Loading clamps for DNA replication and repair

Structures of the human leading strand Polε-PCNA holoenzyme

In eukaryotes, the leading strand DNA is synthesized by Polε and the lagging strand by Polδ. These replicative polymerases have higher processivity when paired with the DNA clamp PCNA. While the structure of the yeast Polε catalytic domain has been determined, how Polε interacts with PCNA is unknown in any eukaryote, human or yeast. Here we report two cryo-EM structures of human Polε-PCNA-DNA complex, one in an incoming nucleotide bound state and the other in a nucleotide exchange state. The structures reveal an unexpected three-point interface between the Polε catalytic domain and PCNA, with the conserved PIP (PCNA interacting peptide)-motif, the unique P-domain, and the thumb domain each interacting with a different protomer of the PCNA trimer. We propose that the multi-point interface prevents other PIP-containing factors from recruiting to PCNA while PCNA functions with Polε. Comparison of the two states reveals that the finger domain pivots around the [4Fe-4S] cluster-containing tip of the P-domain to regulate nucleotide exchange and incoming nucleotide binding.

Untangling the adaptive strategies of thermophilic bacterium Anoxybacillus rupiensis TPH1 under low temperature

The present study investigates the low temperature tolerance strategies of thermophilic bacterium Anoxybacillus rupiensis TPH1, which grows optimally at 55 °C , by subjecting it to a temperature down-shift of 10 °C (45 °C) for 4 and 6 h followed by studying its growth, morphophysiological, molecular and proteomic responses. Results suggested that although TPH1 experienced increased growth inhibition, ROS production, protein oxidation and membrane disruption after 4 h of incubation at 45 °C yet maintained its DNA integrity and cellular structure through the increased expression of DNA damage repair and cell envelop synthesizing proteins and also progressively alleviated growth inhibition by 20% within two hours i.e., 6 h, by inducing the expression of antioxidative enzymes, production of unsaturated fatty acids, capsular and released exopolysaccharides and forming biofilm along with chemotaxis proteins. Conclusively, the adaptation of Anoxybacillus rupiensis TPH1 to lower temperature is mainly mediated by the synthesis of large numbers of defense proteins and exopolysaccharide rich biofilm formation.

Cryo-EM structures reveal that RFC recognizes both the 3'- and 5'-DNA ends to load PCNA onto gaps for DNA repair

RFC uses ATP to assemble PCNA onto primed sites for replicative DNA polymerases d and e. The RFC pentamer forms a central chamber that binds 3' ss/ds DNA junctions to load PCNA onto DNA during replication. We show here five structures that identify a 2^nd DNA binding site in RFC that binds a 5' duplex. This 5' DNA site is located between the N-terminal BRCT domain and AAA+ module of the large Rfc1 subunit. Our structures reveal ideal binding to a 7-nt gap, which includes 2 bp unwound by the clamp loader. Biochemical studies show enhanced binding to 5 and 10 nt gaps, consistent with the structural results. Because both 3' and 5' ends are present at a ssDNA gap, we propose that the 5' site facilitates RFC's PCNA loading activity at a DNA damage-induced gap to recruit gap-filling polymerases. These findings are consistent with genetic studies showing that base excision repair of gaps greater than 1 base requires PCNA and involves the 5' DNA binding domain of Rfc1. We further observe that a 5' end facilitates PCNA loading at an RPA coated 30-nt gap, suggesting a potential role of the RFC 5'-DNA site in lagging strand DNA synthesis.

NMR resonance assignments for the nucleotide binding domains of the E. coli clamp loader complex γ subunit

The E. coli γ clamp loader is a pentameric complex of δ, δ' and three γ subunits that opens and loads β-clamp proteins onto DNA in an ATP-dependent process essential for efficient DNA replication. ATP binding to the γ subunits promotes conformational changes that enable the clamp loader to bind and open the ring-shaped β-clamp homodimer. Here we report the nearly complete backbone and side-chain 1H, 13C and 15N NMR resonance assignments of the 242-residue truncated γ subunit of the clamp loader complex, which includes the N-terminal mini (domain I) and lid (domain II) domains. This construct represents the nucleotide binding module in the clamp loader complex and provides a model system for studies of conformational rearrangements of the clamp loader induced by nucleotide binding.

Recognition of a Key Anchor Residue by a Conserved Hydrophobic Pocket Ensures Subunit Interface Integrity in DNA Clamps

Sliding clamp proteins encircle duplex DNA and are involved in processive DNA replication and the DNA damage response. Clamp proteins are ring-shaped oligomers (dimers or trimers) and are loaded onto DNA by an ATP-dependent clamp loader complex that ruptures the interface between two adjacent subunits. Here we measured the solution dynamics of the human clamp protein, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, by monitoring the change in the fluorescence of a site-specifically labeled. To unravel the origins of clamp subunit interface stability, we carried out comprehensive comparative analysis of the interfaces of seven sliding clamps. We used computational modeling (molecular dynamic simulations and MM/GBSA binding energy decomposition analyses) to identify conserved networks of hydrophobic residues critical for clamp stability and ring-opening dynamics. The hydrophobic network is shared among clamp proteins and exhibits a "key in a keyhole" pattern where a bulky aromatic residue from one clamp subunit is anchored into a hydrophobic pocket of the opposing subunit. Bioinformatics and dynamic network analyses showed that this oligomeric latch is conserved across DNA sliding clamps from all domains of life and dictates the dynamics of clamp opening and closing.

Disentangling polydispersity in the PCNA-p15PAF complex, a disordered, transient and multivalent macromolecular assembly

The intrinsically disordered p15PAF regulates DNA replication and repair when interacting with the Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) sliding clamp. As many interactions between disordered proteins and globular partners involved in signaling and regulation, the complex between p15PAF and trimeric PCNA is of low affinity, forming a transient complex that is difficult to characterize at a structural level due to its inherent polydispersity. We have determined the structure, conformational fluctuations, and relative population of the five species that coexist in solution by combining small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) with molecular modelling. By using explicit ensemble descriptions for the individual species, built using integrative approaches and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we collectively interpreted multiple SAXS profiles as population-weighted thermodynamic mixtures. The analysis demonstrates that the N-terminus of p15PAF penetrates the PCNA ring and emerges on the back face. This observation substantiates the role of p15PAF as a drag regulating PCNA processivity during DNA repair. Our study reveals the power of ensemble-based approaches to decode structural, dynamic, and thermodynamic information from SAXS data. This strategy paves the way for deciphering the structural bases of flexible, transient and multivalent macromolecular assemblies involved in pivotal biological processes.

Mechanisms of subzero growth in the cryophile Planococcus halocryophilus determined through proteomic analysis

The eurypsychrophilic bacterium Planococcus halocryophilus is capable of growth down to -15°C, making it ideal for studying adaptations to subzero growth. To increase our understanding of the mechanisms and pathways important for subzero growth, we performed proteomics on P. halocryophilus grown at 23°C, 23°C with 12% w/v NaCl and -10°C with 12% w/v NaCl. Many proteins with increased abundances at -10°C versus 23°C also increased at 23C-salt versus 23°C, indicating a closely tied relationship between salt and cold stress adaptation. Processes which displayed the largest changes in protein abundance were peptidoglycan and fatty acid (FA) synthesis, translation processes, methylglyoxal metabolism, DNA repair and recombination, and protein and nucleotide turnover. We identified intriguing targets for further research at -10°C, including PlsX and KASII (FA metabolism), DD-transpeptidase and MurB (peptidoglycan synthesis), glyoxalase family proteins (reactive electrophile response) and ribosome modifying enzymes (translation turnover). PemK/MazF may have a crucial role in translational reprogramming under cold conditions. At -10°C P. halocryophilus induces stress responses, uses resources efficiently, and carefully controls its growth and metabolism to maximize subzero survival. The present study identifies several mechanisms involved in subzero growth and enhances our understanding of cold adaptation.

NMR resonance assignments for the N-terminal domain of the δ subunit of the E. coli γ clamp loader complex

The β-clamp protein and the γ clamp loader complex are essential components of bacterial DNA replication machinery. The β-clamp is a ring-shaped homodimer that encircles DNA and increases the efficiency of replication by providing a binding platform for DNA polymerases and other replication-related proteins. The β-clamp is loaded onto DNA by the five-subunit γ clamp loader complex in a multi-step ATP-dependent process. The initial steps of this process involve the cooperative binding of the β-clamp by the five subunits of ATP-bound clamp loader, which induces or traps an open conformation of the clamp. Remarkably, the δ subunit of the E. coli clamp loader, or even its 140 residue N-terminal domain (called mini-δ), alone can shift conformational equilibrium of the β-clamp towards the open state. Here we report nearly complete backbone and side-chain ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR resonance assignments of mini-δ that will facilitate NMR studies of the mechanisms of β-clamp opening and its loading on DNA by the clamp loader.

Electrostatic Interactions at the Dimer Interface Stabilize the E. coli β Sliding Clamp

Sliding clamps are ring-shaped oligomeric proteins that encircle DNA and associate with DNA polymerases for processive DNA replication. The dimeric Escherichia coli β-clamp is closed in solution but must adopt an open conformation to be assembled onto DNA by a clamp loader. To determine what factors contribute to the stability of the dimer interfaces in the closed conformation and how clamp dynamics contribute to formation of the open conformation, we identified conditions that destabilized the dimer and measured the effects of these conditions on clamp dynamics. We characterized the role of electrostatic interactions in stabilizing the β-clamp interface. Increasing salt concentration results in decreased dimer stability and faster subunit dissociation kinetics. The equilibrium dissociation constant of the dimeric clamp varies with salt concentration as predicted by simple charge-screening models, indicating that charged amino acids contribute to the remarkable stability of the interface at physiological salt concentrations. Mutation of a charged residue at the interface (Arg-103) weakens the interface significantly, whereas effects are negligible when a hydrophilic (Ser-109) or a hydrophobic (Ile-305) amino acid is mutated instead. It has been suggested that clamp opening by the clamp loader takes advantage of spontaneous opening-closing fluctuations at the clamp's interface, but our time-resolved fluorescence and fluorescence correlation experiments rule out conformational fluctuations that lead to a significant fraction of open states.

Human CTF18-RFC clamp-loader complexed with non-synthesising DNA polymerase ε efficiently loads the PCNA sliding clamp

The alternative proliferating-cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-loader CTF18-RFC forms a stable complex with DNA polymerase ε (Polε). We observed that, under near-physiological conditions, CTF18-RFC alone loaded PCNA inefficiently, but loaded it efficiently when complexed with Polε. During efficient PCNA loading, CTF18-RFC and Polε assembled at a 3΄ primer–template junction cooperatively, and directed PCNA to the loading site. Site-specific photo-crosslinking of directly interacting proteins at the primer–template junction showed similar cooperative binding, in which the catalytic N-terminal portion of Polε acted as the major docking protein. In the PCNA-loading intermediate with ATPγS, binding of CTF18 to the DNA structures increased, suggesting transient access of CTF18-RFC to the primer terminus. Polε placed in DNA synthesis mode using a substrate DNA with a deoxidised 3΄ primer end did not stimulate PCNA loading, suggesting that DNA synthesis and PCNA loading are mutually exclusive at the 3΄ primer–template junction. Furthermore, PCNA and CTF18-RFC–Polε complex engaged in stable trimeric assembly on the template DNA and synthesised DNA efficiently. Thus, CTF18-RFC appears to be involved in leading-strand DNA synthesis through its interaction with Polε, and can load PCNA onto DNA when Polε is not in DNA synthesis mode to restore DNA synthesis.

Linchpin DNA-binding residues serve as go/no-go controls in the replication factor C-catalyzed clamp-loading mechanism

DNA polymerases depend on circular sliding clamps for processive replication. Clamps must be loaded onto primer-template DNA (ptDNA) by clamp loaders that open and close clamps around ptDNA in an ATP-fueled reaction. All clamp loaders share a core structure in which five subunits form a spiral chamber that binds the clamp at its base in a twisted open form and encloses ptDNA within, while binding and hydrolyzing ATP to topologically link the clamp and ptDNA. To understand how clamp loaders perform this complex task, here we focused on conserved arginines that might play a central coordinating role in the mechanism because they can alternately contact ptDNA or Walker B glutamate in the ATPase site and lie close to the clamp loader-clamp-binding interface. We mutated Arg-84, Arg-88, and Arg-101 in the ATPase-active B, C, and D subunits of Saccharomyces cerevisiae replication factor C (RFC) clamp loader, respectively, and assessed the impact on multiple transient events in the reaction: proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) clamp binding/opening/closure/release, ptDNA binding/release, and ATP hydrolysis/product release. The results show that these arginines relay critical information between the PCNA-binding, DNA-binding, and ATPase sites at all steps of the reaction, particularly at a checkpoint before RFC commits to ATP hydrolysis. Moreover, their actions are subunit-specific with RFC-C Arg-88 serving as an accelerator that enables rapid ATP hydrolysis upon contact with ptDNA and RFC-D Arg-101 serving as a brake that confers specificity for ptDNA as the correct substrate for loading PCNA.

Pre-Replicative Repair of Oxidized Bases Maintains Fidelity in Mammalian Genomes: The Cowcatcher Role of NEIL1 DNA Glycosylase

Genomic fidelity in the humans is continuously challenged by genotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated both endogenously during metabolic processes, and by exogenous agents. Mispairing of most ROS-induced oxidized base lesions during DNA replication induces mutations. Although bulky base adducts induced by ultraviolet light and other environmental mutagens block replicative DNA polymerases, most oxidized base lesions do not block DNA synthesis. In 8-oxo-G:A mispairs generated by the incorporation of A opposite unrepaired 8-oxo-G, A is removed by MutYH (MYH) for post-replicative repair, and other oxidized base lesions must be repaired prior to replication in order to prevent mutation fixation. Our earlier studies documented S phase-specific overexpression of endonuclease VIII-like 1 (NEIL1) DNA glycosylase (DG), one of five oxidized base excision repair (BER)-initiating enzymes in mammalian cells, and its high affinity for replication fork-mimicking single-stranded (ss)DNA substrates. We recently provided experimental evidence for the role of NEIL1 in replicating-strand repair, and proposed the "cowcatcher" model of pre-replicative BER, where NEIL1's nonproductive binding to the lesion base in ssDNA template blocks DNA chain elongation, causing fork regression. Repair of the lesion in the then re-annealed duplex is carried out by NEIL1 in association with the DNA replication proteins. In this commentary, we highlight the critical role of pre-replicative BER in preventing mutagenesis, and discuss the distinction between pre-replicative vs. post-replicative BER.

Cross-Regulation between Transposable Elements and Host DNA Replication

Transposable elements subvert host cellular functions to ensure their survival. Their interaction with the host DNA replication machinery indicates that selective pressures lead them to develop ancestral and convergent evolutionary adaptations aimed at conserved features of this fundamental process. These interactions can shape the co-evolution of the transposons and their hosts.

Sliding Clamp of DNA Polymerase III as a Drug Target for TB Therapy: Comprehensive Conformational and Binding Analysis from Molecular Dynamic Simulations

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is one of the most common causes of death in the world. Mycobacterium tuberculosis -sliding clamp is a protein essential for many important DNA transactions including replication and DNA repair proteins, thus, a potential drug target for tuberculosis. Further investigation is needed in understanding DNA polymerase sliding clamp structure, especially from a computational perspective. In this study, we employ a wide-range of comparative molecular dynamic analyses on two systems: Mycobacterium tuberculosis - sliding clamp enzyme in its apo and bound form. The results reported in this study shows apo conformation to be less stable, as compared to bound conformation with an average radius of gyration of 25.812 and 25.459 Å, respectively. This was further supported by root mean square fluctuation, where an apo enzyme showed a higher degree of flexibility. However, the presence of the ligand lowers radius of gyration and root mean square fluctuation and also leads to an existence of negative correlated motions. Principal component analysis further justifies the same findings, whereby the apo enzyme exhibits a higher fluctuation compared to the bound complex. In addition, a stable 3₁₀ helix located at the binding site appears to be unstable in the presence of the ligand. Hence, it is possible that the binding of the ligand may have caused a rearrangement of the structure, leading to a change in the unwinding of 3₁₀ helix. Findings reported in this study further enhance the understanding of Mycobacterium tuberculosis -DnaN and also give a lead to the development of potent tuberculosis drugs.

Three proliferating cell nuclear antigen homologues from Metallosphaera sedula form a head-to-tail heterotrimer

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a sliding clamp that plays a key role in DNA metabolism. Genome sequence analysis has revealed that some crenarchaea possess three PCNA genes in their genome, but it has been reported that three PCNAs do not always form a unique heterotrimer composed of one of each molecule. The thermoacidophilic archaeon, Metallosphaera sedula, has three PCNA homologue genes. Here, we demonstrated that the three PCNA homologues, MsePCNA1, MsePCNA2 and MsePCNA3, exclusively form a heterotrimer in a stepwise fashion; MsePCNA1 and MsePCNA2 form a heterodimer, and then MsePCNA3 binds to the heterodimer. We determined that the dissociation constants between MsePCNA1 and MsePCNA2, and between MsePCNA3 and the MsePCNA1:MsePCNA2 heterodimer are 0.29 and 43 nM, respectively. Moreover, the MsePCNA1, MsePCNA2 and MsePCNA3 heterotrimer stimulated M. sedula DNA ligase 1 activity, suggesting that the heterotrimer works as a DNA sliding clamp in the organism. The stable and stepwise heterotrimerization of M. sedula PCNA homologues would be useful to generate functional protein-based materials such as artificial multi-enzyme complexes, functional hydrogels and protein fibres, which have recently been achieved by protein self-assembly.

Iteron Plasmids

Iteron-containing plasmids are model systems for studying the metabolism of extrachromosomal genetic elements in bacterial cells. Here we describe the current knowledge and understanding of the structure of iteron-containing replicons, the structure of the iteron plasmid encoded replication initiation proteins, and the molecular mechanisms for iteron plasmid DNA replication initiation. We also discuss the current understanding of control mechanisms affecting the plasmid copy number and how host chaperone proteins and proteases can affect plasmid maintenance in bacterial cells.

Structural Mechanisms of Hexameric Helicase Loading, Assembly, and Unwinding

Hexameric helicases control both the initiation and the elongation phase of DNA replication. The toroidal structure of these enzymes provides an inherent challenge in the opening and loading onto DNA at origins, as well as the conformational changes required to exclude one strand from the central channel and activate DNA unwinding. Recently, high-resolution structures have not only revealed the architecture of various hexameric helicases but also detailed the interactions of DNA within the central channel, as well as conformational changes that occur during loading. This structural information coupled with advanced biochemical reconstitutions and biophysical methods have transformed our understanding of the dynamics of both the helicase structure and the DNA interactions required for efficient unwinding at the replisome.

New Structural Templates for Clinically Validated and Novel Targets in Antimicrobial Drug Research and Development

The development of bacterial resistance against current antibiotic drugs necessitates a continuous renewal of the arsenal of efficacious drugs. This imperative has not been met by the output of antibiotic research and development of the past decades for various reasons, including the declining efforts of large pharma companies in this area. Moreover, the majority of novel antibiotics are chemical derivatives of existing structures that represent mostly step innovations, implying that the available chemical space may be exhausted. This review negates this impression by showcasing recent achievements in lead finding and optimization of antibiotics that have novel or unexplored chemical structures. Not surprisingly, many of the novel structural templates like teixobactins, lysocin, griselimycin, or the albicidin/cystobactamid pair were discovered from natural sources. Additional compounds were obtained from the screening of synthetic libraries and chemical synthesis, including the gyrase-inhibiting NTBI's and spiropyrimidinetrione, the tarocin and targocil inhibitors of wall teichoic acid synthesis, or the boronates and diazabicyclo[3.2.1]octane as novel β-lactamase inhibitors. A motif that is common to most clinically validated antibiotics is that they address hotspots in complex biosynthetic machineries, whose functioning is essential for the bacterial cell. Therefore, an introduction to the biological targets-cell wall synthesis, topoisomerases, the DNA sliding clamp, and membrane-bound electron transport-is given for each of the leads presented here.

Plasmid replication initiator interactions with origin 13-mers and polymerase subunits contribute to strand-specific replisome assembly

Although the molecular basis for replisome activity has been extensively investigated, it is not clear what the exact mechanism for de novo assembly of the replication complex at the replication origin is, or how the directionality of replication is determined. Here, using the plasmid RK2 replicon, we analyze the protein interactions required for Escherichia coli polymerase III (Pol III) holoenzyme association at the replication origin. Our investigations revealed that in E. coli, replisome formation at the plasmid origin involves interactions of the RK2 plasmid replication initiation protein (TrfA) with both the polymerase β- and α-subunits. In the presence of other replication proteins, including DnaA, helicase, primase and the clamp loader, TrfA interaction with the β-clamp contributes to the formation of the β-clamp nucleoprotein complex on origin DNA. By reconstituting in vitro the replication reaction on ssDNA templates, we demonstrate that TrfA interaction with the β-clamp and sequence-specific TrfA interaction with one strand of the plasmid origin DNA unwinding element (DUE) contribute to strand-specific replisome assembly. Wild-type TrfA, but not the TrfA QLSLF mutant (which does not interact with the β-clamp), in the presence of primase, helicase, Pol III core, clamp loader, and β-clamp initiates DNA synthesis on ssDNA template containing 13-mers of the bottom strand, but not the top strand, of DUE. Results presented in this work uncovered requirements for anchoring polymerase at the plasmid replication origin and bring insights of how the directionality of DNA replication is determined.

Intrinsic stability and oligomerization dynamics of DNA processivity clamps

Sliding clamps are ring-shaped oligomeric proteins that are essential for processive deoxyribonucleic acid replication. Although crystallographic structures of several clamps have been determined, much less is known about clamp structure and dynamics in solution. Here, we characterized the intrinsic solution stability and oligomerization dynamics of the homodimeric Escherichia coli β and the homotrimeric Saccharomyces cerevisiae proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) clamps using single-molecule approaches. We show that E. coli β is stable in solution as a closed ring at concentrations three orders of magnitude lower than PCNA. The trimeric structure of PCNA results in slow subunit association rates and is largely responsible for the lower solution stability. Despite this large difference, the intrinsic lifetimes of the rings differ by only one order of magnitude. Our results show that the longer lifetime of the E. coli β dimer is due to more prominent electrostatic interactions that stabilize the subunit interfaces.

Archaeology of eukaryotic DNA replication

Recent advances in the characterization of the archaeal DNA replication system together with comparative genomic analysis have led to the identification of several previously uncharacterized archaeal proteins involved in replication and currently reveal a nearly complete correspondence between the components of the archaeal and eukaryotic replication machineries. It can be inferred that the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes and even the last common ancestor of all extant archaea possessed replication machineries that were comparable in complexity to the eukaryotic replication system. The eukaryotic replication system encompasses multiple paralogs of ancestral components such that heteromeric complexes in eukaryotes replace archaeal homomeric complexes, apparently along with subfunctionalization of the eukaryotic complex subunits. In the archaea, parallel, lineage-specific duplications of many genes encoding replication machinery components are detectable as well; most of these archaeal paralogs remain to be functionally characterized. The archaeal replication system shows remarkable plasticity whereby even some essential components such as DNA polymerase and single-stranded DNA-binding protein are displaced by unrelated proteins with analogous activities in some lineages.

Assembly and distributive action of an archaeal DNA polymerase holoenzyme

The assembly and enzymatic ability of the replication DNA polymerase holoenzyme from Sulfolobus solfataricus (Sso) was investigated using presteady-state fluorescence resonance energy transfer assays coupled with functional and structural studies. Kinetic experiments reveal that ATP binding to replication factor C (RFC) is sufficient for loading the heterotrimeric PCNA123 [proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)] clamp onto DNA that includes a rate-limiting conformational rearrangement of the complex. ATP hydrolysis is required for favorable recruitment and interactions with the replication polymerase (PolB1) that most likely include clamp closing and RFC dissociation. Surprisingly, the assembled holoenzyme complex synthesizes DNA distributively and with low processivity, unlike most other well-characterized DNA polymerase holoenzyme complexes. We show that PolB1 repeatedly disengages from the DNA template, leaving PCNA123 behind. Interactions with a newly identified C-terminal PCNA-interacting peptide (PIP) motif on PolB1 specifically with PCNA2 are required for holoenzyme formation and continuous re-recruitment during synthesis. The extended tail-like structure of the C-terminal PIP motif in PolB1 is revealed alone and when bound to DNA using small-angle X-ray scattering allowing us to develop a model for the holoenzyme complex. This is the first detailed kinetic description of clamp loading and holoenzyme assembly in crenarchaea and has revealed a novel mode for dynamic processivity that occurs by a polymerase exchange mechanism. This work has important implications for processive DNA replication synthesis and also suggests a potential mechanism for polymerase switching to bypass lesions.

PCNA is efficiently loaded on the DNA recombination intermediate to modulate polymerase δ, η, and ζ activities

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is required for DNA homologous recombination (HR), but its exact role is unclear. Here, we investigated the loading of PCNA onto a synthetic D-loop (DL) intermediate of HR and the functional interactions of PCNA with Rad51 recombinase and DNA polymerase (Pol) δ, Pol η, and Pol ζ. PCNA was loaded onto the synthetic DL as efficiently as it was loaded onto a primed DNA substrate. Efficient PCNA loading requires Replication Protein A, which is associated with the displaced ssDNA loop and provides a binding site for the clamp-loader Replication Factor C. Loaded PCNA greatly stimulates DNA synthesis by Pol δ within the DL but does not affect primer recognition by Pol δ. This suggests that the essential role of PCNA in HR is not recruitment of Pol δ to the DL but stimulation of Pol δ to displace a DNA strand during DL extension. Both Pol η and Pol ζ extended the DL more efficiently than Pol δ in the absence of PCNA, but little or no stimulation was observed in the presence of PCNA. Finally, Rad51 inhibited both the loading of PCNA onto the DL and the extension of the DL by Pol δ and Pol η. However, preloaded PCNA on the DL counteracts the Rad51-mediated inhibition of the DL extension. This suggests that the inhibition of postinvasion DNA synthesis by Rad51 occurs mostly at the step of PCNA loading.

A direct proofreader-clamp interaction stabilizes the Pol III replicase in the polymerization mode

Processive DNA synthesis by the αεθ core of the Escherichia coli Pol III replicase requires it to be bound to the β2 clamp via a site in the α polymerase subunit. How the ε proofreading exonuclease subunit influences DNA synthesis by α was not previously understood. In this work, bulk assays of DNA replication were used to uncover a non-proofreading activity of ε. Combination of mutagenesis with biophysical studies and single-molecule leading-strand replication assays traced this activity to a novel β-binding site in ε that, in conjunction with the site in α, maintains a closed state of the αεθ-β2 replicase in the polymerization mode of DNA synthesis. The ε-β interaction, selected during evolution to be weak and thus suited for transient disruption to enable access of alternate polymerases and other clamp binding proteins, therefore makes an important contribution to the network of protein-protein interactions that finely tune stability of the replicase on the DNA template in its various conformational states.

Escherichia coli DNA polymerase IV (Pol IV), but not Pol II, dynamically switches with a stalled Pol III* replicase

The dnaN159 allele encodes a temperature-sensitive mutant form of the β sliding clamp (β159). SOS-induced levels of DNA polymerase IV (Pol IV) confer UV sensitivity upon the dnaN159 strain, while levels of Pol IV ∼4-fold higher than those induced by the SOS response severely impede its growth. Here, we used mutations in Pol IV that disrupted specific interactions with the β clamp to test our hypothesis that these phenotypes were the result of Pol IV gaining inappropriate access to the replication fork via a Pol III*-Pol IV switch relying on both the rim and cleft of the clamp. Our results clearly demonstrate that Pol IV relied on both the clamp rim and cleft interactions for these phenotypes. In contrast to the case for Pol IV, elevated levels of the other Pols, including Pol II, which was expressed at levels ∼8-fold higher than the normal SOS-induced levels, failed to impede growth of the dnaN159 strain. These findings suggest that the mechanism used by Pol IV to switch with Pol III* is distinct from those used by the other Pols. Results of experiments utilizing purified components to reconstitute the Pol III*-Pol II switch in vitro indicated that Pol II switched equally well with both a stalled and an actively replicating Pol III* in a manner that was independent of the rim contact required by Pol IV. These results provide compelling support for the Pol III*-Pol IV two-step switch model and demonstrate important mechanistic differences in how Pol IV and Pol II switch with Pol III*.

Clamp loader ATPases and the evolution of DNA replication machinery

Clamp loaders are pentameric ATPases of the AAA+ family that operate to ensure processive DNA replication. They do so by loading onto DNA the ring-shaped sliding clamps that tether the polymerase to the DNA. Structural and biochemical analysis of clamp loaders has shown how, despite differences in composition across different branches of life, all clamp loaders undergo the same concerted conformational transformations, which generate a binding surface for the open clamp and an internal spiral chamber into which the DNA at the replication fork can slide, triggering ATP hydrolysis, release of the clamp loader, and closure of the clamp round the DNA. We review here the current understanding of the clamp loader mechanism and discuss the implications of the differences between clamp loaders from the different branches of life.

Improved solubility of replication factor C (RFC) Walker A mutants

Protein insolubility often poses a significant problem during purification protocols and in enzyme assays, especially for eukaryotic proteins expressed in a recombinant bacterial system. The limited solubility of replication factor C (RFC), the clamp loader complex from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been previously documented. We found that mutant forms of RFC harboring a single point mutation in the Walker A motif were even less soluble than the wild-type complex. The addition of maltose at 0.75 M to the storage and assay buffers greatly increases protein solubility and prevents the complex from falling apart. Our analysis of the clamp loading reaction is dependent on fluorescence-based assays, which are environmentally sensitive. Using wt RFC as a control, we show that the addition of maltose to the reaction buffers does not affect fluorophore responses in the assays or the enzyme activity, indicating that maltose can be used as a buffer additive for further downstream analysis of these mutants.

Replication factor C is a more effective proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) opener than the checkpoint clamp loader, Rad24-RFC

Clamp loaders from all domains of life load clamps onto DNA. The clamp tethers DNA polymerases to DNA to increase the processivity of synthesis as well as the efficiency of replication. Here, we investigated proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) binding and opening by the Saccharomyces cerevisiae clamp loader, replication factor C (RFC), and the DNA damage checkpoint clamp loader, Rad24-RFC, using two separate fluorescence intensity-based assays. Analysis of PCNA opening by RFC revealed a two-step reaction in which RFC binds PCNA before opening PCNA rather than capturing clamps that have transiently and spontaneously opened in solution. The affinity of RFC for PCNA is about an order of magnitude lower in the absence of ATP than in its presence. The affinity of Rad24-RFC for PCNA in the presence of ATP is about an order magnitude weaker than that of RFC for PCNA, similar to the RFC-PCNA interaction in the absence of ATP. Importantly, fewer open clamp loader-clamp complexes are formed when PCNA is bound by Rad24-RFC than when bound by RFC.

DNA replicases from a bacterial perspective

Bacterial replicases are complex, tripartite replicative machines. They contain a polymerase, polymerase III (Pol III), a β₂ processivity factor, and a DnaX complex ATPase that loads β₂ onto DNA and chaperones Pol III onto the newly loaded β₂. Bacterial replicases are highly processive, yet cycle rapidly during Okazaki fragment synthesis in a regulated way. Many bacteria encode both a full-length τ and a shorter γ form of DnaX by a variety of mechanisms. γ appears to be uniquely placed in a single position relative to two τ protomers in a pentameric ring. The polymerase catalytic subunit of Pol III, α, contains a PHP domain that not only binds to a prototypical ε Mg²⁺-dependent exonuclease, but also contains a second Zn²⁺-dependent proofreading exonuclease, at least in some bacteria. This review focuses on a critical evaluation of recent literature and concepts pertaining to the above issues and suggests specific areas that require further investigation.

Polymerase chaperoning and multiple ATPase sites enable the E. coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme to rapidly form initiation complexes

Cellular replicases include three subassemblies: a DNA polymerase, a sliding clamp processivity factor, and a clamp loader complex. The Escherichia coli clamp loader is the DnaX complex (DnaX(3)δδ'χψ), where DnaX occurs either as τ or as the shorter γ that arises by translational frameshifting. Complexes composed of either form of DnaX are fully active clamp loaders, but τ confers important replicase functions including chaperoning the polymerase to the newly loaded clamp to form an initiation complex for processive replication. The kinetics of initiation complex formation were explored for DnaX complexes reconstituted with varying τ and γ stoichiometries, revealing that τ-mediated polymerase chaperoning accelerates initiation complex formation by 100-fold. Analyzing DnaX complexes containing one or more K51E variant DnaX subunits demonstrated that only one active ATP binding site is required to form initiation complexes, but the two additional sites increase the rate by ca 1000-fold. For τ-containing complexes, the ATP analogue ATPγS was found to support initiation complex formation at 1/1000th the rate with ATP. In contrast to previous models that proposed ATPγS drives hydrolysis-independent initiation complex formation by τ-containing complexes, the rate and stoichiometry of ATPγS hydrolysis coincide with those for initiation complex formation. These results show that although one ATPase site is sufficient for initiation complex formation, the combination of polymerase chaperoning and the binding and hydrolysis of three ATPs dramatically accelerates initiation complex formation to a rate constant (25-50 s(-1)) compatible with double-stranded DNA replication.

Breaking the rules: bacteria that use several DNA polymerase IIIs

Studies using Escherichia coli DNA polymerase (Pol) III as the prototype for bacterial DNA replication have suggested that--in contrast to eukaryotes--one replicase performs all of the main functions at the replication fork. However, recent studies have revealed that replication in other bacteria requires two forms of Pol III, one of which seems to extend RNA primers by only a few nucleotides before transferring the product to the other polymerase--an arrangement analogous to that in eukaryotes. Yet another group of bacteria encode a second Pol III (ImuC), which apparently replaces a Pol Y-type polymerase (Pol V) that is required for induced mutagenesis in E. coli. A complete understanding of complex bacterial replicases will allow the simultaneous biochemical screening of all their components and, thus, the identification of new antibacterial compounds.

A single hydrophobic cleft in the Escherichia coli processivity clamp is sufficient to support cell viability and DNA damage-induced mutagenesis in vivo

Background

The ubiquitous family of DnaN sliding processivity clamp proteins plays essential roles in DNA replication, DNA repair, and cell cycle progression, in part by managing the actions of the different proteins involved in these processes. Interactions of the homodimeric Escherichia coli β clamp with its known partners involves multiple surfaces, including a hydrophobic cleft located near the C-terminus of each clamp protomer.

Results

A mutant E. coli β clamp protein lacking a functional hydrophobic cleft (β^C) complemented the temperature sensitive growth phenotype of a strain bearing the dnaN159 allele, which encodes a thermolabile mutant clamp protein (β159). Complementation was conferred by a β^C/β159 heterodimer, and was observed only in the absence of the dinB gene, which encodes DNA polymerase IV (Pol IV). Furthermore, the complemented strain was proficient for umuDC (Pol V) -dependent ultraviolet light (UV) -induced mutagenesis.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that a single cleft in the homodimeric E. coli β sliding clamp protein is sufficient to support both cell viability, as well as Pol III, Pol IV, and Pol V function in vivo. These findings provide further support for a model in which different Pols switch places with each other on DNA using a single cleft in the clamp.

Single-molecule studies of the replisome

Replication of DNA is carried out by the replisome, a multiprotein complex responsible for the unwinding of parental DNA and the synthesis of DNA on each of the two DNA strands. The impressive speed and processivity with which the replisome duplicates DNA are a result of a set of tightly regulated interactions between the replication proteins. The transient nature of these protein interactions makes it challenging to study the dynamics of the replisome by ensemble-averaging techniques. This review describes single-molecule methods that allow the study of individual replication proteins and their functioning within the replisome. The ability to mechanically manipulate individual DNA molecules and record the dynamic behavior of the replisome while it duplicates DNA has led to an improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying DNA replication.

A single subunit directs the assembly of the Escherichia coli DNA sliding clamp loader

Multi-protein clamp loader complexes are required to load sliding clamps onto DNA. In Escherichia coli the clamp loader contains three DnaX (tau/gamma) proteins, delta, and delta', which together form an asymmetric pentameric ring that also interacts with psichi. Here we used mass spectrometry to examine the assembly and dynamics of the clamp loader complex. We find that gamma exists exclusively as a stable homotetramer, while tau is in a monomer-dimer-trimer-tetramer equilibrium. delta' plays a direct role in the assembly as a tau/gamma oligomer breaker, thereby facilitating incorporation of lower oligomers. With delta', both delta and psichi stabilize the trimeric form of DnaX, thus completing the assembly. When tau and gamma are present simultaneously, mimicking the situation in vivo, subunit exchange between tau and gamma tetramers occurs rapidly to form heterocomplexes but is retarded when deltadelta' is present. The implications for intracellular assembly of the DNA polymerase III holoenzyme are discussed.

Maintaining a sense of direction during long-range communication on DNA

Many biological processes rely on the interaction of proteins with multiple DNA sites separated by thousands of base pairs. These long-range communication events can be driven by both the thermal motions of proteins and DNA, and directional protein motions that are rectified by ATP hydrolysis. The present review describes conflicting experiments that have sought to explain how the ATP-dependent Type III restriction-modification enzymes can cut DNA with two sites in an inverted repeat, but not DNA with two sites in direct repeat. We suggest that an ATPase activity may not automatically indicate a DNA translocase, but can alternatively indicate a molecular switch that triggers communication by thermally driven DNA sliding. The generality of this mechanism to other ATP-dependent communication processes such as mismatch repair is also discussed.

Identification of a new motif in family B DNA polymerases by mutational analyses of the bacteriophage t4 DNA polymerase

Structure-based protein sequence alignments of family B DNA polymerases revealed a conserved motif that is formed from interacting residues between loops from the N-terminal and palm domains and between the N-terminal loop and a conserved proline residue. The importance of the motif for function of the bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase was revealed by suppressor analysis. T4 DNA polymerases that form weak replicating complexes cannot replicate DNA when the dGTP pool is reduced. The conditional lethality provides the means to identify amino acid substitutions that restore replication activity under low-dGTP conditions either by correcting the defect produced by the first amino acid substitution or by generally increasing the stability of polymerase complexes; the second type are global suppressors that can effectively counter the reduced stability caused by a variety of amino acid substitutions. Some amino acid substitutions that increase the stability of polymerase complexes produce a new phenotype-sensitivity to the antiviral drug phosphonoacetic acid. Amino acid substitutions that confer decreased ability to replicate DNA under low-dGTP conditions or drug sensitivity were identified in the new motif, which suggests that the motif functions in regulating the stability of polymerase complexes. Additional suppressor analyses revealed an apparent network of interactions that link the new motif to the fingers domain and to two patches of conserved residues that bind DNA. The collection of mutant T4 DNA polymerases provides a foundation for future biochemical studies to determine how DNA polymerases remain stably associated with DNA while waiting for the next available dNTP, how DNA polymerases translocate, and the biochemical basis for sensitivity to antiviral drugs.

Mutations in the Bacillus subtilis beta clamp that separate its roles in DNA replication from mismatch repair

The beta clamp is an essential replication sliding clamp required for processive DNA synthesis. The beta clamp is also critical for several additional aspects of DNA metabolism, including DNA mismatch repair (MMR). The dnaN5 allele of Bacillus subtilis encodes a mutant form of beta clamp containing the G73R substitution. Cells with the dnaN5 allele are temperature sensitive for growth due to a defect in DNA replication at 49 degrees C, and they show an increase in mutation frequency caused by a partial defect in MMR at permissive temperatures. We selected for intragenic suppressors of dnaN5 that rescued viability at 49 degrees C to determine if the DNA replication defect could be separated from the MMR defect. We isolated three intragenic suppressors of dnaN5 that restored growth at the nonpermissive temperature while maintaining an increase in mutation frequency. All three dnaN alleles encoded the G73R substitution along with one of three novel missense mutations. The missense mutations isolated were S22P, S181G, and E346K. Of these, S181G and E346K are located near the hydrophobic cleft of the beta clamp, a common site occupied by proteins that bind the beta clamp. Using several methods, we show that the increase in mutation frequency resulting from each dnaN allele is linked to a defect in MMR. Moreover, we found that S181G and E346K allowed growth at elevated temperatures and did not have an appreciable effect on mutation frequency when separated from G73R. Thus, we found that specific residue changes in the B. subtilis beta clamp separate the role of the beta clamp in DNA replication from its role in MMR.

Chaperoning of a replicative polymerase onto a newly assembled DNA-bound sliding clamp by the clamp loader

Cellular replicases contain multiprotein ATPases that load sliding clamp processivity factors onto DNA. We reveal an additional role for the DnaX clamp loader: chaperoning of the replicative polymerase onto a clamp newly bound to DNA. We show that chaperoning confers distinct advantages, including marked acceleration of initiation complex formation. We reveal a requirement for the tau form of DnaX complex to relieve inhibition by single-stranded DNA binding protein during initiation complex formation. We propose that, after loading beta(2), DnaX complex preserves an SSB-free segment of DNA immediately downstream of the primer terminus and chaperones Pol III into that position, preventing competition by SSB. The C-terminal tail of SSB stimulates reactions catalyzed by tau-containing DnaX complexes through a contact distinct from the contact involving the chi subunit. Chaperoning of Pol III by the DnaX complex provides a molecular explanation for how initiation complexes form when supported by the nonhydrolyzed analog ATPgammaS.

Rad17 plays a central role in establishment of the interaction between TopBP1 and the Rad9-Hus1-Rad1 complex at stalled replication forks

This work provides novel mechanistic insights into how TopBP1 and the Rad9-Hus1-Rad1 (9-1-1) complex dock with one another at stalled replication forks. This step is necessary for the ATR-dependent activation of Chk1 during checkpoint responses.

Rad17 is critical for the ATR-dependent activation of Chk1 during checkpoint responses. It is known that Rad17 loads the Rad9-Hus1-Rad1 (9-1-1) complex onto DNA. We show that Rad17 also mediates the interaction of 9-1-1 with the ATR-activating protein TopBP1 in Xenopus egg extracts. Studies with Rad17 mutants indicate that binding of ATP to Rad17 is essential for the association of 9-1-1 and TopBP1. Furthermore, hydrolysis of ATP by Rad17 is necessary for the loading of 9-1-1 onto DNA and the elevated, checkpoint-dependent accumulation of TopBP1 on chromatin. Significantly, a mutant 9-1-1 complex that cannot bind TopBP1 has a normal capacity to promote elevated accumulation of TopBP1 on chromatin. Taken together, we propose the following mechanism. First, Rad17 loads 9-1-1 onto DNA. Second, TopBP1 accumulates on chromatin in a manner that depends on both Rad17 and 9-1-1. Finally, 9-1-1 and TopBP1 dock in a Rad17-dependent manner before activation of Chk1.

Temporal correlation of DNA binding, ATP hydrolysis, and clamp release in the clamp loading reaction catalyzed by the Escherichia coli gamma complex

Clamp loaders are multisubunit complexes that use the energy derived from ATP binding and hydrolysis to assemble ring-shaped sliding clamps onto DNA. Sliding clamps in turn tether DNA polymerases to the templates being copied to increase the processivity of DNA synthesis. Here, the rate of clamp release during the clamp loading reaction was measured directly for the first time using a FRET-based assay in which the E. coli gamma complex clamp loader (gamma3deltadelta'chipsi) was labeled with a fluorescent donor, and the beta-clamp was labeled with a nonfluorescent quencher. When a beta.gamma complex is added to DNA, there is a significant time lag before the clamp is released onto DNA. To establish what events take place during this time lag, the timing of clamp release was compared to the timing of DNA binding and ATP hydrolysis by measuring these reactions directly side-by-side in assays. DNA binding is relatively rapid and triggers the hydrolysis of ATP. Both events occur prior to clamp release. Interestingly, the temporal correlation data and simple modeling studies indicate that the clamp loader releases DNA prior to the clamp and that DNA release may be coupled to clamp closing. Clamp release is relatively slow and likely to be the rate-limiting step in the overall clamp loading reaction cycle.