The bacterial condensin/cohesin-like protein complex acts in DNA repair and regulation of gene expression.

Structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC) and the SMC-interacting kleisin protein families have key functions in the chromosome organization of most organisms. Here, we report that the Bacillus subtilis kleisin, ScpA, can form a ternary complex with the SMC and ScpB proteins in a yeast tri-hybrid assay, supporting the notion of a bacterial cohesin/condensin-like complex. Furthermore, ScpA interacts in two-hybrid assays with the AddAB complex, essential for recombinational repair, with DegS, a two-component sensor kinase, as well as with other potential transcription regulators. Point mutations in scpA allowing growth under conditions not permissive for the spcA null and not affecting chromosome condensation were isolated. Among these mutations, some affected DNA repair and gene regulation, thus separating ScpA functions in these two pathways from its functions in chromosome condensation and segregation. Some separation-of-function mutations in scpA caused a deficiency in the repair of mitomycin C DNA lesions that was suppressed by increasing the intracellular dosage of the interacting AddAB complex. Another mutation in scpA deregulated the expression of genes encoding degradative enzymes that are known to be controlled by the interacting DegS kinase. We propose that the SMC-ScpA-ScpB complex could: (i) recruit the AddAB helicase/nuclease to act in post-replicative repair; and (ii) form a complex with the DegS sensor kinase that inhibits its kinase activity. Moreover, our results indicate that the role of cohesin and condensin complexes in DNA repair and gene regulation is evolutionary conserved.