A Fluorescent Assay to Monitor Ligand-Dependent Closure of the Hexameric Rho Helicase Ring

Michael R. Lawson, James M. Berger

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

The bacterial Rho protein is an exemplar RecA-family hexameric helicase that assists with the termination of RNA polymerase activity on a variety of transcripts. During its catalytic cycle, Rho both loads onto and translocates along RNA through a series of tightly regulated, ligand-dependent conformational changes. Here we describe an assay to track Rho as it switches from an open-ring (RNA-loading) to a closed-ring (RNA-translocation) configuration by monitoring the association of a fluorescein-labeled RNA to Rho’s central pore as a change in fluorescence anisotropy. The assay, which is in principle adaptable to the study of ligand-dependent isomerization events in other ring-shaped translocases, is readily amenable to 384-well format plates and small-molecule screening efforts.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationMethods in Molecular Biology
PublisherHumana Press Inc.
Pages133-142
Number of pages10
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

Publication series

NameMethods in Molecular Biology
Volume2209
ISSN (Print)1064-3745
ISSN (Electronic)1940-6029

Keywords

  • ATPase
  • Fluorescence anisotropy
  • Hexameric helicase
  • High-throughput screening
  • RNA
  • Rho
  • Ring translocase
  • Transcription termination

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

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