DNA manipulators: caught in the act

Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2003 Feb;13(1):15-22. doi: 10.1016/s0959-440x(02)00006-4.

Abstract

DNA is a dynamic molecule that undergoes constant changes in the cell through interactions with numerous proteins. Several classes of enzyme are specialized in promoting DNA rearrangements, including site-specific recombinases, DNA helicases, transposases and DNA topoisomerases. Recent structures of protein-DNA reaction intermediates trapped in various states of DNA remodeling, complemented by biochemical and biophysical functional studies, have enhanced our understanding of their respective mechanistic pathways.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Catalysis
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • DNA / metabolism*
  • DNA Helicases / chemistry
  • DNA Helicases / metabolism
  • DNA Nucleotidyltransferases / chemistry
  • DNA Nucleotidyltransferases / metabolism
  • DNA Topoisomerases / chemistry
  • DNA Topoisomerases / metabolism
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / chemistry
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / metabolism
  • Integrases / chemistry*
  • Integrases / metabolism
  • Isomerases / chemistry*
  • Isomerases / metabolism
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Recombinases
  • Recombination, Genetic
  • Transposases / chemistry
  • Transposases / metabolism

Substances

  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Recombinases
  • DNA
  • DNA Nucleotidyltransferases
  • Integrases
  • Transposases
  • DNA Helicases
  • Isomerases
  • DNA Topoisomerases
  • DNA reverse gyrase
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type I