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Solution conformations of early intermediates in Mos1 transposition

DNA transposons are short fragments of DNA that can jump from one place to another in a genome, creating diversity and instability. A single transposase enzyme promotes this cut-and-paste movement of DNA. Using SANS we established the shapes of the Mos1 transposase when free of DNA and when bound to one end of the transposon, in the early stages of transposition. The results shed light on the conformational changes occurring in the enzyme that enable the transposon to be cut out from its host. The work received extensive funding from both the Welcome Trust (085176/Z/08/Z) and the EPSRC (EP/C015452/1).