Multifunctional conjugation protein TraI

UniProtKB accession:  P14565

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UniProtKB description:  Conjugative DNA transfer (CDT) is the unidirectional transfer of ssDNA plasmid from a donor to a recipient cell. It is the central mechanism by which antibiotic resistance and virulence factors are propagated in bacterial populations. Part of the relaxosome, which facilitates a site- and strand-specific cut in the origin of transfer by TraI, at the nic site. Relaxosome formation requires binding of IHF and TraY to the oriT region, which then facilitates binding of TraI relaxase. TraI forms a covalent 5'-phosphotyrosine intermediate linkage to the ssDNA. The transesterified T-strand moves from the donor cell to the recipient cell in a 5'to 3' direction, with the DNA helicase activity of TraI unwinding the DNA. DNA transfer occurs via the conjugative pore (transferosome) an intercellular junction mediated by a type IV secretion system, with TraD providing the means to link the relaxosome to the conjugative pore. The relaxase completes DNA transfer by reversing the covalent phosphotyrosine linkage and releasing the T-strand.