ABSTRACT The extensive structural and mechanistic resemblance between members of the type IB topoisomerases and the tyrosine recombinases, has become increasingly evident by the emerging structural insight. Considering these similarities together with the distinct outcomes of the reactions mediated by members of the two enzyme groups, the question of what makes a recombinase, relative to a topoisomerase, is highly relevant. Here we review the important findings accentuating similarities and differences between the two enzyme families and argue that the main determinant for topoisomerisation versus recombination activities lies within the monomeric or tightly coordinated tetrameric action of the type IB topoisomerases and tyrosine recombinases, respectively.
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