CTP switches in ParABS-mediated bacterial chromosome segregation and beyond.

Segregation of genetic material is a fundamental process in biology. In many bacterial species, segregation of chromosomes and low-copy plasmids is facilitated by the tripartite ParA-ParB-parS system. This system consists of a centromeric parS DNA site and interacting proteins ParA and ParB that are capable of hydrolyzing adenosine triphosphate and cytidine triphosphate (CTP), respectively.

A CTP-dependent gating mechanism enables ParB spreading on DNA.

Proper chromosome segregation is essential in all living organisms. The ParA-ParB- system is widely employed for chromosome segregation in bacteria. Previously, we showed that ParB requires cytidine triphosphate to escape the nucleation site and spread by sliding to the neighboring DNA (Jalal et al.

ParB spreading on DNA requires cytidine triphosphate in vitro.

In all living organisms, it is essential to transmit genetic information faithfully to the next generation. The SMC-ParAB- system is widely employed for chromosome segregation in bacteria. A DNA-binding protein ParB nucleates on sites and must associate with neighboring DNA, a process known as spreading, to enable efficient chromosome segregation.

Transcription rate and transcript length drive formation of chromosomal interaction domain boundaries.

Chromosomes in all organisms are highly organized and divided into multiple chromosomal interaction domains, or topological domains. Regions of active, high transcription help establish and maintain domain boundaries, but precisely how this occurs remains unclear. Here, using fluorescence microscopy and chromosome conformation capture in conjunction with deep sequencing (Hi-C), we show that in Caulobacter crescentus, both transcription rate and transcript length, independent of concurrent translation, drive the formation of domain boundaries.

New approaches to understanding the spatial organization of bacterial genomes.

In all organisms, chromosomal DNA must be compacted nearly three orders of magnitude to fit within the limited volume of a cell. However, chromosomes cannot be haphazardly packed, and instead must adopt structures compatible with numerous cellular processes, including DNA replication, chromosome segregation, recombination, and gene expression. Recent technical advances have dramatically enhanced our understanding of how chromosomes are organized in vivo and have begun to reveal the mechanisms and forces responsible.