a general mechanism for positioning proteins within a chromosome.
