<p>DNA topoisomerases regulate the number of topological links between two DNA strands (i.e. change the number of superhelical turns) by catalysing transient single- or double-strand breaks, crossing the strands through one another, then resealing the breaks [<cite idref="PUB00005437"/>]. These enzymes have several functions: to remove DNA supercoils during transcription and DNA replication; for strand breakage during recombination; for chromosome condensation; and to disentangle intertwined DNA during mitosis [<cite idref="PUB00020794"/>, <cite idref="PUB00016842"/>]. DNA topoisomerases are divided into two classes: type I enzymes (<db_xref db="EC" dbkey="5.99.1.2"/>; topoisomerases I, III and V) break single-strand DNA, and type II enzymes (<db_xref db="EC" dbkey="5.99.1.3"/>; topoisomerases II, IV and VI) break double-strand DNA [<cite idref="PUB00020793"/>].</p><p>Type II topoisomerases are ATP-dependent enzymes, and can be subdivided according to their structure and reaction mechanisms: type IIA (topoisomerase II or gyrase, and topoisomerase IV) and type IIB (topoisomerase VI). These enzymes are responsible for relaxing supercoiled DNA as well as for introducing both negative and positive supercoils [<cite idref="PUB00020795"/>].</p><p>This entry represents subunit B of topoisomerase VI, a type IIB topoisomerase found predominantly in archaea, but also in a few eukayotes, such as the plant <taxon tax_id="3702">Arabidopsis thaliana</taxon> [<cite idref="PUB00020804"/>]. This enzyme assembles as a heterotetramer, consisting of two A subunits required for DNA cleavage and two B subunits required for ATP hydrolysis. The B subunit is structurally similar to the ATPase domain of type IIA topoisomerases, but the A subunit is distinct, and instead shares homology with the Spo11 protein that mediates double-strand DNA breaks during meiotic recombination in eukaryotes [<cite idref="PUB00007202"/>]. Therefore, though related to type IIA topoisomerases, topoisomerase VI may have a distinctive mechanism of action.</p><p>More information about this protein can be found at Protein of the Month: DNA Topoisomerase [<cite idref="PUB00035961"/>].</p> DNA topoisomerase VI, subunit B