Tung Le
@tunglejic.bsky.social
Dad of two, Professor, Lister Research Fellow and Wellcome Investigator at the John Innes Centre. Interested in bacterial chromosome organization & segregation, plasmids, and phages.
www.tunglelab.org
www.tunglelab.org
Very timely review, Tanmay et al!!!
November 13, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Very timely review, Tanmay et al!!!
Sharpening knives in itself a very difficult skill as well!!!
October 21, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Sharpening knives in itself a very difficult skill as well!!!
A ParA-interacting peptide, enabling B-A interaction!!!
October 11, 2025 at 12:00 PM
A ParA-interacting peptide, enabling B-A interaction!!!
ParB NTPase fold might:
*suggest hidden layer of biological regulation
*maybe a fold as fundamental as P-loop ATPases or Rossmann folds (well, this has to be seen!)
*be a treasure trove of uncharacterized proteins waiting to be studied.
We probably have only scratched the surface.
*suggest hidden layer of biological regulation
*maybe a fold as fundamental as P-loop ATPases or Rossmann folds (well, this has to be seen!)
*be a treasure trove of uncharacterized proteins waiting to be studied.
We probably have only scratched the surface.
October 11, 2025 at 11:36 AM
ParB NTPase fold might:
*suggest hidden layer of biological regulation
*maybe a fold as fundamental as P-loop ATPases or Rossmann folds (well, this has to be seen!)
*be a treasure trove of uncharacterized proteins waiting to be studied.
We probably have only scratched the surface.
*suggest hidden layer of biological regulation
*maybe a fold as fundamental as P-loop ATPases or Rossmann folds (well, this has to be seen!)
*be a treasure trove of uncharacterized proteins waiting to be studied.
We probably have only scratched the surface.
Overall:
ParB-CTPase is like the Swiss Army knife.
*Sometimes it helps form a DNA clamp.
*Sometimes as an enzyme module.
*Sometimes may be as a scaffold.
Evolution keeps re-purposing it for new cellular roles.
ParB-CTPase is like the Swiss Army knife.
*Sometimes it helps form a DNA clamp.
*Sometimes as an enzyme module.
*Sometimes may be as a scaffold.
Evolution keeps re-purposing it for new cellular roles.
October 11, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Overall:
ParB-CTPase is like the Swiss Army knife.
*Sometimes it helps form a DNA clamp.
*Sometimes as an enzyme module.
*Sometimes may be as a scaffold.
Evolution keeps re-purposing it for new cellular roles.
ParB-CTPase is like the Swiss Army knife.
*Sometimes it helps form a DNA clamp.
*Sometimes as an enzyme module.
*Sometimes may be as a scaffold.
Evolution keeps re-purposing it for new cellular roles.
Some examples from literature already hinted at its versatility:
*In Bacillus, Noc uses CTP to coordinate DNA segregation with cell division.
*In Shigella/E.coli/Pseudomonas, VirB/KorB/BisD regulates gene expression with a CTP switch.
*In archaea/eukaryotes, some are kinases or sulfiredoxins.
*In Bacillus, Noc uses CTP to coordinate DNA segregation with cell division.
*In Shigella/E.coli/Pseudomonas, VirB/KorB/BisD regulates gene expression with a CTP switch.
*In archaea/eukaryotes, some are kinases or sulfiredoxins.
October 11, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Some examples from literature already hinted at its versatility:
*In Bacillus, Noc uses CTP to coordinate DNA segregation with cell division.
*In Shigella/E.coli/Pseudomonas, VirB/KorB/BisD regulates gene expression with a CTP switch.
*In archaea/eukaryotes, some are kinases or sulfiredoxins.
*In Bacillus, Noc uses CTP to coordinate DNA segregation with cell division.
*In Shigella/E.coli/Pseudomonas, VirB/KorB/BisD regulates gene expression with a CTP switch.
*In archaea/eukaryotes, some are kinases or sulfiredoxins.
What is special about ParB-CTPase fold?
*Likely an ancient NTP-binding module
*Also found in plasmids, phages, & chromosomes
*Fused to lineage-specific domains
*Not limited to CTP - can also bind ATP and even GTP!!! (we purified 28 diverse proteins to test NTP preference).
A very versatile fold!
*Likely an ancient NTP-binding module
*Also found in plasmids, phages, & chromosomes
*Fused to lineage-specific domains
*Not limited to CTP - can also bind ATP and even GTP!!! (we purified 28 diverse proteins to test NTP preference).
A very versatile fold!
October 11, 2025 at 11:36 AM
What is special about ParB-CTPase fold?
*Likely an ancient NTP-binding module
*Also found in plasmids, phages, & chromosomes
*Fused to lineage-specific domains
*Not limited to CTP - can also bind ATP and even GTP!!! (we purified 28 diverse proteins to test NTP preference).
A very versatile fold!
*Likely an ancient NTP-binding module
*Also found in plasmids, phages, & chromosomes
*Fused to lineage-specific domains
*Not limited to CTP - can also bind ATP and even GTP!!! (we purified 28 diverse proteins to test NTP preference).
A very versatile fold!
But… how widespread is the CTPase fold?
We surveyed 80,000+ proteins across bacteria, archaea, phages, and eukaryotes.
Result: the ParB-CTPase fold is EVERYWHERE.
Not just in chromosome segregation, but fused to diverse domains, often on mobile genetic elements.
We surveyed 80,000+ proteins across bacteria, archaea, phages, and eukaryotes.
Result: the ParB-CTPase fold is EVERYWHERE.
Not just in chromosome segregation, but fused to diverse domains, often on mobile genetic elements.
October 11, 2025 at 11:36 AM
But… how widespread is the CTPase fold?
We surveyed 80,000+ proteins across bacteria, archaea, phages, and eukaryotes.
Result: the ParB-CTPase fold is EVERYWHERE.
Not just in chromosome segregation, but fused to diverse domains, often on mobile genetic elements.
We surveyed 80,000+ proteins across bacteria, archaea, phages, and eukaryotes.
Result: the ParB-CTPase fold is EVERYWHERE.
Not just in chromosome segregation, but fused to diverse domains, often on mobile genetic elements.
The first CTP switch? ParB, a bacterial DNA segregation protein.
ParB uses CTP to clamp around DNA, recruit ParA (an ATPase), and ensure chromosomes are properly inherited by daughter cells. CTP hydrolysis then recycles ParB. This represents a new regulatory principle!
ParB uses CTP to clamp around DNA, recruit ParA (an ATPase), and ensure chromosomes are properly inherited by daughter cells. CTP hydrolysis then recycles ParB. This represents a new regulatory principle!
October 11, 2025 at 11:36 AM
The first CTP switch? ParB, a bacterial DNA segregation protein.
ParB uses CTP to clamp around DNA, recruit ParA (an ATPase), and ensure chromosomes are properly inherited by daughter cells. CTP hydrolysis then recycles ParB. This represents a new regulatory principle!
ParB uses CTP to clamp around DNA, recruit ParA (an ATPase), and ensure chromosomes are properly inherited by daughter cells. CTP hydrolysis then recycles ParB. This represents a new regulatory principle!
1/ Molecular switches are ubiquitous in biology.
One class of such switches bind nucleotide triphosphate (ATP, GTP, etc.), flip “on/off,” and regulate essential processes: growth, DNA replication, protein synthesis.
For decades, only GTPase/ATPase switches were known. Then came CTPases.
One class of such switches bind nucleotide triphosphate (ATP, GTP, etc.), flip “on/off,” and regulate essential processes: growth, DNA replication, protein synthesis.
For decades, only GTPase/ATPase switches were known. Then came CTPases.
October 11, 2025 at 11:36 AM
1/ Molecular switches are ubiquitous in biology.
One class of such switches bind nucleotide triphosphate (ATP, GTP, etc.), flip “on/off,” and regulate essential processes: growth, DNA replication, protein synthesis.
For decades, only GTPase/ATPase switches were known. Then came CTPases.
One class of such switches bind nucleotide triphosphate (ATP, GTP, etc.), flip “on/off,” and regulate essential processes: growth, DNA replication, protein synthesis.
For decades, only GTPase/ATPase switches were known. Then came CTPases.