Slow unloading leads to DNA-bound ?2-sliding clamp accumulation in live Escherichia coli cells

The ubiquitous sliding clamp facilitates processivity of the replicative polymerase and acts as a platform to recruit proteins involved in replication, recombination and repair. While the dynamics of the E. coli ?2-sliding clamp have been characterized in vitro, its in vivo stoichiometry and dynamics remain unclear. To probe both ?2-clamp dynamics and stoichiometry in live E. coli cells, we use custom-built microfluidics in combination with single-molecule fluorescence microscopy and photoactivated fluorescence microscopy. We quantify the recruitment, binding and turnover of ?2-sliding clamps on DNA during replication. These quantitative in vivo results demonstrate that numerous ?2-clamps in E. coli remain on the DNA behind the replication fork for a protracted period of time, allowing them to form a docking platform for other enzymes involved in DNA metabolism.
BN/Bionanoscience
Applied Sciences