Viruses, Vol. 11, Pages 267: Gram-Positive Bacteria-Like DNA Binding Machineries Involved in Replication Initiation and Termination Mechanisms of Mimivirus

Viruses, Vol. 11, Pages 267: Gram-Positive Bacteria-Like DNA Binding Machineries Involved in Replication Initiation and Termination Mechanisms of Mimivirus Viruses doi: 10.3390/v11030267 Authors: Motohiro Akashi Masaharu Takemura The detailed mechanisms of replication initiation, termination and segregation events were not yet known in Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus (APMV). Here, we show detailed bioinformatics-based analyses of chromosomal replication in APMV from initiation to termination mediated by proteins bound to specific DNA sequences. Using GC/AT skew and coding sequence skew analysis, we estimated that the replication origin is located at 382 kb in the APMV genome. We performed homology-modeling analysis of the gamma domain of APMV-FtsK (DNA translocase coordinating chromosome segregation) related to FtsK-orienting polar sequences (KOPS) binding, suggesting that there was an insertion in the gamma domain which maintains the structure of the DNA binding motif. Furthermore, UvrD/Rep-like helicase in APMV was homologous to Bacillus subtilis AddA, while the chi-like quartet sequence 5′-CCGC-3′ was frequently found in the estimated ori region, suggesting that chromosomal replication of APMV is initiated via chi-like sequence recognition by UvrD/Rep-like helicase. Therefore, the replication initiation, termination and segregation of APMV are presumably mediated by DNA repair machineries derived from gram-positive bacteria. Moreover, the other frequently ob...
Source: Viruses - Category: Virology Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research