G4 DNA replication. III. Synthesis of replicative form

DNA helicase from mammalian mitochondria

In spite of the fact that a DNA helicase is clearly required for the predominantly leading-strand synthesis occurring during mammalian mtDNA replication, no such activity has heretofore been identified. We report the characterization of a mammalian mitochondrial DNA helicase isolated from bovine brain tissue. The sucrose gradient-purified mitochondria in which the activity was detected had less than 1 part in 2500 nuclear contamination according to Western blot analysis using nuclear- and mitochondrial-specific probes. Mitochondrial protein fractionation by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography yielded a DNA helicase activity dependent upon hydrolysis of ATP or dATP but not other NTPs or dNTPs. The mitochondrial helicase unwound 15- and 20-base oligonucleotides but was unable to unwind 32-base or longer oligonucleotides, and the polarity of the unwinding is 3'-to-5' with respect to the single-stranded portion of the partial duplex DNA substrate. This direction of unwinding would place the bovine mitochondrial helicase on the template strand ahead of DNA polymerase gamma during mtDNA replication, a situation analogous to that of the Rep helicase of Escherichia coli during leading-strand DNA synthesis of certain bacteriophages.

M13 vectors for selective cloning of sequences specifying initiation of DNA synthesis on single-stranded templates

M13 cloning vectors have been developed for the selection of DNA sequences capable of directing initiation of DNA synthesis on single-stranded templates. These vectors are derived from viable M13 mutants containing large deletions in the region of the complementary strand origin. The deletion mutants are defective in the conversion of viral single strands to the duplex replicative form (SS leads to RF) both in vivo and in vitro, give a reduced phage yield and form turbid plaques. A receptor site for foreign single strand initiation determinants has been introduced into the mutants by the insertion of EcoRI linker sequences at the deletion sites. Specific cloned sequences from bacteriophage G4 RF and from Co1E1 DNA restore a clear plaque type and normal phage growth. Selection of clear-plaque isolates obtained by transfection with RF from one of these vectors, M13 delta E101, carrying inserted Co1E1 HaeIII fragments resulted in the selective cloning of one specific fragment, the HaeIII-E fragment. Insertion of either the H or L strand of the HaeIII-E fragment into the M13 delta E101 viral strand gives a clear plaque phenotype, indicating the presence of initiation determinants on both the H- and L-strands of the Co1E1 HaeIII-E fragment. These cloning vectors provide a new means for the functional dissection of replication origins and for the identification of DNA sequences that determine the enzymatic mechanism of discontinuous synthesis along the length of the bacterial chromosome. The ability to assess initiation capability on the basis of plaque morphology also provides a means for rapid genetic analysis of initiation determinants.

Nucleotide sequence of bacteriophage G4 DNA

The 5,577 nucleotide long sequence of bacteriophage G4 DNA has been determined using the 'plus and minus' and chain termination methods of DNA sequencing. This sequence has been compared with that of the closely related bacteriophage phiX174 (refs 1, 55). In the coding regions there is an average of 33.1% nucleotide sequence differences between the two genomes, but the distribution of these changes is not random and the sequence of some genes is more conserved than others. There is less sequence similarity between the untranslated intergenic regions of G4 and phiX174, but despite this the sequences of the J/F, F/G and H/A untranslated spaces in both genomes have similar sized hairpin loops, which may be related to their function.

Evolution of bacteriophage phi X174. IV. Restriction enzyme cleavage map of St-1

The St-1 genome is about 6,050 base pairs in size, approximately 10% larger than phiX174 (5,375 base pairs). The DNA fragments obtained by HincII, HaeIII, and EcoRI digestion were ordered and aligned into a colinear map, and the single BglI cleavage site was located.