Date of Award
2008
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Program
Biochemistry
Supervisor
Dr. David Haniford
Second Advisor
Dr. David Edgell
Third Advisor
Dr. Chris Brandl
Abstract
Transposons are mobile DNA segments. The transposition of transposable elements can have important effects on genome structure and function. In this thesis, we demonstrate that a histone-like nucleoid structuring protein (H-NS), acts as an anti-channeling factor to limit self-destructive intramolecular transposition events and allows for the dissemination of the bacterial transposon TnlO in vitro. Evidence that H-NS competes with IHF for binding to the TnlO transpososome to block channelling, and that this event is relatively insensitive to the level of DNA supercoiling present in the Tnl0-containing substrate plasmid, are presented. We also demonstrate that H-NS rescues the transposition defect observed in a R182A transposase mutant reaction pathway by unfolding the transpososome to promote transposon excision and strand transfer. For the first time, we have provided the strongest evidence to date that in vivo H-NS promotes TnlO transposition by acting directly on the transpososome.
Recommended Citation
Singh, Randeep K., "THE H-NS PROTEIN REGULATES THE CHEMICAL STEPS IN TN10 TRANSPOSITION" (2008). Digitized Theses. 4399.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4399