Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the N-terminal domain of PriA from Escherichia coli.

Abstract PriA, a DEXH-type DNA helicase, binds specifically to the 3′ end of DNA through its N-terminal domain, and is a candidate sensor protein that recognizes arrested DNA replication forks in bacteria. We crystallized an N-terminal fragment of PriA in the absence and the presence of oligonucleotides to elucidate the structural basis for the specific recognition of the 3′ terminus of DNA.