Pol III proofreading activity prevents lesion bypass as evidenced by its molecular signature within E.coli cells

In vivo evidence for translesion synthesis by the replicative DNA polymerase δ

The intolerance of DNA polymerase δ (Polδ) to incorrect base pairing contributes to its extremely high accuracy during replication, but is believed to inhibit translesion synthesis (TLS). However, chicken DT40 cells lacking the POLD3 subunit of Polδ are deficient in TLS. Previous genetic and biochemical analysis showed that POLD3 may promote lesion bypass by Polδ itself independently of the translesion polymerase Polζ of which POLD3 is also a subunit. To test this hypothesis, we have inactivated Polδ proofreading in pold3 cells. This significantly restored TLS in pold3 mutants, enhancing dA incorporation opposite abasic sites. Purified proofreading-deficient human Polδ holoenzyme performs TLS of abasic sites in vitro much more efficiently than the wild type enzyme, with over 90% of TLS events resulting in dA incorporation. Furthermore, proofreading deficiency enhances the capability of Polδ to continue DNA synthesis over UV lesions both in vivo and in vitro. These data support Polδ contributing to TLS in vivo and suggest that the mutagenesis resulting from loss of Polδ proofreading activity may in part be explained by enhanced lesion bypass.

Translesion DNA Synthesis

All living organisms are continually exposed to agents that damage their DNA, which threatens the integrity of their genome. As a consequence, cells are equipped with a plethora of DNA repair enzymes to remove the damaged DNA. Unfortunately, situations nevertheless arise where lesions persist, and these lesions block the progression of the cell's replicase. In these situations, cells are forced to choose between recombination-mediated "damage avoidance" pathways or a specialized DNA polymerase (pol) to traverse the blocking lesion. The latter process is referred to as Translesion DNA Synthesis (TLS). As inferred by its name, TLS not only results in bases being (mis)incorporated opposite DNA lesions but also bases being (mis)incorporated downstream of the replicase-blocking lesion, so as to ensure continued genome duplication and cell survival. Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium possess five DNA polymerases, and while all have been shown to facilitate TLS under certain experimental conditions, it is clear that the LexA-regulated and damage-inducible pols II, IV, and V perform the vast majority of TLS under physiological conditions. Pol V can traverse a wide range of DNA lesions and performs the bulk of mutagenic TLS, whereas pol II and pol IV appear to be more specialized TLS polymerases.

Polymerase manager protein UmuD directly regulates Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III α binding to ssDNA

Replication by Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III is disrupted on encountering DNA damage. Consequently, specialized Y-family DNA polymerases are used to bypass DNA damage. The protein UmuD is extensively involved in modulating cellular responses to DNA damage and may play a role in DNA polymerase exchange for damage tolerance. In the absence of DNA, UmuD interacts with the α subunit of DNA polymerase III at two distinct binding sites, one of which is adjacent to the single-stranded DNA-binding site of α. Here, we use single molecule DNA stretching experiments to demonstrate that UmuD specifically inhibits binding of α to ssDNA. We predict using molecular modeling that UmuD residues D91 and G92 are involved in this interaction and demonstrate that mutation of these residues disrupts the interaction. Our results suggest that competition between UmuD and ssDNA for α binding is a new mechanism for polymerase exchange.

Synthetic nucleotides as probes of DNA polymerase specificity

The genetic code is continuously expanding with new nucleobases designed to suit specific research needs. These synthetic nucleotides are used to study DNA polymerase dynamics and specificity and may even inhibit DNA polymerase activity. The availability of an increasing chemical diversity of nucleotides allows questions of utilization by different DNA polymerases to be addressed. Much of the work in this area deals with the A family DNA polymerases, for example, Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I, which are DNA polymerases involved in replication and whose fidelity is relatively high, but more recent work includes other families of polymerases, including the Y family, whose members are known to be error prone. This paper focuses on the ability of DNA polymerases to utilize nonnatural nucleotides in DNA templates or as the incoming nucleoside triphosphates. Beyond the utility of nonnatural nucleotides as probes of DNA polymerase specificity, such entities can also provide insight into the functions of DNA polymerases when encountering DNA that is damaged by natural agents. Thus, synthetic nucleotides provide insight into how polymerases deal with nonnatural nucleotides as well as into the mutagenic potential of nonnatural nucleotides.

Functions of single-strand DNA-binding proteins in DNA replication, recombination, and repair

Double-stranded (ds) DNA contains all of the necessary genetic information, although practical use of this information requires unwinding of the duplex DNA. DNA unwinding creates single-stranded (ss) DNA intermediates that serve as templates for myriad cellular functions. Exposure of ssDNA presents several problems to the cell. First, ssDNA is thermodynamically less stable than dsDNA, which leads to spontaneous formation of duplex secondary structures that impede genome maintenance processes. Second, relative to dsDNA, ssDNA is hypersensitive to chemical and nucleolytic attacks that can cause damage to the genome. Cells deal with these potential problems by encoding specialized ssDNA-binding proteins (SSBs) that bind to and stabilize ssDNA structures required for essential genomic processes. SSBs are essential proteins found in all domains of life. SSBs bind ssDNA with high affinity and in a sequence-independent manner and, in doing so, SSBs help to form the central nucleoprotein complex substrate for DNA replication, recombination, and repair processes. While SSBs are found in every organism, the proteins themselves share surprisingly little sequence similarity, subunit composition, and oligomerization states. All SSB proteins contain at least one DNA-binding oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide binding (OB) fold, which consists minimally of a five stranded beta-sheet arranged as a beta barrel capped by a single alpha helix. The OB fold is responsible for both ssDNA binding and oligomerization (for SSBs that operate as oligomers). The overall organization of OB folds varies between bacteria, eukaryotes, and archaea. As part of SSB/ssDNA cellular structures, SSBs play direct roles in the DNA replication, recombination, and repair. In many cases, SSBs have been found to form specific complexes with diverse genome maintenance proteins, often helping to recruit SSB/ssDNA-processing enzymes to the proper cellular sites of action. This clustering of genome maintenance factors can help to stimulate and coordinate the activities of individual enzymes and is also important for dislodging SSB from ssDNA. These features support a model in which DNA metabolic processes have evolved to work on ssDNA/SSB nucleoprotein filaments rather than on naked ssDNA. In this volume, methods are described to interrogate SSB-DNA and SSB-protein binding functions along with approaches that aim to understand the cellular functions of SSB. This introductory chapter offers a general overview of SSBs that focuses on their structures, DNA-binding mechanisms, and protein-binding partners.

Increase in dNTP pool size during the DNA damage response plays a key role in spontaneous and induced-mutagenesis in Escherichia coli

Exposure of Escherichia coli to UV light increases expression of NrdAB, the major ribonucleotide reductase leading to a moderate increase in dNTP levels. The role of elevated dNTP levels during translesion synthesis (TLS) across specific replication-blocking lesions was investigated. Here we show that although the specialized DNA polymerase PolV is necessary for replication across UV-lesions, such as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers or pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone photoproduct, Pol V per se is not sufficient. Indeed, efficient TLS additionally requires elevated dNTP levels. Similarly, for the bypass of an N-2-acetylaminofluorene-guanine adduct that requires Pol II instead of PolV, efficient TLS is only observed under conditions of high dNTP levels. We suggest that increased dNTP levels transiently modify the activity balance of Pol III (i.e., increasing the polymerase and reducing the proofreading functions). Indeed, we show that the stimulation of TLS by elevated dNTP levels can be mimicked by genetic inactivation of the proofreading function (mutD5 allele). We also show that spontaneous mutagenesis increases proportionally to dNTP pool levels, thus defining a unique spontaneous mutator phenotype. The so-called "dNTP mutator" phenotype does not depend upon any of the specialized DNA polymerases, and is thus likely to reflect an increase in Pol III's own replication errors because of the modified activity balance of Pol III. As up-regulation of the dNTP pool size represents a common physiological response to DNA damage, the present model is likely to represent a general and unique paradigm for TLS pathways in many organisms.

Characterization of Escherichia coli UmuC active-site loops identifies variants that confer UV hypersensitivity

DNA is constantly exposed to chemical and environmental mutagens, causing lesions that can stall replication. In order to deal with DNA damage and other stresses, Escherichia coli utilizes the SOS response, which regulates the expression of at least 57 genes, including umuDC. The gene products of umuDC, UmuC and the cleaved form of UmuD, UmuD', form the specialized E. coli Y-family DNA polymerase UmuD'2C, or polymerase V (Pol V). Y-family DNA polymerases are characterized by their specialized ability to copy damaged DNA in a process known as translesion synthesis (TLS) and by their low fidelity on undamaged DNA templates. Y-family polymerases exhibit various specificities for different types of DNA damage. Pol V carries out TLS to bypass abasic sites and thymine-thymine dimers resulting from UV radiation. Using alanine-scanning mutagenesis, we probed the roles of two active-site loops composed of residues 31 to 38 and 50 to 54 in Pol V activity by assaying the function of single-alanine variants in UV-induced mutagenesis and for their ability to confer resistance to UV radiation. We find that mutations of the N-terminal residues of loop 1, N32, N33, and D34, confer hypersensitivity to UV radiation and to 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide and significantly reduce Pol V-dependent UV-induced mutagenesis. Furthermore, mutating residues 32, 33, or 34 diminishes Pol V-dependent inhibition of recombination, suggesting that these mutations may disrupt an interaction of UmuC with RecA, which could also contribute to the UV hypersensitivity of cells expressing these variants.

Competition of Escherichia coli DNA polymerases I, II and III with DNA Pol IV in stressed cells

Escherichia coli has five DNA polymerases, one of which, the low-fidelity Pol IV or DinB, is required for stress-induced mutagenesis in the well-studied Lac frameshift-reversion assay. Although normally present at ∼200 molecules per cell, Pol IV is recruited to acts of DNA double-strand-break repair, and causes mutagenesis, only when at least two cellular stress responses are activated: the SOS DNA-damage response, which upregulates DinB ∼10-fold, and the RpoS-controlled general-stress response, which upregulates Pol IV about 2-fold. DNA Pol III was also implicated but its role in mutagenesis was unclear. We sought in vivo evidence on the presence and interactions of multiple DNA polymerases during stress-induced mutagenesis. Using multiply mutant strains, we provide evidence of competition of DNA Pols I, II and III with Pol IV, implying that they are all present at sites of stress-induced mutagenesis. Previous data indicate that Pol V is also present. We show that the interactions of Pols I, II and III with Pol IV result neither from, first, induction of the SOS response when particular DNA polymerases are removed, nor second, from proofreading of DNA Pol IV errors by the editing functions of Pol I or Pol III. Third, we provide evidence that Pol III itself does not assist with but rather inhibits Pol IV-dependent mutagenesis. The data support the remaining hypothesis that during the acts of DNA double-strand-break (DSB) repair, shown previously to underlie stress-induced mutagenesis in the Lac system, there is competition of DNA polymerases I, II and III with DNA Pol IV for action at the primer terminus. Up-regulation of Pol IV, and possibly other stress-response-controlled factor(s), tilt the competition in favor of error-prone Pol IV at the expense of more accurate polymerases, thus producing stress-induced mutations. This mutagenesis assay reveals the DNA polymerases operating in DSB repair during stress and also provides a sensitive indicator for DNA polymerase competition and choice in vivo.

Steric gate variants of UmuC confer UV hypersensitivity on Escherichia coli

Y family DNA polymerases are specialized for replication of damaged DNA and represent a major contribution to cellular resistance to DNA lesions. Although the Y family polymerase active sites have fewer contacts with their DNA substrates than replicative DNA polymerases, Y family polymerases appear to exhibit specificity for certain lesions. Thus, mutation of the steric gate residue of Escherichia coli DinB resulted in the specific loss of lesion bypass activity. We constructed variants of E. coli UmuC with mutations of the steric gate residue Y11 and of residue F10 and determined that strains harboring these variants are hypersensitive to UV light. Moreover, these UmuC variants are dominant negative with respect to sensitivity to UV light. The UV hypersensitivity and the dominant negative phenotype are partially suppressed by additional mutations in the known motifs in UmuC responsible for binding to the beta processivity clamp, suggesting that the UmuC steric gate variant exerts its effects via access to the replication fork. Strains expressing the UmuC Y11A variant also exhibit decreased UV mutagenesis. Strikingly, disruption of the dnaQ gene encoding the replicative DNA polymerase proofreading subunit suppressed the dominant negative phenotype of a UmuC steric gate variant. This could be due to a recruitment function of the proofreading subunit or involvement of the proofreading subunit in a futile cycle of base insertion/excision with the UmuC steric gate variant.

Intrinsic properties of the two replicative DNA polymerases of Pyrococcus abyssi in replicating abasic sites: possible role in DNA damage tolerance?

Spontaneous and induced abasic sites in hyperthermophiles DNA have long been suspected to occur at high frequency. Here, Pyrococcus abyssi was used as an attractive model to analyse the impact of such lesions onto the maintenance of genome integrity. We demonstrated that endogenous AP sites persist at a slightly higher level in P. abyssi genome compared with Escherichia coli. Then, the two replicative DNA polymerases, PabpolB and PabpolD, were characterized in presence of DNA containing abasic sites. Both Pabpols had abortive DNA synthesis upon encountering AP sites. Under running start conditions, PabpolB could incorporate in front of the damage and even replicate to the full-length oligonucleotides containing a specific AP site, but only when present at a molar excess. Conversely, bypassing activity of PabpolD was strictly inhibited. The tight regulation of nucleotide incorporation opposite the AP site was assigned to the efficiency of the proof-reading function, because exonuclease-deficient enzymes exhibited effective TLS. Steady-state kinetics reinforced that Pabpols are high-fidelity DNA polymerases onto undamaged DNA. Moreover, Pabpols preferentially inserted dAMP opposite an AP site, albeit inefficiently. While the template sequence of the oligonucleotides did not influence the nucleotide insertion, the DNA topology could impact on the progression of Pabpols. Our results are interpreted in terms of DNA damage tolerance.

SSB as an organizer/mobilizer of genome maintenance complexes

When duplex DNA is altered in almost any way (replicated, recombined, or repaired), single strands of DNA are usually intermediates, and single-stranded DNA binding (SSB) proteins are present. These proteins have often been described as inert, protective DNA coatings. Continuing research is demonstrating a far more complex role of SSB that includes the organization and/or mobilization of all aspects of DNA metabolism. Escherichia coli SSB is now known to interact with at least 14 other proteins that include key components of the elaborate systems involved in every aspect of DNA metabolism. Most, if not all, of these interactions are mediated by the amphipathic C-terminus of SSB. In this review, we summarize the extent of the eubacterial SSB interaction network, describe the energetics of interactions with SSB, and highlight the roles of SSB in the process of recombination. Similar themes to those highlighted in this review are evident in all biological systems.

Interplay among replicative and specialized DNA polymerases determines failure or success of translesion synthesis pathways

Living cells possess a panel of specialized DNA polymerases that deal with the large diversity of DNA lesions that occur in their genomes. How specialized DNA polymerases gain access to the replication intermediate in the vicinity of the lesion is unknown. Using a model system in which a single replication blocking lesion can be bypassed concurrently by two pathways that leave distinct molecular signatures, we analyzed the complex interplay among replicative and specialized DNA polymerases. The system involves a single N-2-acetylaminofluorene guanine adduct within the NarI frameshift hot spot that can be bypassed concurrently by Pol II or Pol V, yielding a -2 frameshift or an error-free bypass product, respectively. Reconstitution of the two pathways using purified DNA polymerases Pol III, Pol II and Pol V and a set of essential accessory factors was achieved under conditions that recapitulate the known in vivo requirements. With this approach, we have identified the key replication intermediates that are used preferentially by Pol II and Pol V, respectively. Using single-hit conditions, we show that the beta-clamp is critical by increasing the processivity of Pol II during elongation of the slipped -2 frameshift intermediate by one nucleotide which, surprisingly, is enough to support subsequent elongation by Pol III rather than degradation. Finally, the proofreading activity of the replicative polymerase prevents the formation of a Pol II-mediated -1 frameshift product. In conclusion, failure or success of TLS pathways appears to be the net result of a complex interplay among DNA polymerases and accessory factors.

Characterization of polVR391: a Y-family polymerase encoded by rumA'B from the IncJ conjugative transposon, R391

Although best characterized for their ability to traverse a variety of DNA lesions, Y-family DNA polymerases can also give rise to elevated spontaneous mutation rates if they are allowed to replicate undamaged DNA. One such enzyme that promotes high levels of spontaneous mutagenesis in Escherichia coli is polV(R391), a polV-like Y-family polymerase encoded by rumA'B from the IncJ conjugative transposon R391. When expressed in a DeltaumuDC lexA(Def) recA730 strain, polV(R391) promotes higher levels of spontaneous mutagenesis than the related MucA'B (polR1) or UmuD'C (polV) polymerases respectively. Analysis of the spectrum of polV(R391)-dependent mutations in rpoB revealed a unique genetic fingerprint that is typified by an increase in C:G-->A:T and A:T-->T:A transversions at certain mutagenic hot spots. Biochemical characterization of polV(R391) highlights the exceptional ability of the enzyme to misincorporate T opposite C and T in sequence contexts corresponding to mutagenic hot spots. Purified polV(R391) can also bypass a T-T pyrimidine dimer efficiently and displays greater accuracy opposite the 3'T of the dimer than opposite an undamaged T. Our study therefore provides evidence for the molecular basis for the enhanced spontaneous mutator activity of RumA'B, as well as explains its ability to promote efficient and accurate bypass of T-T pyrimidine dimers in vivo.

Mutagenesis by exocyclic alkylamino purine adducts in Escherichia coli

Exocyclic alkylamino purine adducts, including N(2)-ethyldeoxyguanosine, N(2)-isopropyldeoxyguanosine, and N(6)-isopropyldeoxyadenosine, occur as a consequence of reactions of DNA with toxins such as the ethanol metabolite acetaldehyde, diisopropylnitrosamine, and diisopropyltriazene. However, there are few data addressing the biological consequences of these adducts when present in DNA. Therefore, we assessed the mutagenicities of these single, chemically synthesized exocyclic amino adducts when placed site-specifically in the supF gene in the reporter plasmid pLSX and replicated in Escherichia coli, comparing the mutagenic potential of these exocyclic amino adducts to that of O(6)-ethyldeoxyguanosine. Inclusion of deoxyuridines on the strand complementary to the adducts at 5' and 3' flanking positions resulted in mutant fractions of N(2)-ethyldeoxyguanosine and N(2)-isopropyldeoxyguanosine-containing plasmid of 1.4+/-0.5% and 5.7+/-2.5%, respectively, both of which were significantly greater than control plasmid containing deoxyuridines but no adduct (p=0.04 and 0.003, respectively). The mutagenicities of the three exocyclic alkylamino purine adducts tested were of smaller magnitude than O(6)-ethyldeoxyguanosine (mutant fraction=21.2+/-1.2%, p=0.00001) with the N(6)-isopropyldeoxyadenosine being the least mutagenic (mutant fraction=1.2+/-0.5%, p=0.13). The mutation spectrum generated by the N(2)-ethyl and -isopropyldeoxyguanosine adducts included adduct site-targeted G:C-->T:A transversions, adduct site single base deletions, and single base deletions three bases downstream from the adduct, which contrasted sharply with the mutation spectrum generated by the O(6)-ethyldeoxyguanosine lesion of 95% adduct site-targeted transitions. We conclude that N(2)-ethyl and -isopropyldeoxyguanosine are mutagenic adducts in E. coli whose mutation spectra differ markedly from that of O(6)-ethyldeoxyguanosine.

Roles of DNA Polymerases in Replication, Repair, and Recombination in Eukaryotes

The functioning of the eukaryotic genome depends on efficient and accurate DNA replication and repair. The process of replication is complicated by the ongoing decomposition of DNA and damage of the genome by endogenous and exogenous factors. DNA damage can alter base coding potential resulting in mutations, or block DNA replication, which can lead to double-strand breaks (DSB) and to subsequent chromosome loss. Replication is coordinated with DNA repair systems that operate in cells to remove or tolerate DNA lesions. DNA polymerases can serve as sensors in the cell cycle checkpoint pathways that delay cell division until damaged DNA is repaired and replication is completed. Eukaryotic DNA template-dependent DNA polymerases have different properties adapted to perform an amazingly wide spectrum of DNA transactions. In this review, we discuss the structure, the mechanism, and the evolutionary relationships of DNA polymerases and their possible functions in the replication of intact and damaged chromosomes, DNA damage repair, and recombination.