Characterization of Escherichia coli translesion synthesis polymerases and their accessory factors

Replicative bypass studies of l-deoxyribonucleosides in Vitro and in E. coli cell

L-nucleosides were the most important antiviral lead compounds because they can inhibit viral DNA polymerase and DNA synthesis of many viruses, whereas they may lead to mutations in DNA replication and cause genomic instability. In this study, we reported the replicative bypass of L-deoxynucleosides in recombinant DNA by restriction enzyme-mediated assays to examine their impact on DNA replication in vitro and in E. coli cells. The results showed that a template L-dC inhibited Taq DNA polymerase reaction, whereas it can be bypassed by Vent (exo^-) DNA polymerase as well as in cell replication, inserting correct nucleotides opposite L-dC. L-dG can be bypassed by Taq DNA polymerase and in E. coli cells, maintaining insertion of correct incoming nucleotides, and L-dG induced mutagenic replication by Vent (exo^-) DNA polymerase. In contrast, L-dA can induced mutagenic replication in vitro and in E. coli cells. MD simulations were performed to investigate how DNA polymerase affected replicative bypass and mutations when D-nucleosides replaced with L-nucleosides. This study will provide a basis for the ability to assess the cytotoxic and mutagenic properties of the L-nucleoside drugs.

Residues in the fingers domain of the translesion DNA polymerase DinB enable its unique participation in error-prone double-strand break repair

The evolutionarily conserved Escherichia coli translesion DNA polymerase IV (DinB) is one of three enzymes that can bypass potentially deadly DNA lesions on the template strand during DNA replication. Remarkably, however, DinB is the only known translesion DNA polymerase active in RecA-mediated strand exchange during error-prone double-strand break repair. In this process, a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-RecA nucleoprotein filament invades homologous dsDNA, pairing the ssDNA with the complementary strand in the dsDNA. When exchange reaches the 3' end of the ssDNA, a DNA polymerase can add nucleotides onto the end, using one strand of dsDNA as a template and displacing the other. It is unknown what makes DinB uniquely capable of participating in this reaction. To explore this topic, we performed molecular modeling of DinB's interactions with the RecA filament during strand exchange, identifying key contacts made with residues in the DinB fingers domain. These residues are highly conserved in DinB, but not in other translesion DNA polymerases. Using a novel FRET-based assay, we found that DinB variants with mutations in these conserved residues are less effective at stabilizing RecA-mediated strand exchange than native DinB. Furthermore, these variants are specifically deficient in strand displacement in the absence of RecA filament. We propose that the amino acid patch of highly conserved residues in DinB-like proteins provides a mechanistic explanation for DinB's function in strand exchange and improves our understanding of recombination by providing evidence that RecA plays a role in facilitating DinB's activity during strand exchange.

Human Y-Family DNA Polymerase κ Is More Tolerant to Changes in Its Active Site Loop than Its Ortholog Escherichia coli DinB

DNA damage is a constant threat and can be bypassed in a process called translesion synthesis, which is typically carried out by Y-family DNA polymerases. Y-family DNA polymerases are conserved in all domains of life and tend to have specificity for certain types of DNA damage. Escherichia coli DinB and its human ortholog pol κ can bypass specific minor groove deoxyguanine adducts efficiently and are inhibited by major groove adducts, as Y-family DNA polymerases make contacts with the minor groove side of the DNA substrate and lack contacts with the major groove at the nascent base pair. DinB is inhibited by major groove adducts more than pol κ, and they each have active site loops of different lengths, with four additional amino acids in the DinB loop. We previously showed that the R35A active site loop mutation in DinB allows for bypass of the major groove adduct N⁶-furfuryl-dA. These observations led us to investigate the different active site loops by creating loop swap chimeras of DinB with a pol κ loop and vice versa by changing the loop residues in a stepwise fashion. We then determined their activity with undamaged DNA or DNA containing N²-furfuryl-dG or N⁶-furfuryl-dA. The DinB proteins with the pol kappa loop have low activity on all templates but have decreased misincorporation compared to either wild-type protein. The kappa proteins with the DinB loop retain activity on all templates and have decreased misincorporation compared to either wild-type protein. We assessed the thermal stability of the proteins and observed an increase in stability in the presence of all DNA templates and additional increases generally only in the presence of the undamaged and N²-furfuryl-dG adduct and dCTP, which correlates with activity. Overall we find that pol κ is more tolerant to changes in the active site loop than DinB.

Single-molecule mechanochemical characterization of E. coli pol III core catalytic activity

Pol III core is the three‐subunit subassembly of the E. coli replicative DNA polymerase III holoenzyme. It contains the catalytic polymerase subunit α, the 3′ → 5′ proofreading exonuclease ε, and a subunit of unknown function, θ. We employ optical tweezers to characterize pol III core activity on a single DNA substrate. We observe polymerization at applied template forces F < 25 pN and exonucleolysis at F > 30 pN. Both polymerization and exonucleolysis occur as a series of short bursts separated by pauses. For polymerization, the initiation rate after pausing is independent of force. In contrast, the exonucleolysis initiation rate depends strongly on force. The measured force and concentration dependence of exonucleolysis initiation fits well to a two‐step reaction scheme in which pol III core binds bimolecularly to the primer‐template junction, then converts at rate k₂ into an exo‐competent conformation. Fits to the force dependence of k_init show that exo initiation requires fluctuational opening of two base pairs, in agreement with temperature‐ and mismatch‐dependent bulk biochemical assays. Taken together, our results support a model in which the pol and exo activities of pol III core are effectively independent, and in which recognition of the 3′ end of the primer by either α or ε is governed by the primer stability. Thus, binding to an unstable primer is the primary mechanism for mismatch recognition during proofreading, rather than an alternative model of duplex defect recognition.

Altering the N-terminal arms of the polymerase manager protein UmuD modulates protein interactions

Escherichia coli cells that are exposed to DNA damaging agents invoke the SOS response that involves expression of the umuD gene products, along with more than 50 other genes. Full-length UmuD is expressed as a 139-amino-acid protein, which eventually cleaves its N-terminal 24 amino acids to form UmuD'. The N-terminal arms of UmuD are dynamic and contain recognition sites for multiple partner proteins. Cleavage of UmuD to UmuD' dramatically affects the function of the protein and activates UmuC for translesion synthesis (TLS) by forming DNA Polymerase V. To probe the roles of the N-terminal arms in the cellular functions of the umuD gene products, we constructed additional N-terminal truncated versions of UmuD: UmuD 8 (UmuD Δ1-7) and UmuD 18 (UmuD Δ1-17). We found that the loss of just the N-terminal seven (7) amino acids of UmuD results in changes in conformation of the N-terminal arms, as determined by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy with site-directed spin labeling. UmuD 8 is cleaved as efficiently as full-length UmuD in vitro and in vivo, but expression of a plasmid-borne non-cleavable variant of UmuD 8 causes hypersensitivity to UV irradiation, which we determined is the result of a copy-number effect. UmuD 18 does not cleave to form UmuD', but confers resistance to UV radiation. Moreover, removal of the N-terminal seven residues of UmuD maintained its interactions with the alpha polymerase subunit of DNA polymerase III as well as its ability to disrupt interactions between alpha and the beta processivity clamp, whereas deletion of the N-terminal 17 residues resulted in decreases in binding to alpha and in the ability to disrupt the alpha-beta interaction. We find that UmuD 8 mimics full-length UmuD in many respects, whereas UmuD 18 lacks a number of functions characteristic of UmuD.

RNA Primer Extension Hinders DNA Synthesis by Escherichia coli Mutagenic DNA Polymerase IV

In Escherichia coli the highly conserved DNA damage regulated dinB gene encodes DNA Polymerase IV (DinB), an error prone specialized DNA polymerase with a central role in stress-induced mutagenesis. Since DinB is the DNA polymerase with the highest intracellular concentrations upon induction of the SOS response, further regulation must exist to maintain genomic stability. Remarkably, we find that DinB DNA synthesis is inherently poor when using an RNA primer compared to a DNA primer, while high fidelity DNA polymerases are known to have no primer preference. Moreover, we show that the poor DNA synthesis from an RNA primer is conserved in DNA polymerase Kappa, the human DinB homolog. The activity of DinB is modulated by interactions with several other proteins, one of which is the equally evolutionarily conserved recombinase RecA. This interaction is known to positively affect DinB's fidelity on damaged templates. We find that upon interaction with RecA, DinB shows a significant reduction in DNA synthesis when using an RNA primer. Furthermore, with DinB or DinB:RecA a robust pause, sequence and lesion independent, occurs only when RNA is used as a primer. The robust pause is likely to result in abortive DNA synthesis when RNA is the primer. These data suggest a novel mechanism to prevent DinB synthesis when it is not needed despite its high concentrations, thus protecting genome stability.

Deciphering the distance to antibiotic resistance for the pneumococcus using genome sequencing data

Advances in genome sequencing technologies and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have provided unprecedented insights into the molecular basis of microbial phenotypes and enabled the identification of the underlying genetic variants in real populations. However, utilization of genome sequencing in clinical phenotyping of bacteria is challenging due to the lack of reliable and accurate approaches. Here, we report a method for predicting microbial resistance patterns using genome sequencing data. We analyzed whole genome sequences of 1,680 Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from four independent populations using GWAS and identified probable hotspots of genetic variation which correlate with phenotypes of resistance to essential classes of antibiotics. With the premise that accumulation of putative resistance-conferring SNPs, potentially in combination with specific resistance genes, precedes full resistance, we retrogressively surveyed the hotspot loci and quantified the number of SNPs and/or genes, which if accumulated would confer full resistance to an otherwise susceptible strain. We name this approach the ‘distance to resistance’. It can be used to identify the creep towards complete antibiotics resistance in bacteria using genome sequencing. This approach serves as a basis for the development of future sequencing-based methods for predicting resistance profiles of bacterial strains in hospital microbiology and public health settings.

Mapping DNA polymerase errors by single-molecule sequencing

Genomic integrity is compromised by DNA polymerase replication errors, which occur in a sequence-dependent manner across the genome. Accurate and complete quantification of a DNA polymerase's error spectrum is challenging because errors are rare and difficult to detect. We report a high-throughput sequencing assay to map in vitro DNA replication errors at the single-molecule level. Unlike previous methods, our assay is able to rapidly detect a large number of polymerase errors at base resolution over any template substrate without quantification bias. To overcome the high error rate of high-throughput sequencing, our assay uses a barcoding strategy in which each replication product is tagged with a unique nucleotide sequence before amplification. This allows multiple sequencing reads of the same product to be compared so that sequencing errors can be found and removed. We demonstrate the ability of our assay to characterize the average error rate, error hotspots and lesion bypass fidelity of several DNA polymerases.

Exchange between Escherichia coli polymerases II and III on a processivity clamp

Escherichia coli has three DNA polymerases implicated in the bypass of DNA damage, a process called translesion synthesis (TLS) that alleviates replication stalling. Although these polymerases are specialized for different DNA lesions, it is unclear if they interact differently with the replication machinery. Of the three, DNA polymerase (Pol) II remains the most enigmatic. Here we report a stable ternary complex of Pol II, the replicative polymerase Pol III core complex and the dimeric processivity clamp, β. Single-molecule experiments reveal that the interactions of Pol II and Pol III with β allow for rapid exchange during DNA synthesis. As with another TLS polymerase, Pol IV, increasing concentrations of Pol II displace the Pol III core during DNA synthesis in a minimal reconstitution of primer extension. However, in contrast to Pol IV, Pol II is inefficient at disrupting rolling-circle synthesis by the fully reconstituted Pol III replisome. Together, these data suggest a β-mediated mechanism of exchange between Pol II and Pol III that occurs outside the replication fork.

Noncognate DNA damage prevents the formation of the active conformation of the Y-family DNA polymerases DinB and DNA polymerase κ

Y-family DNA polymerases are specialized to copy damaged DNA, and are associated with increased mutagenesis, owing to their low fidelity. It is believed that the mechanism of nucleotide selection by Y-family DNA polymerases involves conformational changes preceding nucleotidyl transfer, but there is limited experimental evidence for such structural changes. In particular, nucleotide-induced conformational changes in bacterial or eukaryotic Y-family DNA polymerases have, to date, not been extensively characterized. Using hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, we demonstrate here that the Escherichia coli Y-family DNA polymerase DinB and its human ortholog DNA polymerase κ undergo a conserved nucleotide-induced conformational change in the presence of undamaged DNA and the correct incoming nucleotide. Notably, this holds true for damaged DNA containing N(2) -furfuryl-deoxyguanosine, which is efficiently copied by these two polymerases, but not for damaged DNA containing the major groove modification O(6) -methyl-deoxyguanosine, which is a poor substrate. Our observations suggest that DinB and DNA polymerase κ utilize a common mechanism for nucleotide selection involving a conserved prechemical conformational transition promoted by the correct nucleotide and only preferred DNA substrates.

An underlying mechanism for the increased mutagenesis of lagging-strand genes in Bacillus subtilis

We previously reported that lagging-strand genes accumulate mutations faster than those encoded on the leading strand in Bacillus subtilis. Although we proposed that orientation-specific encounters between replication and transcription underlie this phenomenon, the mechanism leading to the increased mutagenesis of lagging-strand genes remained unknown. Here, we report that the transcription-dependent and orientation-specific differences in mutation rates of genes require the B. subtilis Y-family polymerase, PolY1 (yqjH). We find that without PolY1, association of the replicative helicase, DnaC, and the recombination protein, RecA, with lagging-strand genes increases in a transcription-dependent manner. These data suggest that PolY1 promotes efficient replisome progression through lagging-strand genes, thereby reducing potentially detrimental breaks and single-stranded DNA at these loci. Y-family polymerases can alleviate potential obstacles to replisome progression by facilitating DNA lesion bypass, extension of D-loops, or excision repair. We find that the nucleotide excision repair (NER) proteins UvrA, UvrB, and UvrC, but not RecA, are required for transcription-dependent asymmetry in mutation rates of genes in the two orientations. Furthermore, we find that the transcription-coupling repair factor Mfd functions in the same pathway as PolY1 and is also required for increased mutagenesis of lagging-strand genes. Experimental and SNP analyses of B. subtilis genomes show mutational footprints consistent with these findings. We propose that the interplay between replication and transcription increases lesion susceptibility of, specifically, lagging-strand genes, activating an Mfd-dependent error-prone NER mechanism. We propose that this process, at least partially, underlies the accelerated evolution of lagging-strand genes.

Steric gate residues of Y-family DNA polymerases DinB and pol kappa are crucial for dNTP-induced conformational change

Discrimination against ribonucleotides by DNA polymerases is critical to preserve DNA integrity. For many DNA polymerases, including those of the Y family, rNTP discrimination has been attributed to steric clashes between a residue near the active site, the steric gate, and the 2'-hydroxyl of the incoming rNTP. Here we used hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) mass spectrometry (MS) to probe the effects of the steric gate in the Y-family DNA polymerases Escherichia coli DinB and human DNA pol κ. Formation of a ternary complex with a G:dCTP base pair in the active site resulted in slower hydrogen exchange relative to a ternary complex with G:rCTP in the active site. The protection from exchange was localized to regions both distal and proximal to the active site, suggesting that DinB and DNA pol κ adopt different conformations depending on the sugar of the incoming nucleotide. In contrast, when the respective steric gate residues were mutated to alanine, the differences in HDX between the dNTP- and rNTP-bound ternary complexes were attenuated such that for DinB(F13A) and pol κ(Y112A), ternary complexes with either G:dCTP or G:rCTP base pairs had similar HDX profiles. Furthermore, the HDX in these ternary complexes resembled that of the rCTP-bound state rather than the dCTP-bound state of the wild-type enzymes. Primer extension assays confirmed that DinB(F13A) and pol κ(Y112A) do not discriminate against rNTPs to the same extent as the wild-type enzymes. Our observations indicate that the steric gate is crucial for rNTP discrimination because of its role in specifically promoting a dNTP-induced conformational change and that rNTP discrimination occurs in a relatively closed state of the polymerases.

Sequence co-evolution gives 3D contacts and structures of protein complexes

Protein-protein interactions are fundamental to many biological processes. Experimental screens have identified tens of thousands of interactions, and structural biology has provided detailed functional insight for select 3D protein complexes. An alternative rich source of information about protein interactions is the evolutionary sequence record. Building on earlier work, we show that analysis of correlated evolutionary sequence changes across proteins identifies residues that are close in space with sufficient accuracy to determine the three-dimensional structure of the protein complexes. We evaluate prediction performance in blinded tests on 76 complexes of known 3D structure, predict protein-protein contacts in 32 complexes of unknown structure, and demonstrate how evolutionary couplings can be used to distinguish between interacting and non-interacting protein pairs in a large complex. With the current growth of sequences, we expect that the method can be generalized to genome-wide elucidation of protein-protein interaction networks and used for interaction predictions at residue resolution.

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.

Discrimination against major groove adducts by Y-family polymerases of the DinB subfamily

Y-family DNA polymerases bypass DNA adducts in a process known as translesion synthesis (TLS). Y-family polymerases make contacts with the minor groove side of the DNA substrate at the nascent base pair. The Y-family polymerases also contact the DNA major groove via the unique little finger domain, but they generally lack contacts with the major groove at the nascent base pair. Escherichia coli DinB efficiently and accurately copies certain minor groove guanosine adducts. In contrast, we previously showed that the presence in the DNA template of the major groove-modified base 1,3-diaza-2-oxophenothiazine (tC) inhibits the activity of E. coli DinB. Even when the DNA primer is extended up to three nucleotides beyond the site of the tC analog, DinB activity is strongly inhibited. These findings prompted us to investigate discrimination against other major groove modifications by DinB and its orthologs. We chose a set of pyrimidines and purines with modifications in the major groove and determined the activity of DinB and several orthologs with these substrates. DinB, human pol kappa, and Sulfolobus solfataricus Dpo4 show differing specificities for the major groove adducts pyrrolo-dC, dP, N(6)-furfuryl-dA, and etheno-dA. In general, DinB was least efficient for bypass of all of these major groove adducts, whereas Dpo4 was most efficient. DinB activity was essentially completely inhibited by the presence of etheno-dA, while pol kappa activity was strongly inhibited. All three of these DNA polymerases were able to bypass N(6)-furfuryl-dA with modest efficiency, with DinB being the least efficient. We also determined that the R35A variant of DinB enhances bypass of N(6)-furfuryl-dA but not etheno-dA. In sum, we find that whereas DinB is specific for bypass of minor groove adducts, it is specifically inhibited by major groove DNA modifications.

Architecture of the Pol III-clamp-exonuclease complex reveals key roles of the exonuclease subunit in processive DNA synthesis and repair

DNA polymerase III (Pol III) is the catalytic α subunit of the bacterial DNA Polymerase III holoenzyme. To reach maximum activity, Pol III binds to the DNA sliding clamp β and the exonuclease ε that provide processivity and proofreading, respectively. Here, we characterize the architecture of the Pol III-clamp-exonuclease complex by chemical crosslinking combined with mass spectrometry and biochemical methods, providing the first structural view of the trimeric complex. Our analysis reveals that the exonuclease is sandwiched between the polymerase and clamp and enhances the binding between the two proteins by providing a second, indirect, interaction between the polymerase and clamp. In addition, we show that the exonuclease binds the clamp via the canonical binding pocket and thus prevents binding of the translesion DNA polymerase IV to the clamp, providing a novel insight into the mechanism by which the replication machinery can switch between replication, proofreading, and translesion synthesis.

Antibiotic resistance acquired through a DNA damage-inducible response in Acinetobacter baumannii

Acinetobacter baumannii is an emerging nosocomial, opportunistic pathogen that survives desiccation and quickly acquires resistance to multiple antibiotics. Escherichia coli gains antibiotic resistances by expressing genes involved in a global response to DNA damage. Therefore, we asked whether A. baumannii does the same through a yet undetermined DNA damage response akin to the E. coli paradigm. We found that recA and all of the multiple error-prone DNA polymerase V (Pol V) genes, those organized as umuDC operons and unlinked, are induced upon DNA damage in a RecA-mediated fashion. Consequently, we found that the frequency of rifampin-resistant (Rif(r)) mutants is dramatically increased upon UV treatment, alkylation damage, and desiccation, also in a RecA-mediated manner. However, in the recA insertion knockout strain, in which we could measure the recA transcript, we found that recA was induced by DNA damage, while uvrA and one of the unlinked umuC genes were somewhat derepressed in the absence of DNA damage. Thus, the mechanism regulating the A. baumannii DNA damage response is likely different from that in E. coli. Notably, it appears that the number of DNA Pol V genes may directly contribute to desiccation-induced mutagenesis. Sequences of the rpoB gene from desiccation-induced Rif(r) mutants showed a signature that was consistent with E. coli DNA polymerase V-generated base-pair substitutions and that matched that of sequenced A. baumannii clinical Rif(r) isolates. These data strongly support an A. baumannii DNA damage-inducible response that directly contributes to antibiotic resistance acquisition, particularly in hospitals where A. baumannii desiccates and tenaciously survives on equipment and surfaces.

Dimer exchange and cleavage specificity of the DNA damage response protein UmuD

The cellular response to DNA damage in Escherichia coli is controlled in part by the activity of the umuD gene products. The full-length dimeric UmuD(2) is the initial product that is expressed shortly after the induction of the SOS response and inhibits bacterial mutagenesis, allowing for error-free repair to occur. Over time, the slow auto-cleavage of UmuD(2) to UmuD'(2) promotes mutagenesis to ensure cell survival. The intracellular levels of UmuD(2) and UmuD'(2) are further regulated by degradation in vivo, returning the cell to a non-mutagenic state. To further understand the dynamic regulatory roles of the umuD gene products, we monitored the kinetics of exchange and cleavage of the UmuD(2) and UmuD'(2) homodimers as well as of the UmuDD' heterodimer under equilibrium conditions. We found that the heterodimer is the preferred but not exclusive protein form, and that both the heterodimer and homodimers exhibit slow exchange kinetics which is further inhibited in the presence of interacting partner DinB. In addition, the heterodimer efficiently cleaves to form UmuD'(2). Together, this work reveals an intricate UmuD lifecycle that involves dimer exchange and cleavage in the regulation of the DNA damage response.

Effects of non-catalytic, distal amino acid residues on activity of E. coli DinB (DNA polymerase IV)

DinB is one of two Y family polymerases in E. coli and is involved in copying damaged DNA. DinB is specialized to bypass deoxyguanosine adducts that occur at the N(2) position, with its cognate lesion being the furfuryl adduct. Active site residues have been identified that make contact with the substrate and carry out deoxynucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) addition to the growing DNA strand. In DNA polymerases, these include negatively charged aspartate and glutamate residues (D8, D103, and E104 in E. coli DNA polymerase IV DinB). These residues position the essential magnesium ions correctly to facilitate nucleophilic attack by the primer hydroxyl group on the α-phosphate group of the incoming dNTP. To study the contribution of DinB residues to lesion bypass, the computational methods THEMATICS and POOL were employed. These methods correctly predict the known active site residues, as well as other residues known to be important for activity. In addition, these methods predict other residues involved in substrate binding as well as more remote residues. DinB variants with mutations at the predicted positions were constructed and assayed for bypass of the N(2) -furfuryl-dG lesion. We find a wide range of effects of predicted residues, including some mutations that abolish damage bypass. Moreover, most of the DinB variants constructed are unable to carry out the extension step of lesion bypass. The use of computational prediction methods represents another tool that will lead to a more complete understanding of translesion DNA synthesis.

Selective disruption of the DNA polymerase III α-β complex by the umuD gene products

DNA polymerase III (DNA pol III) efficiently replicates the Escherichia coli genome, but it cannot bypass DNA damage. Instead, translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerases are employed to replicate past damaged DNA; however, the exchange of replicative for TLS polymerases is not understood. The umuD gene products, which are up-regulated during the SOS response, were previously shown to bind to the α, β and ε subunits of DNA pol III. Full-length UmuD inhibits DNA replication and prevents mutagenic TLS, while the cleaved form UmuD' facilitates mutagenesis. We show that α possesses two UmuD binding sites: at the N-terminus (residues 1-280) and the C-terminus (residues 956-975). The C-terminal site favors UmuD over UmuD'. We also find that UmuD, but not UmuD', disrupts the α-β complex. We propose that the interaction between α and UmuD contributes to the transition between replicative and TLS polymerases by removing α from the β clamp.

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.

Crystal structure of a metal-dependent phosphoesterase (YP_910028.1) from Bifidobacterium adolescentis: Computational prediction and experimental validation of phosphoesterase activity

The crystal structures of an unliganded and adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) bound, metal-dependent phosphoesterase (YP_910028.1) from Bifidobacterium adolescentis are reported at 2.4 and 1.94 Å, respectively. Functional characterization of this enzyme was guided by computational analysis and then confirmed by experiment. The structure consists of a polymerase and histidinol phosphatase (PHP, Pfam: PF02811) domain with a second domain (residues 105-178) inserted in the middle of the PHP sequence. The insert domain functions in binding AMP, but the precise function and substrate specificity of this domain are unknown. Initial bioinformatics analyses yielded multiple potential functional leads, with most of them suggesting DNA polymerase or DNA replication activity. Phylogenetic analysis indicated a potential DNA polymerase function that was somewhat supported by global structural comparisons identifying the closest structural match to the alpha subunit of DNA polymerase III. However, several other functional predictions, including phosphoesterase, could not be excluded. Theoretical microscopic anomalous titration curve shapes, a computational method for the prediction of active sites from protein 3D structures, identified potential reactive residues in YP_910028.1. Further analysis of the predicted active site and local comparison with its closest structure matches strongly suggested phosphoesterase activity, which was confirmed experimentally. Primer extension assays on both normal and mismatched DNA show neither extension nor degradation and provide evidence that YP_910028.1 has neither DNA polymerase activity nor DNA-proofreading activity. These results suggest that many of the sequence neighbors previously annotated as having DNA polymerase activity may actually be misannotated.

Genetic requirement for mutagenesis of the G[8,5-Me]T cross-link in Escherichia coli: DNA polymerases IV and V compete for error-prone bypass

γ-Radiation generates a variety of complex lesions in DNA, including the G[8,5-Me]T intrastrand cross-link in which C8 of guanine is covalently linked to the 5-methyl group of the 3'-thymine. We have investigated the toxicity and mutagenesis of this lesion by replicating a G[8,5-Me]T-modified plasmid in Escherichia coli with specific DNA polymerase knockouts. Viability was very low in a strain lacking pol II, pol IV, and pol V, the three SOS-inducible DNA polymerases, indicating that translesion synthesis is conducted primarily by these DNA polymerases. In the single-polymerase knockout strains, viability was the lowest in a pol V-deficient strain, which suggests that pol V is most efficient in bypassing this lesion. Most mutations were single-base substitutions or deletions, though a small population of mutants carrying two point mutations at or near the G[8,5-Me]T cross-link was also detected. Mutations in the progeny occurred at the cross-linked bases as well as at bases near the lesion site, but the mutational spectrum varied on the basis of the identity of the DNA polymerase that was knocked out. Mutation frequency was the lowest in a strain that lacked the three SOS DNA polymerases. We determined that pol V is required for most targeted G → T transversions, whereas pol IV is required for the targeted T deletions. Our results suggest that pol V and pol IV compete to carry out error-prone bypass of the G[8,5-Me]T cross-link.

The SMC-like protein complex SbcCD enhances DNA polymerase IV-dependent spontaneous mutation in Escherichia coli

In Escherichia coli, RpoS, the general stress response sigma factor, regulates the activity of the specialized DNA polymerase DNA polymerase IV (Pol IV) both in stationary-phase and in exponential-phase cells. Because during exponential phase dinB, the gene encoding Pol IV, is transcribed independently of RpoS, RpoS must regulate Pol IV activity in growing cells indirectly via one or more intermediate factors. The results presented here show that one of these intermediate factors is SbcCD, an SMC-like protein and an ATP-dependent nuclease. By initiating or participating in double-strand break repair, SbcCD may provide DNA substrates for Pol IV polymerase activity.

The dimeric SOS mutagenesis protein UmuD is active as a monomer

The homodimeric umuD gene products play key roles in regulating the cellular response to DNA damage in Escherichia coli. UmuD(2) is composed of 139-amino acid subunits and is up-regulated as part of the SOS response. Subsequently, damage-induced RecA·ssDNA nucleoprotein filaments mediate the slow self-cleavage of the N-terminal 24-amino acid arms yielding UmuD'(2). UmuD(2) and UmuD'(2) make a number of distinct protein-protein contacts that both prevent and facilitate mutagenic translesion synthesis. Wild-type UmuD(2) and UmuD'(2) form exceptionally tight dimers in solution; however, we show that the single amino acid change N41D generates stable, active UmuD and UmuD' monomers that functionally mimic the dimeric wild-type proteins. The UmuD N41D monomer is proficient for cleavage and interacts physically with DNA polymerase IV (DinB) and the β clamp. Furthermore, the N41D variants facilitate UV-induced mutagenesis and promote overall cell viability. Taken together, these observations show that a monomeric form of UmuD retains substantial function in vivo and in vitro.

The Roles of UmuD in Regulating Mutagenesis

All organisms are subject to DNA damage from both endogenous and environmental sources. DNA damage that is not fully repaired can lead to mutations. Mutagenesis is now understood to be an active process, in part facilitated by lower-fidelity DNA polymerases that replicate DNA in an error-prone manner. Y-family DNA polymerases, found throughout all domains of life, are characterized by their lower fidelity on undamaged DNA and their specialized ability to copy damaged DNA. Two E. coli Y-family DNA polymerases are responsible for copying damaged DNA as well as for mutagenesis. These DNA polymerases interact with different forms of UmuD, a dynamic protein that regulates mutagenesis. The UmuD gene products, regulated by the SOS response, exist in two principal forms: UmuD(2), which prevents mutagenesis, and UmuD(2)', which facilitates UV-induced mutagenesis. This paper focuses on the multiple conformations of the UmuD gene products and how their protein interactions regulate mutagenesis.

Interplay of DNA repair, homologous recombination, and DNA polymerases in resistance to the DNA damaging agent 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide in Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli has three DNA damage-inducible DNA polymerases: DNA polymerase II (Pol II), DNA polymerase IV (Pol IV), and DNA polymerase V (Pol V). While the in vivo function of Pol V is well understood, the precise roles of Pol IV and Pol II in DNA replication and repair are not as clear. Study of these polymerases has largely focused on their participation in the recovery of failed replication forks, translesion DNA synthesis, and origin-independent DNA replication. However, their roles in other repair and recombination pathways in E. coli have not been extensively examined. This study investigated how E. coli's inducible DNA polymerases and various DNA repair and recombination pathways function together to convey resistance to 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (NQO), a DNA damaging agent that produces replication blocking DNA base adducts. The data suggest that full resistance to this compound depends upon an intricate interplay among the activities of the inducible DNA polymerases and recombination. The data also suggest new relationships between the different pathways that process recombination intermediates.

Ultraviolet stress delays chromosome replication in light/dark synchronized cells of the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus marinus PCC9511

BACKGROUND

The marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is very abundant in warm, nutrient-poor oceanic areas. The upper mixed layer of oceans is populated by high light-adapted Prochlorococcus ecotypes, which despite their tiny genome (approximately 1.7 Mb) seem to have developed efficient strategies to cope with stressful levels of photosynthetically active and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. At a molecular level, little is known yet about how such minimalist microorganisms manage to sustain high growth rates and avoid potentially detrimental, UV-induced mutations to their DNA. To address this question, we studied the cell cycle dynamics of P. marinus PCC9511 cells grown under high fluxes of visible light in the presence or absence of UV radiation. Near natural light-dark cycles of both light sources were obtained using a custom-designed illumination system (cyclostat). Expression patterns of key DNA synthesis and repair, cell division, and clock genes were analyzed in order to decipher molecular mechanisms of adaptation to UV radiation.

RESULTS

The cell cycle of P. marinus PCC9511 was strongly synchronized by the day-night cycle. The most conspicuous response of cells to UV radiation was a delay in chromosome replication, with a peak of DNA synthesis shifted about 2 h into the dark period. This delay was seemingly linked to a strong downregulation of genes governing DNA replication (dnaA) and cell division (ftsZ, sepF), whereas most genes involved in DNA repair (such as recA, phrA, uvrA, ruvC, umuC) were already activated under high visible light and their expression levels were only slightly affected by additional UV exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Prochlorococcus cells modified the timing of the S phase in response to UV exposure, therefore reducing the risk that mutations would occur during this particularly sensitive stage of the cell cycle. We identified several possible explanations for the observed timeshift. Among these, the sharp decrease in transcript levels of the dnaA gene, encoding the DNA replication initiator protein, is sufficient by itself to explain this response, since DNA synthesis starts only when the cellular concentration of DnaA reaches a critical threshold. However, the observed response likely results from a more complex combination of UV-altered biological processes.

Conformational dynamics of the Escherichia coli DNA polymerase manager proteins UmuD and UmuD'

The expression of Escherichia coli umuD gene products is upregulated as part of the SOS response to DNA damage. UmuD is initially produced as a 139-amino-acid protein, which subsequently cleaves off its N-terminal 24 amino acids in a reaction dependent on RecA/single-stranded DNA, giving UmuD'. The two forms of the umuD gene products play different roles in the cell. UmuD is implicated in a primitive DNA damage checkpoint and prevents DNA polymerase IV-dependent -1 frameshift mutagenesis, while the cleaved form facilitates UmuC-dependent mutagenesis via formation of DNA polymerase V (UmuD'(2)C). Thus, the cleavage of UmuD is a crucial switch that regulates replication and mutagenesis via numerous protein-protein interactions. A UmuD variant, UmuD3A, which is noncleavable but is a partial biological mimic of the cleaved form UmuD', has been identified. We used hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HXMS) to probe the conformations of UmuD, UmuD', and UmuD3A. In HXMS experiments, backbone amide hydrogens that are solvent accessible or not involved in hydrogen bonding become labeled with deuterium over time. Our HXMS results reveal that the N-terminal arm of UmuD, which is truncated in the cleaved form UmuD', is dynamic. Residues that are likely to contact the N-terminal arm show more deuterium exchange in UmuD' and UmuD3A than in UmuD. These observations suggest that noncleavable UmuD3A mimics the cleaved form UmuD' because, in both cases, the arms are relatively unbound from the globular domain. Gas-phase hydrogen exchange experiments, which specifically probe the exchange of side-chain hydrogens and are carried out on shorter timescales than solution experiments, show that UmuD' incorporates more deuterium than either UmuD or UmuD3A. This work indicates that these three forms of the UmuD gene products are highly flexible, which is of critical importance for their many protein interactions.

A DinB variant reveals diverse physiological consequences of incomplete TLS extension by a Y-family DNA polymerase

The only Y-family DNA polymerase conserved among all domains of life, DinB and its mammalian ortholog pol kappa, catalyzes proficient bypass of damaged DNA in translesion synthesis (TLS). Y-family DNA polymerases, including DinB, have been implicated in diverse biological phenomena ranging from adaptive mutagenesis in bacteria to several human cancers. Complete TLS requires dNTP insertion opposite a replication blocking lesion and subsequent extension with several dNTP additions. Here we report remarkably proficient TLS extension by DinB from Escherichia coli. We also describe a TLS DNA polymerase variant generated by mutation of an evolutionarily conserved tyrosine (Y79). This mutant DinB protein is capable of catalyzing dNTP insertion opposite a replication-blocking lesion, but cannot complete TLS, stalling three nucleotides after an N(2)-dG adduct. Strikingly, expression of this variant transforms a bacteriostatic DNA damaging agent into a bactericidal drug, resulting in profound toxicity even in a dinB(+) background. We find that this phenomenon is not exclusively due to a futile cycle of abortive TLS followed by exonucleolytic reversal. Rather, gene products with roles in cell death and metal homeostasis modulate the toxicity of DinB(Y79L) expression. Together, these results indicate that DinB is specialized to perform remarkably proficient insertion and extension on damaged DNA, and also expose unexpected connections between TLS and cell fate.

Characterization of novel alleles of the Escherichia coli umuDC genes identifies additional interaction sites of UmuC with the beta clamp

Translesion synthesis is a DNA damage tolerance mechanism by which damaged DNA in a cell can be replicated by specialized DNA polymerases without being repaired. The Escherichia coli umuDC gene products, UmuC and the cleaved form of UmuD, UmuD', comprise a specialized, potentially mutagenic translesion DNA polymerase, polymerase V (UmuD'(2)C). The full-length UmuD protein, together with UmuC, plays a role in a primitive DNA damage checkpoint by decreasing the rate of DNA synthesis. It has been proposed that the checkpoint is manifested as a cold-sensitive phenotype that is observed when the umuDC gene products are overexpressed. Elevated levels of the beta processivity clamp along with elevated levels of the umuDC gene products, UmuD'C, exacerbate the cold-sensitive phenotype. We used this observation as the basis for genetic selection to identify two alleles of umuD' and seven alleles of umuC that do not exacerbate the cold-sensitive phenotype when they are present in cells with elevated levels of the beta clamp. The variants were characterized to determine their abilities to confer the umuD'C-specific phenotype UV-induced mutagenesis. The umuD variants were assayed to determine their proficiencies in UmuD cleavage, and one variant (G129S) rendered UmuD noncleaveable. We found at least two UmuC residues, T243 and L389, that may further define the beta binding region on UmuC. We also identified UmuC S31, which is predicted to bind to the template nucleotide, as a residue that is important for UV-induced mutagenesis.

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.

Transcriptional modulator NusA interacts with translesion DNA polymerases in Escherichia coli

NusA, a modulator of RNA polymerase, interacts with the DNA polymerase DinB. An increased level of expression of dinB or umuDC suppresses the temperature sensitivity of the nusA11 strain, requiring the catalytic activities of these proteins. We propose that NusA recruits translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) polymerases to RNA polymerases stalled at gaps, coupling TLS to transcription.

Fluence-response dynamics of the UV-induced SOS response in Escherichia coli

Bacteria in nature often suffer sudden stresses, such as ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, nutrient deprivation, and chemotoxins that would cause DNA damage and DNA replication failure, which in turn trigger SOS response. According to the strength and duration of the stress, the SOS system not only repairs DNA damage but also induces mutagenesis, so as to adapt to the changing environment. The key proteins in charge of mutagenesis are UmuD and UmuD'. In this paper, we quantitatively measure the growth rate and cellular levels of proteins UmuD and UmuD' in Escherichia coli after various fluences of UV irradiation. To compare with the experimental observations, an ordinary differential equation model is built to describe the SOS response. Considering the fact that the DNA lesions affect cellular protein production and replication origination, the simulation results fit well with the experimental data. Our results show how the fluence of UV irradiation determines the dynamics of the inducing signal and the mutation frequency of the cell.

UmuD and RecA directly modulate the mutagenic potential of the Y family DNA polymerase DinB

DinB is the only translesion Y family DNA polymerase conserved among bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. DinB and its orthologs possess a specialized lesion bypass function but also display potentially deleterious -1 frameshift mutagenic phenotypes when overproduced. We show that the DNA damage-inducible proteins UmuD(2) and RecA act in concert to modulate this mutagenic activity. Structural modeling suggests that the relatively open active site of DinB is enclosed by interaction with these proteins, thereby preventing the template bulging responsible for -1 frameshift mutagenesis. Intriguingly, residues that define the UmuD(2)-interacting surface on DinB statistically covary throughout evolution, suggesting a driving force for the maintenance of a regulatory protein-protein interaction at this site. Together, these observations indicate that proteins like RecA and UmuD(2) may be responsible for managing the mutagenic potential of DinB orthologs throughout evolution.

Regulation of Escherichia coli SOS mutagenesis by dimeric intrinsically disordered umuD gene products

Products of the umuD gene in Escherichia coli play key roles in coordinating the switch from accurate DNA repair to mutagenic translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) during the SOS response to DNA damage. Homodimeric UmuD(2) is up-regulated 10-fold immediately after damage, after which slow autocleavage removes the N-terminal 24 amino acids of each UmuD. The remaining fragment, UmuD'(2), is required for mutagenic TLS. The small proteins UmuD(2) and UmuD'(2) make a large number of specific protein-protein contacts, including three of the five known E. coli DNA polymerases, parts of the replication machinery, and RecA recombinase. We show that, despite forming stable homodimers, UmuD(2) and UmuD'(2) have circular dichroism (CD) spectra with almost no alpha-helix or beta-sheet signal at physiological concentrations in vitro. High protein concentrations, osmolytic crowding agents, and specific interactions with a partner protein can produce CD spectra that resemble the expected beta-sheet signature. A lack of secondary structure in vitro is characteristic of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), many of which act as regulators. A stable homodimer that lacks significant secondary structure is unusual but not unprecedented. Furthermore, previous single-cysteine cross-linking studies of UmuD(2) and UmuD'(2) show that they have a nonrandom structure at physiologically relevant concentrations in vitro. Our results offer insights into structural characteristics of relatively poorly understood IDPs and provide a model for how the umuD gene products can regulate diverse aspects of the bacterial SOS response.

A non-cleavable UmuD variant that acts as a UmuD' mimic

UmuD(2) cleaves and removes its N-terminal 24 amino acids to form UmuD'(2), which activates UmuC for its role in UV-induced mutagenesis in Escherichia coli. Cells with a non-cleavable UmuD exhibit essentially no UV-induced mutagenesis and are hypersensitive to killing by UV light. UmuD binds to the beta processivity clamp ("beta") of the replicative DNA polymerase, pol III. A possible beta-binding motif has been predicted in the same region of UmuD shown to be important for its interaction with beta. We performed alanine-scanning mutagenesis of this motif ((14)TFPLF(18)) in UmuD and found that it has a moderate influence on UV-induced mutagenesis but is required for the cold-sensitive phenotype caused by elevated levels of wild-type UmuD and UmuC. Surprisingly, the wild-type and the beta-binding motif variant bind to beta with similar K(d) values as determined by changes in tryptophan fluorescence. However, these data also imply that the single tryptophan in beta is in strikingly different environments in the presence of the wild-type versus the variant UmuD proteins, suggesting a distinct change in some aspect of the interaction with little change in its strength. Despite the fact that this novel UmuD variant is non-cleavable, we find that cells harboring it display phenotypes more consistent with the cleaved form UmuD', such as resistance to killing by UV light and failure to exhibit the cold-sensitive phenotype. Cross-linking and chemical modification experiments indicate that the N-terminal arms of the UmuD variant are less likely to be bound to the globular domain than those of the wild-type, which may be the mechanism by which this UmuD variant acts as a UmuD' mimic.