Tn5 transposase (Tnp) overproduction is lethal to Escherichia coli. Genetic evidence suggested that this killing involves titration of E. coli topoisomerase I (Topo I). Here, we present biochemical evidence that supports this model. Tn5 Tnp copurifies with Topo I while nonkilling derivatives of Tnp, Delta37Tnp and Delta55Tnp (Inhibitor [Inh]), show reduced affinity or no affinity, respectively,...

We used DNA microarrays of the Escherichia coli genome to trace the progression of chromosomal replication forks in synchronized cells. We found that both DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV (topo IV) promote replication fork progression. When both enzymes were inhibited, the replication fork stopped rapidly. The elongation rate with topo IV alone was 1/3 of normal. Genetic data confirmed and exten...

DNA topoisomerase IIα (Topo IIα) is the target of an important class of anticancer drugs, but tumor cells can become resistant by reducing the association of the enzyme with chromosomes. Here we describe a critical mechanism of chromatin recruitment and exchange that relies on a novel chromatin tether (ChT) domain and mediates interaction with histone H3 and DNA. We show that the ChT domain con...

Topoisomerase II (topo II), an enzyme essential for cell viability, is present in mammalian cells as the aand b-isoforms. In human leukemia HL-60/S or HL-60/doxorubicin (DOX)0.05 cells, the levels of topo IIaor b-protein were similar in either asynchronous exponential or synchronized cultures. Although topo IIa was hypophosphorylated in HL-60/DOX0.05 compared with HL-60/S cells, both overall an...

DNA topoisomerase II-an essential nuclear enzyme in DNA replication and transcription, chromatin segregation, and cell cycle progression-is also a target of clinically useful anticancer drugs. Preliminary observations of a positive correlation between the expression of topoisomerase (topo) IIalpha and the retinoblastoma protein (Rb) in a series of rhabdomyosarcoma cells prompted us to ask wheth...

HLA class II alleles were determined using the PCR-RFLP method in Japanese systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) patients with (n = 28) or without (n = 34) anti-topoisomerase I antibodies (anti-topo I). Either the DQB1*0601 or *0301 allele was recognized in all anti-topo I positive patients, compared with 44% of anti-topo I negative patients (P < 0.00001, relative risk [RR] > 41) or 58% of Japanese ...

Type II topoisomerases are essential enzymes that regulate DNA topology through a strand-passage mechanism. Some type II topoisomerases relax supercoils, unknot and decatenate DNA to below thermodynamic equilibrium. Several models of this non-equilibrium topology simplification phenomenon have been proposed. The kinetic proofreading (KPR) model postulates that strand passage requires a DNA-boun...

Vanadium compounds were studied during recent years to be considered as a representative of a new class of nonplatinum metal anticancer agents in combination to its low toxicity. Here, we found a vanadium compound Van-7 as an inhibitor of Topo I other than Topo II using topoisomerase-mediated supercoiled DNA relaxation assay. Agarose gel electrophoresis and comet assay showed that Van-7 treatme...

We have investigated the role of topoisomerase II (topo II) in mitotic chromosome assembly and organization in vitro using Xenopus egg extracts. When sperm chromatin was incubated with mitotic extracts, the highly compact chromatin rapidly swelled and concomitantly underwent local condensation. Further incubation induced the formation of entangled thin chromatin fibers that eventually resolved ...

We previously reported that phosphorylation of topoisomerase (topo) IIalpha at serine-1106 (Ser-1106) regulates enzyme activity and sensitivity to topo II-targeted drugs. In this study we demonstrate that phosphorylation of Ser-1106, which is flanked by acidic amino acids, is regulated in vivo by casein kinase (CK) Idelta and/or CKIepsilon, but not by CKII. The CKI inhibitors, CKI-7 and IC261, ...