SPT4 increases UV-induced mutagenesis in yeast through impaired nucleotide excision repair

Spirosoma montaniterrae sp. nov., an ultraviolet and gamma radiation-resistant bacterium isolated from mountain soil

A Gram-negative, yellow-pigmented, long-rod shaped bacterial strain designated DY10(T) was isolated from a soil sample collected at Mt. Deogyusan, Jeonbuk province, South Korea. Optimum growth observed at 30°C and pH 7. No growth was observed above 1% (w/v) NaCl. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain DY10(T) belonged to the genus Spirosoma and was distantly related to Spirosoma arcticum R2-35(T) (91.0%), Spirosoma lingual DSM 74(T) (90.8%), Spirosoma endophyticum EX36(T) (90.7%), Spirosoma panaciterrae DSM 21099(T) (90.5%), Spirosoma rigui WPCB118(T) (90.2%), Spirosoma spitsbergense DSM 19989(T) (89.8%), Spirosoma luteum DSM 19990(T) (89.6%), Spirosoma oryzae RHs22(T) (89.6%), and Spirosoma radiotolerans DG5A(T) (89.1%). Strain DY10(T) showed resistance to gamma and ultraviolet radiation. The chemotaxonomic characteristics of strain DY10(T) were consistent with those of the genus Spirosoma, with the quinone system with MK-7 as the predominant menaquinone, iso-C15:0, C16:1 ω5c, and summed feature3 (C16:1 ω7c/C16:1 ω6c), and phosphatidylethanolamine as the major polar lipid. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 53.0 mol%. Differential phenotypic properties with the closely related type strains clearly distinguished strain DY10(T) from previously described members of the genus Spirosoma and represents a novel species in this genus, for which the name Spirosoma montaniterrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DY10(T) (=KCTC 23999(T) =KEMB 9004-162(T) =JCM 18492(T)).

Flavisolibacter swuensis sp. nov. isolated from soil

A Gram-staining-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming, and rod-shaped bacterium designated as strain SR2-4-2(T) was isolated from soil in South Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain SR2-4-2(T) revealed that it belonged to the genus of Flavisolibacter, family of Chitinophagaceae, and class of Sphingobacteriia. It shared sequence similarities with Flavisolibacter ginsengisoli Gsoil 643(T) (96.4%), Flavisolibacter ginsengiterrae Gsoil 492(T) (96.3%), and Flavisolibacter rigui 02SUJ3(T) (93.0%). Chemotaxonomic data revealed that its predominant fatty acids were iso-C15:0 (26.4%) and iso-C17:0 3OH (10.7%). Its major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and its predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7. The G+C content of genomic DNA of the strain SR2-4-2(T) DNA was 45.0%. Based on the phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic, and phenotypic data, the strain SR2-4-2(T) (=JCM 19974(T) =KEMB 9004-156(T)) is classified as a type strain of a novel species for which the name of Flavisolibacter swuensis sp. nov. is proposed.

The PCNA binding domain of Rad2p plays a role in mutagenesis by modulating the cell cycle in response to DNA damage

The xeroderma pigmentosum group G (XPG) gene, encoding an essential element in nucleotide excision repair (NER), has a proliferating cell nuclear antigen-binding domain (PCNA-BD) at its C-terminal region. However, the role of this domain is controversial because its presence does not affect NER. Using yeast RAD2, a homolog of human XPG, we show that Rad2p interacts with PCNA through its PCNA-BD and the PCNA-BD of Rad2p plays a role in UV-induced mutagenesis. While a mutation of Rad2p endonuclease activity alone causes dramatically increased mutation rates and UV sensitivity, as well as growth retardation after UV irradiation, a mutation of the Rad2p PCNA-BD in the same mutant causes dramatically decreased mutation rates, reduced UV sensitivity and increased growth rate after UV irradiation. After UV irradiation, large-budded cells of Rad2p endonuclease defective mutants wane due to a mutation of the Rad2p PCNA-BD. Besides, the Rad2p PCNA-BD mutant protein exhibits alleviated PCNA-binding efficiency. These results show a hitherto unsuspected role of the Rad2p PCNA-BD that controls mutagenesis via cell cycle modulation together with PCNA. Furthermore, the high mutation rate of cells with other NER gene mutations was also decreased by the mutation of the Rad2p PCNA-BD, which indicates that the Rad2p-PCNA interaction might be responsible for mutagenesis control in the general NER pathway. Our results suggest that the drastically increased incidence of skin cancer in xeroderma pigmentosum patients could arise from the synergistic effects between cell cycle arrest due to the XPG-PCNA interaction and the accumulation of damaged DNA via defects in DNA damage repair.

Yeast RAD2, a homolog of human XPG, plays a key role in the regulation of the cell cycle and actin dynamics

Mutations in the human XPG gene cause Cockayne syndrome (CS) and xeroderma pigmentosum (XP). Transcription defects have been suggested as the fundamental cause of CS; however, defining CS as a transcription syndrome is inconclusive. In particular, the function of XPG in transcription has not been clearly demonstrated. Here, we provide evidence for the involvement of RAD2, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae counterpart of XPG, in cell cycle regulation and efficient actin assembly following ultraviolet irradiation. RAD2 C-terminal deletion, which resembles the XPG mutation found in XPG/CS cells, caused cell growth arrest, the cell cycle stalling, a defective α-factor response, shortened lifespan, cell polarity defect, and misregulated actin-dynamics after DNA damage. Overexpression of the C-terminal 65 amino acids of Rad2p was sufficient to induce hyper-cell polarization. In addition, RAD2 genetically interacts with TPM1 during cell polarization. These results provide insights into the role of RAD2 in post-UV irradiation cell cycle regulation and actin assembly, which may be an underlying cause of XPG/CS.