Date of Award
2009
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Program
Biochemistry
Supervisor
Dr. David Haniford
Second Advisor
Dr. David Edgell
Third Advisor
Dr. Gary Shaw
Abstract
Host factor proteins, IHF and H-NS, regulate TnlO transposition by mediating transpososome assembly and by providing stability to the transpososome to perform transposition. To investigate the structural role on the TnlO transpososome provided by H-NS, relative stabilities of the folded and unfolded transpososome forms bound to H-NS were determined. H-NS was found to bind stronger to the unfolded transpososome in promoting intermolecular transposition. The impact of an increased IHF affinity on transposition was explored with a transpososome that resisted unfolding in order to examine the relationship between transpososome unfolding and transposon excision. The unfolding defect led to impaired transposon excision, hence affecting strand transfer efficiency. Strand transfer efficiency was improved by adding H-NS, although excision remained defective. Together, IHF and H-NS regulate TnlO transposition by modulating structural transitions in the transpososome to promote propagation of the transposon and to enhance fitness of the transposon for evolutionary purposes
Recommended Citation
Chan, Amanda P.Y., "REGULATION OF TN10 TRANSPOSITION BY HOST FACTORS H-NS AND IHF" (2009). Digitized Theses. 3890.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/3890