Mutational analysis of the function of Gln115 in the EcoRI restriction endonuclease, a critical amino acid for recognition of the inner thymidine residue in the sequence -GAATTC- and for coupling specific DNA binding to catalysis

Type II restriction endonucleases--a historical perspective and more

This article continues the series of Surveys and Summaries on restriction endonucleases (REases) begun this year in Nucleic Acids Research. Here we discuss 'Type II' REases, the kind used for DNA analysis and cloning. We focus on their biochemistry: what they are, what they do, and how they do it. Type II REases are produced by prokaryotes to combat bacteriophages. With extreme accuracy, each recognizes a particular sequence in double-stranded DNA and cleaves at a fixed position within or nearby. The discoveries of these enzymes in the 1970s, and of the uses to which they could be put, have since impacted every corner of the life sciences. They became the enabling tools of molecular biology, genetics and biotechnology, and made analysis at the most fundamental levels routine. Hundreds of different REases have been discovered and are available commercially. Their genes have been cloned, sequenced and overexpressed. Most have been characterized to some extent, but few have been studied in depth. Here, we describe the original discoveries in this field, and the properties of the first Type II REases investigated. We discuss the mechanisms of sequence recognition and catalysis, and the varied oligomeric modes in which Type II REases act. We describe the surprising heterogeneity revealed by comparisons of their sequences and structures.

Effects of 2'-O-methyl nucleotide substitution on EcoRI endonuclease cleavage activities

To investigate the effect of sugar pucker conformation on DNA-protein interactions, we used 2′-O-methyl nucleotide (2′-OMeN) to modify the EcoRI recognition sequence -TGAATTCT-, and monitored the enzymatic cleavage process using FRET method. The 2′-O-methyl nucleotide has a C3′-endo sugar pucker conformation different from the C2′-endo sugar pucker conformation of native DNA nucleotides. The initial reaction velocities were measured and the kinetic parameters, K_m and V_max were derived using Michaelis-Menten equation. Experimental results showed that 2′-OMeN substitutions for the EcoRI recognition sequence decreased the cleavage efficiency for A2, A3 and T4 substitutions significantly, and 2′-OMeN substitution for T5 residue inhibited the enzymatic activity completely. In contrast, substitutions for G1 and C6 could maintain the original activity. 2′-fluoro nucleic acid (2′-FNA) and locked nucleic acid (LNA) having similar C3′-endo sugar pucker conformation also demonstrated similar enzymatic results. This position-dependent enzymatic cleavage property might be attributed to the phosphate backbone distortion caused by the switch from C2′-endo to C3′-endo sugar pucker conformation, and was interpreted on the basis of the DNA-EcoRI structure. These 2′-modified nucleotides could behave as a regulatory element to modulate the enzymatic activity in vitro, and this property will have potential applications in genetic engineering and biomedicine.

Early interrogation and recognition of DNA sequence by indirect readout

Control of replication, transcription, recombination and repair requires proteins capable of finding particular DNA sequences in a background of a large excess of nonspecific sequences. Such recognition can involve direct readout, with direct contacts to the bases of DNA, or in some cases through the less well-characterized indirect readout mechanisms. In order to measure the relative contributions of direct and indirect readout by a sequence specific endonuclease, HincII, a mutant enzyme deficient in a direct contact, was characterized, and surprisingly showed no loss of sequence specificity. The three dimensional crystal structure shows the loss of most of the direct readout contacts to the DNA, possibly capturing an early stage in target site recognition using predominately indirect readout to prescreen sites before full sequence interrogation.

R.KpnI, an HNH superfamily REase, exhibits differential discrimination at non-canonical sequences in the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+

KpnI REase recognizes palindromic sequence, GGTAC↓C, and forms complex in the absence of divalent metal ions, but requires the ions for DNA cleavage. Unlike most other REases, R.KpnI shows promiscuous DNA cleavage in the presence of Mg²⁺. Surprisingly, Ca²⁺ suppresses the Mg²⁺-mediated promiscuous activity and induces high fidelity cleavage. To further analyze these unique features of the enzyme, we have carried out DNA binding and kinetic analysis. The metal ions which exhibit disparate pattern of DNA cleavage have no role in DNA recognition. The enzyme binds to both canonical and non-canonical DNA with comparable affinity irrespective of the metal ions used. Further, Ca²⁺-imparted exquisite specificity of the enzyme is at the level of DNA cleavage and not at the binding step. With the canonical oligonucleotides, the cleavage rate of the enzyme was comparable for both Mg²⁺- and Mn²⁺-mediated reactions and was about three times slower with Ca²⁺. The enzyme discriminates non-canonical sequences poorly from the canonical sequence in Mg²⁺-mediated reactions unlike any other Type II REases, accounting for the promiscuous behavior. R.KpnI, thus displays properties akin to that of typical Type II REases and also endonucleases with degenerate specificity in its DNA recognition and cleavage properties.

An EcoRI-RsrI chimeric restriction endonuclease retains parental sequence specificity

To test their structural and functional similarity, hybrids were constructed between EcoRI and RsrI, two restriction endonucleases recognizing the same DNA sequence and sharing 50% amino acid sequence identity. One of the chimeric proteins (EERE), in which the EcoRI segment His147-Ala206 was replaced with the corresponding RsrI segment, showed EcoRI/RsrI-specific endonuclease activity. EERE purified from inclusion bodies was found to have approximately 100-fold weaker activity but higher specific DNA binding affinity, than EcoRI. Increased binding is consistent with results of molecular dynamics simulations, which indicate that the number of hydrogen bonds formed with the recognition sequence increased in the chimera as compared to EcoRI. The success of obtaining an EcoRI-RsrI hybrid endonuclease, which differs from EcoRI by 22 RsrI-specific amino acid substitutions and still preserves canonical cleavage specificity, is a sign of structural and functional similarity shared by the parental enzymes. This conclusion is also supported by computational studies, which indicate that construction of the EERE chimera did not induce substantial changes in the structure of EcoRI. Surprisingly, the chimeric endonuclease was more toxic to cells not protected by EcoRI methyltransferase, than the parental EcoRI mutant. Molecular modelling revealed structural alterations, which are likely to impede coupling between substrate recognition and cleavage and suggest a possible explanation for the toxic phenotype.

Allosteric communication network in the tetrameric restriction endonuclease Bse634I

Restriction endonuclease Bse634I is a homotetramer arranged as a dimer of two primary dimers. Bse634I displays its maximum catalytic efficiency upon binding of two copies of cognate DNA, one per each primary dimer. The catalytic activity of Bse634I on a single DNA copy is down-regulated due to the cross-talking interactions between the primary dimers. The mechanism of signal propagation between the individual active sites of Bse634I remains unclear. To identify communication pathways involved in the catalytic activity regulation of Bse634I tetramer we mutated a selected set of amino acid residues at the dimer-dimer interface and analysed the oligomeric state and catalytic properties of the mutant proteins. We demonstrate that alanine replacement of N262 and V263 residues located in the loop at the tetramerisation interface did not inhibit tetramer assembly but dramatically altered the catalytic properties of Bse634I despite of the distal location from the active site. Kinetic analysis using cognate hairpin oligonucleotide and one and two-site plasmids as substrates allowed us to identify two types of communication signals propagated through the dimer-dimer interface in the Bse634I tetramer: the inhibitory, or "stopper" and the activating, or "sync" signal. We suggest that the interplay between the two signals determines the catalytic and regulatory properties of the Bse634I and mutant proteins.

Non-cognate Enzyme–DNA Complex: Structural and Kinetic Analysis of EcoRV Endonuclease Bound to the EcoRI Recognition Site GAATTC

The crystal structure of EcoRV endonuclease bound to non-cognate DNA at 2.0 angstroms resolution shows that very small structural adaptations are sufficient to ensure the extreme sequence specificity characteristic of restriction enzymes. EcoRV bends its specific GATATC site sharply by 50 degrees into the major groove at the center TA step, generating unusual base-base interactions along each individual DNA strand. In the symmetric non-cognate complex bound to GAATTC, the center step bend is relaxed to avoid steric hindrance caused by the different placement of the exocyclic thymine methyl groups. The decreased base-pair unstacking in turn leads to small conformational rearrangements in the sugar-phosphate backbone, sufficient to destabilize binding of crucial divalent metal ions in the active site. A second crystal structure of EcoRV bound to the base-analog GAAUTC site shows that the 50 degrees center-step bend of the DNA is restored. However, while divalent metals bind at high occupancy in this structure, one metal ion shifts away from binding at the scissile DNA phosphate to a position near the 3'-adjacent phosphate group. This may explain why the 10(4)-fold attenuated cleavage efficiency toward GAATTC is reconstituted by less than tenfold toward GAAUTC. Examination of DNA binding and bending by equilibrium and stopped-flow florescence quenching and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) methods demonstrates that the capacity of EcoRV to bend the GAATTC non-cognate site is severely limited, but that full bending of GAAUTC is achieved at only a threefold reduced rate compared with the cognate complex. Together, the structural and biochemical data demonstrate the existence of distinct mechanisms for ensuring specificity at the bending and catalytic steps, respectively. The limited conformational rearrangements observed in the EcoRV non-cognate complex provide a sharp contrast to the extensive structural changes found in a non-cognate BamHI-DNA crystal structure, thus demonstrating a diversity of mechanisms by which restriction enzymes are able to achieve specificity.

NMR Studies of Restriction Enzyme−DNA Interactions: Role of Conformation in Sequence Specificity

Sequence specific DNA binding proteins are thought to adopt distinct conformations when binding to target (cognate) and nontarget (noncognate) sequences. There is both biochemical and crystallographic evidence that this behavior is important in mediating sequence recognition by the Mg(II)-dependent type II restriction enzymes. Despite this, there are few systematic comparisons of the structural behavior of these enzymes in various complexes. Here, (1)H-(15)N HSQC NMR spectroscopy is applied to PvuII endonuclease (2 x 18 kDa) in an effort to better understand the relationship between sequence recognition and enzyme conformational behavior. Spectra of the free enzyme collected in the absence and presence of metal ions indicate that while there is a modest backbone conformational response upon binding Ca(II), this does not occur with Mg(II). Substrate binding itself is accompanied by very dramatic spectral changes consistent with a large-scale conformational response. HSQC spectra of the enzyme bound to cognate (specific) and noncognate (nonspecific) oligonucleotides in the presence of Ca(II) are dramatically distinct, revealing for the first time the structural uniqueness of a PvuII cognate complex in solution. The strong correlation between NMR spectral overlap and crystallographic data (C(alpha) rmsd) permits characterization of the nonspecific PvuII complex as being more similar to the free enzyme than to the specific complex. Collectively, these data support the notion that it is the DNA, not the metal ion, which promotes a unique conformational response by the enzyme. It therefore follows that the principle role of metal ions in complex formation is one of driving substrate affinity and stability rather than conformationally priming the enzyme for substrate binding and sequence recognition. These results not only provide valuable insights into the mechanism of protein-DNA interactions but also demonstrate the utility of NMR spectroscopy in structure-function studies of these representative nucleic acid systems.

Type II restriction endonuclease R.KpnI is a member of the HNH nuclease superfamily

The restriction endonuclease (REase) R.KpnI is an orthodox Type IIP enzyme, which binds to DNA in the absence of metal ions and cleaves the DNA sequence 5'-GGTAC--C-3' in the presence of Mg2+ as shown generating 3' four base overhangs. Bioinformatics analysis reveals that R.KpnI contains a betabetaalpha-Me-finger fold, which is characteristic of many HNH-superfamily endonucleases, including homing endonuclease I-HmuI, structure-specific T4 endonuclease VII, colicin E9, sequence non-specific Serratia nuclease and sequence-specific homing endonuclease I-PpoI. According to our homology model of R.KpnI, D148, H149 and Q175 correspond to the critical D, H and N or H residues of the HNH nucleases. Substitutions of these three conserved residues lead to the loss of the DNA cleavage activity by R.KpnI, confirming their importance. The mutant Q175E fails to bind DNA at the standard conditions, although the DNA binding and cleavage can be rescued at pH 6.0, indicating a role for Q175 in DNA binding and cleavage. Our study provides the first experimental evidence for a Type IIP REase that does not belong to the PD...D/EXK superfamily of nucleases, instead is a member of the HNH superfamily.

Binding and conformational analysis of phosphoramidate-restriction enzyme interactions

Phosphoramidates are modified deoxyoligonucleotides that feature nitrogen in place of the 3'-oxygen of a phosphodiester linkage. Noted for stability against nuclease activity, these linkages are of both mechanistic and therapeutic interest. While a number of studies characterizing the properties of oligonucleotides composed entirely of phosphoramidate linkages have been published, little is known about how singly substituted phosphoramidate substitutions affect the thermodynamics and structure of protein-oligonucleotide interactions. We chose to investigate these interactions with PvuII endonuclease, the DNA binding behavior of which is well-characterized. Oligonucleotide duplexes containing a phosphoramidate substitution at the scissile phosphates were resistant to cleavage by the enzyme, even after extended incubations. However, the enzyme was able to cleave the native strand in a native:phosphoramidate heteroduplex at a rate comparable to that observed with the native substrate. Ca(II)-stimulated PvuII binding for a phosphoramidate-substituted oligonucleotide is comparable to that of the native duplex (K(d) approximately 200 pM). K(d) values obtained in the presence of Mg(II) are somewhat weaker (K(d) approximately 10 nM). Under metal-free conditions, the enzyme exhibited a remarkable approximately 50-fold greater affinity for the modified oligonucleotide relative to the native substrate (5 vs 240 nM). While (31)P NMR spectra indicate increased chemical shift dispersion in the free phosphoramidate duplex, the spectrum of the enzyme-bound duplex is similar to that of the native duplex. (1)H-(15)N HSQC analysis indicates that enzyme conformations in the presence of these oligonucleotides are also comparable. The tight binding of the phosphoramidate duplex under metal-free conditions and its resistance to cleavage are attributed to local conformational adjustments propagating from the O-->N substitution.

Investigation of restriction enzyme cofactor requirements: a relationship between metal ion properties and sequence specificity

Restriction enzymes are important model systems for understanding the mechanistic contributions of metal ions to nuclease activity. These systems are unique in that they combine distinct functions which have been shown to depend on metal ions: high-affinity DNA binding, sequence-specific recognition of DNA, and Mg(II)-dependent phosphodiester cleavage. While Ca(II) and Mn(II) are commonly used to promote DNA binding and cleavage, respectively, the metal ion properties that are critical to the support of these functions are not clear. To address this question, we assessed the abilities of a series of metal ions to promote DNA binding, sequence specificity, and cleavage in the representative PvuII endonuclease. Among the metal ions tested [Ca(II), Sr(II), Ba(II), Eu(III), Tb(III), Cd(II), Mn(II), Co(II), and Zn(II)], only Mn(II) and Co(II) were similar enough to Mg(II) to support detectable cleavage activity. Interestingly, cofactor requirements for the support of DNA binding are much more permissive; the survey of DNA binding cofactors indicated that Cd(II) and the heavier and larger alkaline earth metal ions Sr(II) and Ba(II) were effective cofactors, stimulating DNA binding affinity 20-200-fold. Impressively, the trivalent lanthanides Tb(III) and Eu(III) promoted DNA binding as efficiently as Ca(II), corresponding to an increase in affinity over 1000-fold higher than that observed under metal-free conditions. The trend for DNA binding affinity supported by these ions suggests that ionic radius and charge are not critical to the promotion of DNA binding. To examine the role of metal ions in sequence discrimination, we determined specificity factors [K(a)(specific)/K(a)(nonspecific)] in the presence of Cd(II), Ba(II), and Tb(III). Most interestingly, all of these ions compromised sequence specificity to some degree compared to Ca(II), by either increased affinity for a noncognate sequence, decreased affinity for the cognate sequence, or both. These results suggest that while amino acid-base contacts are important for specificity, the properties of metal ion cofactors at the catalytic site are also critical for sequence discrimination. This insight is invaluable to our efforts to understand and subsequently design sequence-specific nucleases.

Engineering of restriction endonucleases: using methylation activity of the bifunctional endonuclease Eco57I to select the mutant with a novel sequence specificity

Type II restriction endonucleases (REs) are widely used tools in molecular biology, biotechnology and diagnostics. Efforts to generate new specificities by structure-guided design and random mutagenesis have been unsuccessful so far. We have developed a new procedure called the methylation activity-based selection (MABS) for generating REs with a new specificity. MABS uses a unique property of bifunctional type II REs to methylate DNA targets they recognize. The procedure includes three steps: (1) conversion of a bifunctional RE into a monofunctional DNA-modifying enzyme by cleavage center disruption; (2) mutagenesis and selection of mutants with altered DNA modification specificity based on their ability to protect predetermined DNA targets; (3) reconstitution of the cleavage center's wild-type structure. The efficiency of the MABS technique was demonstrated by altering the sequence specificity of the bifunctional RE Eco57I from 5'-CTGAAG to 5'-CTGRAG, and thus generating the mutant restriction endonuclease (and DNA methyltransferase) of a specificity not known before. This study provides evidence that MABS is a promising technique for generation of REs with new specificities.

Electrostatic contributions to site specific DNA cleavage by EcoRV endonuclease

Mutational analysis of amino acids at the periphery of the EcoRV endonuclease active site suggests that moderate-range electrostatic effects play a significant role in modulating the efficiency of phosphoryl transfer. Asp36 and Lys38 located on minor-groove binding surface loops approach within 7-9 A of the scissile phosphates of the DNA. While the rates of single-site mutations removing the carboxylate or amine moieties at these positions are decreased 10(3)-10(5)-fold compared to that of wild-type EcoRV, we find that double mutants which rebalance the charge improve catalysis by up to 500-fold. Mutational analysis also suggests that catalytic efficiency is influenced by Lys173, which is buried at the base of a deep depression penetrating from a distal surface of the enzyme. The Lys173 amine group lies just 6 A from the amine group of the conserved essential Lys92 side chain in the active site. Kinetic and crystallographic analyses of the EcoRV E45A mutant enzyme further show that the Glu45 carboxylate group facilitates an extensive set of conformational transitions which occur upon DNA binding. The crystal structure of E45A bound to DNA and Mn2+ ions reveals significant conformational alterations in a small alpha-helical portion of the dimer interface located adjacent to the DNA minor groove. This leads to a tertiary reorientation of the two monomers as well as shifting of the key major-groove binding recognition loops. Because the Glu45 side chain does not appear to play a direct structural role in maintaining the active site, these rearrangements may instead originate in an altered electrostatic potential caused by removal of the negative charge. A Mn2+ binding site on the scissile phosphate is also disrupted in the E45A structure such that inner-sphere metal interactions made by the scissile DNA phosphate and conserved Asp90 carboxylate are each replaced with water molecules in the mutant. These findings argue against a proposed role for Asp36 as the general base in EcoRV catalysis, and reveal that the induced-fit conformational changes necessary for active site assembly and metal binding are significantly modulated by the electrostatic potential in this region.

Importance of phosphate contacts for sequence recognition by EcoRI restriction enzyme

We have studied the importance of charge and hydrogen-bonding potential of the phosphodiester backbone for binding and cleavage by EcoRI restriction endonuclease. We used 12-mer oligodeoxynucleotide substrates with single substitutions of phosphates by chiral methylphosphonates at each position of the recognition sequence -pGpApApTpTpCp-. Binding was moderately reduced between 4- and 400-fold more or less equally for the R(P) and S(P)-analogues mainly caused by missing charge interaction. The range of cleavage effects was much wider. Four substrates were not cleaved at all. At both flanking positions and in the purine half of the sequence up to the central position, cleavage was more impaired than binding and differences between R(P) and S(P) diastereomeres were more pronounced. These effects are easily interpreted by direct phosphate contacts seen in the crystal structure. For the effects of substitutions in the pyrimidine half of the recognition sequence, more indirect effects have to be discussed.

Differential effects of isomeric incorporation of fluorophenylalanines into PvuII endonuclease

Incorporation of fluorine into proteins has long served as a means of probing structure and function, yet there are few studies that examine the impact of fluorine substitution, particularly at locations distant from the active sites of enzymes. The flexibility of isomeric fluorine incorporation at Phe is used to explore subtle substitution effects on enzyme activity and conformation. The unnatural amino acids o-, m-, and p-fluorophenylalanines were incorporated biosynthetically into the representative PvuII restriction endonuclease. Interestingly, m-fluoro-Phe-PvuII endonuclease exhibits very similar conformational stability to that of the native enzyme, but it exhibits a reproducible, 2-fold higher average specific activity. Given the level of incorporation and the distribution of species, the species of modified enzyme responsible for this increase in specific activity is most likely even faster. Further, moving the fluorine atom from the meta- to the para-position of Phe results in a 4-fold decrease in specific activity and a decrease in conformational stability of 1.5 kcal/mol. Since none of the Phe residues in PvuII endonuclease lies near the DNA recognition or catalytic sites, this differential behavior alludes to the impact of subtle changes in enzyme conformation on endonuclease activity and suggests novel ways to influence catalytic behavior.

Catalytic roles of divalent metal ions in phosphoryl transfer by EcoRV endonuclease

The rate constant for the phosphoryl transfer step in site-specific DNA cleavage by EcoRV endonuclease has been determined as a function of pH and identity of the required divalent metal ion cofactor, for both wild-type and T93A mutant enzymes. These measurements show bell-shaped pH-rate curves for each enzyme in the presence of Mg2+ as a cofactor, indicating general base catalysis for the nucleophilic attack of hydroxide ion on the scissile phosphate, and general acid catalysis for protonation of the leaving 3'-O anion. The kinetic data support a model for phosphoryl transfer based on wild-type and T93A cocrystal structures, in which the ionizations of two distinct metal-ligated waters respectively generate the attacking hydroxide ion and the proton for donation to the leaving group. The model concurs with recent observations of two metal ions bound in the active sites of the type II restriction endonucleases BamHI and BglI, suggesting the possibility of a similar catalytic mechanism functioning in many or all members of this enzyme family.

Asn141 is essential for DNA recognition by EcoRI restriction endonuclease

The amino acid residue Asn141 of the restriction endonuclease EcoRI was proposed to make three hydrogen bonds to both adenine residues within the recognition sequence -GAATTC-. We have mutated Asn141 to alanine, aspartate, serine, and tyrosine. Only the serine mutant is active under normal buffer conditions although 1000-fold less than wild-type EcoRI. The alanine and aspartate mutants can be activated by Mn2+. At acidic pH the latter mutant becomes even more active than the wild-type enzyme in the presence of Mn2+. We conclude that Asn141 is essential for DNA recognition and that serine can partly substitute it.

Mutational analysis of the function of Met137 and Ile197, two amino acids implicated in sequence-specific DNA recognition by the EcoRI endonuclease

The gene encoding the EcoRI endonuclease was altered by site-directed mutagenesis to introduce multiple substitutions of M137 and 1197, two amino acids which were suggested by the revised crystal structure to mediate recognition of the cytosines in the 5'-GAATTC-3' target sequence. Eight substitutions of M137 and ten substitutions of 1197 were isolated. With the exception of M137W, M137P and M137K, all mutant enzymes retained enough activity to damage cellular DNA in the absence of the EcoRI methyltransferase. All M137 replacements abolished the ability of the enzyme to restrict phage growth. Conservative replacements at 1197 (L, V) did not impair phage restriction, whereas non-conservative changes reduced (G, W) or abolished (D, P) restriction. In general, substitutions at M137 were more deleterious than substitutions at I197. Double mutants with combinations of M137G/A and I197G/A mutations exhibited a phenotype characteristic for the respective single M137 mutant. Double mutants carrying combinations of the M137G/A replacements and substitutions at R200 were viable even in the absence of the methyltransferase, suggesting that disrupting contacts to both bases of the GC base pair inactivates the enzyme. None of the replacements resulted in relaxed recognition specificity. In summary, our findings are consistent with a role for M137 but do not support such a role for I197 in substrate recognition by the EcoRI endonuclease.

Engineering of variants of the restriction endonuclease EcoRV that depend in their cleavage activity on the flexibility of sequences flanking the recognition site

The present work describes mutants of the restriction enzyme EcoRV that discriminate very efficiently between oligodeoxynucleotide substrates with an EcoRV recognition sequence in different sequence context. All of these EcoRV variants harbor substitutions at position 226, where in the cocrystal structure of the specific EcoRV/DNA complex an arginine contacts the backbone of the DNA substrate upstream of the recognition sequence, and cleave an oligodeoxynucleotide with an EcoRV site in a nonflexible sequence context (the recognition site being flanked by runs of A and T) with much higher catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) than an oligodeoxynucleotide with an EcoRV site in a flexible sequence context (the recognition site being flanked by runs of AT), in contrast to the wild-type enzyme, that cleaves both substrates with the same catalytic efficiency. Steady-state and single-turnover kinetics indicate that the enhanced selectivity of the mutants is due to the catalytic step of the reaction. It is possible to enhance the discriminatory power of these EcoRV variants through the choice of appropriate reaction conditions, in particular low salt concentration and low reaction temperatures. It must be emphasized that the enhanced selectivity of these EcoRV variants toward EcoRV sites in a flexible and nonflexible sequence context, respectively, is not only seen with oligodeoxynucleotides, but also with plasmid substrates.

Temperature-sensitive mutants of the EcoRI endonuclease

The EcoRI endonuclease is an important recombinant DNA tool and a paradigm of sequence-specific DNA-protein interactions. We have isolated temperature-sensitive (TS) EcoRI endonuclease mutants (R56Q, G78D, P90S, V97I, R105K, M157I, C218Y, A235E, M255I, T261I and L263F) and characterized activity in vivo and in vitro. Although the majority were TS for function in vivo, all of the mutant enzymes were stably expressed and largely soluble at both 30 degrees C and 42 degrees C in vivo and none of the mutants was found to be TS in vitro. These findings suggest that these mutations may affect folding of the enzyme at elevated temperature in vivo. Both non-conservative and conservative substitutions occurred but were not correlated with severity of the mutation. Of the 12 residues identified, 11 are conserved between EcoRI and the isoschizomer RsrI (which shares 50% identity), a further indication that these residues are critical for EcoRI structure and function. Inspection of the 2.8 A resolution X-ray crystal structure of the wild-type EcoRI endonuclease-DNA complex revealed that: (1) the TS mutations cluster in one half of the globular enzyme; (2) several of the substituted residues interact with each other; (3) most mutations would be predicted to disrupt local structures; (4) two mutations may affect the dimer interface (G78D and A235E); (5) one mutation (P90S) occurred in a residue that is part of, or immediately adjacent to, the EcoRI active site and which is conserved in the distantly related EcoRV endonuclease. Finally, one class of mutants restricted phage in vivo and was active in vitro, whereas a second class did not restrict and was inactive in vitro. The two classes of mutants may differ in kinetic properties or cleavage mechanism. In summary, these mutations provide insights into EcoRI structure and function, and complement previous genetic, biochemical, and structural analyses.

Catalytic and DNA binding properties of PvuII restriction endonuclease mutants

The role of particular residues of the PvuII endonuclease in DNA binding and cleavage was studied by mutational analysis using a number of in vivo and in vitro approaches. While confirming the importance of residues predicted to be involved directly in function by the crystal structure, the analysis led to several striking results. Aspartate 34, which contacts the central base pair of the PvuII site (5'-CAGCTG-3') through the minor groove, plays a critical role in binding specificity. A D34G mutant binds with high affinity to any of the sequences in the set CANNTG, although its low level of cleavage activity acts only on the wild-type site. In addition, a His to Ala mutation at the residue that contacts the central G and is predicted to be blocked by PvuII methylation still requires the PvuII methylase to be maintained in vivo, arguing against this hypothesis as the only mechanism for methylation protection. Finally, four of the five mutations that reduce cleavage activity while still exhibiting binding in the gel shift assay are at residues that form DNA- or subunit-subunit contacts rather than in the catalytic center. This provides further evidence for a strong linkage between specific binding and catalysis.

Sequence context influencing cleavage activity of the K130E mutant of the restriction endonuclease EcoRI identified by a site selection assay

We have generated several EcoRI mutants which exhibit a decreased cleavage rate on one of the five specific cleavage sites in bacteriophage lambda-DNA. To study the influence of the sequence context on the cleavage rate in more detail, we developed a site selection assay. From a complete set of 4096 plasmid substrates, differing in three bases on both sides of a recognition sequence, optimal (best cut) and unfavorable (worst cut) sequences were selected by repeated limited digestion, separation, and in vivo amplification of cleaved and uncleaved plasmids. In order to compare the sequence preferences of the inner arm mutant K130E and the wild type enzyme, the cleavage rates and sequences of individual plasmids from the resulting pools were determined. The inner arm mutant K130E selected pools with clearly defined consensus sequences and a high amount of palindromic sequences. The cleavage rates of the selected sequences are specific for the K130E mutant as is shown by their cleavage with other mutants. In contrast, wild type EcoRI does not lead to a selection in this assay. Pre-steady state kinetics show that preferences for a certain sequence context are a result of differences in the dissociation rates of the wild type enzyme. EcoRI is evolved to efficiently recognize and cleave each nonmethylated DNA invading the cell. Therefore, a fast dissociation after cleavage is not mandatory.

Recognition and cleavage of DNA by type-II restriction endonucleases

Restriction endonucleases are enzymes which recognize short DNA sequences and cleave the DNA in both strands. Depending on the enzymological properties different types are distinguished. Type II restriction endonucleases are homodimers which recognize short palindromic sequences 4-8 bp in length and, in the presence of Mg2+, cleave the DNA within or next to the recognition site. They are capable of non-specific binding to DNA and make use of linear diffusion to locate their target site. Binding and recognition of the specific site involves contacts to the bases of the recognition sequence and the phosphodiester backbone over approximately 10-12 bp. In general, recognition is highly redundant which explains the extreme specificity of these enzymes. Specific binding is accompanied by conformational changes over both the protein and the DNA. This mutual induced fit leads to the activation of the catalytic centers. The precise mechanism of cleavage has not yet been established for any restriction endonuclease. Currently two models are discussed: the substrate-assisted catalysis mechanism and the two-metal-ion mechanism. Structural similarities identified between EcoRI, EcoRV, BamHI, PvuII and Cfr10I suggest that many type II restriction endonucleases are not only functionally but also evolutionarily related.

Saturation mutagenesis of His114 of EcoRI reveals relaxed-specificity mutants

EcoRI recognizes and cleaves DNA at GAATTC sites and is one of the best characterized sequence-specific restriction endonucleases (ENases). In previous studies, an EcoRI mutant, which exhibited relaxed substrate specificity and cleaved both canonical and EcoRI star sites, was isolated. This mutant enzyme has Tyr instead of His114. Here, we subjected residue 114 of the EcoRI ENase to saturation mutagenesis. The resulting mutant enzymes were characterized both in vivo and in vitro, resulting in the identification of mutants with canonical (H114K, Q, D, I) or relaxed (H114Y, F, S, T) specificity, as well as one mutant with severely impaired activity (H114P). In the X-ray structure of an EcoRI-substrate complex, His114 is located between the catalytic and recognition regions of EcoRI and may directly contact the DNA phosphate backbone. Based on our genetic and biochemical findings and the X-ray structure, we propose that His114 participates in substrate recognition and catalysis, either directly, via protein-DNA interactions, or indirectly, by mediating conformational changes that trigger DNA cleavage in response to substrate recognition.

Site-directed mutagenesis in the catalytic center of the restriction endonuclease EcoRI

The catalytic center of the restriction endonuclease (ENase) EcoRI is structurally homologous to that of EcoRV, BamHI and PvuII. Each of these ENases contains a short motif of three to four amino acid (aa) residues which are positioned in a similar orientation to the scissile phosphodiester bond. We have mutated these aa (Pro90, Asp91, Glu111 and Lys113) in EcoRI to determine their individual roles in catalysis. The replacement of Asp91 and Lys113, respectively, by conservative mutations (Ala91, Asn91, Ala113, Gln113, His113 and Leu113) resulted in a reduction of binding affinity and complete loss of cleavage activity. Only Lys113-->Arg substitution still allows to cleave DNA, albeit with a rate reduced by at least four orders of magnitude. Lys113 seems to stabilize the structure of the wild-type (wt) ENase since all five ENase variants with mutations at this position show a strongly enhanced tendency to aggregate. The Ala and Gln mutants of Glu111 bind the recognition sequence slightly stronger than wt EcoRI and cleave it with a low, but detectable rate. Only the Glu111-->Lys mutant, in which the charge is reversed, shows neither binding nor cleavage activity. Pro90 is not important for catalysis, because the Ala90 mutant cleaves DNA with an only slightly reduced rate. Under star conditions, however, this mutant is even more active than wt EcoRI. Therefore, the charged aa Asp91, Glu111 and Lys113 are essential for catalytic activity of the EcoRI ENase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A dodecapeptide comprising the extended chain-alpha 4 region of the restriction endonuclease EcoRI specifically binds to the EcoRI recognition site

The restriction endonuclease EcoRI binds and cleaves DNA containing GAATTC sequences with high specificity. According to the crystal structure, most of the specific contacts of the enzyme to the DNA are formed by the extended chain region and the first turn of alpha-helix alpha 4 (amino acids 137-145). Here, we demonstrate that a dodecapeptide (WDGMAAGNAIER), which is identical in the underlined parts of its sequence to EcoRI amino acids 137-145, specifically binds to GAATTC sequences. The peptide inhibits DNA cleavage by EcoRI but not by BamHI, BclI, EcoRV, HindIII, PacI, and XbaI. DNA cleavage by XbaI is slowed down at sites that partially overlap with EcoRI sites. The peptide inhibits cleavage of GAATTC sites by ApoI, which recognizes the sequence RAATTY. It interferes with DNA methylation by the EcoRI methyltransferase but not by the BamHI methyltransferase. It competes with EcoRI for DNA binding. Based on these results, the DNA binding constant of the peptide to GAATTC sequences was calculated to be 3 x 10(4) M-1. DNA binding is not temperature-dependent, suggesting that binding of the peptide is entropy-driven. As the peptide does not show any nonspecific binding to DNA, its DNA binding specificity is similar to that of EcoRI, in spite of the fact that the affinity is much smaller. These results suggest that contacts to the phosphate groups in EcoRI mainly provide binding affinity, whereas the specificity of EcoRI is based to a large extent on sequence-specific base contacts.

Protein engineering of the restriction endonuclease EcoRV: replacement of an amino acid residue in the DNA binding site leads to an altered selectivity towards unmodified and modified substrates

According to the crystal structure analysis of a specific EcoRV/DNA complex, the thymine residues of the recognition sequence -GATATC- are not in direct contact with any amino acid residue of the protein. However, several amino acid residues are sufficiently close that it seemed worthwhile trying to create variants of EcoRV with altered specificity by site-directed mutagenesis. Guided by molecular modelling we have replaced. Asn-188 in the catalytic center of EcoRV by Gln to produce a mutant with a relative preference (compared to wild type EcoRV) for substrates in which one thymine of the recognition sequence is replaced by uracil. We have purified and characterized the resulting N188Q mutant. The selectivity value for the engineered enzyme (the ratio of the kcat/KM values for -GATAUC- versus -GATATC-) differs from that of the wild type enzyme by a factor of more than 200.