The glucosaminidase domain of Atl - the major Staphylococcus aureus autolysin - has DNA-binding activity

Microbiologyopen. 2014 Apr;3(2):247-56. doi: 10.1002/mbo3.165. Epub 2014 Mar 3.

Abstract

In this communication, we describe evidence demonstrating the capacity of Atl, the major Staphylococcus aureus autolytic enzyme to bind DNA. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) show that both the Atl protein and the endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (GL) domain were able to bind DNA of nonspecific sequence. The implications of this unexpected observation for the physiology of S. aureus remain to be explored.

Keywords: Atl autolysin; DNA binding; Staphylococcus aureus; protein-DNA interaction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • DNA / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay
  • Hexosaminidases / metabolism*
  • N-Acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine Amidase / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Staphylococcus aureus / enzymology*

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • DNA
  • Hexosaminidases
  • N-Acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine Amidase