The bacterial transposon Tn7 facilitates horizontal transfer by directing transposition into actively replicating DNA with the element-encoded protein TnsE. Structural analysis of the C-terminal domain of TnsE identified a central V-shaped loop that ...
The bacterial transposon Tn7 facilitates horizontal transfer by directing transposition into actively replicating DNA with the element-encoded protein TnsE. Structural analysis of the C-terminal domain of TnsE identified a central V-shaped loop that toggles between two distinct conformations. It is suggested that a conformational change within the C-terminal domain of TnsE underlies target site selection by regulating stable engagement of the target DNA while providing a signal for activating transposition [1].