Molecular architecture of the DNA-binding sites of the P-loop ATPases MipZ and ParA from Caulobacter crescentus

Two related P-loop ATPases, ParA and MipZ, mediate the spatiotemporal regulation of chromosome segregation and cell division in Caulobacter crescentus. Both of these proteins share the ability to form dynamic concentration gradients that control the positioning of regulatory targets within the cell. Their proper localization relies on their nucleotide-dependent cycling between a monomeric and a dimeric state, driven by interaction with the chromosome partitioning protein ParB, and on the ability of the dimeric species to associate non-specifically with the nucleoid. In this study, we use a combination of genetic screening, biochemical analysis and hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry to identify the residues mediating the interaction of MipZ with DNA. Our results show that the DNA-binding activity of MipZ relies on a series of positively charged and hydrophobic residues lining both sides of the dimer inter-face. MipZ thus appears to associate with DNA in a sequence-independent manner through electrostatic interactions with the DNA phosphate backbone. In support of this hypothesis, chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses did not reveal any specific target sites in vivo. When extending our analysis to ParA, we found that the architectures of the MipZ and ParA DNA-binding sites are markedly different, although their relative positions on the dimer surface and their mode of DNA binding are conserved. Importantly, bioinformatic analysis suggests that the same principles apply to other members of the P-loop ATPase family. ParA-like ATPases thus share common mechanistic features, although their modes of action have diverged considerably during the course of evolution.