Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 DNA polymerase IV (Dpo4): an archaeal DinB-like DNA polymerase with lesion-bypass properties akin to eukaryotic poleta

Mechanism of template-independent nucleotide incorporation catalyzed by a template-dependent DNA polymerase

Numerous template-dependent DNA polymerases are capable of catalyzing template-independent nucleotide additions onto blunt-end DNA. Such non-canonical activity has been hypothesized to increase the genomic hypermutability of retroviruses including human immunodeficiency viruses. Here, we employed pre-steady state kinetics and X-ray crystallography to establish a mechanism for blunt-end additions catalyzed by Sulfolobus solfataricus Dpo4. Our kinetic studies indicated that the first blunt-end dATP incorporation was 80-fold more efficient than the second, and among natural deoxynucleotides, dATP was the preferred substrate due to its stronger intrahelical base-stacking ability. Such base-stacking contributions are supported by the 41-fold higher ground-state binding affinity of a nucleotide analog, pyrene nucleoside 5'-triphosphate, which lacks hydrogen bonding ability but possesses four conjugated aromatic rings. A 2.05 A resolution structure of Dpo4*(blunt-end DNA)*ddATP revealed that the base and sugar of the incoming ddATP, respectively, stack against the 5'-base of the opposite strand and the 3'-base of the elongating strand. This unprecedented base-stacking pattern can be applied to subsequent blunt-end additions only if all incorporated dAMPs are extrahelical, leading to predominantly single non-templated dATP incorporation.

The uvrA, uvrB and uvrC genes are required for repair of ultraviolet light induced DNA photoproducts in Halobacterium sp. NRC-1

Background

Sequenced archaeal genomes contain a variety of bacterial and eukaryotic DNA repair gene homologs, but relatively little is known about how these microorganisms actually perform DNA repair. At least some archaea, including the extreme halophile Halobacterium sp. NRC-1, are able to repair ultraviolet light (UV) induced DNA damage in the absence of light-dependent photoreactivation but this 'dark' repair capacity remains largely uncharacterized. Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 possesses homologs of the bacterial uvrA, uvrB, and uvrC nucleotide excision repair genes as well as several eukaryotic repair genes and it has been thought that multiple DNA repair pathways may account for the high UV resistance and dark repair capacity of this model halophilic archaeon. We have carried out a functional analysis, measuring repair capability in uvrA, uvrB and uvrC deletion mutants.

Results

Deletion mutants lacking functional uvrA, uvrB or uvrC genes, including a uvrA uvrC double mutant, are hypersensitive to UV and are unable to remove cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers or 6–4 photoproducts from their DNA after irradiation with 150 J/m² of 254 nm UV-C. The UV sensitivity of the uvr mutants is greatly attenuated following incubation under visible light, emphasizing that photoreactivation is highly efficient in this organism. Phylogenetic analysis of the Halobacterium uvr genes indicates a complex ancestry.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that homologs of the bacterial nucleotide excision repair genes uvrA, uvrB, and uvrC are required for the removal of UV damage in the absence of photoreactivating light in Halobacterium sp. NRC-1. Deletion of these genes renders cells hypersensitive to UV and abolishes their ability to remove cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and 6–4 photoproducts in the absence of photoreactivating light. In spite of this inability to repair UV damaged DNA, uvrA, uvrB and uvrC deletion mutants are substantially less UV sensitive than excision repair mutants of E. coli or yeast. This may be due to efficient damage tolerance mechanisms such as recombinational lesion bypass, bypass DNA polymerase(s) and the existence of multiple genomes in Halobacterium. Phylogenetic analysis provides no clear evidence for lateral transfer of these genes from bacteria to archaea.

Mutagenic nucleotide incorporation and hindered translocation by a food carcinogen C8-dG adduct in Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 DNA polymerase IV (Dpo4): modeling and dynamics studies

Bulky carcinogen-DNA adducts commonly cause replicative polymerases to stall, leading to a switch to bypass polymerases. We have investigated nucleotide incorporation opposite the major adduct of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in the DinB family polymerase, Dpo4, using molecular modeling and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. PhIP, the most prevalent heterocyclic aromatic amine formed by cooking of proteinaceous food, is mutagenic in mammalian cells and is implicated in mammary and colon tumors. Our results show that the dG-C8-PhIP adduct can be accommodated in the spacious major groove Dpo4 open pocket, with Dpo4 capable of incorporating dCTP, dTTP or dATP opposite the adduct reasonably well. However, the PhIP ring system on the minor groove side would seriously disturb the active site, regardless of the presence and identity of dNTP. Furthermore, the simulations indicate that dATP and dTTP are better incorporated in the damaged system than in their respective mismatched but unmodified controls, suggesting that the PhIP adduct enhances incorporation of these mismatches. Finally, bulky C8-dG adducts, situated in the major groove, are likely to impede translocation in this polymerase (Rechkoblit et al. (2006), PLoS Biol., 4, e11). However, N²-dG adducts, which can reside on the minor groove side, appear to cause less hindrance when in this position.

Kinetics of error generation in homologous B-family DNA polymerases

The kinetics of forming a proper Watson-Crick base pair as well incorporating bases opposite furan, an abasic site analog, have been well characterized for the B Family replicative DNA polymerase from bacteriophage T4. Structural studies of these reactions, however, have only been performed with the homologous enzyme from bacteriophage RB69. In this work, the homologous enzymes from RB69 and T4 were compared in parallel reactions to determine the relative abilities of the two polymerases to incorporate correct nucleotides as well as to form improper pairings. The kinetic rates for three different exonuclease mutants for each enzyme were measured for incorporation of an A opposite T and an A opposite furan as well as for the formation of A:C and T:T mismatches. The T4 exonuclease mutants were all approximately 2- to 7-fold more efficient than the corresponding RB69 exonuclease mutants depending on whether a T or furan was in the templating position and which exonuclease mutant was used. The rates for mismatch formation by T4 were significantly reduced compared with incorporation opposite furan, much more so than the corresponding RB69 mutant. These results show that there are kinetic differences between the two enzymes but they are not large enough to preclude structural assumptions for T4 DNA polymerase based on the known structure of the RB69 DNA polymerase.

Stepwise translocation of Dpo4 polymerase during error-free bypass of an oxoG lesion

7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (oxoG), the predominant lesion formed following oxidative damage of DNA by reactive oxygen species, is processed differently by replicative and bypass polymerases. Our kinetic primer extension studies demonstrate that the bypass polymerase Dpo4 preferentially inserts C opposite oxoG, and also preferentially extends from the oxoG•C base pair, thus achieving error-free bypass of this lesion. We have determined the crystal structures of preinsertion binary, insertion ternary, and postinsertion binary complexes of oxoG-modified template-primer DNA and Dpo4. These structures provide insights into the translocation mechanics of the bypass polymerase during a complete cycle of nucleotide incorporation. Specifically, during noncovalent dCTP insertion opposite oxoG (or G), the little-finger domain–DNA phosphate contacts translocate by one nucleotide step, while the thumb domain–DNA phosphate contacts remain fixed. By contrast, during the nucleotidyl transfer reaction that covalently incorporates C opposite oxoG, the thumb-domain–phosphate contacts are translocated by one nucleotide step, while the little-finger contacts with phosphate groups remain fixed. These stepwise conformational transitions accompanying nucleoside triphosphate binding and covalent nucleobase incorporation during a full replication cycle of Dpo4-catalyzed bypass of the oxoG lesion are distinct from the translocation events in replicative polymerases.

Crystal structures of the bypass polymerase Dpo4 at different stages of lesion-bypass reveal how the cell copes with oxidative DNA damage.

Novel thermostable Y-family polymerases: applications for the PCR amplification of damaged or ancient DNAs

For many years, Taq polymerase has served as the stalwart enzyme in the PCR amplification of DNA. However, a major limitation of Taq is its inability to amplify damaged DNA, thereby restricting its usefulness in forensic applications. In contrast, Y-family DNA polymerases, such as Dpo4 from Sulfolobus solfataricus, can traverse a wide variety of DNA lesions. Here, we report the identification and characterization of five novel thermostable Dpo4-like enzymes from Acidianus infernus, Sulfolobus shibatae, Sulfolobus tengchongensis, Stygiolobus azoricus and Sulfurisphaera ohwakuensis, as well as two recombinant chimeras that have enhanced enzymatic properties compared with the naturally occurring polymerases. The Dpo4-like polymerases are moderately processive, can substitute for Taq in PCR and can bypass DNA lesions that normally block Taq. Such properties make the Dpo4-like enzymes ideally suited for the PCR amplification of damaged DNA samples. Indeed, by using a blend of Taq and Dpo4-like enzymes, we obtained a PCR amplicon from ultraviolet-irradiated DNA that was largely unamplifyable with Taq alone. The inclusion of thermostable Dpo4-like polymerases in PCRs, therefore, augments the recovery and analysis of lesion-containing DNA samples, such as those commonly found in forensic or ancient DNA molecular applications.

A new anti conformation for N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF-dG) allows Watson-Crick pairing in the Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 DNA polymerase IV (Dpo4)

Primer extension studies have shown that the Y-family DNA polymerase IV (Dpo4) from Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 can preferentially insert C opposite N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF-dG) [F. Boudsocq, S. Iwai, F. Hanaoka and R. Woodgate (2001) Nucleic Acids Res., 29, 4607–4616]. Our goal is to elucidate on a structural level how AAF-dG can be harbored in the Dpo4 active site opposite an incoming dCTP, using molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, since AAF-dG prefers the syn glycosidic torsion. Both anti and syn conformations of the templating AAF-dG in a Dpo4 ternary complex were investigated. All four dNTPs were studied. We found that an anti glycosidic torsion with C1′-exo deoxyribose conformation allows AAF-dG to be Watson–Crick hydrogen-bonded with dCTP with modest polymerase perturbation, but other nucleotides are more distorting. The AAF is situated in the Dpo4 major groove open pocket with fluorenyl rings 3′- and acetyl 5′-directed along the modified strand, irrespective of dNTP. With AAF-dG syn, the fluorenyl rings are in the small minor groove pocket and the active site region is highly distorted. The anti-AAF-dG conformation with C1′-exo sugar pucker can explain the preferential incorporation of dC by Dpo4. Possible relevance of our new major groove structure for AAF-dG to other polymerases, lesion repair and solution conformations are discussed.

Site specific synthesis and polymerase bypass of oligonucleotides containing a 6-hydroxy-3,5,6,7-tetrahydro-9H-imidazo[1,2-a]purin-9-one base, an intermediate in the formation of 1,N2-etheno-2'-deoxyguanosine

The reaction of DNA with certain bis-electrophiles such as chlorooxirane and chloroacetaldehyde produces etheno adducts. These lesions are highly miscoding, and some of the chemical agents that produce them have been shown to be carcinogenic in laboratory animals and in humans. An intermediate in the formation of 1,N2-ethenoguanine is 6-hydroxy-3,5,6,7-tetrahydro-9H-imidazo[1,2-a]purin-9-one (6-hydroxyethanoguanine), which undergoes conversion to the etheno adduct. The chemical properties and miscoding potential of the hydroxyethano adduct have not been previously studied. A synthesis of the hydroxyethano-adducted nucleoside was developed, and it was site specifically incorporated into oligonucleotides. This adduct had a half-life of between 24 and 48 h at neutral pH and 25 degrees C at the nucleoside and oligonucleotide levels. The miscoding potential of the hydroxyethano adduct was examined by primer extension reactions with the DNA polymerases Dpo4 and pol T7-, and the results were compared to the corresponding etheno-adducted oligonucleotide. Dpo4 preferentially incorporated dATP opposite the hydroxyethano adduct and dGTP opposite the etheno adduct; pol T7- preferentially incorporated dATP opposite the etheno adduct while dGTP and dATP were incorporated opposite the hydroxyethano adduct with nearly equal catalytic efficiencies. Collectively, these results indicate that the hydroxyethano adduct has a sufficient lifetime and miscoding properties to contribute to the mutagenic spectrum of chlorooxirane and related genotoxic species.

Frame shuffling: a novel method for in vitro protein evolution

We describe 'frame shuffling', a novel method for preparing artificial protein libraries. With this method, a Y-family DNA polymerase known to introduce frame shift mutations at high rates is utilized to scramble the reading frames of a parental gene. The resultant progeny produce mutant proteins having segmental sequence changes. Such frame-shuffled mutant proteins exhibit physicochemical properties that differ from those of proteins obtained using conventional mutagenesis.

Thermostable DNA polymerases can perform translesion synthesis using 8-oxoguanine and tetrahydrofuran-containing DNA templates

The translesion synthesis (TLS) capacity of the thermostable DNA polymerases Taq, Tte and Tte-seq utilizing a synthetic abasic site, tetrahydrofuran (THF), and an 8-oxoguanine-containing DNA template was investigated. Measurements with human DNA polymerase beta were used as a "positive control". Thermostable DNA polymerases were observed to perform TLS with different specificities on both substrates. With a THF-containing template, dGMP was preferentially inserted by all the DNA polymerases. In the presence of Mn(II) as a cofactor, all the polymerases incorporated dCMP opposite 8-oxoguanine whereas, in the presence of Mg(II) ions, dAMP was incorporated. It was found that none of the thermophilic DNA polymerases utilized dTTP with either an 8-oxoguanine or a THF-containing template. In all cases, DNA duplex containing THF as damage was processed to full length less effectively than DNA duplex containing 8-oxoguanine.

Subtle but variable conformational rearrangements in the replication cycle of Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 DNA polymerase IV (Dpo4) may accommodate lesion bypass

The possible conformational changes of DNA polymerase IV (Dpo4) before and after the nucleotidyl-transfer reaction are investigated at the atomic level by dynamics simulations to gain insight into the mechanism of low-fidelity polymerases and identify slow and possibly critical steps. The absence of significant conformational changes in Dpo4 before chemistry when the incoming nucleotide is removed supports the notion that the "induced-fit" mechanism employed to interpret fidelity in some replicative and repair DNA polymerases does not exist in Dpo4. However, significant correlated movements in the little finger and finger domains, as well as DNA sliding and subtle catalytic-residue rearrangements, occur after the chemical reaction when both active-site metal ions are released. Subsequently, Dpo4's little finger grips the DNA through two arginine residues and pushes it forward. These metal ion correlated movements may define subtle, and possibly characteristic, conformational adjustments that operate in some Y-family polymerase members in lieu of the prominent subdomain motions required for catalytic cycling in other DNA polymerases like polymerase beta. Such subtle changes do not easily provide a tight fit for correct incoming substrates as in higher-fidelity polymerases, but introduce in low-fidelity polymerases different fidelity checks as well as the variable conformational-mobility potential required to bypass different lesions.

Eukaryotic translesion synthesis DNA polymerases: specificity of structure and function

This review focuses on eukaryotic translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerases, and the emphasis is on Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human Y-family polymerases (Pols) eta, iota, kappa, and Rev1, as well as on Polzeta, which is a member of the B-family polymerases. The fidelity, mismatch extension ability, and lesion bypass efficiencies of these different polymerases are examined and evaluated in the context of their structures. One major conclusion is that, despite the overall similarity of basic structural features among the Y-family polymerases, there is a high degree of specificity in their lesion bypass properties. Some are able to bypass a particular DNA lesion, whereas others are efficient at only the insertion step or the extension step of lesion bypass. This functional divergence is related to the differences in their structures. Polzeta is a highly specialized polymerase specifically adapted for extending primer termini opposite from a diverse array of DNA lesions, and depending upon the DNA lesion, it contributes to lesion bypass in a mutagenic or in an error-free manner. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) provides the central scaffold to which TLS polymerases bind for access to the replication ensemble stalled at a lesion site, and Rad6-Rad18-dependent protein ubiquitination is important for polymerase exchange.

Accommodation of a 1S-(-)-benzo[c]phenanthrenyl-N6-dA adduct in the Y-family Dpo4 DNA polymerase active site: structural insights through molecular dynamics simulations

Molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to elucidate feasible structures in the Y-family Dpo4 DNA polymerase for the 1S-(-)-trans-anti-B[c]Ph-N6-dA adduct, derived from the fjord region polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) benzo[c]phenanthrene. Three types of models were delineated as follows: an intercalation model, a model with the aromatic ring system in the polymerase major groove open pocket, and a -1 deletion major groove model. All four 2'-deoxyribonucleoside 5'-triphosphates (dNTPs) were considered in the first two cases, and a normal Watson-Crick partner positioned to have skipped the modified template was employed as the incoming dNTP in the -1 deletion case. The trajectories derived from the dynamics simulations were analyzed in detail to evaluate the extents of distortion for each system. Overall, our results suggest that the major groove model is the least distorted, followed by the -1 deletion model, while the intercalation model is perturbed the most. The syn-dGTP and syn-dATP mismatches opposite the lesion are well-accommodated in the major groove model, as is the normal Watson-Crick partner dTTP. The intercalation model appears most likely to impede the polymerase. More broadly, these models look reasonable for other PAH metabolite-derived adducts to adenine with similar 1S stereochemistry. Furthermore, these models suggest how error-prone translesion synthesis by Y-family polymerases might produce mutations that may play a role in the initiation of cancer.

Distinct mechanisms of cis-syn thymine dimer bypass by Dpo4 and DNA polymerase eta

UV-light-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) present a severe block to synthesis by replicative DNA polymerases (Pols), whereas Poleta promotes proficient and error-free replication through CPDs. Although the archael Dpo4, which, like Poleta, belongs to the Y family of DNA Pols, can also replicate through a CPD, it is much less efficient than Poleta. The x-ray crystal structure of Dpo4 complexed with either the 3'-thymine (T) or the 5' T of a cis-syn TT dimer has indicated that, whereas the 3' T of the dimer forms a Watson-Crick base pair with the incoming dideoxy ATP, the 5' T forms a Hoogsteen base pair with the dideoxy ATP in syn conformation. Based upon these observations, a similar mechanism involving Hoogsteen base pairing of the 5' T of the dimer with the incoming A has been proposed for Poleta. Here we examine the mechanisms of CPD bypass by Dpo4 and Poleta using nucleotide analogs that specifically disrupt the Hoogsteen or Watson-Crick base pairing. Our results show that both Dpo4 and Poleta incorporate dATP opposite the 5' T of the CPD via Watson-Crick base pairing and not by Hoogsteen base pairing. Furthermore, opposite the 3' T of the dimer, the two Pols differ strikingly in the mechanisms of dATP incorporation, with Dpo4 incorporating opposite an abasic-like intermediate and Poleta using the normal Watson-Crick base pairing. These observations have important implications for the mechanisms used for the inefficient vs. efficient bypass of CPDs by DNA Pols.

Fidelity of Dpo4: effect of metal ions, nucleotide selection and pyrophosphorolysis

We report the crystal structures of a translesion DNA polymerase, Dpo4, complexed with a matched or mismatched incoming nucleotide and with a pyrophosphate product after misincorporation. These structures suggest two mechanisms by which Dpo4 may reject a wrong incoming nucleotide with its preformed and open active site. First, a mismatched replicating base pair leads to poor base stacking and alignment of the metal ions and as a consequence, inhibits incorporation. By replacing Mg2+ with Mn2+, which has a relaxed coordination requirement and tolerates misalignment, the catalytic efficiency of misincorporation increases dramatically. Mn2+ also enhances translesion synthesis by Dpo4. Subtle conformational changes that lead to the proper metal ion coordination may, therefore, be a key step in catalysis. Second, the slow release of pyrophosphate may increase the fidelity of Dpo4 by stalling mispaired primer extension and promoting pyrophosphorolysis that reverses the polymerization reaction. Indeed, Dpo4 has robust pyrophosphorolysis activity and degrades the primer strand in the presence of pyrophosphate. The correct incoming nucleotide allows DNA synthesis to overcome pyrophosphorolysis, but an incorrect incoming nucleotide does not.

UV irradiation induces homologous recombination genes in the model archaeon, Halobacterium sp. NRC-1

BACKGROUND

A variety of strategies for survival of UV irradiation are used by cells, ranging from repair of UV-damaged DNA, cell cycle arrest, tolerance of unrepaired UV photoproducts, and shielding from UV light. Some of these responses involve UV-inducible genes, including the SOS response in bacteria and an array of genes in eukaryotes. To address the mechanisms used in the third branch of life, we have studied the model archaeon, Halobacterium sp. strain NRC-1, which tolerates high levels of solar radiation in its natural hypersaline environment.

RESULTS

Cells were irradiated with 30-70 J/m(2) UV-C and an immunoassay showed that the resulting DNA damage was largely repaired within 3 hours in the dark. Under such conditions, transcriptional profiling showed the most strongly up-regulated gene was radA1, the archaeal homolog of rad51/recA, which was induced 7-fold. Additional genes involved in homologous recombination, such as arj1 (recJ-like exonuclease), dbp (eukaryote-like DNA binding protein of the superfamily I DNA and RNA helicases), and rfa3 (replication protein A complex), as well as nrdJ, encoding for cobalamin-dependent ribonucleotide reductase involved in DNA metabolism, was also significantly induced in one or more of our experimental conditions. Neither prokaryotic nor eukaryotic excision repair gene homologs were induced and there was no evidence of an SOS-like response.

CONCLUSION

These results show that homologous recombination plays an important role in the cellular response of Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 to UV damage. Homologous recombination may permit rescue of stalled replication forks, and/or facilitate recombinational repair. In either case, this provides a mechanism for the observed high-frequency recombination among natural populations of halophilic archaea.

DNA adduct bypass polymerization by Sulfolobus solfataricus DNA polymerase Dpo4: analysis and crystal structures of multiple base pair substitution and frameshift products with the adduct 1,N2-ethenoguanine

1,N(2)-Etheno(epsilon)guanine is a mutagenic DNA lesion derived from lipid oxidation products and also from some chemical carcinogens. Gel electrophoretic analysis of the products of primer extension by Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 DNA polymerase IV (Dpo4) indicated preferential incorporation of A opposite 3'-(1,N(2)-epsilon-G)TACT-5', among the four dNTPs tested individually. With the template 3'-(1,N(2)-epsilon-G)CACT-5', both G and A were incorporated. When primer extension was done in the presence of a mixture of all four dNTPs, high pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the products indicated that (opposite 3'-(1,N(2)-epsilon-G)CACT-5') the major product was 5'-GTGA-3' and the minor product was 5'-AGTGA-3'. With the template 3'-(1,N(2)-epsilon-G)TACT-5', the following four products were identified by high pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry: 5'-AATGA-3', 5'-ATTGA-3', 5'-ATGA-3', and 5'-TGA-3'. An x-ray crystal structure of Dpo4 was solved (2.1 A) with a primer-template and A placed in the primer to be opposite the 1,N(2)-epsilon-G in the template 3'-(1,N(2)-epsilon-G)TACT 5'. The added A in the primer was paired across the template T with classic Watson-Crick geometry. Similar structures were observed in a ternary Dpo4-DNA-dATP complex and a ternary Dpo4-DNA-ddATP complex, with d(d)ATP opposite the template T. A similar structure was observed with a ddGTP adjacent to the primer and opposite the C next to 1,N(2)-epsilon-G in 3'-(1,N(2)-epsilon-G)CACT-5'. We concluded that Dpo4 uses several mechanisms, including A incorporation opposite 1,N(2)-epsilon-G and also a variation of dNTP-stabilized misalignment, to generate both base pair and frameshift mutations.

Structure and mechanism of DNA polymerases

DNA polymerases are molecular motors directing the synthesis of DNA from nucleotides. All polymerases have a common architectural framework consisting of three canonical subdomains termed the fingers, palm, and thumb subdomains. Kinetically, they cycle through various states corresponding to conformational transitions, which may or may not generate force. In this review, we present and discuss the kinetic, structural, and single-molecule works that have contributed to our understanding of DNA polymerase function.

A novel nuclease-ATPase (Nar71) from archaea is part of a proposed thermophilic DNA repair system

We have identified a novel structure-specific nuclease in highly fractionated extracts of the thermophilic archaeon Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus (Mth). The 71 kDa protein product of open reading frame mth1090 is a nuclease with ATPase activity, which we call Nar71 (Nuclease-ATPase in Repair, 71 kDa). The nar71 gene is located in a gene neighbourhood proposed by genomics to encode a novel DNA repair system conserved in thermophiles. The biochemical characterization of Nar71 presented here is the first analysis from within this neighbourhood, and it supports the insight from genomics. Nuclease activity of Nar71 is specific for 3' flaps and flayed duplexes, targeting single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) regions. This activity requires Mg2+ or Mn2+ and is greatly reduced in ATP. In ATP, Nar71 displaces ssDNA, also with high specificity for 3' flap and flayed duplex DNA. Strand displacement is weak compared with nuclease activity, but in ATPS it is abolished, suggesting that Nar71 couples ATP hydrolysis to DNA strand separation. ATPase assays confirmed that Nar71 is stimulated by ssDNA, though not double-stranded DNA. Mutation of Lys-117 in Nar71 abolished ATPase and nuclease activity, and we describe a separation-of-function mutant (K68A) that has lost ATPase activity but retains nuclease activity. A model of possible Nar71 function in DNA repair is presented.

Observing Translesion Synthesis of an Aromatic Amine DNA Adduct by a High-fidelity DNA Polymerase

Aromatic amines have been studied for more than a half-century as model carcinogens representing a class of chemicals that form bulky adducts to the C8 position of guanine in DNA. Among these guanine adducts, the N-(2'-deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-aminofluorene (G-AF) and N-2-(2'-deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-acetylaminofluorene (G-AAF) derivatives are the best studied. Although G-AF and G-AAF differ by only an acetyl group, they exert different effects on DNA replication by replicative and high-fidelity DNA polymerases. Translesion synthesis of G-AF is achieved with high-fidelity polymerases, whereas replication of G-AAF requires specialized bypass polymerases. Here we have presented structures of G-AF as it undergoes one round of accurate replication by a high-fidelity DNA polymerase. Nucleotide incorporation opposite G-AF is achieved in solution and in the crystal, revealing how the polymerase accommodates and replicates past G-AF, but not G-AAF. Like an unmodified guanine, G-AF adopts a conformation that allows it to form Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds with an opposing cytosine that results in protrusion of the bulky fluorene moiety into the major groove. Although incorporation opposite G-AF is observed, the C:G-AF base pair induces distortions to the polymerase active site that slow translesion synthesis.

Altered translesion synthesis in E. coli Pol V mutants selected for increased recombination inhibition

Replication of damaged DNA, also termed as translesion synthesis (TLS), involves specialized DNA polymerases that bypass DNA lesions. In Escherichia coli, although TLS can involve one or a combination of DNA polymerases depending on the nature of the lesion, it generally requires the Pol V DNA polymerase (formed by two SOS proteins, UmuD' and UmuC) and the RecA protein. In addition to being an essential component of translesion DNA synthesis, Pol V is also an antagonist of RecA-mediated recombination. We have recently isolated umuD' and umuC mutants on the basis of their increased capacity to inhibit homologous recombination. Despite the capacity of these mutants to form a Pol V complex and to interact with the RecA polymer, most of them exhibit a defect in TLS. Here, we further characterize the TLS activity of these Pol V mutants in vivo by measuring the extent of error-free and mutagenic bypass at a single (6-4)TT lesion located in double stranded plasmid DNA. TLS is markedly decreased in most Pol V mutants that we analyzed (8/9) with the exception of one UmuC mutant (F287L) that exhibits wild-type bypass activity. Somewhat unexpectedly, Pol V mutants that are partially deficient in TLS are more severely affected in mutagenic bypass compared to error-free synthesis. The defect in bypass activity of the Pol V mutant polymerases is discussed in light of the location of the respective mutations in the 3D structure of UmuD' and the DinB/UmuC homologous protein Dpo4 of Sulfolobus solfataricus.

The spacious active site of a Y-family DNA polymerase facilitates promiscuous nucleotide incorporation opposite a bulky carcinogen-DNA adduct: elucidating the structure-function relationship through experimental and computational approaches

Y-family DNA polymerases lack some of the mechanisms that replicative DNA polymerases employ to ensure fidelity, resulting in higher error rates during replication of undamaged DNA templates and the ability to bypass certain aberrant bases, such as those produced by exposure to carcinogens, including benzo[a]pyrene (BP). A tumorigenic metabolite of BP, (+)-anti-benzo-[a]pyrene diol epoxide, attacks DNA to form the major 10S (+)-trans-anti-[BP]-N(2)-dG adduct, which has been shown to be mutagenic in a number of prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. The 10S (+)-trans-anti-[BP]-N(2)-dG adduct can cause all three base substitution mutations, and the SOS response in Escherichia coli increases bypass of bulky adducts, suggesting that Y-family DNA polymerases are involved in the bypass of such lesions. Dpo4 belongs to the DinB branch of the Y-family, which also includes E. coli pol IV and eukaryotic pol kappa. We carried out primer extension assays in conjunction with molecular modeling and molecular dynamics studies in order to elucidate the structure-function relationship involved in nucleotide incorporation opposite the bulky 10S (+)-trans-anti-[BP]-N(2)-dG adduct by Dpo4. Dpo4 is able to bypass the 10S (+)-trans-anti-[BP]-N(2)-dG adduct, albeit to a lesser extent than unmodified guanine, and the V(max) values for insertion of all four nucleotides opposite the adduct by Dpo4 are similar. Computational studies suggest that 10S (+)-trans-anti-[BP]-N(2)-dG can be accommodated in the active site of Dpo4 in either the anti or syn conformation due to the limited protein-DNA contacts and the open nature of both the minor and major groove sides of the nascent base pair, which can contribute to the promiscuous nucleotide incorporation opposite this lesion.

Error-prone replication for better or worse

Precise genome duplication requires accurate copying by DNA polymerases and the elimination of occasional mistakes by proofreading exonucleases and mismatch repair enzymes. The commonly held belief that 'if something is worth doing, then it's worth doing well' normally applies to DNA replication and repair, however, there are exceptions. This review describes elements that are crucial to cell fitness, evolution and survival in the recently discovered error-prone DNA polymerases. Large numbers of errant DNA polymerases, spanning microorganisms to humans, are used to rescue stalled replication forks by copying damaged DNA and even undamaged DNA to generate 'purposeful' mutations that generate genetic diversity in times of stress. Here we focus on low-fidelity polymerases from bacteria, comparing Escherichia coli, archeabacteria and those most recently discovered in Gram-positive Bacilli, Streptococcus, pathogenic Mycobacterium and intein-containing cyanobacteria.

Investigating the role of the little finger domain of Y-family DNA polymerases in low fidelity synthesis and translesion replication

Dpo4 and Dbh are Y-family polymerases that originate from two closely related strains of Sulfolobaceae. Quite surprisingly, however, the two polymerases exhibit different enzymatic properties in vitro. For example, Dpo4 can replicate past a variety of DNA lesions, yet Dbh does so with a much lower efficiency. When replicating undamaged DNA, Dpo4 is prone to make base pair substitutions, whereas Dbh predominantly makes single-base deletions. Overall, the two proteins are 54% identical, but the greatest divergence is found in their respective little finger (LF) domains, which are only 41% identical. To investigate the role of the LF domain in the fidelity and lesion-bypassing abilities of Y-family polymerases, we have generated chimeras of Dpo4 and Dbh in which their LF domains have been interchanged. Interestingly, by replacing the LF domain of Dbh with that of Dpo4, the enzymatic properties of the chimeric enzyme are more Dpo4-like in that the enzyme is more processive, can bypass an abasic site and a thymine-thymine cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer, and predominantly makes base pair substitutions when replicating undamaged DNA. The converse is true for the Dpo4-LF-Dbh chimera, which is more Dbh-like in its processivity and ability to bypass DNA adducts and generate single-base deletion errors. Our studies indicate that the unique but variable LF domain of Y-family polymerases plays a major role in determining the enzymatic and biological properties of each individual Y-family member.

Snapshots of replication through an abasic lesion; structural basis for base substitutions and frameshifts

Dpo4 from S. Solfataricus, a DinB-like Y family polymerase, efficiently replicates DNA past an abasic lesion. We have determined crystal structures of Dpo4 complexed with five different abasic site-containing DNA substrates and find that translesion synthesis is template directed with the abasic site looped out and the incoming nucleotide is opposite the base 5' to the lesion. The ensuing DNA synthesis generates a -1 frameshift when the abasic site remains extrahelical. Template realignment during primer extension is also observed, resulting in base substitutions or even +1 frameshifts. In the case of a +1 frameshift, the extra nucleotide is accommodated in the solvent-exposed minor groove. In addition, the structure of an unproductive Dpo4 ternary complex suggests that the flexible little finger domain facilitates DNA orientation and translocation during translesion synthesis.

Preferential cis-syn thymine dimer bypass by DNA polymerase eta occurs with biased fidelity

Human DNA polymerase eta (Pol eta) modulates susceptibility to skin cancer by promoting DNA synthesis past sunlight-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers that escape nucleotide excision repair (NER). Here we have determined the efficiency and fidelity of dimer bypass. We show that Pol eta copies thymine dimers and the flanking bases with higher processivity than it copies undamaged DNA, and then switches to less processive synthesis. This ability of Pol eta to sense the dimer location as synthesis proceeds may facilitate polymerase switching before and after lesion bypass. Pol eta bypasses a dimer with low fidelity and with higher error rates at the 3' thymine than at the 5' thymine. A similar bias is seen with Sulfolobus solfataricus DNA polymerase 4, which forms a Watson-Crick base pair at the 3' thymine of a dimer but a Hoogsteen base pair at the 5' thymine (ref. 3). Ultraviolet-induced mutagenesis is also higher at the 3' base of dipyrimidine sequences. Thus, in normal people and particularly in individuals with NER-defective xeroderma pigmentosum who accumulate dimers, errors made by Pol eta during dimer bypass could contribute to mutagenesis and skin cancer.

Archeal DNA replication: eukaryal proteins in a bacterial context

Genome sequences of a number of archaea have revealed an apparent paradox in the phylogenies of the bacteria, archaea, and eukarya, as well as an intriguing set of problems to be resolved in the study of DNA replication. The archaea, long thought to be bacteria, are not only different enough to merit their own domain but also appear to be an interesting mosaic of bacterial, eukaryal, and unique features. Most archaeal proteins participating in DNA replication are more similar in sequence to those found in eukarya than to analogous replication proteins in bacteria. However, archaea have only a subset of the eukaryal replication machinery, apparently needing fewer polypeptides and structurally simpler complexes. The archaeal replication apparatus also contains features not found in other organisms owing, in part, to the broad range of environmental conditions, some extreme, in which members of this domain thrive. In this review the current knowledge of the mechanisms governing DNA replication in archaea is summarized and the similarities and differences of those of bacteria and eukarya are highlighted.

Properties and functions of Escherichia coli: Pol IV and Pol V

Escherichia coli possesses two members of the newly discovered class of Y DNA polymerases (Ohmori et al., 2001): Pol IV (dinB) and Pol V (umuD'C). Polymerases that belong to this family are often referred to as specialized or error-prone DNA polymerases to distinguish them from the previously discovered DNA polymerases (Pol I, II, and III) that are essentially involved in DNA replication or error-free DNA repair. Y-family DNA polymerases are characterized by their capacity to replicate DNA, through chemically damaged template bases, or to elongate mismatched primer termini. These properties stem from their capacity to accommodate and use distorted primer templates within their active site and from the lack of an associated exonuclease activity. Even though both belong to the Y-family, Pol IV and Pol V appear to perform distinct physiological functions. Although Pol V is clearly the major lesion bypass polymerase involved in damage-induced mutagenesis, the role of Pol IV remains enigmatic. Indeed, compared to a wild-type strain, a dinB mutant exhibits no clear phenotype with respect to survival or mutagenesis following treatment with DNA-damaging agents. Subtler dinB phenotypes will be discussed below. Moreover, despite the fact that both dinB and umuDC loci are controlled by the SOS response, their constitutive and induced levels of expression are dramatically different. In noninduced cells, Pol V is undetectable by Western analysis. In contrast, it is estimated that there are about 250 copies of Pol IV per cell. On SOS induction, it is believed that only about 15 molecules of Pol V are assembled per cell (S. Sommer, personal communication), whereas Pol IV levels reach approximately 2500 molecules. In fact, despite extensive knowledge of the individual enzymatic properties of all five E. coli DNA polymerases, much more work is needed to understand how their activities are orchestrated within a living cell.

The efficiency and specificity of apurinic/apyrimidinic site bypass by human DNA polymerase eta and Sulfolobus solfataricus Dpo4

One of the most common DNA lesions arising in cells is an apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) site resulting from base loss. Although a template strand AP site impedes DNA synthesis, translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerases can bypass an AP site. Because this bypass is expected to be highly mutagenic because of loss of base coding potential, here we quantify the efficiency and the specificity of AP site bypass by two Y family TLS enzymes, Sulfolobus solfataricus DNA polymerase 4 (Dpo4) and human DNA polymerase eta (Pol eta). During a single cycle of processive DNA synthesis, Dpo4 and Pol eta bypass synthetic AP sites with 13-30 and 10-13%, respectively, of the bypass efficiency for undamaged bases in the same sequence contexts. These efficiencies are higher than for the A family, exonuclease-deficient Klenow fragment of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I. We then determined AP site bypass specificity for complete bypass, requiring insertion or misalignment at the AP site followed by multiple incorporations using the aberrant primer templates. Although Dpo4, Pol eta, and Klenow polymerase have different fidelity when copying undamaged DNA, bypass of AP sites lacking A or G by all three polymerases is nearly 100% mutagenic. The majority (70-80%) of bypass events made by all three polymerases are insertion of dAMP opposite the AP site. Single base deletion errors comprise 10-25% of bypass events, with other base insertions observed at lower rates. Given that mammalian cells contain five polymerases implicated in TLS, and given that a large number of AP sites are generated per mammalian cell per day, even moderately efficient AP site bypass could be a source of substitution and frameshift mutagenesis in vivo.

Replication of a cis-syn thymine dimer at atomic resolution

Ultraviolet light damages DNA by catalysing covalent bond formation between adjacent pyrimidines, generating cis-syn cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) as the most common lesion. CPDs block DNA replication by high-fidelity DNA polymerases, but they can be efficiently bypassed by the Y-family DNA polymerase pol eta. Mutations in POLH encoding pol eta are implicated in nearly 20% of xeroderma pigmentosum, a human disease characterized by extreme sensitivity to sunlight and predisposition to skin cancer. Here we have determined two crystal structures of Dpo4, an archaeal pol eta homologue, complexed with CPD-containing DNA, where the 3' and 5' thymine of the CPD separately serves as a templating base. The 3' thymine of the CPD forms a Watson-Crick base pair with the incoming dideoxyATP, but the 5' thymine forms a Hoogsteen base pair with the dideoxyATP in syn conformation. Dpo4 retains a similar tertiary structure, but each unusual DNA structure is individually fitted into the active site for catalysis. A model of the pol eta-CPD complex built from the crystal structures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae apo-pol eta and the Dpo4-CPD complex suggests unique features that allow pol eta to efficiently bypass CPDs.

Processing of DNA lesions by archaeal DNA polymerases from Sulfolobus solfataricus

Spontaneous damage to DNA as a result of deamination, oxidation and depurination is greatly accelerated at high temperatures. Hyperthermophilic microorganisms constantly exposed to temperatures exceeding 80 degrees C are endowed with powerful DNA repair mechanisms to maintain genome stability. Of particular interest is the processing of DNA lesions during replication, which can result in fixed mutations. The hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus has two functional DNA polymerases, PolB1 and PolY1. We have found that the replicative DNA polymerase PolB1 specifically recognizes the presence of the deaminated bases hypoxanthine and uracil in the template by stalling DNA polymerization 3-4 bases upstream of these lesions and strongly associates with oligonucleotides containing them. PolB1 also stops at 8-oxoguanine and is unable to bypass an abasic site in the template. PolY1 belongs to the family of lesion bypass DNA polymerases and readily bypasses hypoxanthine, uracil and 8-oxoguanine, but not an abasic site, in the template. The specific recognition of deaminated bases by PolB1 may represent an initial step in their repair while PolY1 may be involved in damage tolerance at the replication fork. Additionally, we reveal that the deaminated bases can be introduced into DNA enzymatically, since both PolB1 and PolY1 are able to incorporate the aberrant DNA precursors dUTP and dITP.

Structural insights into the origins of DNA polymerase fidelity

DNA polymerases discriminate from a pool of structurally similar molecules to insert the correct nucleotide to preserve Watson-Crick base pairing rules. The ability to choose between "right and wrong" is highly dependent on the identity of the polymerase. Because naturally occurring polymerases with divergent fidelities insert incorrect nucleotides with comparable efficiencies, fidelity is primarily governed by the ability to insert the correct nucleotide. DNA polymerases generally bind the correct nucleotide with similar affinities, but low-fidelity polymerases insert correct nucleotides more slowly than higher fidelity enzymes. A comparison of crystallographic ternary substrate complexes of DNA polymerases from five families exhibiting a range of nucleotide insertion rates reveals possible structural features that lead to rapid, efficient, and faithful DNA synthesis.

Erroneous incorporation of oxidized DNA precursors by Y-family DNA polymerases

Deranged oxidative metabolism is a property of many tumour cells. Oxidation of the deoxynucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) pool, as well as DNA, is a major cause of genome instability. Here, we report that two Y-family DNA polymerases of the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus strains P1 and P2 incorporate oxidized dNTPs into nascent DNA in an erroneous manner: the polymerases exclusively incorporate 8-OH-dGTP opposite adenine in the template, and incorporate 2-OH-dATP opposite guanine more efficiently than opposite thymine. The rate of extension of the nascent DNA chain following on from these incorporated analogues is only slightly reduced. These DNA polymerases have been shown to bypass a variety of DNA lesions. Thus, our results suggest that the Y-family DNA polymerases promote mutagenesis through the erroneous incorporation of oxidized dNTPs during DNA synthesis, in addition to facilitating translesion DNA synthesis. We also report that human DNA polymerase eta, a human Y-family DNA polymerase, incorporates the oxidized dNTPs in a similar erroneous manner.

New structural and mechanistic insight into the A-rule and the instructional and non-instructional behavior of DNA photoproducts and other lesions

The A-rule in mutagenesis was originally proposed to explain the preponderance of X-->T mutations observed for abasic sites and UV damaged sites. It was deduced that when a polymerase was faced with a non-instructional lesion, typified by an abasic site, it would preferentially incorporate an A. In the absence of any other compelling explanation, any lesion causing an X-->T mutation has often been classified as non-instructional to account for its apparent lack of instructional ability. The A-rule and the classification of lesions as non-instructional were formulated before the active sites of any polymerases or the mechanism by which they synthesized DNA were known. Since then, much structural and kinetic data on DNA polymerases has emerged to suggest mechanistic explanations for the A-rule and the instructive and non-instructive behavior of lesions such as cis-syn dimers. Polymerases involved in the replication of undamaged DNA have highly constrained active sites that evolved to only accommodate the templating base and the complementary nucleotide and as a result are relatively intolerant of modifications that alter the size and shape of the nascent base pair. On the other hand, DNA damage bypass polymerases have much more open and less constrained active sites, which are much more tolerant of modifications. An otherwise instructional lesion would become non-instructional if it were unable to fit into the active site, and thereby behave transiently like an abasic site, leading to the insertion of whichever nucleotide is favored by the polymerase, generally an A. In this review, what is known about the active sites and mechanisms of replicative and DNA damage bypass polymerases will be discussed with regard to the A-rule and non-instructive behavior of lesions, typified by dipyrimidine photoproducts.

The mutational specificity of the Dbh lesion bypass polymerase and its implications

The Dbh polymerase of Sulfolobus solfataricus is a member of the recently described family of low fidelity DNA polymerases involved in bypass of DNA lesions. To investigate the enzymatic properties of Dbh, we characterized the errors made by this polymerase in vitro. Not only is Dbh much less accurate than the "classical" polymerases, but it showed a remarkable tendency to skip over a template pyrimidine positioned immediately 3' to a G residue, generating a single-base deletion. Single-turnover kinetic measurements suggest possible mechanisms. First, Dbh shows a bias in favor of dCTP, such that the rate of incorporation of dCTP opposite a template G is about 10-fold faster than for the other three dNTPs opposite their complementary partners. On a DNA substrate corresponding to a frameshift hotspot, the rate of frameshift insertion of dCTP opposite a template G that is one residue 5' to the expected templating position is approximately equal to the rate of the non-frameshifted C-dGTP insertion. We suspect that the unusual mutational specificity of Dbh (which is shared with other polymerases from the DinB branch of the bypass polymerase family) may be related to the type of DNA lesion(s) that it serves to bypass in vivo.

Low fidelity DNA synthesis by a y family DNA polymerase due to misalignment in the active site

Sulfolobus solfataricus DNA polymerase IV (Dpo4) is a member of the Y family of DNA polymerases whose crystal structure has recently been solved. As a model for other evolutionarily conserved Y family members that perform translesion DNA synthesis and have low fidelity, we describe here the base substitution and frameshift fidelity of DNA synthesis by Dpo4. Dpo4 generates all 12 base-base mismatches at high rates, 11 of which are similar to those of its human homolog, DNA polymerase kappa. This result is consistent with the Dpo4 structure, implying lower geometric selection for correct base pairs. Surprisingly, Dpo4 generates C.dCMP mismatches at an unusually high average rate and preferentially at cytosine flanked by 5'-template guanine. Dpo4 also has very low frameshift fidelity and frequently generates deletions of even noniterated nucleotides, especially cytosine flanked by a 5'-template guanine. Both unusual features of error specificity suggest that Dpo4 can incorporate dNTP precursors when two template nucleotides are present in the active site binding pocket. These results have implications for mutagenesis resulting from DNA synthesis by Y family polymerases.