51
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An Evolutionary/Biochemical Connection between Promoter- and Primer-Dependent Polymerases Revealed by Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment. J Bacteriol 2018; 200:JB.00579-17. [PMID: 29339418 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00579-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA polymerases (DNAPs) recognize 3' recessed termini on duplex DNA and carry out nucleotide catalysis. Unlike promoter-specific RNA polymerases (RNAPs), no sequence specificity is required for binding or initiation of catalysis. Despite this, previous results indicate that viral reverse transcriptases bind much more tightly to DNA primers that mimic the polypurine tract. In the current report, primer sequences that bind with high affinity to Taq and Klenow polymerases were identified using a modified systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) approach. Two Taq-specific primers that bound ∼10 (Taq1) and over 100 (Taq2) times more stably than controls to Taq were identified. TaqI contained 8 nucleotides (5'-CACTAAAG-3') that matched the phage T3 RNAP "core" promoter. Both primers dramatically outcompeted primers with similar binding thermodynamics in PCRs. Similarly, exonuclease- Klenow polymerase also selected a high-affinity primer that contained a related core promoter sequence from phage T7 RNAP (5'-ACTATAG-3'). For both Taq and Klenow, even small modifications to the sequence resulted in large losses in binding affinity, suggesting that binding was highly sequence specific. The results are discussed in the context of possible effects on multiprimer (multiplex) PCR assays, molecular information theory, and the evolution of RNAPs and DNAPs.IMPORTANCE This work further demonstrates that primer-dependent DNA polymerases can have strong sequence biases leading to dramatically tighter binding to specific sequences. These may be related to biological function or be a consequence of the structural architecture of the enzyme. New sequence specificity for Taq and Klenow polymerases were uncovered, and among them were sequences that contained the core promoter elements from T3 and T7 phage RNA polymerase promoters. This suggests the intriguing possibility that phage RNA polymerases exploited intrinsic binding affinities of ancestral DNA polymerases to develop their promoters. Conversely, DNA polymerases could have evolved from related RNA polymerases and retained the intrinsic binding preference despite there being no clear function for such a preference in DNA biology.
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52
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Fidelity of DNA replication-a matter of proofreading. Curr Genet 2018; 64:985-996. [PMID: 29500597 PMCID: PMC6153641 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-018-0820-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
DNA that is transmitted to daughter cells must be accurately duplicated to maintain genetic integrity and to promote genetic continuity. A major function of replicative DNA polymerases is to replicate DNA with the very high accuracy. The fidelity of DNA replication relies on nucleotide selectivity of replicative DNA polymerase, exonucleolytic proofreading, and postreplicative DNA mismatch repair (MMR). Proofreading activity that assists most of the replicative polymerases is responsible for removal of incorrectly incorporated nucleotides from the primer terminus before further primer extension. It is estimated that proofreading improves the fidelity by a 2–3 orders of magnitude. The primer with the incorrect terminal nucleotide has to be moved to exonuclease active site, and after removal of the wrong nucleotide must be transferred back to polymerase active site. The mechanism that allows the transfer of the primer between pol and exo site is not well understood. While defects in MMR are well known to be linked with increased cancer incidence only recently, the replicative polymerases that have alterations in the exonuclease domain have been associated with some sporadic and hereditary human cancers. In this review, we would like to emphasize the importance of proofreading (3′-5′ exonuclease activity) in the fidelity of DNA replication and to highlight what is known about switching from polymerase to exonuclease active site.
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53
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Malik O, Khamis H, Rudnizky S, Kaplan A. The mechano-chemistry of a monomeric reverse transcriptase. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 45:12954-12962. [PMID: 29165701 PMCID: PMC5728418 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx1168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Retroviral reverse transcriptase catalyses the synthesis of an integration-competent dsDNA molecule, using as a substrate the viral RNA. Using optical tweezers, we follow the Murine Leukemia Virus reverse transcriptase as it performs strand-displacement polymerization on a template under mechanical force. Our results indicate that reverse transcriptase functions as a Brownian ratchet, with dNTP binding as the rectifying reaction of the ratchet. We also found that reverse transcriptase is a relatively passive enzyme, able to polymerize on structured templates by exploiting their thermal breathing. Finally, our results indicate that the enzyme enters the recently characterized backtracking state from the pre-translocation complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omri Malik
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.,Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Hadeel Khamis
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.,Faculty of Physics, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Sergei Rudnizky
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Ariel Kaplan
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.,Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
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54
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Yeager A, Humphries K, Farmer E, Cline G, Miller BR. Investigation of Nascent Base Pair and Polymerase Behavior in the Presence of Mismatches in DNA Polymerase I Using Molecular Dynamics. J Chem Inf Model 2018; 58:338-349. [PMID: 29280634 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.7b00516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Optimizing DNA polymerases for a broad range of tasks requires an understanding of the factors influencing polymerase fidelity, but many details of polymerase behavior remain unknown, especially in the presence of mismatched nascent base pairs. Using molecular dynamics, the large fragment of Bacillus stearothermophilus DNA polymerase I is simulated in the presence of all 16 possible standard nucleoside triphosphate-template (dNTP-dN) pairs, including four Watson-Crick pairs and 12 mismatches. The precatalytic steps of nucleotide addition from nucleotide insertion to immediately preceding catalysis are explored using three starting structures representing different stages of nucleotide addition. From these simulations, interactions between dNTPs and the DNA-protein complex formed by the polymerase are elucidated. Patterns of large-scale conformational shifts, classification of nucleotide pairs based on composition, and investigation of the roles of residues interacting with dNTPs are completed on 50+ μs of simulation. The role of molecular dynamics in studies of polymerase behavior is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Yeager
- Department of Chemistry, Truman State University , 100 E. Normal Ave, Kirksville, Missouri 63501, United States
| | - Kathryn Humphries
- Department of Chemistry, Truman State University , 100 E. Normal Ave, Kirksville, Missouri 63501, United States
| | - Ellen Farmer
- Department of Chemistry, Truman State University , 100 E. Normal Ave, Kirksville, Missouri 63501, United States
| | - Gene Cline
- Department of Chemistry, Truman State University , 100 E. Normal Ave, Kirksville, Missouri 63501, United States
| | - Bill R Miller
- Department of Chemistry, Truman State University , 100 E. Normal Ave, Kirksville, Missouri 63501, United States
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55
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Structure of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase cleaving RNA in an RNA/DNA hybrid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:507-512. [PMID: 29295939 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1719746115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) contains both DNA polymerase and RNase H activities to convert the viral genomic RNA to dsDNA in infected host cells. Here we report the 2.65-Å resolution structure of HIV-1 RT engaging in cleaving RNA in an RNA/DNA hybrid. A preferred substrate sequence is absolutely required to enable the RNA/DNA hybrid to adopt the distorted conformation needed to interact properly with the RNase H active site in RT. Substituting two nucleotides 4 bp upstream from the cleavage site results in scissile-phosphate displacement by 4 Å. We also have determined the structure of HIV-1 RT complexed with an RNase H-resistant polypurine tract sequence, which adopts a rigid structure and is accommodated outside of the nuclease active site. Based on this newly gained structural information and a virtual drug screen, we have identified an inhibitor specific for the viral RNase H but not for its cellular homologs.
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56
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Walsh MT, Huang X. Measurement of incorporation kinetics of non-fluorescent native nucleotides by DNA polymerases using fluorescence microscopy. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:e175. [PMID: 29036327 PMCID: PMC5716174 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe a method for measuring the single-turnover incorporation kinetics of non-fluorescent native nucleotides by DNA polymerases. Time-lapse total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is used to directly measure the kinetics of single-base nucleotide incorporation into primed DNA templates covalently attached to the surface of a glass coverslip using a fixed ratio of a native nucleotide and a corresponding fluorescently labeled nucleotide over a series of total nucleotide concentrations. The presence of a labeled nucleotide allows for the kinetics of competitive incorporation reactions by DNA polymerase to be monitored. The single-turnover catalytic rate constants and Michaelis constants of the incorporation of the native nucleotides can be determined by modeling the kinetics of the parallel competitive reactions. Our method enables the measurements of the kinetics parameters of incorporation of native or other non-fluorescent nucleotides without using a rapid stopped-flow or quench-flow instrument and the generally more involved and less quantitative post-reaction analysis of the reaction products. As a demonstration of our method, we systematically determined the single-turnover incorporation kinetics of all four native nucleotides and a set of Cy3-labeled nucleotides by the Klenow fragment of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Walsh
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0412, USA
| | - Xiaohua Huang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0412, USA
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57
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Application of single nucleotide extension and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in proofreading and DNA repair assay. DNA Repair (Amst) 2017; 61:63-75. [PMID: 29223016 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2017.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 10/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Proofreading and DNA repair are important factors in maintaining the high fidelity of genetic information during DNA replication. Herein, we designed a non-labeled and non-radio-isotopic simple method to measure proofreading. An oligonucleotide primer is annealed to a template DNA forming a mismatched site and is proofread by Klenow fragment of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (pol I) in the presence of all four dideoxyribonucleotide triphosphates. The proofreading excision products and re-synthesis products of single nucleotide extension are subjected to MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS). The proofreading at the mismatched site is identified by the mass change of the primer. We examined proofreading of Klenow fragment with DNAs containing various base mismatches. Single mismatches at the primer terminus can be proofread efficiently. Internal single mismatches can also be proofread at different efficiencies, with the best correction for mismatches located 2-4-nucleotides from the primer terminus. For mismatches located 5-nucleotides from the primer terminus there was partial correction and extension. No significant proofreading was observed for mismatches located 6-9-nucleotides from the primer terminus. We also subjected primers containing 3' penultimate deoxyinosine (dI) lesions, which mimic endonuclease V nicked repair intermediates, to pol I repair assay. The results showed that T-I was a better substrate than G-I and A-I, however C-I was refractory to repair. The high resolution of MS results clearly demonstrated that all the penultimate T-I, G-I and A-I substrates had been excised last 2 dI-containing nucleotides by pol I before adding a correct ddNMP, however, pol I proofreading exonuclease tolerated the penultimate C-I mismatch allowing the primer to be extended by polymerase activity.
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58
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Berdis AJ. Inhibiting DNA Polymerases as a Therapeutic Intervention against Cancer. Front Mol Biosci 2017; 4:78. [PMID: 29201867 PMCID: PMC5696574 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2017.00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibiting DNA synthesis is an important therapeutic strategy that is widely used to treat a number of hyperproliferative diseases including viral infections, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. This chapter describes two major categories of therapeutic agents used to inhibit DNA synthesis. The first category includes purine and pyrmidine nucleoside analogs that directly inhibit DNA polymerase activity. The second category includes DNA damaging agents including cisplatin and chlorambucil that modify the composition and structure of the nucleic acid substrate to indirectly inhibit DNA synthesis. Special emphasis is placed on describing the molecular mechanisms of these inhibitory effects against chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA polymerases. Discussions are also provided on the mechanisms associated with resistance to these therapeutic agents. A primary focus is toward understanding the roles of specialized DNA polymerases that by-pass DNA lesions produced by DNA damaging agents. Finally, a section is provided that describes emerging areas in developing new therapeutic strategies targeting specialized DNA polymerases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Berdis
- Department of Chemistry, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
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59
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Prakasha Gowda AS, Spratt TE. Active Site Interactions Impact Phosphoryl Transfer during Replication of Damaged and Undamaged DNA by Escherichia coli DNA Polymerase I. Chem Res Toxicol 2017; 30:2033-2043. [PMID: 29053918 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.7b00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Replicative DNA polymerases are able to discriminate between very similar substrates with high accuracy. One mechanism by which E. coli DNA polymerase I checks for Watson-Crick geometry is through a hydrogen bonding fork between Arg668 and the incoming dNTP and the minor groove of the primer terminus. The importance of the Arg-fork was examined by disrupting it with either a guanine to 3-deazaguanine substitution at the primer terminus or the use of a carbocyclic deoxyribose analog of dUTP. Using thio-substituted dNTPs and differential quench techniques, we determined that when the Arg-fork was disrupted, the rate-limiting step changed from a conformational change to phosphodiester bond formation. This result indicates that Arg668 is involved in the phosphoryl transfer step. We examined the role of the Arg-fork in the replication of four DNA damaged templates, O6-methylguanine (O6-mG), 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (oxoG), O2-[4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobutyl]thymine (O2-POB-T), and N2-[(7S,8R,9S,10R)-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-8,9,10-trihydroxybenzo[a]pyren-7-yl]-guanine (N2-BP-G). In general, the guanine to 3-deazaguanine substitution caused a decrease in kpol that was proportional to kpol over five orders of magnitude. The linear relationship indicates that the Arg668-fork helps catalyze phosphoryl transfer by the same mechanism with all the substrates. Exceptions to the linear relationship were the incorporations of dTTP opposite G, oxoG, and O6mG, which showed large decreases in kpol, similar to that exhibited by the Watson-Crick base pairs. It was proposed that the incorporation of dTTP opposite G, oxoG, and O6mG occurred via Watson-Crick-like structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Prakasha Gowda
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine , Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
| | - Thomas E Spratt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine , Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
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60
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Walker AR, Cisneros GA. Computational Simulations of DNA Polymerases: Detailed Insights on Structure/Function/Mechanism from Native Proteins to Cancer Variants. Chem Res Toxicol 2017; 30:1922-1935. [PMID: 28877429 PMCID: PMC5696005 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.7b00161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Genetic information is vital in the
cell cycle of DNA-based organisms.
DNA polymerases (DNA Pols) are crucial players in transactions dealing
with these processes. Therefore, the detailed understanding of the
structure, function, and mechanism of these proteins has been the
focus of significant effort. Computational simulations have been applied
to investigate various facets of DNA polymerase structure and function.
These simulations have provided significant insights over the years.
This perspective presents the results of various computational studies
that have been employed to research different aspects of DNA polymerases
including detailed reaction mechanism investigation, mutagenicity
of different metal cations, possible factors for fidelity synthesis,
and discovery/functional characterization of cancer-related mutations
on DNA polymerases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice R Walker
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Texas , 1155 Union Circle, Denton, Texas 76203, United States
| | - G Andrés Cisneros
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Texas , 1155 Union Circle, Denton, Texas 76203, United States
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61
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Wu WJ, Yang W, Tsai MD. How DNA polymerases catalyse replication and repair with contrasting fidelity. Nat Rev Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1038/s41570-017-0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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62
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Variants of sequence family B Thermococcus kodakaraensis DNA polymerase with increased mismatch extension selectivity. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183623. [PMID: 28832623 PMCID: PMC5568139 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Fidelity and selectivity of DNA polymerases are critical determinants for the biology of life, as well as important tools for biotechnological applications. DNA polymerases catalyze the formation of DNA strands by adding deoxynucleotides to a primer, which is complementarily bound to a template. To ensure the integrity of the genome, DNA polymerases select the correct nucleotide and further extend the nascent DNA strand. Thus, DNA polymerase fidelity is pivotal for ensuring that cells can replicate their genome with minimal error. DNA polymerases are, however, further optimized for more specific biotechnological or diagnostic applications. Here we report on the semi-rational design of mutant libraries derived by saturation mutagenesis at single sites of a 3’-5’-exonuclease deficient variant of Thermococcus kodakaraensis DNA polymerase (KOD pol) and the discovery for variants with enhanced mismatch extension selectivity by screening. Sites of potential interest for saturation mutagenesis were selected by their proximity to primer or template strands. The resulting libraries were screened via quantitative real-time PCR. We identified three variants with single amino acid exchanges—R501C, R606Q, and R606W—which exhibited increased mismatch extension selectivity. These variants were further characterized towards their potential in mismatch discrimination. Additionally, the identified enzymes were also able to differentiate between cytosine and 5-methylcytosine. Our results demonstrate the potential in characterizing and developing DNA polymerases for specific PCR based applications in DNA biotechnology and diagnostics.
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63
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Abstract
The fidelity of DNA replication is determined by many factors, here simplified as the contribution of the DNA polymerase (nucleotide selectivity and proofreading), mismatch repair, a balanced supply of nucleotides, and the condition of the DNA template (both in terms of sequence context and the presence of DNA lesions). This review discusses the contribution and interplay between these factors to the overall fidelity of DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rais A Ganai
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, SE 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, NY 10016, USA
| | - Erik Johansson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, SE 901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
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64
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DNA polymerases and biotechnological applications. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2017; 48:187-195. [PMID: 28618333 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2017.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A multitude of biotechnological techniques used in basic research as well as in clinical diagnostics on an everyday basis depend on DNA polymerases and their intrinsic capability to replicate DNA strands with astoundingly high fidelity. Applications with fundamental importance to modern molecular biology, including the polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing, would not be feasible without the advances made in characterizing these enzymes over the course of the last 60 years. Nonetheless, the still growing application scope of DNA polymerases necessitates the identification of novel enzymes with tailor-made properties. In the recent past, DNA polymerases optimized for diverse PCR and sequencing applications as well as enzymes that accept a variety of unnatural substrates for the synthesis and reverse transcription of modified nucleic acids have been developed.
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65
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Powers KT, Washington MT. Analyzing the Catalytic Activities and Interactions of Eukaryotic Translesion Synthesis Polymerases. Methods Enzymol 2017; 592:329-356. [PMID: 28668126 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2017.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Translesion synthesis is the process by which nonclassical DNA polymerases bypass DNA damage during DNA replication. Cells possess a variety of nonclassical polymerases, each one is specific for incorporating nucleotides opposite to one or more closely related DNA lesions, called its cognate lesions. In this chapter, we discuss a variety of approaches for probing the catalytic activities and the protein-protein interactions of nonclassical polymerases. With respect to their catalytic activities, we discuss polymerase assays, steady-state kinetics, and presteady-state kinetics. With respect to their interactions, we discuss qualitative binding assays such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and coimmunoprecipitation; quantitative binding assays such as isothermal titration calorimetry, surface plasmon resonance, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; and single-molecule binding assays such as total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. We focus on how nonclassical polymerases accommodate their cognate lesions during nucleotide incorporation and how the most appropriate nonclassical polymerase is selected for bypassing a given lesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle T Powers
- Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - M Todd Washington
- Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.
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66
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Błażej P, Mackiewicz D, Grabińska M, Wnętrzak M, Mackiewicz P. Optimization of amino acid replacement costs by mutational pressure in bacterial genomes. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1061. [PMID: 28432324 PMCID: PMC5430830 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01130-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations are considered a spontaneous and random process, which is important component of evolution because it generates genetic variation. On the other hand, mutations are deleterious leading to non-functional genes and energetically costly repairs. Therefore, one can expect that the mutational pressure is optimized to simultaneously generate genetic diversity and preserve genetic information. To check if empirical mutational pressures are optimized in these ways, we compared matrices of nucleotide mutation rates derived from bacterial genomes with their best possible alternatives that minimized or maximized costs of amino acid replacements associated with differences in their physicochemical properties (e.g. hydropathy and polarity). It should be noted that the studied empirical nucleotide substitution matrices and the costs of amino acid replacements are independent because these matrices were derived from sites free of selection on amino acid properties and the amino acid costs assumed only amino acid physicochemical properties without any information about mutation at the nucleotide level. Obtained results indicate that the empirical mutational matrices show a tendency to minimize costs of amino acid replacements. It implies that bacterial mutational pressures can evolve to decrease consequences of amino acid substitutions. However, the optimization is not full, which enables generation of some genetic variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Błażej
- Department of Genomics, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, ul. Joliot-Curie 14a, 50-383, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Dorota Mackiewicz
- Department of Genomics, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, ul. Joliot-Curie 14a, 50-383, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Grabińska
- Department of Genomics, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, ul. Joliot-Curie 14a, 50-383, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Wnętrzak
- Department of Genomics, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, ul. Joliot-Curie 14a, 50-383, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Paweł Mackiewicz
- Department of Genomics, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, ul. Joliot-Curie 14a, 50-383, Wrocław, Poland.
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67
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E C, Duan B, Yu J. Nucleotide Selectivity at a Preinsertion Checkpoint of T7 RNA Polymerase Transcription Elongation. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:3777-3786. [PMID: 28199109 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b11668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Nucleotide selection is crucial for transcription fidelity control, in particular, for viral T7 RNA polymerase (RNAP) lack of proofreading activity. It has been recognized that multiple kinetic checkpoints exist prior to full nucleotide incorporation. In this work, we implemented intensive atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to quantify how strong the nucleotide selection is at the initial checkpoint of an elongation cycle of T7 RNAP. The incoming nucleotides bind into a preinsertion site where a critical tyrosine residue locates nearby to assist the nucleotide selection. We calculated the relative binding free energy between a noncognate nucleotide and a cognate one at a preinsertion configuration via alchemical simulations, showing that a small selection free energy or the binding free energy difference (∼3 kBT) exists between the two nucleotides. Indeed, another preinsertion configuration favored by the noncognate nucleotides was identified, which appears to be off path for further nucleotide insertion and additionally assists the nucleotide selection. By chemical master equation (CME) approach, we show that the small selection free energy at the preinsertion site along with the off-path noncognate nucleotide filtering can help substantially to reduce the error rate and to maintain the elongation rate high in the T7 RNAP transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao E
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center , Beijing 100193, China
| | - Baogen Duan
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center , Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jin Yu
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center , Beijing 100193, China
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68
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Wang X, Zhang S, Zheng R, Yue F, Lin SHS, Rahmeh AA, Lee EYC, Zhang Z, Lee MYWT. PDIP46 (DNA polymerase δ interacting protein 46) is an activating factor for human DNA polymerase δ. Oncotarget 2017; 7:6294-313. [PMID: 26819372 PMCID: PMC4868757 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
PDIP46 (SKAR, POLDIP3) was discovered through its interaction with the p50 subunit of human DNA polymerase δ (Pol δ). Its functions in DNA replication are unknown. PDIP46 associates with Pol δ in cell extracts both by immunochemical and protein separation methods, as well as by ChIP analyses. PDIP46 also interacts with PCNA via multiple copies of a novel PCNA binding motif, the APIMs (AlkB homologue-2 PCNA-Interacting Motif). Sites for both p50 and PCNA binding were mapped to the N-terminal region containing the APIMs. Functional assays for the effects of PDIP46 on Pol δ activity on singly primed ssM13 DNA templates revealed that it is a novel and potent activator of Pol δ. The effects of PDIP46 on Pol δ in primer extension, strand displacement and synthesis through simple hairpin structures reveal a mechanism where PDIP46 facilitates Pol δ4 synthesis through regions of secondary structure on complex templates. In addition, evidence was obtained that PDIP46 is also capable of exerting its effects by a direct interaction with Pol δ, independent of PCNA. Mutation of the Pol δ and PCNA binding region resulted in a loss of PDIP46 functions. These studies support the view that PDIP46 is a novel accessory protein for Pol δ that is involved in cellular DNA replication. This raises the possibility that altered expression of PDIP46 or its mutation may affect Pol δ functions in vivo, and thereby be a nexus for altered genomic stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Sufang Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Rong Zheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Fu Yue
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Szu Hua Sharon Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Amal A Rahmeh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Ernest Y C Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Zhongtao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Marietta Y W T Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
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69
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Fernandez-Leiro R, Conrad J, Yang JC, Freund SMV, Scheres SHW, Lamers MH. Self-correcting mismatches during high-fidelity DNA replication. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2017; 24:140-143. [PMID: 28067916 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.3348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Faithful DNA replication is essential to all forms of life and depends on the action of 3'-5' exonucleases that remove misincorporated nucleotides from the newly synthesized strand. However, how the DNA is transferred from the polymerase to the exonuclease active site is not known. Here we present the cryo-EM structure of the editing mode of the catalytic core of the Escherichia coli replisome, revealing a dramatic distortion of the DNA whereby the polymerase thumb domain acts as a wedge that separates the two DNA strands. Importantly, NMR analysis of the DNA substrate shows that the presence of a mismatch increases the fraying of the DNA, thus enabling it to reach the exonuclease active site. Therefore the mismatch corrects itself, whereas the exonuclease subunit plays a passive role. Hence, our work provides unique insights into high-fidelity replication and establishes a new paradigm for the correction of misincorporated nucleotides.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ji-Chun Yang
- MRC laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
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70
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Achuthan V, Singh K, DeStefano JJ. Physiological Mg 2+ Conditions Significantly Alter the Inhibition of HIV-1 and HIV-2 Reverse Transcriptases by Nucleoside and Non-Nucleoside Inhibitors in Vitro. Biochemistry 2016; 56:33-46. [PMID: 27936595 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Reverse transcriptases (RTs) are typically assayed in vitro with 5-10 mM Mg2+, whereas the free Mg2+ concentration in cells is much lower. Artificially high Mg2+ concentrations used in vitro can misrepresent different properties of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RT, including fidelity, catalysis, pausing, and RNase H activity. Here, we analyzed nucleoside (NRTIs) and non-nucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs) in primer extension assays at different concentrations of free Mg2+. At low concentrations of Mg2+, NRTIs and dideoxynucleotides (AZTTP, ddCTP, ddGTP, and 3TCTP) inhibited HIV-1 and HIV-2 RT synthesis less efficiently than they did with large amounts of Mg2+, whereas inhibition by the "translocation-defective RT inhibitor" EFdA (4'-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2'-deoxyadenosine) was unaffected by Mg2+ concentrations. Steady-state kinetic analyses revealed that the reduced level of inhibition at low Mg2+ concentrations resulted from a 3-9-fold (depending on the particular nucleotide and inhibitor) less efficient incorporation (based on kcat/Km) of these NRTIs under this condition compared to incorporation of natural dNTPs. In contrast, EFdATP was incorporated with an efficiency similar to that of its analogue dATP at low Mg2+ concentrations. Unlike NRTIs, NNRTIs (nevirapine, efavirenz, and rilviripine), were approximately 4-fold (based on IC50 values) more effective at low than at high Mg2+ concentrations. Drug-resistant HIV-1 RT mutants also displayed the Mg2+-dependent difference in susceptibility to NRTIs and NNRTIs. In summary, analyzing the efficiency of inhibitors under more physiologically relevant low-Mg2+ conditions yielded results dramatically different from those from measurements using commonly employed high-Mg2+ in vitro conditions. These results also emphasize differences in Mg2+ sensitivity between the translocation inhibitor EFdATP and other NRTIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasudevan Achuthan
- Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.,Maryland Pathogen Research Institute , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Kamlendra Singh
- Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri , Columbia, Missouri 65211, United States.,Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri School of Medicine , Columbia, Missouri 65211, United States
| | - Jeffrey J DeStefano
- Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.,Maryland Pathogen Research Institute , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
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71
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Li A, Gong S, Johnson KA. Rate-limiting Pyrophosphate Release by HIV Reverse Transcriptase Improves Fidelity. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:26554-26565. [PMID: 27777304 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.753152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous measurements of the rates of polymerization and pyrophosphate release with DNA templates showed that pyrophosphate (PPi) dissociation was fast after nucleotide incorporation so that it did not contribute to enzyme specificity (kcat/Km). Here, kinetic parameters governing nucleotide incorporation and PPi release were determined using an RNA template. Compared with a DNA template of the same sequence, the rate of chemistry increased by up to 10-fold (250 versus 24 s-1), whereas the rate of PPi release decreased to approximately 58 s-1 so that PPi release became the rate-limiting step. During processive nucleotide incorporation, the first nucleotide (TTP) was incorporated at a fast rate (152 s-1), whereas the rates of incorporation of remaining nucleotides (CGTCG) were much slower with an average rate of 24 s-1, suggesting that sequential incorporation events were limited by the relatively slow PPi release step. The accompanying paper shows that slow PPi release allows polymerization and RNase H to occur at comparable rates. Although PPi release is the rate-determining step, it is not the specificity-determining step for correct incorporation based on our current estimates of the rate of reversal of the chemistry step (3 s-1). In contrast, during misincorporation, PPi release became extremely slow, which we estimated to be ∼0.002 s-1 These studies establish the mechanistic basis for DNA polymerase fidelity during reverse transcription and provide a free energy profile. We correct previous underestimates of discrimination by including the slow PPi release step. Our current estimate of 2.4 × 106 is >20-fold greater than estimated previously.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Li
- From the University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Shanzhong Gong
- From the University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Kenneth A Johnson
- From the University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Austin, Texas 78712
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72
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Abstract
Extracting kinetic parameters from DNA polymerase-catalyzed processive polymerization data using traditional initial-rate analysis has proven to be problematic for multiple reasons. The first substrate, DNA template, is a heterogeneous polymer and binds tightly to DNA polymerase. Further, the affinity and speed of incorporation of the second substrate, deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP), vary greatly depending on the nature of the templating base and surrounding sequence. Here, we present a mathematical model consisting of the DNA template-binding step and a Michaelis-Menten-type nucleotide incorporation step acting on a DNA template with a finite length. The model was numerically integrated and globally fitted to experimental reaction time courses. The time courses were determined by monitoring the processive synthesis of oligonucleotides of lengths between 50 and 120 nucleotides by DNA polymerase I (Klenow fragment exo-) using the fluorophore PicoGreen. For processive polymerization, we were able to estimate an enzyme-template association rate k1 of 7.4 μM-1 s-1, a disassociation rate k-1 of 0.07 s-1, and a Kd of 10 nM, and the steady-state parameters for correct dNTP incorporation give kcat values of 2.5-3.3 s-1 and Km values of 0.51-0.86 μM. From the analysis of time courses measured between 5 and 25 °C, an activation energy for kcat of 82 kJ mol-1 was calculated, and it was found that up to 73% of Klenow fragment becomes inactivated or involved in unproductive binding at lower temperatures. Finally, a solvent deuterium kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of 3.0-3.2 was observed under processive synthesis conditions, which suggests that either the intrinsic KIE is unusually high, at least 30-40, or previous findings, showing that the phosphoryl transfer step occurs rapidly and is flanked by two slow conformational changes, need to be re-evaluated. We suggest that the numerical integration of rate equations provides a high level of flexibility and generally produces superior results compared to those of initial-rate analysis in the study of DNA polymerase kinetics and, by extension, other complex enzyme systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius Rentergent
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester , Manchester M1 7DN, U.K
| | - Max D Driscoll
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester , Manchester M1 7DN, U.K
| | - Sam Hay
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester , Manchester M1 7DN, U.K
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73
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Junager NPL, Kongsted J, Astakhova K. Revealing Nucleic Acid Mutations Using Förster Resonance Energy Transfer-Based Probes. SENSORS 2016; 16:s16081173. [PMID: 27472344 PMCID: PMC5017339 DOI: 10.3390/s16081173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2016] [Revised: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acid mutations are of tremendous importance in modern clinical work, biotechnology and in fundamental studies of nucleic acids. Therefore, rapid, cost-effective and reliable detection of mutations is an object of extensive research. Today, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes are among the most often used tools for the detection of nucleic acids and in particular, for the detection of mutations. However, multiple parameters must be taken into account in order to create efficient FRET probes that are sensitive to nucleic acid mutations. In this review; we focus on the design principles for such probes and available computational methods that allow for their rational design. Applications of advanced, rationally designed FRET probes range from new insights into cellular heterogeneity to gaining new knowledge of nucleic acid structures directly in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina P L Junager
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
| | - Jacob Kongsted
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
| | - Kira Astakhova
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
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74
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Peschke M, Haslinger K, Brieke C, Reinstein J, Cryle MJ. Regulation of the P450 Oxygenation Cascade Involved in Glycopeptide Antibiotic Biosynthesis. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:6746-53. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b00307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Peschke
- Department
of Biomolecular Mechanisms, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kristina Haslinger
- Department
of Biomolecular Mechanisms, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Clara Brieke
- Department
of Biomolecular Mechanisms, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jochen Reinstein
- Department
of Biomolecular Mechanisms, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Max J. Cryle
- Department
of Biomolecular Mechanisms, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- EMBL
Australia, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- The
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and ARC Centre of
Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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75
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Finka A, Mattoo RUH, Goloubinoff P. Experimental Milestones in the Discovery of Molecular Chaperones as Polypeptide Unfolding Enzymes. Annu Rev Biochem 2016; 85:715-42. [PMID: 27050154 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-060815-014124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Molecular chaperones control the cellular folding, assembly, unfolding, disassembly, translocation, activation, inactivation, disaggregation, and degradation of proteins. In 1989, groundbreaking experiments demonstrated that a purified chaperone can bind and prevent the aggregation of artificially unfolded polypeptides and use ATP to dissociate and convert them into native proteins. A decade later, other chaperones were shown to use ATP hydrolysis to unfold and solubilize stable protein aggregates, leading to their native refolding. Presently, the main conserved chaperone families Hsp70, Hsp104, Hsp90, Hsp60, and small heat-shock proteins (sHsps) apparently act as unfolding nanomachines capable of converting functional alternatively folded or toxic misfolded polypeptides into harmless protease-degradable or biologically active native proteins. Being unfoldases, the chaperones can proofread three-dimensional protein structures and thus control protein quality in the cell. Understanding the mechanisms of the cellular unfoldases is central to the design of new therapies against aging, degenerative protein conformational diseases, and specific cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrija Finka
- Laboratory of Biophysical Statistics, School of Basic Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rayees U H Mattoo
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305;
| | - Pierre Goloubinoff
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland;
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76
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Dahl JM, Lieberman KR, Wang H. Modulation of DNA Polymerase Noncovalent Kinetic Transitions by Divalent Cations. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:6456-70. [PMID: 26797125 PMCID: PMC4813572 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.701797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Revised: 01/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Replicative DNA polymerases (DNAPs) require divalent metal cations for phosphodiester bond formation in the polymerase site and for hydrolytic editing in the exonuclease site. Me(2+) ions are intimate architectural components of each active site, where they are coordinated by a conserved set of amino acids and functional groups of the reaction substrates. Therefore Me(2+) ions can influence the noncovalent transitions that occur during each nucleotide addition cycle. Using a nanopore, transitions in individual Φ29 DNAP complexes are resolved with single-nucleotide spatial precision and sub-millisecond temporal resolution. We studied Mg(2+) and Mn(2+), which support catalysis, and Ca(2+), which supports deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) binding but not catalysis. We examined their effects on translocation, dNTP binding, and primer strand transfer between the polymerase and exonuclease sites. All three metals cause a concentration-dependent shift in the translocation equilibrium, predominantly by decreasing the forward translocation rate. Me(2+) also promotes an increase in the backward translocation rate that is dependent upon the primer terminal 3'-OH group. Me(2+) modulates the translocation rates but not their response to force, suggesting that Me(2+) does not affect the distance to the transition state of translocation. Absent Me(2+), the primer strand transfer pathway between the polymerase and exonuclease sites displays additional kinetic states not observed at >1 mm Me(2+). Complementary dNTP binding is affected by Me(2+) identity, with Ca(2+) affording the highest affinity, followed by Mn(2+), and then Mg(2+). Both Ca(2+) and Mn(2+) substantially decrease the dNTP dissociation rate relative to Mg(2+), while Ca(2+) also increases the dNTP association rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Dahl
- From the Departments of Biomolecular Engineering and
| | | | - Hongyun Wang
- Applied Mathematics and Statistics, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064
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77
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Liu MS, Tsai HY, Liu XX, Ho MC, Wu WJ, Tsai MD. Structural Mechanism for the Fidelity Modulation of DNA Polymerase λ. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:2389-98. [PMID: 26836966 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b13368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The mechanism of DNA polymerase (pol) fidelity is of fundamental importance in chemistry and biology. While high-fidelity pols have been well studied, much less is known about how some pols achieve medium or low fidelity with functional importance. Here we examine how human DNA polymerase λ (Pol λ) achieves medium fidelity by determining 12 crystal structures and performing pre-steady-state kinetic analyses. We showed that apo-Pol λ exists in the closed conformation, unprecedentedly with a preformed MgdNTP binding pocket, and binds MgdNTP readily in the active conformation in the absence of DNA. Since prebinding of MgdNTP could lead to very low fidelity as shown previously, it is attenuated in Pol λ by a hydrophobic core including Leu431, Ile492, and the Tyr505/Phe506 motif. We then predicted and demonstrated that L431A mutation enhances MgdNTP prebinding and lowers the fidelity. We also hypothesized that the MgdNTP-prebinding ability could stabilize a mismatched ternary complex and destabilize a matched ternary complex, and provided evidence with structures in both forms. Our results demonstrate that, while high-fidelity pols follow a common paradigm, Pol λ has developed specific conformations and mechanisms for its medium fidelity. Structural comparison with other pols also suggests that different pols likely utilize different conformational changes and microscopic mechanisms to achieve their catalytic functions with varying fidelities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu-Sen Liu
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University , Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Meng-Chiao Ho
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University , Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | | | - Ming-Daw Tsai
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University , Taipei 106, Taiwan
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78
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Greenough L, Schermerhorn KM, Mazzola L, Bybee J, Rivizzigno D, Cantin E, Slatko BE, Gardner AF. Adapting capillary gel electrophoresis as a sensitive, high-throughput method to accelerate characterization of nucleic acid metabolic enzymes. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 44:e15. [PMID: 26365239 PMCID: PMC4737176 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Detailed biochemical characterization of nucleic acid enzymes is fundamental to understanding nucleic acid metabolism, genome replication and repair. We report the development of a rapid, high-throughput fluorescence capillary gel electrophoresis method as an alternative to traditional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to characterize nucleic acid metabolic enzymes. The principles of assay design described here can be applied to nearly any enzyme system that acts on a fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide substrate. Herein, we describe several assays using this core capillary gel electrophoresis methodology to accelerate study of nucleic acid enzymes. First, assays were designed to examine DNA polymerase activities including nucleotide incorporation kinetics, strand displacement synthesis and 3′-5′ exonuclease activity. Next, DNA repair activities of DNA ligase, flap endonuclease and RNase H2 were monitored. In addition, a multicolor assay that uses four different fluorescently labeled substrates in a single reaction was implemented to characterize GAN nuclease specificity. Finally, a dual-color fluorescence assay to monitor coupled enzyme reactions during Okazaki fragment maturation is described. These assays serve as a template to guide further technical development for enzyme characterization or nucleoside and non-nucleoside inhibitor screening in a high-throughput manner.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Joanna Bybee
- From New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
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79
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Miller BR, Beese LS, Parish CA, Wu EY. The Closing Mechanism of DNA Polymerase I at Atomic Resolution. Structure 2015. [PMID: 26211612 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2015.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
DNA polymerases must quickly and accurately distinguish between similar nucleic acids to form Watson-Crick base pairs and avoid DNA replication errors. Deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) binding to the DNA polymerase active site induces a large conformational change that is difficult to characterize experimentally on an atomic level. Here, we report an X-ray crystal structure of DNA polymerase I bound to DNA in the open conformation with a dNTP present in the active site. We use this structure to computationally simulate the open to closed transition of DNA polymerase in the presence of a Watson-Crick base pair. Our microsecond simulations allowed us to characterize the key steps involved in active site assembly, and propose the sequence of events involved in the prechemistry steps of DNA polymerase catalysis. They also reveal new features of the polymerase mechanism, such as a conserved histidine as a potential proton acceptor from the primer 3'-hydroxyl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bill R Miller
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, 28 Westhampton Way, Richmond, VA 23173, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Richmond, 28 Westhampton Way, Richmond, VA 23173, USA
| | - Lorena S Beese
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, 255 Nanaline H. Duke Building, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Carol A Parish
- Department of Chemistry, University of Richmond, 28 Westhampton Way, Richmond, VA 23173, USA.
| | - Eugene Y Wu
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, 28 Westhampton Way, Richmond, VA 23173, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, 255 Nanaline H. Duke Building, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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80
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Polymerase/DNA interactions and enzymatic activity: multi-parameter analysis with electro-switchable biosurfaces. Sci Rep 2015; 5:12066. [PMID: 26174478 PMCID: PMC4502528 DOI: 10.1038/srep12066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The engineering of high-performance enzymes for future sequencing and PCR technologies as well as the development of many anticancer drugs requires a detailed analysis of DNA/RNA synthesis processes. However, due to the complex molecular interplay involved, real-time methodologies have not been available to obtain comprehensive information on both binding parameters and enzymatic activities. Here we introduce a chip-based method to investigate polymerases and their interactions with nucleic acids, which employs an electrical actuation of DNA templates on microelectrodes. Two measurement modes track both the dynamics of the induced switching process and the DNA extension simultaneously to quantitate binding kinetics, dissociation constants and thermodynamic energies. The high sensitivity of the method reveals previously unidentified tight binding states for Taq and Pol I (KF) DNA polymerases. Furthermore, the incorporation of label-free nucleotides can be followed in real-time and changes in the DNA polymerase conformation (finger closing) during enzymatic activity are observable.
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81
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Schermerhorn KM, Gardner AF. Pre-steady-state Kinetic Analysis of a Family D DNA Polymerase from Thermococcus sp. 9°N Reveals Mechanisms for Archaeal Genomic Replication and Maintenance. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:21800-10. [PMID: 26160179 PMCID: PMC4571936 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.662841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Family D DNA polymerases (polDs) have been implicated as the major replicative polymerase in archaea, excluding the Crenarchaeota branch, and bear little sequence homology to other DNA polymerase families. Here we report a detailed kinetic analysis of nucleotide incorporation and exonuclease activity for a Family D DNA polymerase from Thermococcus sp. 9°N. Pre-steady-state single-turnover nucleotide incorporation assays were performed to obtain the kinetic parameters, kpol and Kd, for correct nucleotide incorporation, incorrect nucleotide incorporation, and ribonucleotide incorporation by exonuclease-deficient polD. Correct nucleotide incorporation kinetics revealed a relatively slow maximal rate of polymerization (kpol ∼ 2.5 s(-1)) and especially tight nucleotide binding (Kd (dNTP) ∼ 1.7 μm), compared with DNA polymerases from Families A, B, C, X, and Y. Furthermore, pre-steady-state nucleotide incorporation assays revealed that polD prevents the incorporation of incorrect nucleotides and ribonucleotides primarily through reduced nucleotide binding affinity. Pre-steady-state single-turnover assays on wild-type 9°N polD were used to examine 3'-5' exonuclease hydrolysis activity in the presence of Mg(2+) and Mn(2+). Interestingly, substituting Mn(2+) for Mg(2+) accelerated hydrolysis rates > 40-fold (kexo ≥ 110 s(-1) versus ≥ 2.5 s(-1)). Preference for Mn(2+) over Mg(2+) in exonuclease hydrolysis activity is a property unique to the polD family. The kinetic assays performed in this work provide critical insight into the mechanisms that polD employs to accurately and efficiently replicate the archaeal genome. Furthermore, despite the unique properties of polD, this work suggests that a conserved polymerase kinetic pathway is present in all known DNA polymerase families.
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82
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Błażej P, Miasojedow B, Grabińska M, Mackiewicz P. Optimization of Mutation Pressure in Relation to Properties of Protein-Coding Sequences in Bacterial Genomes. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0130411. [PMID: 26121655 PMCID: PMC4488281 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Most mutations are deleterious and require energetically costly repairs. Therefore, it seems that any minimization of mutation rate is beneficial. On the other hand, mutations generate genetic diversity indispensable for evolution and adaptation of organisms to changing environmental conditions. Thus, it is expected that a spontaneous mutational pressure should be an optimal compromise between these two extremes. In order to study the optimization of the pressure, we compared mutational transition probability matrices from bacterial genomes with artificial matrices fulfilling the same general features as the real ones, e.g., the stationary distribution and the speed of convergence to the stationarity. The artificial matrices were optimized on real protein-coding sequences based on Evolutionary Strategies approach to minimize or maximize the probability of non-synonymous substitutions and costs of amino acid replacements depending on their physicochemical properties. The results show that the empirical matrices have a tendency to minimize the effects of mutations rather than maximize their costs on the amino acid level. They were also similar to the optimized artificial matrices in the nucleotide substitution pattern, especially the high transitions/transversions ratio. We observed no substantial differences between the effects of mutational matrices on protein-coding sequences in genomes under study in respect of differently replicated DNA strands, mutational cost types and properties of the referenced artificial matrices. The findings indicate that the empirical mutational matrices are rather adapted to minimize mutational costs in the studied organisms in comparison to other matrices with similar mathematical constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Błażej
- Department of Genomics, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Błażej Miasojedow
- Section of Mathematical Statistics, The Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, University of Warsaw, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Grabińska
- Department of Genomics, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Paweł Mackiewicz
- Department of Genomics, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
- * E-mail:
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83
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Walsh MT, Roller EE, Ko KS, Huang X. Measurement of DNA Polymerase Incorporation Kinetics of Dye-Labeled Nucleotides Using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy. Biochemistry 2015; 54:4019-21. [PMID: 26096371 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.5b00269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We report a method for the rapid and automated measurements of the incorporation kinetics of fluorescent dye-labeled nucleotides by DNA polymerases without using stopped-flow and quench-flow methods. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy is used to monitor the incorporation of fluorescently labeled nucleotides by DNA polymerase into surface-bound primed DNA templates, and a microfluidic system is used to perform the reactions. We successfully demonstrated the method using Bst DNA polymerase and a set of coumarin-labeled nucleotides. Our method allows the rapid acquisition of polymerase kinetics for implementing and improving DNA sequencing technologies that rely on labeled nucleotides and DNA polymerases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Walsh
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0412, United States
| | - Eric E Roller
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0412, United States
| | - Kwang-Seuk Ko
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0412, United States
| | - Xiaohua Huang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0412, United States
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84
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Alternative divalent cations (Zn²⁺, Co²⁺, and Mn²⁺) are not mutagenic at conditions optimal for HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity. BMC BIOCHEMISTRY 2015; 16:12. [PMID: 25934642 PMCID: PMC4472245 DOI: 10.1186/s12858-015-0041-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fidelity of DNA polymerases can be influenced by cation co-factors. Physiologically, Mg(2+) is used as a co-factor by HIV reverse transcriptase (RT) to perform catalysis; however, alternative cations including Mn(2+), Co(2+), and Zn(2+) can also support catalysis. Although Zn(2+) supports DNA synthesis, it inhibits HIV RT by significantly modifying RT catalysis. Zn(2+) is currently being investigated as a component of novel treatment options against HIV and we wanted to investigate the fidelity of RT with Zn(2+). METHODS We used PCR-based and plasmid-based alpha complementation assays as well as steady-state misinsertion and misincorporation assays to examine the fidelity of RT with Mn(2+), Co(2+), and Zn(2+). RESULTS The fidelity of DNA synthesis by HIV-1 RT was approximately 2.5 fold greater in Zn(2+) when compared to Mg(2+) at cation conditions optimized for nucleotide catalysis. Consistent with this, RT extended primers with mismatched 3' nucleotides poorly and inserted incorrect nucleotides less efficiently using Zn(2+) than Mg(2+). In agreement with previous literature, we observed that Mn(2+) and Co(2+) dramatically decreased the fidelity of RT at highly elevated concentrations (6 mM). However, surprisingly, the fidelity of HIV RT with Mn(2+) and Co(2+) remained similar to Mg(2+) at lower concentrations that are optimal for catalysis. CONCLUSION This study shows that Zn(2+), at optimal extension conditions, increases the fidelity of HIV-1 RT and challenges the notion that alternative cations capable of supporting polymerase catalysis are inherently mutagenic.
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85
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Xia S, Konigsberg WH. Mispairs with Watson-Crick base-pair geometry observed in ternary complexes of an RB69 DNA polymerase variant. Protein Sci 2015; 23:508-13. [PMID: 24458997 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent structures of DNA polymerase complexes with dGMPCPP/dT and dCTP/dA mispairs at the insertion site have shown that they adopt Watson-Crick geometry in the presence of Mn(2+) indicating that the tautomeric or ionization state of the base has changed. To see whether the tautomeric or ionization state of base-pair could be affected by its microenvironment, we determined 10 structures of an RB69 DNA polymerase quadruple mutant with dG/dT or dT/dG mispairs at position n-1 to n-5 of the Primer/Template duplex. Different shapes of the mispairs, including Watson-Crick geometry, have been observed, strongly suggesting that the local environment of base-pairs plays an important role in their tautomeric or ionization states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangluo Xia
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520-8114
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86
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Abstract
Eukaryotic cells employ at least three nuclear, DNA-dependent RNA polymerase systems for the synthesis of cellular RNA. RNA polymerases I, II, and III primarily produce rRNA, mRNA, and tRNA, respectively. In a rapidly growing cell, most RNA synthesis is devoted to production of the translation machinery, with rRNA synthesis by RNA polymerase I representing more than half of total cellular transcription. The fundamental connection between ribosome biogenesis and cell growth is clear; furthermore, recent studies have identified transcription by RNA polymerase I as a key target for anticancer chemotherapy. Thus, efficient methods for characterizing transcription of the ribosomal DNA and its regulation are needed. In order to describe enzymatic features of an enzyme, in vitro assays are critical. Here we describe a method for purifying RNA polymerase I. This approach yields enzyme of sufficiently high quantity and activity for an array of experiments directed at describing the enzymatic properties of RNA polymerase I in detail.
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87
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Ganai RA, Osterman P, Johansson E. Yeast DNA polymerase ϵ catalytic core and holoenzyme have comparable catalytic rates. J Biol Chem 2014; 290:3825-35. [PMID: 25538242 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.615278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The holoenzyme of yeast DNA polymerase ϵ (Pol ϵ) consists of four subunits: Pol2, Dpb2, Dpb3, and Dpb4. A protease-sensitive site results in an N-terminal proteolytic fragment of Pol2, called Pol2core, that consists of the catalytic core of Pol ϵ and retains both polymerase and exonuclease activities. Pre-steady-state kinetics showed that the exonuclease rates on single-stranded, double-stranded, and mismatched DNA were comparable between Pol ϵ and Pol2core. Single-turnover pre-steady-state kinetics also showed that the kpol of Pol ϵ and Pol2core were comparable when preloading the polymerase onto the primer-template before adding Mg(2+) and dTTP. However, a global fit of the data over six sequential nucleotide incorporations revealed that the overall polymerization rate and processivity were higher for Pol ϵ than for Pol2core. The largest difference between Pol ϵ and Pol2core was observed when challenged for the formation of a ternary complex and incorporation of the first nucleotide. Pol ϵ needed less than 1 s to incorporate a nucleotide, but several seconds passed before Pol2core incorporated detectable levels of the first nucleotide. We conclude that the accessory subunits and the C terminus of Pol2 do not influence the catalytic rate of Pol ϵ but facilitate the loading and incorporation of the first nucleotide by Pol ϵ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rais A Ganai
- From the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Pia Osterman
- From the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Erik Johansson
- From the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
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88
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Moustafa IM, Korboukh VK, Arnold JJ, Smidansky ED, Marcotte LL, Gohara DW, Yang X, Sánchez-Farrán MA, Filman D, Maranas JK, Boehr DD, Hogle JM, Colina CM, Cameron CE. Structural dynamics as a contributor to error-prone replication by an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:36229-48. [PMID: 25378410 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.616193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA viruses encoding high- or low-fidelity RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) are attenuated. The ability to predict residues of the RdRp required for faithful incorporation of nucleotides represents an essential step in any pipeline intended to exploit perturbed fidelity as the basis for rational design of vaccine candidates. We used x-ray crystallography, molecular dynamics simulations, NMR spectroscopy, and pre-steady-state kinetics to compare a mutator (H273R) RdRp from poliovirus to the wild-type (WT) enzyme. We show that the nucleotide-binding site toggles between the nucleotide binding-occluded and nucleotide binding-competent states. The conformational dynamics between these states were enhanced by binding to primed template RNA. For the WT, the occluded conformation was favored; for H273R, the competent conformation was favored. The resonance for Met-187 in our NMR spectra reported on the ability of the enzyme to check the correctness of the bound nucleotide. Kinetic experiments were consistent with the conformational dynamics contributing to the established pre-incorporation conformational change and fidelity checkpoint. For H273R, residues comprising the active site spent more time in the catalytically competent conformation and were more positively correlated than the WT. We propose that by linking the equilibrium between the binding-occluded and binding-competent conformations of the nucleotide-binding pocket and other active-site dynamics to the correctness of the bound nucleotide, faithful nucleotide incorporation is achieved. These studies underscore the need to apply multiple biophysical and biochemical approaches to the elucidation of the physical basis for polymerase fidelity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jamie J Arnold
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
| | | | - Laura L Marcotte
- the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - David W Gohara
- the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | | | | | - David Filman
- the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | | | | | - James M Hogle
- the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Coray M Colina
- the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 and
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89
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Achuthan V, Keith BJ, Connolly BA, DeStefano JJ. Human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase displays dramatically higher fidelity under physiological magnesium conditions in vitro. J Virol 2014; 88:8514-27. [PMID: 24850729 PMCID: PMC4135932 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00752-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The fidelity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase (RT) has been a subject of intensive investigation. The mutation frequencies for the purified enzyme in vitro vary widely but are typically in the 10(-4) range (per nucleotide addition), making the enzyme severalfold less accurate than most polymerases, including other RTs. This has often been cited as a factor in HIV's accelerated generation of genetic diversity. However, cellular experiments suggest that HIV does not have significantly lower fidelity than other retroviruses and shows a mutation frequency in the 10(-5) range. In this report, we reconcile, at least in part, these discrepancies by showing that HIV RT fidelity in vitro is in the same range as cellular results from experiments conducted with physiological (for lymphocytes) concentrations of free Mg(2+) (~0.25 mM) and is comparable to Moloney murine leukemia virus (MuLV) RT fidelity. The physiological conditions produced mutation rates that were 5 to 10 times lower than those obtained under typically employed in vitro conditions optimized for RT activity (5 to 10 mM Mg(2+)). These results were consistent in both commonly used lacZα complementation and steady-state fidelity assays. Interestingly, although HIV RT showed severalfold-lower fidelity under high-Mg(2+) (6 mM) conditions, MuLV RT fidelity was insensitive to Mg(2+). Overall, the results indicate that the fidelity of HIV replication in cells is compatible with findings of experiments carried out in vitro with purified HIV RT, providing more physiological conditions are used. IMPORTANCE Human immunodeficiency virus rapidly evolves through the generation and subsequent selection of mutants that can circumvent the immune response and escape drug therapy. This process is fueled, in part, by the presumably highly error-prone HIV polymerase reverse transcriptase (RT). Paradoxically, results of studies examining HIV replication in cells indicate an error frequency that is ~10 times lower than the rate for RT in the test tube, which invokes the possibility of factors that make RT more accurate in cells. This study brings the cellular and test tube results in closer agreement by showing that HIV RT is not more error prone than other RTs and, when assayed under physiological magnesium conditions, has a much lower error rate than in typical assays conducted using conditions optimized for enzyme activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasudevan Achuthan
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Brian J Keith
- Institute of Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Bernard A Connolly
- Institute of Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Jeffrey J DeStefano
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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90
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Cvetesic N, Palencia A, Halasz I, Cusack S, Gruic-Sovulj I. The physiological target for LeuRS translational quality control is norvaline. EMBO J 2014; 33:1639-53. [PMID: 24935946 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201488199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The fidelity of protein synthesis depends on the capacity of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs) to couple only cognate amino acid-tRNA pairs. If amino acid selectivity is compromised, fidelity can be ensured by an inherent AARS editing activity that hydrolyses mischarged tRNAs. Here, we show that the editing activity of Escherichia coli leucyl-tRNA synthetase (EcLeuRS) is not required to prevent incorrect isoleucine incorporation. Rather, as shown by kinetic, structural and in vivo approaches, the prime biological function of LeuRS editing is to prevent mis-incorporation of the non-standard amino acid norvaline. This conclusion follows from a reassessment of the discriminatory power of LeuRS against isoleucine and the demonstration that a LeuRS editing-deficient E. coli strain grows normally in high concentrations of isoleucine but not under oxygen deprivation conditions when norvaline accumulates to substantial levels. Thus, AARS-based translational quality control is a key feature for bacterial adaptive response to oxygen deprivation. The non-essential role for editing under normal bacterial growth has important implications for the development of resistance to antimicrobial agents targeting the LeuRS editing site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nevena Cvetesic
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Andrés Palencia
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation and Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, University of Grenoble Alpes-EMBL-CNRS UMI 3265, France
| | | | - Stephen Cusack
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation and Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, University of Grenoble Alpes-EMBL-CNRS UMI 3265, France
| | - Ita Gruic-Sovulj
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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91
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Lieberman KR, Dahl JM, Wang H. Kinetic mechanism at the branchpoint between the DNA synthesis and editing pathways in individual DNA polymerase complexes. J Am Chem Soc 2014; 136:7117-31. [PMID: 24761828 PMCID: PMC4046759 DOI: 10.1021/ja5026408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Exonucleolytic editing of incorrectly incorporated nucleotides by replicative DNA polymerases (DNAPs) plays an essential role in the fidelity of DNA replication. Editing requires that the primer strand of the DNA substrate be transferred between the DNAP polymerase and exonuclease sites, separated by a distance that is typically on the order of ~30 Å. Dynamic transitions between functional states can be quantified with single-nucleotide spatial precision and submillisecond temporal resolution from ionic current time traces recorded when individual DNAP complexes are held atop a nanoscale pore in an electric field. In this study, we have exploited this capability to determine the kinetic relationship between the translocation step and primer strand transfer between the polymerase and exonuclease sites in complexes formed between the replicative DNAP from bacteriophage Φ29 and DNA. We demonstrate that the pathway for primer strand transfer from the polymerase to exonuclease site initiates prior to the translocation step, while complexes are in the pre-translocation state. We developed a mathematical method to determine simultaneously the forward and reverse translocation rates and the rates of primer strand transfer in both directions between the polymerase and the exonuclease sites, and we have applied it to determine these rates for Φ29 DNAP complexes formed with a DNA substrate bearing a fully complementary primer-template duplex. This work provides a framework that will be extended to determine the kinetic mechanisms by which incorporation of noncomplementary nucleotides promotes primer strand transfer from the polymerase site to the exonuclease site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate R Lieberman
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, ‡Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Baskin School of Engineering, University of California , Santa Cruz, California 95064, United States
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92
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Abstract
![]()
This review will summarize our structural
and kinetic studies of
RB69 DNA polymerase (RB69pol) as well as selected variants of the
wild-type enzyme that were undertaken to obtain a deeper understanding
of the exquisitely high fidelity of B family replicative DNA polymerases.
We discuss how the structures of the various RB69pol ternary complexes
can be used to rationalize the results obtained from pre-steady-state
kinetic assays. Our main findings can be summarized as follows. (i)
Interbase hydrogen bond interactions can increase catalytic efficiency
by 5000-fold; meanwhile, base selectivity is not solely determined
by the number of hydrogen bonds between the incoming dNTP and the
templating base. (ii) Minor-groove hydrogen bond interactions at positions n – 1 and n – 2 of the primer
strand and position n – 1 of the template
strand in RB69pol ternary complexes are essential for efficient primer
extension and base selectivity. (iii) Partial charge interactions
among the incoming dNTP, the penultimate base pair, and the hydration
shell surrounding the incoming dNTP modulate nucleotide insertion
efficiency and base selectivity. (iv) Steric clashes between mismatched
incoming dNTPs and templating bases with amino acid side chains in
the nascent base pair binding pocket (NBP) as well as weak interactions
and large gaps between the incoming dNTPs and the templating base
are some of the reasons that incorrect dNTPs are incorporated so inefficiently
by wild-type RB69pol. In addition, we developed a tC°–tCnitro Förster resonance energy transfer assay to monitor
partitioning of the primer terminus between the polymerase and exonuclease
subdomains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangluo Xia
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University , New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8024, United States
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93
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Wu WJ, Su MI, Wu JL, Kumar S, Lim LH, Wang CWE, Nelissen FHT, Chen MCC, Doreleijers JF, Wijmenga SS, Tsai MD. How a low-fidelity DNA polymerase chooses non-Watson-Crick from Watson-Crick incorporation. J Am Chem Soc 2014; 136:4927-37. [PMID: 24617852 DOI: 10.1021/ja4102375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A dogma for DNA polymerase catalysis is that the enzyme binds DNA first, followed by MgdNTP. This mechanism contributes to the selection of correct dNTP by Watson-Crick base pairing, but it cannot explain how low-fidelity DNA polymerases overcome Watson-Crick base pairing to catalyze non-Watson-Crick dNTP incorporation. DNA polymerase X from the deadly African swine fever virus (Pol X) is a half-sized repair polymerase that catalyzes efficient dG:dGTP incorporation in addition to correct repair. Here we report the use of solution structures of Pol X in the free, binary (Pol X:MgdGTP), and ternary (Pol X:DNA:MgdGTP with dG:dGTP non-Watson-Crick pairing) forms, along with functional analyses, to show that Pol X uses multiple unprecedented strategies to achieve the mutagenic dG:dGTP incorporation. Unlike high fidelity polymerases, Pol X can prebind purine MgdNTP tightly and undergo a specific conformational change in the absence of DNA. The prebound MgdGTP assumes an unusual syn conformation stabilized by partial ring stacking with His115. Upon binding of a gapped DNA, also with a unique mechanism involving primarily helix αE, the prebound syn-dGTP forms a Hoogsteen base pair with the template anti-dG. Interestingly, while Pol X prebinds MgdCTP weakly, the correct dG:dCTP ternary complex is readily formed in the presence of DNA. H115A mutation disrupted MgdGTP binding and dG:dGTP ternary complex formation but not dG:dCTP ternary complex formation. The results demonstrate the first solution structural view of DNA polymerase catalysis, a unique DNA binding mode, and a novel mechanism for non-Watson-Crick incorporation by a low-fidelity DNA polymerase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jin Wu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, and ‡Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica , 128 Academia Road Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
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94
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Wang B, Feig M, Cukier RI, Burton ZF. Computational simulation strategies for analysis of multisubunit RNA polymerases. Chem Rev 2013; 113:8546-66. [PMID: 23987500 PMCID: PMC3829680 DOI: 10.1021/cr400046x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Wang
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1319, United States
| | - Michael Feig
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1319, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Robert I. Cukier
- Department
of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Zachary F. Burton
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1319, United States
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95
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Wingert BM, Parrott EE, Nelson SW. Fidelity, mismatch extension, and proofreading activity of the Plasmodium falciparum apicoplast DNA polymerase. Biochemistry 2013; 52:7723-30. [PMID: 24147857 DOI: 10.1021/bi400708m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum, a parasitic organism and one of the causative agents of malaria, contains an unusual organelle called the apicoplast. The apicoplast is a nonphotosynthetic plastid responsible for supplying the parasite with isoprenoid units and is therefore indispensable. Like mitochondria and the chloroplast, the apicoplast contains its own genome and harbors the enzymes responsible for its replication. In this report, we determine the relative probabilities of nucleotide misincorporation by the apicoplast polymerase (apPOL), examine the kinetics and sequence dependence of mismatch extension, and determine the rates of mismatch removal by the 3' to 5' proofreading activity of the DNA polymerase. While the intrinsic polymerase fidelity varies by >50-fold for the 12 possible nucleotide misincorporations, the most dominant selection step for overall polymerase fidelity is conducted at the level of mismatch extension, which varies by >350-fold. The efficiency of mismatch extension depends on both the nature of the DNA mismatch and the templating base. The proofreading activity of the 12 possible mismatches varies <3-fold. The data for these three determinants of polymerase-induced mutations indicate that the overall mutation frequency of apPOL is highly dependent on both the intrinsic fidelity of the polymerase and the identity of the template surrounding the potential mismatch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bentley M Wingert
- Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University , Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
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96
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Sharma AK, Chowdhury D. First-passage problems in DNA replication: effects of template tension on stepping and exonuclease activities of a DNA polymerase motor. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2013; 25:374105. [PMID: 23945294 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/25/37/374105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
A DNA polymerase (DNAP) replicates a template DNA strand. It also exploits the template as the track for its own motor-like mechanical movement. In the polymerase mode it elongates the nascent DNA by one nucleotide in each step. However, whenever it commits an error by misincorporating an incorrect nucleotide, it can switch to an exonuclease mode. In the latter mode it excises the wrong nucleotide before switching back to its polymerase mode. We develop a stochastic kinetic model of DNA replication that mimics an in vitro experiment where single-stranded DNA, subjected to a mechanical tension F, is converted to double-stranded DNA by a single DNAP. The F-dependence of the average rate of replication, which depends on the rates of both polymerase and exonuclease activities of the DNAP, is in good qualitative agreement with the corresponding experimental results. We introduce nine novel distinct conditional dwell times of a DNAP. Using the method of first-passage times, we also derive the exact analytical expressions for the probability distributions of these conditional dwell times. The predicted F-dependences of these distributions are, in principle, accessible to single-molecule experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajeet K Sharma
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, 208016, India
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97
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Martin MJ, Garcia-Ortiz MV, Gomez-Bedoya A, Esteban V, Guerra S, Blanco L. A specific N-terminal extension of the 8 kDa domain is required for DNA end-bridging by human Polμ and Polλ. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:9105-16. [PMID: 23935073 PMCID: PMC3799444 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Human DNA polymerases mu (Polµ) and lambda (Polλ) are X family members involved in the repair of double-strand breaks in DNA during non-homologous end joining. Crucial abilities of these enzymes include bridging of the two 3′ single-stranded overhangs and trans-polymerization using one 3′ end as primer and the other as template, to minimize sequence loss. In this context, we have studied the importance of a previously uncharacterised sequence (‘brooch’), located at the N-terminal boundary of the Polß-like polymerase core, and formed by Tyr141, Ala142, Cys143, Gln144 and Arg145 in Polµ, and by Trp239, Val240, Cys241, Ala242 and Gln243 in Polλ. The brooch is potentially implicated in the maintenance of a closed conformation throughout the catalytic cycle, and our studies indicate that it could be a target of Cdk phosphorylation in Polµ. The brooch is irrelevant for 1 nt gap filling, but of specific importance during end joining: single mutations in the conserved residues reduced the formation of two ended synapses and strongly diminished the ability of Polµ and polymerase lambda to perform non-homologous end joining reactions in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Jose Martin
- Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain
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Lahiri I, Mukherjee P, Pata JD. Kinetic characterization of exonuclease-deficient Staphylococcus aureus PolC, a C-family replicative DNA polymerase. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63489. [PMID: 23696828 PMCID: PMC3656037 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2013] [Accepted: 04/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
PolC is the C-family replicative polymerase in low G+C content Gram-positive bacteria. To date several structures of C-family polymerases have been reported, including a high resolution crystal structure of a ternary complex of PolC with DNA and incoming deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP). However, kinetic information needed to understand the enzymatic mechanism of C-family polymerases is limited. For this study we have performed a detailed steady-state and pre-steady-state kinetic characterization of correct dNTP incorporation by PolC from the Gram-positive pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, using a construct lacking both the non-conserved N-terminal domain and the 3′–5′ exonuclease domain (Sau-PolC-ΔNΔExo). We find that Sau-PolC-ΔNΔExo has a very fast catalytic rate (kpol 330 s−1) but also dissociates from DNA rapidly (koff ∼150 s−1), which explains the low processivity of PolC in the absence of sliding clamp processivity factor. Although Sau-PolC-ΔNΔExo follows the overall enzymatic pathway defined for other polymerases, some significant differences exist. The most striking feature is that the nucleotidyl transfer reaction for Sau-PolC-ΔNΔExo is reversible and is in equilibrium with dNTP binding. Simulation of the reaction pathway suggests that rate of pyrophosphate release, or a conformational change required for pyrophosphate release, is much slower than rate of bond formation. The significance of these findings is discussed in the context of previous data showing that binding of the β-clamp processivity factor stimulates the intrinsic nucleotide incorporation rate of the C-family polymerases, in addition to increasing processivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrajit Lahiri
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany School of Public Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Purba Mukherjee
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany School of Public Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Janice D. Pata
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany School of Public Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Parsons JL, Nicolay NH, Sharma RA. Biological and therapeutic relevance of nonreplicative DNA polymerases to cancer. Antioxid Redox Signal 2013; 18:851-73. [PMID: 22794079 PMCID: PMC3557440 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2011.4203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Apart from surgical approaches, the treatment of cancer remains largely underpinned by radiotherapy and pharmacological agents that cause damage to cellular DNA, which ultimately causes cancer cell death. DNA polymerases, which are involved in the repair of cellular DNA damage, are therefore potential targets for inhibitors for improving the efficacy of cancer therapy. They can be divided, according to their main function, into two groups, namely replicative and nonreplicative enzymes. At least 15 different DNA polymerases, including their homologs, have been discovered to date, which vary considerably in processivity and fidelity. Many of the nonreplicative (specialized) DNA polymerases replicate DNA in an error-prone fashion, and they have been shown to participate in multiple DNA damage repair and tolerance pathways, which are often aberrant in cancer cells. Alterations in DNA repair pathways involving DNA polymerases have been linked with cancer survival and with treatment response to radiotherapy or to classes of cytotoxic drugs routinely used for cancer treatment, particularly cisplatin, oxaliplatin, etoposide, and bleomycin. Indeed, there are extensive preclinical data to suggest that DNA polymerase inhibition may prove to be a useful approach for increasing the effectiveness of therapies in patients with cancer. Furthermore, specialized DNA polymerases warrant examination of their potential use as clinical biomarkers to select for particular cancer therapies, to individualize treatment for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason L Parsons
- Cancer Research UK-Medical Research Council, Oncology Department, Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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SHARMA AJEETK, CHOWDHURY DEBASHISH. TEMPLATE-DIRECTED BIOPOLYMERIZATION: TAPE-COPYING TURING MACHINES. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1142/s1793048012300083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
DNA, RNA and proteins are among the most important macromolecules in a living cell. These molecules are polymerized by molecular machines. These natural nano-machines polymerize such macromolecules, adding one monomer at a time, using another linear polymer as the corresponding template. The machine utilizes input chemical energy to move along the template which also serves as a track for the movements of the machine. In the Alan Turing year 2012, it is worth pointing out that these machines are "tape-copying Turing machines". We review the operational mechanisms of the polymerizer machines and their collective behavior from the perspective of statistical physics, emphasizing their common features in spite of the crucial differences in their biological functions. We also draw the attention of the physics community to another class of modular machines that carry out a different type of template-directed polymerization. We hope this review will inspire new kinetic models for these modular machines.
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Affiliation(s)
- AJEET K. SHARMA
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016, India
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