Replisome assembly and the direct restart of stalled replication forks

Replisome dynamics and use of DNA trombone loops to bypass replication blocks

Replisomes are dynamic multiprotein machines capable of simultaneously replicating both strands of the DNA duplex. This review focuses on the structure and function of the E. coli replisome, many features of which generalize to other bacteria and eukaryotic cells. For example, the bacterial replisome utilizes clamps and clamp loaders to coordinate the actions required of the trombone model of lagging strand synthesis made famous by Bruce Alberts. All cells contain clamps and clamp loaders and this review summarizes their structure and function. Clamp loaders are pentameric spirals that bind DNA in a structure specific fashion and thread it through the ring shaped clamp. The recent structure of the E. coli beta clamp in complex with primed DNA has implications for how multiple polymerases function on sliding clamps and how the primed DNA template is exchanged between them. Recent studies reveal a remarkable fluidity in replisome function that enables it to bypass template lesions on either DNA strand. During these processes the polymerases within the replisome functionally uncouple from one another. Mechanistic processes that underlie these actions may involve DNA looping, similar to the trombone loops that mediate the lagging strand Okazaki fragment synthesis cycle.

Rad53 regulates replication fork restart after DNA damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Replication fork stalling at a DNA lesion generates a damage signal that activates the Rad53 kinase, which plays a vital role in survival by stabilizing stalled replication forks. However, evidence that Rad53 directly modulates the activity of replication forks has been lacking, and the nature of fork stabilization has remained unclear. Recently, cells lacking the Psy2-Pph3 phosphatase were shown to be defective in dephosphorylation of Rad53 as well as replication fork restart after DNA damage, suggesting a mechanistic link between Rad53 deactivation and fork restart. To test this possibility we examined the progression of replication forks in methyl-methanesulfonate (MMS)-damaged cells, under different conditions of Rad53 activity. Hyperactivity of Rad53 in pph3Delta cells slows fork progression in MMS, whereas deactivation of Rad53, through expression of dominant-negative Rad53-KD, is sufficient to allow fork restart during recovery. Furthermore, combined deletion of PPH3 and PTC2, a second, unrelated Rad53 phosphatase, results in complete replication fork arrest and lethality in MMS, demonstrating that Rad53 deactivation is a key mechanism controlling fork restart. We propose a model for regulation of replication fork progression through damaged DNA involving a cycle of Rad53 activation and deactivation that coordinates replication restart with DNA repair.

AAA+ ATPases in the initiation of DNA replication

All cellular organisms and many viruses rely on large, multi-subunit molecular machines, termed replisomes, to ensure that genetic material is accurately duplicated for transmission from one generation to the next. Replisome assembly is facilitated by dedicated initiator proteins, which serve to both recognize replication origins and recruit requisite replisomal components to the DNA in a cell-cycle coordinated manner. Exactly how imitators accomplish this task, and the extent to which initiator mechanisms are conserved among different organisms have remained outstanding issues. Recent structural and biochemical findings have revealed that all cellular initiators, as well as the initiators of certain classes of double-stranded DNA viruses, possess a common adenine nucleotide-binding fold belonging to the ATPases Associated with various cellular Activities (AAA+) family. This review focuses on how the AAA+ domain has been recruited and adapted to control the initiation of DNA replication, and how the use of this ATPase module underlies a common set of initiator assembly states and functions. How biochemical and structural properties correlate with initiator activity, and how species-specific modifications give rise to unique initiator functions, are also discussed.

Physical and functional interaction between human oxidized base-specific DNA glycosylase NEIL1 and flap endonuclease 1

The S phase-specific activation of NEIL1 and not of the other DNA glycosylases responsible for repairing oxidatively damaged bases in mammalian genomes and the activation of NEIL1 by proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) suggested preferential action by NEIL1 in oxidized base repair during DNA replication. Here we show that NEIL1 interacts with flap endonuclease 1 (FEN-1), an essential component of the DNA replication. FEN-1 is present in the NEIL1 immunocomplex isolated from human cell extracts, and the two proteins colocalize in the nucleus. FEN-1 stimulates the activity of NEIL1 in vitro in excising 5-hydroxyuracil from duplex, bubble, forked, and single-stranded DNA substrates by up to 5-fold. The disordered region near the C terminus of NEIL1, which is dispensable for activity, is necessary and sufficient for high affinity binding to FEN-1 (K(D) approximately = 0.2 microm). The interacting interface of FEN-1 is localized in its disordered C-terminal region uniquely present in mammalian orthologs. Fine structure mapping identified several Lys and Arg residues in this region that form salt bridges with Asp and Glu residues in NEIL1. NEIL1 was previously shown to initiate single nucleotide excision repair, which does not require FEN-1 or PCNA. The present study shows that NEIL1 could also participate in strand displacement repair synthesis (long patch repair (LP-BER)) mediated by FEN-1 and stimulated by PCNA. Interaction between NEIL1 and FEN-1 is essential for efficient NEIL1-initiated LP-BER. These studies strongly implicate NEIL1 in a distinct subpathway of LP-BER in replicating genomes.

Maintaining replication fork integrity in UV-irradiated Escherichia coli cells

In dividing cells, the stalling of replication fork complexes by impediments to DNA unwinding or by template imperfections that block synthesis by the polymerase subunits is a serious threat to genomic integrity and cell viability. What happens to stalled forks depends on the nature of the offending obstacle. In UV-irradiated Escherichia coli cells DNA synthesis is delayed for a considerable period, during which forks undergo extensive processing before replication can resume. Thus, restart depends on factors needed to load the replicative helicase, indicating that the replisome may have dissociated. It also requires the RecFOR proteins, which are known to load RecA recombinase on single-stranded DNA, implying that template strands are exposed. To gain a further understanding of how UV irradiation affects replication and how replication resumes after a block, we used fluorescence microscopy and BrdU or radioisotope labelling to examine chromosome replication and cell cycle progression. Our studies confirm that RecFOR promote efficient reactivation of stalled forks and demonstrate that they are also needed for productive replication initiated at the origin, or triggered elsewhere by damage to the DNA. Although delayed, all modes of replication do recover in the absence of these proteins, but nascent DNA strands are degraded more extensively by RecJ exonuclease. However, these strands are also degraded in the presence of RecFOR when restart is blocked by other means, indicating that RecA loading is not sufficient to stabilise and protect the fork. This is consistent with the idea that RecA actively promotes restart. Thus, in contrast to eukaryotic cells, there may be no factor in bacterial cells acting specifically to stabilise stalled forks. Instead, nascent strands may be protected by the simple expedient of promoting restart. We also report that the efficiency of fork reactivation is not affected in polB mutants.

Helicases as prospective targets for anti-cancer therapy

It has been proposed that selective inactivation of a DNA repair pathway may enhance anti-cancer therapies that eliminate cancerous cells through the cytotoxic effects of DNA damaging agents or radiation. Given the unique and critically important roles of DNA helicases in the DNA damage response, DNA repair, and maintenance of genomic stability, a number of strategies currently being explored or in use to combat cancer may be either mediated or enhanced through the modulation of helicase function. The focus of this review will be to examine the roles of helicases in DNA repair that might be suitably targeted by cancer therapeutic approaches. Treatment of cancers with anti-cancer drugs such as small molecule compounds that modulate helicase expression or function is a viable approach to selectively kill cancer cells through the inactivation of helicase-dependent DNA repair pathways, particularly those associated with DNA recombination, replication restart, and cell cycle checkpoint.

DNA damage differentially activates regional chromosomal loci for Tn7 transposition in Escherichia coli

The bacterial transposon Tn7 recognizes replicating DNA as a target with a preference for the region where DNA replication terminates in the Escherichia coli chromosome. It was previously shown that DNA double-strand breaks in the chromosome stimulate Tn7 transposition where transposition events occur broadly around the point of the DNA break. We show that individual DNA breaks actually activate a series of small regional hotspots in the chromosome for Tn7 insertion. These hotspots are fixed and become active only when a DNA break occurs in the same region of the chromosome. We find that the distribution of insertions around the break is not explained by the exonuclease activity of RecBCD moving the position of the DNA break, and stimulation of Tn7 transposition is not dependent on RecBCD. We show that other forms of DNA damage, like exposure to UV light, mitomycin C, or phleomycin, also stimulate Tn7 transposition. However, inducing the SOS response does not stimulate transposition. Tn7 transposition is not dependent on any known specific pathway of replication fork reactivation as a means of recognizing DNA break repair. Our results are consistent with the idea that Tn7 recognizes DNA replication involved in DNA repair and reveals discrete regions of the chromosome that are differentially activated as transposition targets.

Branch migration enzyme as a Brownian ratchet

In recent years, it has been shown that helicases are able to perform functions beyond their traditional role in unwinding of double-stranded nucleic acids; yet the mechanistic aspects of these different activities are not clear. Our kinetic studies of Holliday junction branch migration catalysed by a ring-shaped helicase, T7 gp4, show that heterology of as little as a single base stalls catalysed branch migration. Using single-molecule analysis, one can locate the stall position to within a few base pairs of the heterology. Our data indicate that the presence of helicase alone promotes junction unfolding, which accelerates spontaneous branch migration, and individual time traces reveal complex trajectories consistent with random excursions of the branch point. Our results suggest that instead of actively unwinding base pairs as previously thought, the helicase exploits the spontaneous random walk of the junction and acts as a Brownian ratchet, which walks along duplex DNA while facilitating and biasing branch migration in a specific direction.

Molecular anatomy of the recombination mediator function of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad52

A helical filament of Rad51 on single-strand DNA (ssDNA), called the presynaptic filament, catalyzes DNA joint formation during homologous recombination. Rad52 facilitates presynaptic filament assembly, and this recombination mediator activity is thought to rely on the interactions of Rad52 with Rad51, the ssDNA-binding protein RPA, and ssDNA. The N-terminal region of Rad52, which has DNA binding activity and an oligomeric structure, is thought to be crucial for mediator activity and recombination. Unexpectedly, we find that the C-terminal region of Rad52 also harbors a DNA binding function. Importantly, the Rad52 C-terminal portion alone can promote Rad51 presynaptic filament assembly. The middle portion of Rad52 associates with DNA-bound RPA and contributes to the recombination mediator activity. Accordingly, expression of a protein species that harbors the middle and C-terminal regions of Rad52 in the rad52 Delta327 background enhances the association of Rad51 protein with a HO-made DNA double-strand break and partially complements the methylmethane sulfonate sensitivity of the mutant cells. Our results provide a mechanistic framework for rationalizing the multi-faceted role of Rad52 in recombination and DNA repair.

A mutant allele of MRE11 found in mismatch repair-deficient tumor cells suppresses the cellular response to DNA replication fork stress in a dominant negative manner

The interaction of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and the Mre11/Rad50/Nbs1 (MRN) complex is critical for the response of cells to DNA double-strand breaks; however, little is known of the role of these proteins in response to DNA replication stress. Here, we report a mutant allele of MRE11 found in a colon cancer cell line that sensitizes cells to agents causing replication fork stress. The mutant Mre11 weakly interacts with Rad50 relative to wild type and shows little affinity for Nbs1. The mutant protein lacks 3'-5' exonuclease activity as a result of loss of part of the conserved nuclease domain; however, it retains binding affinity for single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), double-stranded DNA with a 3' single-strand overhang, and fork-like structures containing ssDNA regions. In cells, the mutant protein shows a time- and dose-dependent accumulation in chromatin after thymidine treatment that corresponds with increased recruitment and hyperphosphorylation of replication protein A. ATM autophosphorylation, Mre11 foci, and thymidine-induced homologous recombination are suppressed in cells expressing the mutant allele. Together, our results suggest that the mutant Mre11 suppresses the cellular response to replication stress by binding to ssDNA regions at disrupted forks and impeding replication restart in a dominant negative manner.

Genome instability: a mechanistic view of its causes and consequences

Genomic instability in the form of mutations and chromosome rearrangements is usually associated with pathological disorders, and yet it is also crucial for evolution. Two types of elements have a key role in instability leading to rearrangements: those that act in trans to prevent instability--among them are replication, repair and S-phase checkpoint factors--and those that act in cis--chromosomal hotspots of instability such as fragile sites and highly transcribed DNA sequences. Taking these elements as a guide, we review the causes and consequences of instability with the aim of providing a mechanistic perspective on the origin of genomic instability.

ruvA Mutants that resolve Holliday junctions but do not reverse replication forks

RuvAB and RuvABC complexes catalyze branch migration and resolution of Holliday junctions (HJs) respectively. In addition to their action in the last steps of homologous recombination, they process HJs made by replication fork reversal, a reaction which occurs at inactivated replication forks by the annealing of blocked leading and lagging strand ends. RuvAB was recently proposed to bind replication forks and directly catalyze their conversion into HJs. We report here the isolation and characterization of two separation-of-function ruvA mutants that resolve HJs, based on their capacity to promote conjugational recombination and recombinational repair of UV and mitomycin C lesions, but have lost the capacity to reverse forks. In vivo and in vitro evidence indicate that the ruvA mutations affect DNA binding and the stimulation of RuvB helicase activity. This work shows that RuvA's actions at forks and at HJs can be genetically separated, and that RuvA mutants compromised for fork reversal remain fully capable of homologous recombination.

DNA replication is the process by which DNA strands are copied to ensure the transmission of the genetic material to daughter cells. Chromosome replication is not a continuous process but is subjected to accidental arrests, owing to the encounter of obstacles or to the dysfunctioning of a replication protein. In bacteria, inactivated replication forks restart but they are most often remodeled before restarting. Interestingly, enzymes involved in homologous recombination, the process that rearranges chromosomes, are also involved in fork-remodeling reactions. The subject of the present study is RuvAB, a highly conserved bacterial complex used as the model enzyme for resolution of recombination intermediates, which we found to also act at blocked forks. We describe here the isolation and characterization of ruvA mutants that have specifically lost the capability to act at inactivated replication forks, although they remain fully capable of homologous recombination. The existence of such ruvA mutants, their properties and those of the purified RuvA mutant proteins, indicate that the action of RuvAB at replication forks is more demanding that its action at recombination intermediates, but have nevertheless been preserved during evolution.

The MCM helicase: linking checkpoints to the replication fork

The MCM (minichromosome maintenance) complex is a helicase which is essential for DNA replication. Recent results suggest that the MCM helicase is important for replication fork integrity, and may function as a target of the replication checkpoint. Interactions between MCM proteins, checkpoint kinases, and repair and recovery proteins suggest that MCMs are proximal effectors of replication fork stability in the cell and are likely to play an important role in maintaining genome integrity.

Paradigms for the three rs: DNA replication, recombination, and repair

The recent decade has engendered a convergence of the otherwise distinct fields of DNA replication, recombination, and repair, as we are learning how these essential transactions can operate in coordination to achieve genomic stability and to ensure cellular viability. In the next decade, we can anticipate a functional understanding of the roles of posttranslational protein modifications in the regulation and prioritizing of pathways for genomic maintenance. The fundamental knowledge gained should lead to more effective clinical intervention in human disease.

Involvement of xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA) in progeria arising from defective maturation of prelamin A

Cellular accumulation of DNA damage has been widely implicated in cellular senescence, aging, and premature aging. In Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) and restrictive dermopathy (RD), premature aging is linked to accumulation of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), which results in genome instability. However, how DSBs accumulate in cells despite the presence of intact DNA repair proteins remains unknown. Here we report that the recruitment of DSB repair factors Rad50 and Rad51 to the DSB sites, as marked by gamma-H2AX, was impaired in human HGPS and Zmpste24-deficient cells. Consistently, the progeria-associated DSBs appeared to be unrepairable although DSBs induced by camptothecin were efficiently removed in the progeroid cells. We also found that these progeroid cells exhibited nuclear foci of xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA), a unique nucleotide excision repair protein. Strikingly, these XPA foci colocalized with the DSB sites in the progeroid cells. This XPA-DSB association was further confirmed and found to be mediated by DNA, using a modified chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and coimmunoprecipitation. RNA interference (RNAi) knockdown of XPA in HGPS cells partially restored DSB repair as evidenced by Western blot analysis, immunofluorescence and comet assays. We propose that the uncharacteristic localization of XPA to or near DSBs inhibits DSB repair, thereby contributing to the premature aging phenotypes observed in progeria arising from genetic defects in prelamin A maturation.

Minichromosome maintenance proteins interact with checkpoint and recombination proteins to promote s-phase genome stability

The minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex plays essential, conserved roles throughout DNA synthesis: first, as a component of the prereplication complex at origins and, then, as a helicase associated with replication forks. Here we use fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) as a model to demonstrate a role for the MCM complex in protecting replication fork structure and promoting recovery from replication arrest. Loss of MCM function generates lethal double-strand breaks at sites of DNA synthesis during replication elongation, suggesting replication fork collapse. MCM function also maintains the stability of forks stalled by hydroxyurea that activate the replication checkpoint. In cells where the checkpoint is activated, Mcm4 binds the Cds1 kinase and undergoes Cds1-dependent phosphorylation. MCM proteins also interact with proteins involved in homologous recombination, which promotes recovery from arrest by ensuring normal mitosis. We suggest that the MCM complex links replication fork stabilization with checkpoint arrest and recovery through direct interactions with checkpoint and recombination proteins and that this role in S-phase genome stability is conserved from yeast to human cells.

Homologous recombination in DNA repair and DNA damage tolerance

Homologous recombination (HR) comprises a series of interrelated pathways that function in the repair of DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) and interstrand crosslinks (ICLs). In addition, recombination provides critical support for DNA replication in the recovery of stalled or broken replication forks, contributing to tolerance of DNA damage. A central core of proteins, most critically the RecA homolog Rad51, catalyzes the key reactions that typify HR: homology search and DNA strand invasion. The diverse functions of recombination are reflected in the need for context-specific factors that perform supplemental functions in conjunction with the core proteins. The inability to properly repair complex DNA damage and resolve DNA replication stress leads to genomic instability and contributes to cancer etiology. Mutations in the BRCA2 recombination gene cause predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer as well as Fanconi anemia, a cancer predisposition syndrome characterized by a defect in the repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks. The cellular functions of recombination are also germane to DNA-based treatment modalities of cancer, which target replicating cells by the direct or indirect induction of DNA lesions that are substrates for recombination pathways. This review focuses on mechanistic aspects of HR relating to DSB and ICL repair as well as replication fork support.

Structure of the DNA repair helicase hel308 reveals DNA binding and autoinhibitory domains

Hel308 is a superfamily 2 helicase conserved in eukaryotes and archaea. It is thought to function in the early stages of recombination following replication fork arrest and has a specificity for removal of the lagging strand in model replication forks. A homologous helicase constitutes the N-terminal domain of human DNA polymerase Q. The Drosophila homologue mus301 is implicated in double strand break repair and meiotic recombination. We have solved the high resolution crystal structure of Hel308 from the crenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus, revealing a five-domain structure with a central pore lined with essential DNA binding residues. The fifth domain is shown to act as an autoinhibitory domain or molecular brake, clamping the single-stranded DNA extruded through the central pore of the helicase structure to limit the helicase activity of the enzyme. This provides an elegant mechanism to tune the processivity of the enzyme to its functional role. Hel308 can displace streptavidin from a biotinylated DNA molecule, and this activity is only partially inhibited when the DNA is pre-bound with abundant DNA-binding proteins RPA or Alba1, whereas pre-binding with the recombinase RadA has no effect on activity. These data suggest that one function of the enzyme may be in the removal of bound proteins at stalled replication forks and recombination intermediates.

Interaction of the human DNA glycosylase NEIL1 with proliferating cell nuclear antigen. The potential for replication-associated repair of oxidized bases in mammalian genomes

NEIL1 and NEIL2 compose a family of DNA glycosylases that is distinct from that of the other two DNA glycosylases, OGG1 and NTH1, all of which are involved in repair of oxidized bases in mammalian genomes. That the NEIL proteins, unlike OGG1 and NTH1, are able to excise base lesions from single-stranded DNA regions suggests their preferential involvement in repair during replication and/or transcription. Previous studies showing S phase-specific activation of NEIL1, but not NEIL2, suggested NEIL1 involvement in the repair of replicating DNA. Here, we show that human NEIL1 stably interacts both in vivo and in vitro with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), the sliding clamp for DNA replication. PCNA stimulates NEIL1 activity in excising the oxidized base 5-hydroxyuracil from single-stranded DNA sequences including fork structures. PCNA enhances NEIL1 loading on the substrate. In contrast, although present in the NEIL2 immunocomplex, PCNA does not stimulate NEIL2. NEIL1 interacts with PCNA via a domain that is located in a region near the C terminus, dispensable for base excision activity. The interacting sequence in NEIL1, which lacks the canonical PCNA-binding motif, includes a sequence conserved in DNA polymerase delta and implicated in its PCNA binding. Mammalian two-hybrid analysis confirmed PCNA interaction with NEIL1. The G127A mutation in PCNA reduces its stimulatory activity, suggesting that the interdomain connector loop, a common binding interface of PCNA, is involved in NEIL1 binding. These results strongly support in vivo function of NEIL1 in preferential repair of oxidized bases in DNA prior to replication.

Telomere ResQue and preservation--roles for the Werner syndrome protein and other RecQ helicases

Werner syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder resulting from loss of function of the RecQ helicase, WRN protein. WS patients prematurely develop numerous clinical symptoms and diseases associated with aging early in life and are predisposed to cancer. WRN protein and many other RecQ helicases in general, seem to function during DNA replication in the processing of stalled replication forks. Genetic, cellular and biochemical evidence support roles for WRN in proper replication and repair of telomeric DNA, and indicate that telomere dysfunction contributes to the WS disease pathology.

Anticipating chromosomal replication fork arrest: SSB targets repair DNA helicases to active forks

In bacteria, several salvage responses to DNA replication arrest culminate in reassembly of the replisome on inactivated forks to resume replication. The PriA DNA helicase is a prominent trigger of this replication restart process, preceded in many cases by a repair and/or remodeling of the arrested fork, which can be performed by many specific proteins. The mechanisms that target these rescue effectors to damaged forks in the cell are unknown. We report that the single-stranded DNA binding (SSB) protein is the key factor that links PriA to active chromosomal replication forks in vivo. This targeting mechanism determines the efficiency by which PriA reaches its specific DNA-binding site in vitro and directs replication restart in vivo. The RecG and RecQ DNA helicases, which are involved in intricate replication reactivation pathways, also associate with the chromosomal replication forks by similarly interacting with SSB. These results identify SSB as a platform for linking a 'repair toolbox' with active replication forks, providing a first line of rescue responses to accidental arrest.

A hand-off mechanism for primosome assembly in replication restart

Collapsed DNA replication forks must be reactivated through origin-independent reloading of the replication machinery (replisome) to ensure complete duplication of cellular genomes. In E. coli, the PriA-dependent pathway is the major replication restart mechanism and requires primosome proteins PriA, PriB, and DnaT for replisome reloading. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate origin-independent replisome loading are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that assembly of primosome protein complexes represents a key regulatory mechanism, as inherently weak PriA-PriB and PriB-DnaT interactions are strongly stimulated by single-stranded DNA. Furthermore, the binding site on PriB for single-stranded DNA partially overlaps the binding sites for PriA and DnaT, suggesting a dynamic primosome assembly process in which single-stranded DNA is handed off from one primosome protein to another as a repaired replication fork is reactivated. This model helps explain how origin-independent initiation of DNA replication is restricted to repaired replication forks, preventing overreplication of the genome.

Lessons from 50 years of SOS DNA-damage-induced mutagenesis

This historical perspective integrates 50 years of research on SOS mutagenesis in Escherichia coli with the proverbial '3R' functions--replication, repair and recombination--that feature DNA polymerase V. Genetic and biochemical data are assimilated to arrive at a current picture of UV-damage-induced mutagenesis. An unprecedented DNA polymerase V transactivation mechanism, which involves the RecA protein, sheds new light on unresolved issues that have persisted over time, prompting us to reflect on evolving molecular concepts regarding DNA structures and polymerase-switching mechanisms.

Interplay among replicative and specialized DNA polymerases determines failure or success of translesion synthesis pathways

Living cells possess a panel of specialized DNA polymerases that deal with the large diversity of DNA lesions that occur in their genomes. How specialized DNA polymerases gain access to the replication intermediate in the vicinity of the lesion is unknown. Using a model system in which a single replication blocking lesion can be bypassed concurrently by two pathways that leave distinct molecular signatures, we analyzed the complex interplay among replicative and specialized DNA polymerases. The system involves a single N-2-acetylaminofluorene guanine adduct within the NarI frameshift hot spot that can be bypassed concurrently by Pol II or Pol V, yielding a -2 frameshift or an error-free bypass product, respectively. Reconstitution of the two pathways using purified DNA polymerases Pol III, Pol II and Pol V and a set of essential accessory factors was achieved under conditions that recapitulate the known in vivo requirements. With this approach, we have identified the key replication intermediates that are used preferentially by Pol II and Pol V, respectively. Using single-hit conditions, we show that the beta-clamp is critical by increasing the processivity of Pol II during elongation of the slipped -2 frameshift intermediate by one nucleotide which, surprisingly, is enough to support subsequent elongation by Pol III rather than degradation. Finally, the proofreading activity of the replicative polymerase prevents the formation of a Pol II-mediated -1 frameshift product. In conclusion, failure or success of TLS pathways appears to be the net result of a complex interplay among DNA polymerases and accessory factors.

Bacillus subtilis RecG branch migration translocase is required for DNA repair and chromosomal segregation

The absence of Bacillus subtilis RecG branch migration translocase causes a defect in cell proliferation, renders cells very sensitive to DNA-damaging agents and increases approximately 150-fold the amount of non-partitioned chromosomes. Inactivation of recF, addA, recH, recV or recU increases both the sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents and the chromosomal segregation defect of recG mutants. Deletion of recS or recN gene partially suppresses cell proliferation, DNA repair and segregation defects of DeltarecG cells, whereas deletion of recA only partially suppresses the segregation defect of DeltarecG cells. Deletion of recG and ripX render cells with very poor viability, extremely sensitive to DNA-damaging agents, and with a drastic segregation defect. After exposure to mitomycin C recG or ripX cells show a drastic defect in chromosome partitioning (approximately 40% of the cells), and this defect is even larger (approximately 60% of the cells) in recG ripX cells. Taken together, these data indicate that: (i) RecG defines a new epistatic group (eta), (ii) RecG is required for proper chromosomal segregation even in the presence of other proteins that process and resolve Holliday junctions, and (iii) different avenues could process Holliday junctions.

Replisome mechanics: insights into a twin DNA polymerase machine

Chromosomal replicases are multicomponent machines that copy DNA with remarkable speed and processivity. The organization of the replisome reveals a twin DNA polymerase design ideally suited for concurrent synthesis of leading and lagging strands. Recent structural and biochemical studies of Escherichia coli and eukaryotic replication components provide intricate details of the organization and inner workings of cellular replicases. In particular, studies of sliding clamps and clamp-loader subunits elucidate the mechanisms of replisome processivity and lagging strand synthesis. These studies demonstrate close similarities between the bacterial and eukaryotic replication machineries.

Minding the gap: the underground functions of BRCA1 and BRCA2 at stalled replication forks

The hereditary breast and ovarian cancer predisposition genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, participate in the repair of DNA double strand breaks by homologous recombination. Circumstantial evidence implicates these genes in recombinational responses to DNA polymerase stalling during the S phase of the cell cycle. These responses play a key role in preventing genomic instability and cancer. Here, we review the current literature implicating the BRCA pathway in HR at stalled replication forks and explore the hypothesis that BRCA1 and BRCA2 participate in the recombinational resolution of single stranded DNA lesions termed "daughter strand gaps", generated during replication across a damaged DNA template.