We developed an insertion sequence transposition detection system called the "jumping cat assay" and applied it to the Bacillus subtilis chromosome using IS256Bsu1 derived from B. subtilis natto. The high frequency of transposition enabled us to explore host factors; combining the assay and genetic analyses revealed that recA is essential for the transposition of IS256Bsu1. Detailed analyses using various domain mutants of recA demonstrated that this essentiality is not related to the function of recA in homologous recombination. Instead, the ATP binding and hydrolysis function seemed to be crucial for IS transposition. To elucidate the role of recA, we focused on the muB gene of the enterobacteriophage Mu. Based on information from the NCBI Conserved Domain Database, both MuB and RecA belong to the P-loop dNTPase superfamily. Further experiments revealed that muB complements the transposition-defective phenotype of a recA deletant, although it could not rescue UV sensitivity. These results suggest that recA shares a common function with muB that helps the transposition of IS256Bsu1 in B. subtilis.
Keywords: ATPase domain; Bacillus subtilis; insertion sequence; muB; recA.