Analysis of processivity of mungbean dideoxynucleotide-sensitive DNA polymerase and detection of the activity and expression of the enzyme in the meristematic and meiotic tissues and following DNA damaging agent

DNA Base Excision Repair in Plants: An Unfolding Story With Familiar and Novel Characters

Base excision repair (BER) is a critical genome defense pathway that deals with a broad range of non-voluminous DNA lesions induced by endogenous or exogenous genotoxic agents. BER is a complex process initiated by the excision of the damaged base, proceeds through a sequence of reactions that generate various DNA intermediates, and culminates with restoration of the original DNA structure. BER has been extensively studied in microbial and animal systems, but knowledge in plants has lagged behind until recently. Results obtained so far indicate that plants share many BER factors with other organisms, but also possess some unique features and combinations. Plant BER plays an important role in preserving genome integrity through removal of damaged bases. However, it performs additional important functions, such as the replacement of the naturally modified base 5-methylcytosine with cytosine in a plant-specific pathway for active DNA demethylation.

Cell cycling with the SEB: a personal view

This review, written from a personal perspective, traces firstly the development of plant cell cycle research from the 1970s onwards, with some focus on the work of the author and of Dr Dennis Francis. Secondly there is a discussion of the support for and discussion of plant cell cycle research in the SEB, especially through the activities of the Cell Cycle Group within the Society's Cell Biology Section. In the main part of the review, selected aspects of DNA replication that have of been of special interest to the author are discussed. These are DNA polymerases and associated proteins, pre-replication events, regulation of enzymes and other proteins, nature and activation of DNA replication origins, and DNA endoreduplication. For all these topics, there is mention of the author's own work, followed by a brief synthesis of current understanding and a look to possible future developments.

DNA repair and recombination in higher plants: insights from comparative genomics of Arabidopsis and rice

Background

The DNA repair and recombination (DRR) proteins protect organisms against genetic damage, caused by environmental agents and other genotoxic agents, by removal of DNA lesions or helping to abide them.

Results

We identified genes potentially involved in DRR mechanisms in Arabidopsis and rice using similarity searches and conserved domain analysis against proteins known to be involved in DRR in human, yeast and E. coli. As expected, many of DRR genes are very similar to those found in other eukaryotes. Beside these eukaryotes specific genes, several prokaryotes specific genes were also found to be well conserved in plants. In Arabidopsis, several functionally important DRR gene duplications are present, which do not occur in rice. Among DRR proteins, we found that proteins belonging to the nucleotide excision repair pathway were relatively more conserved than proteins needed for the other DRR pathways. Sub-cellular localization studies of DRR gene suggests that these proteins are mostly reside in nucleus while gene drain in between nucleus and cell organelles were also found in some cases.

Conclusions

The similarities and dissimilarities in between plants and other organisms' DRR pathways are discussed. The observed differences broaden our knowledge about DRR in the plants world, and raises the potential question of whether differentiated functions have evolved in some cases. These results, altogether, provide a useful framework for further experimental studies in these organisms.

An insight into the biological functions of family X-DNA polymerase in DNA replication and repair of plant genome

Recently we have reported the characterization of a novel single subunit 62-kDa polypeptide with ddNTP-sensitive DNA polymerase activity from the developing seeds of mungbean (Vigna radiata). The protein showed higher expression and activity level during nuclear endoreduplication stages of mungbean seeds and similarity with mammalian DNA polymerase beta in many physicochemical properties. The enzyme was found to specifically interact with PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen), and expressed in both meristematic and meiotic tissues. Functional assays have demonstrated binding of the enzyme to normal and mismatched DNA substrates and with fidelity DNA synthesis in moderately processive mode, suggesting probable involvement of the enzyme in both replication and recombination. Here we have discussed the position of mungbean DNA polymerase as a homologue of DNA Pol lambda, one of the newly identified member of family-X DNA polymerase in plants and illustrated the functional relevance of this enzyme in maintaining the coordination between DNA replication and repair in plant genome.