Cre recombinase is a tyrosine recombinase
enzyme derived from the
P1 Bacteriophage. The enzyme uses a
topoisomerase I like mechanism to carry out
site specific recombination events. The enzyme (
38kDa) is a member of the
integrase family of site specific recombinase and it is known to catalyse the
site specific recombination event between two DNA recognition sites (
loxP sites). This 34 base pair (bp) loxP recognition site consists of two 13 bp
palindromic sequences which flank an 8bp spacer region. The products of
Cre-mediated recombination at loxP sites are dependent upon the location and relative orientation of the loxP sites. Two separate DNA species both containing loxP sites can undergo fusion as the result of Cre mediated recombination. DNA sequences found between two loxP sites are said to be "
floxed". In this case the products of Cre mediated recombination depends upon the orientation of the loxP sites. DNA found between two loxP sites oriented in the same direction will be excised as a circular loop of DNA whilst intervening DNA between two loxP sites that are opposingly orientated will be inverted. The enzyme requires no additional cofactors (such as
ATP) or accessory proteins for its function.