Plastid DNA polymerases from higher plants, Arabidopsis thaliana

Encyclopedia of Family A DNA Polymerases Localized in Organelles: Evolutionary Contribution of Bacteria Including the Proto-Mitochondrion

DNA polymerases synthesize DNA from deoxyribonucleotides in a semiconservative manner and serve as the core of DNA replication and repair machinery. In eukaryotic cells, there are 2 genome-containing organelles, mitochondria, and plastids, which were derived from an alphaproteobacterium and a cyanobacterium, respectively. Except for rare cases of genome-lacking mitochondria and plastids, both organelles must be served by nucleus-encoded DNA polymerases that localize and work in them to maintain their genomes. The evolution of organellar DNA polymerases has yet to be fully understood because of 2 unsettled issues. First, the diversity of organellar DNA polymerases has not been elucidated in the full spectrum of eukaryotes. Second, it is unclear when the DNA polymerases that were used originally in the endosymbiotic bacteria giving rise to mitochondria and plastids were discarded, as the organellar DNA polymerases known to date show no phylogenetic affinity to those of the extant alphaproteobacteria or cyanobacteria. In this study, we identified from diverse eukaryotes 134 family A DNA polymerase sequences, which were classified into 10 novel types, and explored their evolutionary origins. The subcellular localizations of selected DNA polymerases were further examined experimentally. The results presented here suggest that the diversity of organellar DNA polymerases has been shaped by multiple transfers of the PolI gene from phylogenetically broad bacteria, and their occurrence in eukaryotes was additionally impacted by secondary plastid endosymbioses. Finally, we propose that the last eukaryotic common ancestor may have possessed 2 mitochondrial DNA polymerases, POP, and a candidate of the direct descendant of the proto-mitochondrial DNA polymerase I, rdxPolA, identified in this study.

Primase promotes the competition between transcription and replication on the same template strand resulting in DNA damage

Transcription-replication conflicts (TRCs), especially Head-On TRCs (HO-TRCs) can introduce R-loops and DNA damage, however, the underlying mechanisms are still largely unclear. We previously identified a chloroplast-localized RNase H1 protein AtRNH1C that can remove R-loops and relax HO-TRCs for genome integrity. Through the mutagenesis screen, we identify a mutation in chloroplast-localized primase ATH that weakens the binding affinity of DNA template and reduces the activities of RNA primer synthesis and delivery. This slows down DNA replication, and reduces competition of transcription-replication, thus rescuing the developmental defects of atrnh1c. Strand-specific DNA damage sequencing reveals that HO-TRCs cause DNA damage at the end of the transcription unit in the lagging strand and overexpression of ATH can boost HO-TRCs and exacerbates DNA damage. Furthermore, mutation of plastid DNA polymerase Pol1A can similarly rescue the defects in atrnh1c mutants. Taken together these results illustrate a potentially conserved mechanism among organisms, of which the primase activity can promote the occurrence of transcription-replication conflicts leading to HO-TRCs and genome instability.

Base Excision DNA Repair in Plants: Arabidopsis and Beyond

Base excision DNA repair (BER) is a key pathway safeguarding the genome of all living organisms from damage caused by both intrinsic and environmental factors. Most present knowledge about BER comes from studies of human cells, E. coli, and yeast. Plants may be under an even heavier DNA damage threat from abiotic stress, reactive oxygen species leaking from the photosynthetic system, and reactive secondary metabolites. In general, BER in plant species is similar to that in humans and model organisms, but several important details are specific to plants. Here, we review the current state of knowledge about BER in plants, with special attention paid to its unique features, such as the existence of active epigenetic demethylation based on the BER machinery, the unexplained diversity of alkylation damage repair enzymes, and the differences in the processing of abasic sites that appear either spontaneously or are generated as BER intermediates. Understanding the biochemistry of plant DNA repair, especially in species other than the Arabidopsis model, is important for future efforts to develop new crop varieties.

The nucleotide metabolome of germinating Arabidopsis thaliana seeds reveals a central role for thymidine phosphorylation in chloroplast development

Thymidylates are generated by several partially overlapping metabolic pathways in different subcellular locations. This interconnectedness complicates an understanding of how thymidylates are formed in vivo. Analyzing a comprehensive collection of mutants and double mutants on the phenotypic and metabolic level, we report the effect of de novo thymidylate synthesis, salvage of thymidine, and conversion of cytidylates to thymidylates on thymidylate homeostasis during seed germination and seedling establishment in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). During germination, the salvage of thymidine in organelles contributes predominantly to the thymidylate pools and a mutant lacking organellar (mitochondrial and plastidic) thymidine kinase has severely altered deoxyribonucleotide levels, less chloroplast DNA, and chlorotic cotyledons. This phenotype is aggravated when mitochondrial thymidylate de novo synthesis is additionally compromised. We also discovered an organellar deoxyuridine-triphosphate pyrophosphatase and show that its main function is not thymidylate synthesis but probably the removal of noncanonical nucleotide triphosphates. Interestingly, cytosolic thymidylate synthesis can only compensate defective organellar thymidine salvage in seedlings but not during germination. This study provides a comprehensive insight into the nucleotide metabolome of germinating seeds and demonstrates the unique role of enzymes that seem redundant at first glance.

An Insight Into the Mechanism of Plant Organelle Genome Maintenance and Implications of Organelle Genome in Crop Improvement: An Update

Besides the nuclear genome, plants possess two small extra chromosomal genomes in mitochondria and chloroplast, respectively, which contribute a small fraction of the organelles’ proteome. Both mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA have originated endosymbiotically and most of their prokaryotic genes were either lost or transferred to the nuclear genome through endosymbiotic gene transfer during the course of evolution. Due to their immobile nature, plant nuclear and organellar genomes face continuous threat from diverse exogenous agents as well as some reactive by-products or intermediates released from various endogenous metabolic pathways. These factors eventually affect the overall plant growth and development and finally productivity. The detailed mechanism of DNA damage response and repair following accumulation of various forms of DNA lesions, including single and double-strand breaks (SSBs and DSBs) have been well documented for the nuclear genome and now it has been extended to the organelles also. Recently, it has been shown that both mitochondria and chloroplast possess a counterpart of most of the nuclear DNA damage repair pathways and share remarkable similarities with different damage repair proteins present in the nucleus. Among various repair pathways, homologous recombination (HR) is crucial for the repair as well as the evolution of organellar genomes. Along with the repair pathways, various other factors, such as the MSH1 and WHIRLY family proteins, WHY1, WHY2, and WHY3 are also known to be involved in maintaining low mutation rates and structural integrity of mitochondrial and chloroplast genome. SOG1, the central regulator in DNA damage response in plants, has also been found to mediate endoreduplication and cell-cycle progression through chloroplast to nucleus retrograde signaling in response to chloroplast genome instability. Various proteins associated with the maintenance of genome stability are targeted to both nuclear and organellar compartments, establishing communication between organelles as well as organelles and nucleus. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of DNA damage repair and inter compartmental crosstalk mechanism in various sub-cellular organelles following induction of DNA damage and identification of key components of such signaling cascades may eventually be translated into strategies for crop improvement under abiotic and genotoxic stress conditions. This review mainly highlights the current understanding as well as the importance of different aspects of organelle genome maintenance mechanisms in higher plants.

Construction of a highly error-prone DNA polymerase for developing organelle mutation systems

A novel family of DNA polymerases replicates organelle genomes in a wide distribution of taxa encompassing plants and protozoans. Making error-prone mutator versions of gamma DNA polymerases revolutionised our understanding of animal mitochondrial genomes but similar advances have not been made for the organelle DNA polymerases present in plant mitochondria and chloroplasts. We tested the fidelities of error prone tobacco organelle DNA polymerases using a novel positive selection method involving replication of the phage lambda cI repressor gene. Unlike gamma DNA polymerases, ablation of 3'-5' exonuclease function resulted in a modest 5-8-fold error rate increase. Combining exonuclease deficiency with a polymerisation domain substitution raised the organelle DNA polymerase error rate by 140-fold relative to the wild type enzyme. This high error rate compares favourably with error-rates of mutator versions of animal gamma DNA polymerases. The error prone organelle DNA polymerase introduced mutations at multiple locations ranging from two to seven sites in half of the mutant cI genes studied. Single base substitutions predominated including frequent A:A (template: dNMP) mispairings. High error rate and semi-dominance to the wild type enzyme in vitro make the error prone organelle DNA polymerase suitable for elevating mutation rates in chloroplasts and mitochondria.

The Dark Side of UV-Induced DNA Lesion Repair

In their life cycle, plants are exposed to various unfavorable environmental factors including ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted by the Sun. UV-A and UV-B, which are partially absorbed by the ozone layer, reach the surface of the Earth causing harmful effects among the others on plant genetic material. The energy of UV light is sufficient to induce mutations in DNA. Some examples of DNA damage induced by UV are pyrimidine dimers, oxidized nucleotides as well as single and double-strand breaks. When exposed to light, plants can repair major UV-induced DNA lesions, i.e., pyrimidine dimers using photoreactivation. However, this highly efficient light-dependent DNA repair system is ineffective in dim light or at night. Moreover, it is helpless when it comes to the repair of DNA lesions other than pyrimidine dimers. In this review, we have focused on how plants cope with deleterious DNA damage that cannot be repaired by photoreactivation. The current understanding of light-independent mechanisms, classified as dark DNA repair, indispensable for the maintenance of plant genetic material integrity has been presented.

Plant Organellar DNA Polymerases Evolved Multifunctionality through the Acquisition of Novel Amino Acid Insertions

The majority of DNA polymerases (DNAPs) are specialized enzymes with specific roles in DNA replication, translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), or DNA repair. The enzymatic characteristics to perform accurate DNA replication are in apparent contradiction with TLS or DNA repair abilities. For instance, replicative DNAPs incorporate nucleotides with high fidelity and processivity, whereas TLS DNAPs are low-fidelity polymerases with distributive nucleotide incorporation. Plant organelles (mitochondria and chloroplast) are replicated by family-A DNA polymerases that are both replicative and TLS DNAPs. Furthermore, plant organellar DNA polymerases from the plant model Arabidopsis thaliana (AtPOLIs) execute repair of double-stranded breaks by microhomology-mediated end-joining and perform Base Excision Repair (BER) using lyase and strand-displacement activities. AtPOLIs harbor three unique insertions in their polymerization domain that are associated with TLS, microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ), strand-displacement, and lyase activities. We postulate that AtPOLIs are able to execute those different functions through the acquisition of these novel amino acid insertions, making them multifunctional enzymes able to participate in DNA replication and DNA repair.

DNA Repair and the Stability of the Plant Mitochondrial Genome

The mitochondrion stands at the center of cell energy metabolism. It contains its own genome, the mtDNA, that is a relic of its prokaryotic symbiotic ancestor. In plants, the mitochondrial genetic information influences important agronomic traits including fertility, plant vigor, chloroplast function, and cross-compatibility. Plant mtDNA has remarkable characteristics: It is much larger than the mtDNA of other eukaryotes and evolves very rapidly in structure. This is because of recombination activities that generate alternative mtDNA configurations, an important reservoir of genetic diversity that promotes rapid mtDNA evolution. On the other hand, the high incidence of ectopic recombination leads to mtDNA instability and the expression of gene chimeras, with potential deleterious effects. In contrast to the structural plasticity of the genome, in most plant species the mtDNA coding sequences evolve very slowly, even if the organization of the genome is highly variable. Repair mechanisms are probably responsible for such low mutation rates, in particular repair by homologous recombination. Herein we review some of the characteristics of plant organellar genomes and of the repair pathways found in plant mitochondria. We further discuss how homologous recombination is involved in the evolution of the plant mtDNA.

Structure-Function Analysis Reveals the Singularity of Plant Mitochondrial DNA Replication Components: A Mosaic and Redundant System

Plants are sessile organisms, and their DNA is particularly exposed to damaging agents. The integrity of plant mitochondrial and plastid genomes is necessary for cell survival. During evolution, plants have evolved mechanisms to replicate their mitochondrial genomes while minimizing the effects of DNA damaging agents. The recombinogenic character of plant mitochondrial DNA, absence of defined origins of replication, and its linear structure suggest that mitochondrial DNA replication is achieved by a recombination-dependent replication mechanism. Here, I review the mitochondrial proteins possibly involved in mitochondrial DNA replication from a structural point of view. A revision of these proteins supports the idea that mitochondrial DNA replication could be replicated by several processes. The analysis indicates that DNA replication in plant mitochondria could be achieved by a recombination-dependent replication mechanism, but also by a replisome in which primers are synthesized by three different enzymes: Mitochondrial RNA polymerase, Primase-Helicase, and Primase-Polymerase. The recombination-dependent replication model and primers synthesized by the Primase-Polymerase may be responsible for the presence of genomic rearrangements in plant mitochondria.

Plant organellar DNA polymerases repair double-stranded breaks by microhomology-mediated end-joining

Double-stranded breaks (DSBs) in plant organelles are repaired via genomic rearrangements characterized by microhomologous repeats. These microhomologous signatures predict the existence of an unidentified enzymatic machinery capable of repairing of DSBs via microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ) in plant organelles. Here, we show that organellar DNA polymerases from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtPolIA and AtPolIB) perform MMEJ using microhomologous sequences as short as six nucleotides. AtPolIs execute MMEJ by virtue of two specialized amino acid insertions located in their thumb subdomains. Single-stranded binding proteins (SSBs) unique to plants, AtWhirly2 and organellar single-stranded binding proteins (AtOSBs), hinder MMEJ, whereas canonical mitochondrial SSBs (AtmtSSB1 and AtmtSSB2) do not interfere with MMEJ. Our data predict that organellar DNA rearrangements by MMEJ are a consequence of a competition for the 3'-OH of a DSBs. If AtWhirlies or AtOSBs gain access to the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) region of a DSB, the reaction will shift towards high-fidelity routes like homologous recombination. Conversely MMEJ would be favored if AtPolIs or AtmtSSBs interact with the DSB. AtPolIs are not phylogenetically related to metazoan mitochondrial DNA polymerases, and the ability of AtPolIs to execute MMEJ may explain the abundance of DNA rearrangements in plant organelles in comparison to animal mitochondria.

Organellar DNA Polymerases in Complex Plastid-Bearing Algae

DNA replication in plastids and mitochondria is generally regulated by nucleus-encoded proteins. In plants and red algae, a nucleus-encoded enzyme called POP (plant and protist organellar DNA polymerase) is involved in DNA replication in both organelles by virtue of its dual localization. POPs are family A DNA polymerases, which include bacterial DNA polymerase I (PolI). POP homologs have been found in a wide range of eukaryotes, including plants, algae, and non-photosynthetic protists. However, the phylogeny and subcellular localizations of POPs remain unclear in many algae, especially in secondary and tertiary plastid-bearing groups. In this study, we report that chlorarachniophytes possess two evolutionarily distinct POPs, and fluorescent protein-tagging experiments demonstrate that they are targeted to the secondary plastids and mitochondria, respectively. The timing of DNA replication is different between the two organelles in the chlorarachniophyte Bigelowiella natans, and this seems to be correlated to the transcription of respective POP genes. Dinoflagellates also carry two distinct POP genes, possibly for their plastids and mitochondria, whereas haptophytes and ochrophytes have only one. Therefore, unlike plants, some algal groups are likely to have evolved multiple DNA polymerases for various organelles. This study provides a new insight into the evolution of organellar DNA replication in complex plastid-bearing organisms.

Plant organellar DNA polymerases paralogs exhibit dissimilar nucleotide incorporation fidelity

The coding sequences of plant mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes present a lower mutation rate than the coding sequences of animal mitochondria. However, plant mitochondrial genomes frequently rearrange and present high mutation rates in their noncoding sequences. DNA replication in plant organelles is carried out by two DNA polymerases (DNAP) paralogs. In Arabidopsis thaliana at least one DNAP paralog (AtPolIA or AtPolIB) is necessary for plant viability, suggesting that both genes are partially redundant. To understand how AtPolIs replicate genomes that present low and high mutation rates, we measured their nucleotide incorporation for all 16-base pair combinations in vitro. AtPolIA presents an error rate of 7.26 × 10^-5 , whereas AtPolIB has an error rate of 5.45 × 10^-4 . Thus, AtPolIA and AtPolIB are 3.5 and 26-times less accurate than human mitochondrial DNAP γ. The 8-fold difference in fidelity between both AtPolIs results from a higher catalytic efficiency in AtPolIA. Both AtPolIs extend from mismatches and the fidelity of AtPolIs ranks between high fidelity and lesion bypass DNAPs. The different nucleotide incorporation fidelity between AtPolIs predicts a prevalent role of AtPolIA in DNA replication and AtPolIB in DNA repair. We hypothesize that in plant organelles, DNA mismatches generated during DNA replication are repaired via recombination-mediated or DNA mismatch repair mechanisms that selectively target the coding region and that the mismatches generated by AtPolIs may result in the frequent expansion and rearrangements present in plant mitochondrial genomes.

Plant organellar DNA polymerases are replicative and translesion DNA synthesis polymerases

Genomes acquire lesions that can block the replication fork and some lesions must be bypassed to allow survival. The nuclear genome of flowering plants encodes two family-A DNA polymerases (DNAPs), the result of a duplication event, that are the sole DNAPs in plant organelles. These DNAPs, dubbed Plant Organellar Polymerases (POPs), resemble the Klenow fragment of bacterial DNAP I and are not related to metazoan and fungal mitochondrial DNAPs. Herein we report that replicative POPs from the plant model Arabidopsis thaliana (AtPolI) efficiently bypass one the most insidious DNA lesions, an apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) site. AtPolIs accomplish lesion bypass with high catalytic efficiency during nucleotide insertion and extension. Lesion bypass depends on two unique polymerization domain insertions evolutionarily unrelated to the insertions responsible for lesion bypass by DNAP θ, an analogous lesion bypass polymerase. AtPolIs exhibit an insertion fidelity that ranks between the fidelity of replicative and lesion bypass DNAPs, moderate 3′-5′ exonuclease activity and strong strand-displacement. AtPolIs are the first known example of a family-A DNAP evolved to function in both DNA replication and lesion bypass. The lesion bypass capabilities of POPs may be required to prevent replication fork collapse in plant organelles.

Chloroplast DNA Copy Number Changes during Plant Development in Organelle DNA Polymerase Mutants

Chloroplast genome copy number is very high in leaf tissue, with upwards of 10,000 or more copies of the chloroplast DNA (ctDNA) per leaf cell. This is often promoted as a major advantage for engineering the plastid genome, as it provides high gene copy number and thus is expected to result in high expression of foreign proteins from integrated genes. However, it is also known that ctDNA copy number and ctDNA integrity decrease as cells age. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) allows measurement of organelle DNA levels relative to a nuclear gene target. We have used this approach to determine changes in copy number of ctDNA relative to the nuclear genome at different ages of Arabidopsis plant growth and in organellar DNA polymerase mutants. The mutant plant lines have T-DNA insertions in genes encoding the two organelle localized DNA polymerases (PolIA and PolIB). Each of these mutant lines exhibits some delay in plant growth and development as compared to wild-type plants, with the PolIB plants having a more pronounced delay. Both mutant lines develop to maturity and produce viable seeds. Mutants for both proteins were observed to have a reduction in ctDNA and mtDNA copy number relative to wild type plants at all time points as measured by qPCR. Both DNA polymerase mutants had a fairly similar decrease in ctDNA copy number, while the PolIB mutant had a greater effect of reduction in mtDNA levels. However, despite similar decreases in genome copy number, RT-PCR analysis of PolIA mutants show that PolIB expression remains unchanged, suggesting that PolIA may not be essential to plant survival. Furthermore, genotypic analysis of plants from heterozygous parents display a strong pressure to maintain two functioning copies of PolIB. These results indicate that the two DNA polymerases are both important in ctDNA replication, and they are not fully redundant to each other, suggesting each has a specific function in plant organelles.

DNA maintenance in plastids and mitochondria of plants

The DNA molecules in plastids and mitochondria of plants have been studied for over 40 years. Here, we review the data on the circular or linear form, replication, repair, and persistence of the organellar DNA (orgDNA) in plants. The bacterial origin of orgDNA appears to have profoundly influenced ideas about the properties of chromosomal DNA molecules in these organelles to the point of dismissing data inconsistent with ideas from the 1970s. When found at all, circular genome-sized molecules comprise a few percent of orgDNA. In cells active in orgDNA replication, most orgDNA is found as linear and branched-linear forms larger than the size of the genome, likely a consequence of a virus-like DNA replication mechanism. In contrast to the stable chromosomal DNA molecules in bacteria and the plant nucleus, the molecular integrity of orgDNA declines during leaf development at a rate that varies among plant species. This decline is attributed to degradation of damaged-but-not-repaired molecules, with a proposed repair cost-saving benefit most evident in grasses. All orgDNA maintenance activities are proposed to occur on the nucleoid tethered to organellar membranes by developmentally-regulated proteins.

Arabidopsis DNA polymerase lambda mutant is mildly sensitive to DNA double strand breaks but defective in integration of a transgene

The DNA double-strand break (DSB) is a critical type of damage, and can be induced by both endogenous sources (e.g., errors of oxidative metabolism, transposable elements, programmed meiotic breaks, or perturbation of the DNA replication fork) and exogenous sources (e.g., ionizing radiation or radiomimetic chemicals). Although higher plants, like mammals, are thought to preferentially repair DSBs via nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), much remains unclear about plant DSB repair pathways. Our reverse genetic approach suggests that DNA polymerase λ is involved in DSB repair in Arabidopsis. The Arabidopsis T-DNA insertion mutant (atpolλ-1) displayed sensitivity to both gamma-irradiation and treatment with radiomimetic reagents, but not to other DNA damaging treatments. The atpolλ-1 mutant showed a moderate sensitivity to DSBs, while Arabidopsis Ku70 and DNA ligase 4 mutants (atku70-3 and atlig4-2), both of which play critical roles in NHEJ, exhibited a hypersensitivity to these treatments. The atpolλ-1/atlig4-2 double mutant exhibited a higher sensitivity to DSBs than each single mutant, but the atku70/atpolλ-1 showed similar sensitivity to the atku70-3 mutant. We showed that transcription of the DNA ligase 1, DNA ligase 6, and Wee1 genes was quickly induced by BLM in several NHEJ deficient mutants in contrast to wild-type. Finally, the T-DNA transformation efficiency dropped in NHEJ deficient mutants and the lowest transformation efficiency was scored in the atpolλ-1/atlig4-2 double mutant. These results imply that AtPolλ is involved in both DSB repair and DNA damage response pathway.

Localization and phylogenetic analysis of enzymes related to organellar genome replication in the unicellular rhodophyte Cyanidioschyzon merolae

Plants and algae possess plastids and mitochondria harboring their own genomes, which are replicated by the apparatus consisting of DNA polymerase, DNA primase, DNA helicase, DNA topoisomerase, single-stranded DNA maintenance protein, DNA ligase, and primer removal enzyme. In the higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana, organellar replication-related enzymes (OREs) are similar in plastids and mitochondria because many of them are dually targeted to plastids and mitochondria. In the red algae, there is a report about a DNA replicase, plant/protist organellar DNA polymerase, which is localized to both plastids and mitochondria. However, other OREs remain unclear in algae. Here, we identified OREs possibly localized to organelles in the unicellular rhodophyte Cyanidioschyzon merolae. We then examined intracellular localization of green fluorescent protein-fusion proteins of these enzymes in C. merolae, whose cell has a single plastid and a single mitochondrion and is suitable for localization analysis, demonstrating that the plastid and the mitochondrion contain markedly different components of replication machinery. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the organelle replication apparatus was composed of enzymes of various different origins, such as proteobacterial, cyanobacterial, and eukaryotic, in both red algae and green plants. Especially in the red alga, many enzymes of cyanobacterial origin remained. Finally, on the basis of the results of localization and phylogenetic analyses, we propose a model on the succession of OREs in eukaryotes.

Enzymes involved in organellar DNA replication in photosynthetic eukaryotes

Plastids and mitochondria possess their own genomes. Although the replication mechanisms of these organellar genomes remain unclear in photosynthetic eukaryotes, several organelle-localized enzymes related to genome replication, including DNA polymerase, DNA primase, DNA helicase, DNA topoisomerase, single-stranded DNA maintenance protein, DNA ligase, primer removal enzyme, and several DNA recombination-related enzymes, have been identified. In the reference Eudicot plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the replication-related enzymes of plastids and mitochondria are similar because many of them are dual targeted to both organelles, whereas in the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae, plastids and mitochondria contain different replication machinery components. The enzymes involved in organellar genome replication in green plants and red algae were derived from different origins, including proteobacterial, cyanobacterial, and eukaryotic lineages. In the present review, we summarize the available data for enzymes related to organellar genome replication in green plants and red algae. In addition, based on the type and distribution of replication enzymes in photosynthetic eukaryotes, we discuss the transitional history of replication enzymes in the organelles of plants.

WHIRLY1 is a major organizer of chloroplast nucleoids

WHIRLY1 is an abundant protein of chloroplast nucleoids, which has also been named pTAC-1 with regard to its detection in the proteome of transcriptionally active chromosomes (TAC). In barley primary foliage leaves, expression of the WHIRLY1 gene is highest at the base whereas protein accumulation is highest in the middle of the leaf where young developing chloroplasts are found. In order to elucidate the function of WHIRLY1 in chloroplast nucleoids, transgenic barley plants with an RNAi-mediated knock-down of the HvWHIRLY1 gene (RNAi-W1) were generated. The homozygous RNAi-W1-7 plants, barely containing traces of the WHIRLY1 protein, were chosen for detailed analyses of nucleoids. Nucleic acid specific-staining with YO-PRO®-1 revealed that in comparison to wild type chloroplasts, which have multiple small nucleoids attached to thylakoids, chloroplasts of the transgenic plants contain large irregularly formed patches of DNA besides nucleoids that are similar in size and shape to those of wild type chloroplasts. In large electron lucent areas, filamentous structures were detected by conventional transmission electron microscopy. Analyses of ptDNA levels by both DNA dot-blot hybridization and quantitative PCR showed that leaves of the transgenic plants have a two- to three-fold higher level of ptDNA than the wild type. The higher ptDNA level in RNAi-W1 plants coincided with an enhanced expression of the gene encoding a putative organelle targeted DNA polymerase in the mid part of primary foliage leaves. Furthermore, overexpression of the barley WHIRLY1 gene in E. coli cells revealed a higher compaction of bacterial nucleoids. These results suggest that WHIRLY1 belongs to the group of plastid nucleoid associated proteins (ptNAP) having a function in compacting a subpopulation of chloroplast nucleoids thereby affecting DNA replication.

The plant mitochondrial genome: dynamics and maintenance

Plant mitochondria have a complex and peculiar genetic system. They have the largest genomes, as compared to organelles from other eukaryotic organisms. These can expand tremendously in some species, reaching the megabase range. Nevertheless, whichever the size, the gene content remains modest and restricted to a few polypeptides required for the biogenesis of the oxidative phosphorylation chain complexes, ribosomal proteins, transfer RNAs and ribosomal RNAs. The presence of autonomous plasmids of essentially unknown function further enhances the level of complexity. The physical organization of the plant mitochondrial DNA includes a set of sub-genomic forms resulting from homologous recombination between repeats, with a mixture of linear, circular and branched structures. This material is compacted into membrane-bound nucleoids, which are the inheritance units but also the centers of genome maintenance and expression. Recombination appears to be an essential characteristic of plant mitochondrial genetic processes, both in shaping and maintaining the genome. Under nuclear surveillance, recombination is also the basis for the generation of new mitotypes and is involved in the evolution of the mitochondrial DNA. In line with, or as a consequence of its complex physical organization, replication of the plant mitochondrial DNA is likely to occur through multiple mechanisms, potentially involving recombination processes. We give here a synthetic view of these aspects.

Effects of chloroplast dysfunction on mitochondria: white sectors in variegated leaves have higher mitochondrial DNA levels and lower dark respiration rates than green sectors

Co-ordination between plastids and mitochondria is so essential that there should be extensive inter-organellar crosstalk during development of plant cells. Indeed, chloroplast dysfunction in white leaves of plastid ribosome-deficient mutant barley, albostrians, is reportedly accompanied by increases in the levels of mitochondrial DNA and mitochondrial transcripts, suggesting that (i) developmental/physiological status of plastids (or heterotrophic growth condition of albino leaves) can affect the status of mitochondrial genome, and (ii) the function of the affected mitochondria may also be up-regulated accordingly. However, functional aspects of the mitochondria affected by chloroplast dysfunction have not yet been examined in detail. Here, we examined the effects of chloroplast dysfunction on mitochondrial DNA level and dark respiration rate, by comparing white and green sectors within individual variegated leaves, using 12 ornamental plants as experimental materials. The pattern of leaf variegation differed from species to species, suggesting that different mechanisms were involved in the formation of white sectors in different species. Quantitative hybridization analysis revealed that mitochondrial DNA levels were generally higher in white sectors than in green sectors. In spite of the elevated mitochondrial DNA levels, however, dark respiration rates in white sectors were generally lower than those in green sectors. Several possible mechanisms for elevation of mitochondrial DNA level and suppression of dark respiration rates in white sectors are discussed.

Nucleoid-enriched proteomes in developing plastids and chloroplasts from maize leaves: a new conceptual framework for nucleoid functions

Plastids contain multiple copies of the plastid chromosome, folded together with proteins and RNA into nucleoids. The degree to which components of the plastid gene expression and protein biogenesis machineries are nucleoid associated, and the factors involved in plastid DNA organization, repair, and replication, are poorly understood. To provide a conceptual framework for nucleoid function, we characterized the proteomes of highly enriched nucleoid fractions of proplastids and mature chloroplasts isolated from the maize (Zea mays) leaf base and tip, respectively, using mass spectrometry. Quantitative comparisons with proteomes of unfractionated proplastids and chloroplasts facilitated the determination of nucleoid-enriched proteins. This nucleoid-enriched proteome included proteins involved in DNA replication, organization, and repair as well as transcription, mRNA processing, splicing, and editing. Many proteins of unknown function, including pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR), tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR), DnaJ, and mitochondrial transcription factor (mTERF) domain proteins, were identified. Strikingly, 70S ribosome and ribosome assembly factors were strongly overrepresented in nucleoid fractions, but protein chaperones were not. Our analysis strongly suggests that mRNA processing, splicing, and editing, as well as ribosome assembly, take place in association with the nucleoid, suggesting that these processes occur cotranscriptionally. The plastid developmental state did not dramatically change the nucleoid-enriched proteome but did quantitatively shift the predominating function from RNA metabolism in undeveloped plastids to translation and homeostasis in chloroplasts. This study extends the known maize plastid proteome by hundreds of proteins, including more than 40 PPR and mTERF domain proteins, and provides a resource for targeted studies on plastid gene expression. Details of protein identification and annotation are provided in the Plant Proteome Database.

The Oxytricha trifallax mitochondrial genome

The Oxytricha trifallax mitochondrial genome contains the largest sequenced ciliate mitochondrial chromosome (~70 kb) plus a ~5-kb linear plasmid bearing mitochondrial telomeres. We identify two new ciliate split genes (rps3 and nad2) as well as four new mitochondrial genes (ribosomal small subunit protein genes: rps- 2, 7, 8, 10), previously undetected in ciliates due to their extreme divergence. The increased size of the Oxytricha mitochondrial genome relative to other ciliates is primarily a consequence of terminal expansions, rather than the retention of ancestral mitochondrial genes. Successive segmental duplications, visible in one of the two Oxytricha mitochondrial subterminal regions, appear to have contributed to the genome expansion. Consistent with pseudogene formation and decay, the subtermini possess shorter, more loosely packed open reading frames than the remainder of the genome. The mitochondrial plasmid shares a 251-bp region with 82% identity to the mitochondrial chromosome, suggesting that it most likely integrated into the chromosome at least once. This region on the chromosome is also close to the end of the most terminal member of a series of duplications, hinting at a possible association between the plasmid and the duplications. The presence of mitochondrial telomeres on the mitochondrial plasmid suggests that such plasmids may be a vehicle for lateral transfer of telomeric sequences between mitochondrial genomes. We conjecture that the extreme divergence observed in ciliate mitochondrial genomes may be due, in part, to repeated invasions by relatively error-prone DNA polymerase-bearing mobile elements.

Divergent roles for the two PolI-like organelle DNA polymerases of Arabidopsis

DNA polymerases play a central role in the process of DNA replication. Yet, the proteins in charge of the replication of plant organelle DNA have not been unambiguously identified. There are however many indications that a family of proteins homologous to bacterial DNA polymerase I (PolI) is implicated in organelle DNA replication. Here, we have isolated mutant lines of the PolIA and PolIB genes of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) to test this hypothesis. We find that mutation of both genes is lethal, thus confirming an essential and redundant role for these two proteins. However, the mutation of a single gene is sufficient to cause a reduction in the levels of DNA in both mitochondria and plastids. We also demonstrate that polIb, but not polIa mutant lines, are hypersensitive to ciprofloxacin, a small molecule that specifically induces DNA double-strand breaks in plant organelles, suggesting a function for PolIB in DNA repair. In agreement with this result, a cross between polIb and a plastid Whirly mutant line yielded plants with high levels of DNA rearrangements and severe growth defects, indicating impairments in plastid DNA repair pathways. Taken together, this work provides further evidences for the involvement of the plant PolI-like genes in organelle DNA replication and suggests an additional role for PolIB in DNA repair.

A nuclear family A DNA polymerase from Entamoeba histolytica bypasses thymine glycol

Background

Eukaryotic family A DNA polymerases are involved in mitochondrial DNA replication or translesion DNA synthesis. Here, we present evidence that the sole family A DNA polymerase from the parasite protozoan E. histolytica (EhDNApolA) localizes to the nucleus and that its biochemical properties indicate that this DNA polymerase may be involved in translesion DNA synthesis.

Methodology and Results

EhDNApolA is the sole family A DNA polymerase in E. histolytica. An in silico analysis places family A DNA polymerases from the genus Entamoeba in a separate branch of a family A DNA polymerases phylogenetic tree. Biochemical studies of a purified recombinant EhDNApolA demonstrated that this polymerase is active in primer elongation, is poorly processive, displays moderate strand displacement, and does not contain 3′–5′ exonuclease or editing activity. Importantly, EhDNApolA bypasses thymine glycol lesions with high fidelity, and confocal microscopy demonstrates that this polymerase is translocated into the nucleus. These data suggest a putative role of EhDNApolA in translesion DNA synthesis in E. histolytica.

Conclusion

This is the first report of the biochemical characterization of a DNA polymerase from E. histolytica. EhDNApolA is a family A DNA polymerase that is grouped into a new subfamily of DNA polymerases with translesion DNA synthesis capabilities similar to DNA polymerases from subfamily ν.

Genotoxic agents like ultraviolet radiation, alkylating compounds and reactive oxidative species have the potential to originate DNA lesions that are not bypassed by replicative DNA polymerases. Eukaryotic organisms contain a specialized subset of DNA polymerases capable of translesion DNA synthesis. These DNA polymerases belong to DNA polymerases from families A, B, and Y. In this work, we characterized the sole family A DNA polymerase of the parasitic protozoa E. histolytica, EhDNApolA. The biochemical characterization of recombinant EhDNApolA indicates that this protein is an active DNA polymerase able to primer extension and moderate strand displacement. The ability of EhDNApolA to faithfully incorporate dATP opposite thymine glycol, and its nuclear localization indicates that this polymerase may have a role in translesion DNA synthesis. E. histolytica is exposed to oxidative stress during tissue invasion by phagocytes. Understanding DNA metabolism in E. histolytica is important because this parasite has shaped some metabolic pathways by horizontal gene transfer, infects approximately 50 million people annually, and is the second leading cause of death among protozoan diseases.

The multi-replication protein A (RPA) system--a new perspective

Replication protein A (RPA) complex has been shown, using both in vivo and in vitro approaches, to be required for most aspects of eukaryotic DNA metabolism: replication, repair, telomere maintenance and homologous recombination. Here, we review recent data concerning the function and biological importance of the multi-RPA complex. There are distinct complexes of RPA found in the biological kingdoms, although for a long time only one type of RPA complex was believed to be present in eukaryotes. Each complex probably serves a different role. In higher plants, three distinct large and medium subunits are present, but only one species of the smallest subunit. Each of these protein subunits forms stable complexes with their respective partners. They are paralogs as complex. Humans possess two paralogs and one analog of RPA. The multi-RPA system can be regarded as universal in eukaryotes. Among eukaryotic kingdoms, paralogs, orthologs, analogs and heterologs of many DNA synthesis-related factors, including RPA, are ubiquitous. Convergent evolution seems to be ubiquitous in these processes. Using recent findings, we review the composition and biological functions of RPA complexes.

Purification and characterization of organellar DNA polymerases in the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae

DNA polymerase gamma, a mitochondrial replication enzyme of yeasts and animals, is not present in photosynthetic eukaryotes. Recently, DNA polymerases with distant homology to bacterial DNA polymerase I were reported in rice, Arabidopsis, and tobacco, and they were localized to both plastids and mitochondria. We call them plant organellar DNA polymerases (POPs). However, POPs have never been purified in the native form from plant tissues. The unicellular thermotrophic red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae contains two genes encoding proteins related to Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (PolA and PolB). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that PolB is an ortholog of POPs. Nonphotosynthetic eukaryotes also have POPs, which suggested that POPs have an ancient origin before eukaryotic photosynthesis. PolA is a homolog of bacterial DNA polymerase I and is distinct from POPs. PolB was purified from the C. merolae cells by a series of column chromatography steps. Recombinant protein of PolA was also purified. Sensitivity to inhibitors of DNA synthesis was different in PolA, PolB, and E. coli DNA polymerase I. Immunoblot analysis and targeting studies with green fluorescent protein fusion proteins demonstrated that PolA was localized in the plastids, whereas PolB was present in both plastids and mitochondria. The expression of PolB was regulated by the cell cycle. The available results suggest that PolB is involved in the replication of plastids and mitochondria.

Chloroplast biogenesis: control of plastid development, protein import, division and inheritance

The chloroplast is a multi-copy cellular organelle that not only performs photosynthesis but also synthesizes amino acids, lipids and phytohormones. The plastid also responds to environmental stimuli such as gravitropism. Biogenesis of chloroplasts is initiated from proplastids in shoot meristems, and involves a series of important events. In the last decade, considerable progress has been made towards understanding various aspects of chloroplast biogenesis at the molecular level, via studies in model systems such as Arabidopsis. This review focuses on two important aspects of chloroplast biogenesis, synthesis/assembly and division/transmission. Chloroplasts originated through endosymbiosis from an ancestor of extant cyanobacteria, and thus contain their own genomes. DNA in chloroplasts is organized into complexes with proteins, and these are called nucleoids. The synthesis of chloroplast proteins is regulated at various steps. However, a majority of proteins are synthesized in the cytosol, and their proper import into chloroplast compartments is a prerequisite for chloroplast development. Fundamental aspects of plastid gene expression/regulation and chloroplast protein transport are described, together with recent proteome analyses of the organelle. Chloroplasts are not de novo synthesized, but instead are propagated from pre-existing plastids. In addition, plastids are transmitted from generation to generation with a unique mode of inheritance. Our current knowledge on the division machinery and the inheritance of plastids is described.

NtPolI-like1 and NtPolI-like2, bacterial DNA polymerase I homologs isolated from BY-2 cultured tobacco cells, encode DNA polymerases engaged in DNA replication in both plastids and mitochondria

Two cDNAs encoding homologs of bacterial DNA polymerase I were isolated from cultured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) BY-2 cells, and the corresponding genes were named NtPolI-like1 and NtPolI-like2. High sequence similarity suggested that they are orthologous genes each derived from respective parental species of N. tabacum, an allotetraploid plant. Each of the NtPolI-like1/2 gene products had a putative transit peptide for plastid localization at the N-terminus, followed by a 3'-5' exonuclease domain in the internal region, and a DNA polymerase domain in the C-terminal region. Among family A DNA polymerases, NtPolI-like proteins formed, together with other plant DNA polymerase I homologs, a phylogenetic group distinct from mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma in animals and fungi, as well as eukaryotic cell nuclear-localized repair enzymes. In contrast to computer predictions, experiments with green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein and Western blotting analysis suggested dual targeting of the gene products to both plastids and mitochondria. The recombinant NtPolI-like2 protein exhibited DNA polymerase activity in vitro. Their biochemical character roughly coincided with those of the 116 kDa DNA polymerases found in the plastid and mitochondrial nuclei (nucleoids) isolated from BY-2 cells. Pre-treatment of the organelle nuclear extracts with anti-NtPolI-like antibody removed most of the DNA polymerase activity. Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blotting analyses demonstrated transient activation of NtPolI-like gene expression in the initial phase of cell proliferation, exactly when the 116 kDa DNA polymerases in the isolated organelle nuclei were activated and preferential synthesis of organelle DNAs occurred. Taken together, our results suggest that NtPolI-like1/2 genes encode DNA polymerases engaged in DNA replication in both plastids and mitochondria.

Biochemical properties of a plastidial DNA polymerase of rice

Plastids are organelles unique to plant cells and are responsible for photosynthesis and other metabolic functions. Despite their important cellular roles, relatively little is known about the mechanism of plastidial DNA replication and repair. Recently, we identified a novel DNA polymerase in Oryza Sativa L. (OsPOLP1, formerly termed OsPolI-like) that is homologous to prokaryotic DNA polymerase Is (PolIs), and suggested that this polymerase might be involved in plastidial DNA replication and repair. Here, we propose to rename the plant PolI homologs as DNA polymerase pi (POLP), and investigate the biochemical properties of full-length OsPOLP1. The purified OsPOLP1 elongated both DNA and RNA primer hybridized to a DNA template, and possessed a 3' exonuclease activity. Moreover, OsPOLP1 displayed high processivity and fidelity, indicating that this polymerase has the biochemical characteristics appropriate for DNA replication. We found that POLPs have two extra sequences in the polymerase domain that are absent in prokaryotic PolIs. Deletion of either insert from OsPOLP1 caused a decrease in DNA synthetic activity, processivity, and DNA binding activity. In addition, OsPOLP1 efficiently catalyzed strand displacement on nicked DNA with a 5'-deoxyribose phosphate, suggesting that this enzyme might be involved in a repair pathway similar to long-patch base excision repair. These results provide insights into the possible role of POLPs in plastidial DNA replication and repair.

Multiple functions of DNA polymerases

The primary role of DNA polymerases is to accurately and efficiently replicate the genome in order to ensure the maintenance of the genetic information and its faithful transmission through generations. This is not a simple task considering the size of the genome and its constant exposure to endogenous and environmental DNA damaging agents. Thus, a number of DNA repair pathways operate in cells to protect the integrity of the genome. In addition to their role in replication, DNA polymerases play a central role in most of these pathways. Given the multitude and the complexity of DNA transactions that depend on DNA polymerase activity, it is not surprising that cells in all organisms contain multiple highly specialized DNA polymerases, the majority of which have only recently been discovered. Five DNA polymerases are now recognized in Escherichia coli, 8 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and at least 15 in humans. While polymerases in bacteria, yeast and mammalian cells have been extensively studied much less is known about their counterparts in plants. For example, the plant model organism Arabidopsis thaliana is thought to contain 12 DNA polymerases, whose functions are mostly unknown. Here we review the properties and functions of DNA polymerases focusing on yeast and mammalian cells but paying special attention to the plant enzymes and the special circumstances of replication and repair in plant cells.

A dideoxynucleotide-sensitive DNA polymerase activity characterized from endoreduplicating cells of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) during ontogeny of cotyledons

Within this work we describe the purification and biochemical characterization of a ddNTP-sensitive DNA polymerase purified from mungbean (Vigna radiata cv B1, L.) seeds at 18 days after fertilization, when > 70% of the nuclei are reported to be in the endoreduplicated state. The purified enzyme is a single polypeptide of 62 kDa and many of its physicochemical properties are similar to those of mammalian DNA polymerase beta. Similar to the other X-family DNA polymerases, it lacks 3'-5' exonuclease activity and has short gap-filling and strand-displacement activity. The enzyme shows moderately processive DNA synthesis on a single-strand template. The determined N-terminal heptapeptide sequence of the enzyme showed clear homology with helix 1 of the N-terminal single strand DNA-binding domain (residues 32-41) of rat and human DNA polymerase beta. These results represent the first evidence for the identification and characterization of a ddNTP-sensitive DNA polymerase expressed during the endoreduplication cycle that shares biochemical and immunological similarity with mammalian DNA polymerase beta.

Characterization of four RecQ homologues from rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Nipponbare)

The RecQ family of DNA helicases is conserved throughout the biological kingdoms. In this report, we have characterized four RecQ homologues clearly expressed in rice. OsRecQ1, OsRecQ886, and OsRecQsim expressions were strongly detected in meristematic tissues. Transcription of the OsRecQ homologues was differentially induced by several types of DNA-damaging agents. The expression of four OsRecQ homologues was induced by MMS and bleomycin. OsRecQ1 and OsRecQ886 were induced by H(2)O(2), and MitomycinC strongly induced the expression of OsRecQ1. Transient expression of OsRecQ/GFP fusion proteins demonstrated that OsRecQ2 and OsRecQ886 are found in nuclei, whereas OsRecQ1 and OsRecQsim are found in plastids. Neither OsRecQ1 nor OsRecQsim are induced by light. These results indicate that four of the RecQ homologues have different and specific functions in DNA repair pathways, and that OsRecQ1 and OsRecQsim may not involve in plastid differentiation but different aspects of a plastid-specific DNA repair system.