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SUMMARY:DNA unknotting and unlinking - Vazquez\, M (San Francisco State Un
 iversity\, USA)
DTSTART:20120907T095000Z
DTEND:20120907T103000Z
UID:TALK39592@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Mustapha Amrani
DESCRIPTION:DNA replication is the basis for biological inheritance. In ba
 cteria\, reproduction starts with replication of the chromosome into two i
 dentical daughter molecules\, followed by segregation of the newly replica
 ted chromosomes and division of the parent cell into two daughter cells. I
 n circular chromosomes\, problems of entanglement during DNA linking compl
 icate the process of chromosome segregation. In Escherichia coli\, DNA unl
 inking is typically mediated by the type II topoisomerase topoIV. In the a
 bsence of topo IV\, the site-specific recombination system XerCD mediates 
 sister chromosome unlinking. This reaction is activated at the division se
 ptum by a powerful translocase FtsK\, which coordinates the last stages of
  chromosome segregation. The mechanism by which the XerCD-FtsK complex sim
 plifies the topology of DNA remains unclear. Techniques from knot theory a
 nd low-dimensional topology\, aided by computational tools\, are used to s
 tudy the action of such enzymes. Understanding D NA unlinking by Xer recom
 bination will provide a more complete picture of the chromosome segregatio
 n process. \n\nThis is joint work with Kai Ishihara\, David Sherratt\, Koy
 a Shimokawa and Christine Soteros. \n\n
LOCATION:Seminar Room 1\, Newton Institute
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