DNA translocase in action

摘要

Protein machineries that move along the DNA, such as DNA polymerases and helicases, will necessarily encounter other bound proteins interacting with specific sites. Using nanofabricated curtains' of labelled DNA, Finkelstein et al. set out to establish whether such bound proteins interfere with the activity of the bacterial DNA translocase RecBCD. They find that the enzyme is remarkably robust and can push proteins over nonspecific sites for thousands of base pairs before they are displaced.