Reverse gyrase in thermophilic eubacteria

Abstract

The presence of reverse gyrase, an unusual ATP-dependent type I topoisomerase first isolated from thermophilic archaebacteria, has been detected in four strains of Thermotogales, an order of extremely thermophilic eubacteria. This result suggests that reverse gyrase plays a key role in high-temperature-living organisms, independently of the evolutionary kingdom to which they belong.