C-terminal truncated Escherichia coli RecA protein RecA5327 has enhanced binding affinities to single- and double-stranded DNAs.

RecA5327 is a truncated RecA protein that is lacking 25 amino acid residues from the C-terminal end. The expression of RecA5327 protein in the cell resulted in the constitutive induction of SOS functions without damage to the DNA. Purified RecA5327 protein effectively promoted the LexA repressor cleavage reaction and ATP hydrolysis at a lower concentration of single-stranded DNA than that required for wild-type RecA protein. A DNA binding study showed that RecA5327 has about ten times higher affinity for single-stranded DNA than does the wild-type RecA protein. Moreover RecA5327 protein binds stably to double-stranded (ds) DNA in conditions where the wild-type RecA protein could not bind. The binding of RecA5327 protein to dsDNA was associated with the unwinding of dsDNA, suggesting that RecA5327 binds to dsDNA in the same manner as does the wild-type protein. The fact that RecA5327 does not bind stoichiometrically but forms short filaments on dsDNA suggests that it nucleates to dsDNA much more frequently than does the wild-type protein. The role of the 25 C-terminal residues, in the regulation of RecA binding to DNA, is discussed.