Rapid Time Scale Analysis of T4 DNA Ligase-DNA Binding

Uncovering nick DNA binding by LIG1 at the single-molecule level

DNA ligases repair the strand breaks are made continually and naturally throughout the genome, if left unrepaired and allowed to persist, they can lead to genome instability in the forms of lethal double-strand (ds) breaks, deletions, and duplications. DNA ligase 1 (LIG1) joins Okazaki fragments during the replication machinery and seals nicks at the end of most DNA repair pathways. Yet, how LIG1 recognizes its target substrate is entirely missing. Here, we uncover the dynamics of nick DNA binding by LIG1 at the single-molecule level. Our findings reveal that LIG1 binds to dsDNA both specifically and non-specifically and exhibits diffusive behavior to form a stable complex at the nick. Furthermore, by comparing with the LIG1 C-terminal protein, we demonstrate that the N-terminal non-catalytic region promotes binding enriched at nick sites and facilitates an efficient nick search process by promoting 1D diffusion along the DNA. Our findings provide a novel single-molecule insight into the nick binding by LIG1, which is critical to repair broken phosphodiester bonds in the DNA backbone to maintain genome integrity.

A role for the ATP-dependent DNA ligase lig E of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in biofilm formation

BACKGROUND

The ATP-dependent DNA ligase Lig E is present as an accessory DNA ligase in numerous proteobacterial genomes, including many disease-causing species. Here we have constructed a genomic Lig E knock-out in the obligate human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae and characterised its growth and infection phenotype.

RESULTS

This demonstrates that N. gonorrhoeae Lig E is a non-essential gene and its deletion does not cause defects in replication or survival of DNA-damaging stressors. Knock-out strains were partially defective in biofilm formation on an artificial surface as well as adhesion to epithelial cells. In addition to in vivo characterisation, we have recombinantly expressed and assayed N. gonorrhoeae Lig E and determined the crystal structure of the enzyme-adenylate engaged with DNA substrate in an open non-catalytic conformation.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings, coupled with the predicted extracellular/ periplasmic location of Lig E indicates a role in extracellular DNA joining as well as providing insight into the binding dynamics of these minimal DNA ligases.

Selectivity and efficiency in the ligation of the pyrene:abasic base pair by T4 and PBCV-1 DNA ligases

Remarkable selectivity was observed in the ligation of 5'-phosphate 1-pyrene nucleotide terminated strands across from an abasic lesion in a DNA-templated ligation reaction by two different ligases suggesting that pyrene-terminated strands could be used in abasic site detection. Increasing ATP concentration was critical to enhancing the selectivity for this base pair with T4 DNA ligase.

Harnessing the physicochemical properties of DNA as a multifunctional biomaterial for biomedical and other applications

The biological purpose of DNA is to store, replicate, and convey genetic information in cells. Progress in molecular genetics have led to its widespread applications in gene editing, gene therapy, and forensic science. However, in addition to its role as a genetic material, DNA has also emerged as a nongenetic, generic material for diverse biomedical applications. DNA is essentially a natural biopolymer that can be precisely programed by simple chemical modifications to construct materials with desired mechanical, biological, and structural properties. This review critically deciphers the chemical tools and strategies that are currently being employed to harness the nongenetic functions of DNA. Here, the primary product of interest has been crosslinked, hydrated polymers, or hydrogels. State-of-the-art applications of macroscopic, DNA-based hydrogels in the fields of environment, electrochemistry, biologics delivery, and regenerative therapy have been extensively reviewed. Additionally, the review encompasses the status of DNA as a clinically and commercially viable material and provides insight into future possibilities.

LIG1 syndrome mutations remodel a cooperative network of ligand binding interactions to compromise ligation efficiency

Human DNA ligase I (LIG1) is the main replicative ligase and it also seals DNA breaks to complete DNA repair and recombination pathways. Immune compromised patients harbor hypomorphic LIG1 alleles encoding substitutions of conserved arginine residues, R771W and R641L, that compromise LIG1 activity through poorly defined mechanisms. To understand the molecular basis of LIG1 syndrome mutations, we determined high resolution X-ray structures and performed systematic biochemical characterization of LIG1 mutants using steady-state and pre-steady state kinetic approaches. Our results unveil a cooperative network of plastic DNA-LIG1 interactions that connect DNA substrate engagement with productive binding of Mg2+ cofactors for catalysis. LIG1 syndrome mutations destabilize this network, compromising Mg2+ binding affinity, decreasing ligation efficiency, and leading to elevated abortive ligation that may underlie the disease pathology. These findings provide novel insights into the fundamental mechanism by which DNA ligases engage with a nicked DNA substrate, and they suggest that disease pathology of LIG1 syndrome could be modulated by Mg2+ levels.

Structural insight into DNA joining: from conserved mechanisms to diverse scaffolds

DNA ligases are diverse enzymes with essential functions in replication and repair of DNA; here we review recent advances in their structure and distribution and discuss how this contributes to understanding their biological roles and technological potential. Recent high-resolution crystal structures of DNA ligases from different organisms, including DNA-bound states and reaction intermediates, have provided considerable insight into their enzymatic mechanism and substrate interactions. All cellular organisms possess at least one DNA ligase, but many species encode multiple forms some of which are modular multifunctional enzymes. New experimental evidence for participation of DNA ligases in pathways with additional DNA modifying enzymes is defining their participation in non-redundant repair processes enabling elucidation of their biological functions. Coupled with identification of a wealth of DNA ligase sequences through genomic data, our increased appreciation of the structural diversity and phylogenetic distribution of DNA ligases has the potential to uncover new biotechnological tools and provide new treatment options for bacterial pathogens.

Lighting up single-nucleotide variation in situ in single cells and tissues

The ability to 'see' genetic information directly in single cells can provide invaluable insights into complex biological systems. In this review, we discuss recent advances of in situ imaging technologies for visualizing the subtlest sequence alteration, single-nucleotide variation (SNV), at single-cell level. The mechanism of recently developed methods for SNV discrimination are summarized in detail. With recent developments, single-cell SNV imaging methods have opened a new door for studying the heterogenous and stochastic genetic information in individual cells. Furthermore, SNV imaging can be used on morphologically preserved tissue, which can provide information on histological context for gene expression profiling in basic research and genetic diagnosis. Moreover, the ability to visualize SNVs in situ can be further developed into in situ sequencing technology. We expect this review to inspire more research work into in situ SNV imaging technologies for investigating cellular phenotypes and gene regulation at single-nucleotide resolution, and developing new clinical and biomedical applications.

Enhanced mismatch selectivity of T4 DNA ligase far above the probe: Target duplex dissociation temperature

T4 DNA ligase is a widely used ligase in many applications; yet in single nucleotide polymorphism analysis, it has been found generally lacking owing to its tendency to ligate mismatches quite efficiently. To address this lack of selectivity, we explored the effect of temperature on the selectivity of the ligase in discriminating single base pair mismatches at the 3'-terminus of the ligating strand using short ligation probes (9-mers). Remarkably, we observe outstanding selectivities when the assay temperature is increased to 7 °C to 13 °C above the dissociation temperature of the matched probe:target duplexes using commercially available enzyme at low concentration. Higher enzyme concentration shifts the temperature range to 13 °C to 19 °C above the probe:target dissociation temperatures. Finally, substituting the 5'-phosphate terminus with an abasic nucleotide decreases the optimal temperature range to 7 °C to 10 °C above the matched probe:target duplex. We compare the temperature dependence of the T4 DNA ligase catalyzed ligation and a nonenzymatic ligation system to contrast the origin of their modes of selectivity. For the latter, temperatures above the probe:target duplex dissociation lead to lower ligation conversions even for the perfect matched system. This difference between the two ligation systems reveals the uniqueness of the T4 DNA ligase's ability to maintain excellent ligation yields for the matched system at elevated temperatures. Although our observations are consistent with previous mechanistic work on T4 DNA ligase, by mapping out the temperature dependence for different ligase concentrations and probe modifications, we identify simple strategies for introducing greater selectivity into SNP discrimination based on ligation yields.

Thermus thermophilus DNA Ligase Connects Two Fragments Having Exceptionally Short Complementary Termini at High Temperatures

Thermus thermophilus DNA ligase (Tth DNA ligase) is widely employed for cloning, enzymatic synthesis, and molecular diagnostics at high temperatures (e.g., 65 °C). It has been long believed that the complementary ends must be very long (e.g., >30 bp) to place two DNA fragments nearby for the ligation. In the current study, the length of the complementary portion was systematically varied, and the ligation efficiency was evaluated using the high resolution melting (HRM) method. Unexpectedly, very short oligonucleotides (7-10 nt) were successfully ligated on the complementary overhang attached to a dsDNA at 70 °C. Furthermore, sticky ends with the overhang of only 4 nt long, available after scission with many restriction enzymes, were also efficiently ligated at 45-70 °C. The ligation yield for the 6-nt-long sticky ends was as high as 80%. It was concluded that Tth DNA ligase can be used as a unique tool for DNA manipulation that cannot be otherwise easily accomplished.

Effective Characterization of DNA Ligation Kinetics by High-Resolution Melting Analysis

High-resolution melting (HRM) analysis has been improved and applied for the first time to quantitative analysis of enzymatic reactions. By using the relative ratios of peak intensities of substrates and products, the quantitativity of conventional HRM analysis has been improved to allow detailed kinetic analysis. As an example, the ligation of sticky ends through the action of T4 DNA ligase has been kinetically analyzed, with comprehensive data on substrate specificity and other properties having been obtained. For the first time, the kinetic parameters (k_obs and apparent K_m ) of sticky-end ligation were obtained for both fully matched and mismatched sticky ends. The effect of ATP concentration on sticky-end ligation was also investigated. The improved HRM method should also be applicable to versatile DNA-transforming enzymes, because the only requirement is that the products have T_m values different enough from the substrates.

Structural intermediates of a DNA-ligase complex illuminate the role of the catalytic metal ion and mechanism of phosphodiester bond formation

DNA ligases join adjacent 5' phosphate (5'P) and 3' hydroxyl (3'OH) termini of double-stranded DNA via a three-step mechanism requiring a nucleotide cofactor and divalent metal ion. Although considerable structural detail is available for the first two steps, less is known about step 3 where the DNA-backbone is joined or about the cation role at this step. We have captured high-resolution structures of an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent DNA ligase from Prochlorococcus marinus including a Mn-bound pre-ternary ligase-DNA complex poised for phosphodiester bond formation, and a post-ternary intermediate retaining product DNA and partially occupied AMP in the active site. The pre-ternary structure unambiguously identifies the binding site of the catalytic metal ion and confirms both its role in activating the 3'OH terminus for nucleophilic attack on the 5'P group and stabilizing the pentavalent transition state. The post-ternary structure indicates that DNA distortion and most enzyme-AMP contacts remain after phosphodiester bond formation, implying loss of covalent linkage to the DNA drives release of AMP, rather than active site rearrangement. Additionally, comparisons of this cyanobacterial DNA ligase with homologs from bacteria and bacteriophage pose interesting questions about the structural origin of double-strand break joining activity and the evolution of these ATP-dependent DNA ligase enzymes.

Barcoded DNA nanostructures for the multiplexed profiling of subcellular protein distribution

Massively parallel DNA sequencing is established, yet high-throughput protein profiling remains challenging. Here, we report a barcoding approach that leverages the combinatorial sequence content and the configurational programmability of DNA nanostructures for high-throughput multiplexed profiling of the subcellular expression and distribution of proteins in whole cells. The barcodes are formed by in situ hybridization of tetrahedral DNA nanostructures and short DNA sequences conjugated with protein-targeting antibodies, and by nanostructure-assisted ligation (either enzymatic or chemical) of the nanostructures and exogenous DNA sequences bound to nanoparticles of different sizes (which cause these localization sequences to differentially distribute across subcellular compartments). Compared with linear DNA barcoding, the nanostructured barcodes enhance the signal by more than 100-fold. By implementing the barcoding approach on a microfluidic device for the analysis of rare patient samples, we show that molecular subtypes of breast cancer can be accurately classified and that subcellular spatial markers of disease aggressiveness can be identified.

Harnessing a previously unidentified capability of bacterial allosteric transcription factors for sensing diverse small molecules in vitro

A plethora of bacterial allosteric transcription factors (aTFs) have been identified to sense a variety of small molecules. Introduction of a novel aTF-based approach to sense diverse small molecules in vitro will signify a broad series of detection applications. Here, we found that aTFs could interact with their nicked DNA binding sites. Building from this new finding, we designed and implemented a novel aTF-based nicked DNA template-assisted signal transduction system (aTF-NAST) by using the competition between aTFs and T4 DNA ligase to bind to the nicked DNA. This aTF-NAST could reliably and modularly transduce the signal of small molecules recognized by aTFs to the ligated DNA signal, thus enabling the small molecules to be measured via various mature and robust DNA detection methods. Coupling this aTF-NAST with three DNA detection methods, we demonstrated nine novel biosensors for the detection of an antiseptic 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, a disease marker uric acid and an antibiotic tetracycline. These biosensors show impressive sensitivity and robustness in real-life analysis, highlighting the great potential of our aTF-NAST for biosensing applications.

Photochemical Ligation to Ultrasensitive DNA Detection with Upconverting Nanoparticles

In this work, we explore a photochemical ligation reaction to covalently modify oligonucleotide-conjugated upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) in the presence of a specific target DNA sequence. The target sequence acts as a hybridization template, bringing together a biotinylated photoactivatable oligonucleotide probe and the oligonucleotide probe that is attached to UCNPs. The illumination of the UCNPs by NIR light to generate UV emission internally or illuminating the photoactivatable probe directly by an external UV light promotes the photochemical ligation reaction, yielding covalently biotin functionalized UCNPs that can be selectively captured in streptavidin-coated microwells. Following this strategy, we developed a DNA sensor with a limit of detection of 1 × 10^-18 mol per well (20 fM). In addition, we demonstrate the possibility to create UCNP patterns on the surface of solid supports upon NIR illumination that are selectively formed under the presence of the target oligonucleotide.