Divalent metal dependence of site-specific DNA binding by EcoRV endonuclease

Structural analysis of the BisI family of modification dependent restriction endonucleases

The BisI family of restriction endonucleases is unique in requiring multiple methylated or hydroxymethylated cytosine residues within a short recognition sequence (GCNGC), and in cleaving directly within this sequence, rather than at a distance. Here, we report that the number of modified cytosines that are required for cleavage can be tuned by the salt concentration. We present crystal structures of two members of the BisI family, NhoI and Eco15I_Ntd (N-terminal domain of Eco15I), in the absence of DNA and in specific complexes with tetra-methylated GCNGC target DNA. The structures show that NhoI and Eco15I_Ntd sense modified cytosine bases in the context of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) without base flipping. In the co-crystal structures of NhoI and Eco15I_Ntd with DNA, the internal methyl groups (G5mCNGC) interact with the side chains of an (H/R)(V/I/T/M) di-amino acid motif near the C-terminus of the distal enzyme subunit and arginine residue from the proximal subunit. The external methyl groups (GCNG5mC) interact with the proximal enzyme subunit, mostly through main chain contacts. Surface plasmon resonance analysis for Eco15I_Ntd shows that the internal and external methyl binding pockets contribute about equally to sensing of cytosine methyl groups.

Pretransition state and apo structures of the filament-forming enzyme SgrAI elucidate mechanisms of activation and substrate specificity

Enzyme filamentation is a widespread phenomenon that mediates enzyme regulation and function. For the filament-forming sequence-specific DNA endonuclease SgrAI, the process of filamentation both accelerates its DNA cleavage activity and expands its DNA sequence specificity, thus allowing for many additional DNA sequences to be rapidly cleaved. Both outcomes-the acceleration of DNA cleavage and the expansion of sequence specificity-are proposed to regulate critical processes in bacterial innate immunity. However, the mechanistic bases underlying these events remain unclear. Herein, we describe two new structures of the SgrAI enzyme that shed light on its catalytic function. First, we present the cryo-EM structure of filamentous SgrAI bound to intact primary site DNA and Ca2+ resolved to ∼2.5 Å within the catalytic center, which represents the trapped enzyme-DNA complex prior to the DNA cleavage reaction. This structure reveals important conformational changes that contribute to the catalytic mechanism and the binding of a second divalent cation in the enzyme active site, which is expected to contribute to increased DNA cleavage activity of SgrAI in the filamentous state. Second, we present an X-ray crystal structure of DNA-free (apo) SgrAI resolved to 2.0 Å resolution, which reveals a disordered loop involved in DNA recognition. Collectively, these multiple new observations clarify the mechanism of expansion of DNA sequence specificity of SgrAI, including the indirect readout of sequence-dependent DNA structure, changes in protein-DNA interactions, and the disorder-to-order transition of a crucial DNA recognition element.

Kinetic Analysis of the Interaction of Nicking Endonuclease BspD6I with DNA

Nicking endonucleases (NEs) are enzymes that incise only one strand of the duplex to produce a DNA molecule that is 'nicked' rather than cleaved in two. Since these precision tools are used in genetic engineering and genome editing, information about their mechanism of action at all stages of DNA recognition and phosphodiester bond hydrolysis is essential. For the first time, fast kinetics of the Nt.BspD6I interaction with DNA were studied by the stopped-flow technique, and changes of optical characteristics were registered for the enzyme or DNA molecules. The role of divalent metal cations was estimated at all steps of Nt.BspD6I-DNA complex formation. It was demonstrated that divalent metal ions are not required for the formation of a non-specific complex of the protein with DNA. Nt.BspD6I bound five-fold more efficiently to its recognition site in DNA than to a random DNA. DNA bending was confirmed during the specific binding of Nt.BspD6I to a substrate. The optimal size of Nt.BspD6I's binding site in DNA as determined in this work should be taken into account in methods of detection of nucleic acid sequences and/or even various base modifications by means of NEs.

Molecular recognition of pre-tRNA by Arabidopsis protein-only Ribonuclease P

Protein-only ribonuclease P (PRORP) is an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the 5' end maturation of precursor transfer ribonucleic acids (pre-tRNAs) encoded by various cellular compartments in many eukaryotes. PRORPs from plants act as single-subunit enzymes and have been used as a model system for analyzing the function of the metazoan PRORP nuclease subunit, which requires two additional proteins for efficient catalysis. There are currently few molecular details known about the PRORP-pre-tRNA complex. Here, we characterize the determinants of substrate recognition by the single subunit Arabidopsis thaliana PRORP1 and PRORP2 using kinetic and thermodynamic experiments. The salt dependence of binding affinity suggests 4-5 contacts with backbone phosphodiester bonds on substrates, including a single phosphodiester contact with the pre-tRNA 5' leader, consistent with prior reports of short leader requirements. PRORPs contain an N-terminal pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) domain, truncation of which results in a >30-fold decrease in substrate affinity. While most PPR-containing proteins have been implicated in single-stranded sequence-specific RNA recognition, we find that the PPR motifs of PRORPs recognize pre-tRNA substrates differently. Notably, the PPR domain residues most important for substrate binding in PRORPs do not correspond to positions involved in base recognition in other PPR proteins. Several of these residues are highly conserved in PRORPs from algae, plants, and metazoans, suggesting a conserved strategy for substrate recognition by the PRORP PPR domain. Furthermore, there is no evidence for sequence-specific interactions. This work clarifies molecular determinants of PRORP-substrate recognition and provides a new predictive model for the PRORP-substrate complex.

Indirect DNA Sequence Readout by LAGLIDADG Homing Endonucleases

In this issue of Structure, Lambert et al. (2016) describe extensive structural and functional work on meganucleases, the group of homing endonucleases most commonly adapted to genome engineering applications. The data are of interest to structural biologists, evolutionary biologists, protein designers, and genome engineers.

Metal Ion Binding at the Catalytic Site Induces Widely Distributed Changes in a Sequence Specific Protein-DNA Complex

Metal ion cofactors can alter the energetics and specificity of sequence specific protein–DNA interactions, but it is unknown if the underlying effects on structure and dynamics are local or dispersed throughout the protein–DNA complex. This work uses EcoRV endonuclease as a model, and catalytically inactive lanthanide ions, which replace the Mg²⁺ cofactor. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) titrations indicate that four Lu³⁺ or two La³⁺ cations bind, and two new crystal structures confirm that Lu³⁺ binding is confined to the active sites. NMR spectra show that the metal-free EcoRV complex with cognate (GATATC) DNA is structurally distinct from the nonspecific complex, and that metal ion binding sites are not assembled in the nonspecific complex. NMR chemical shift perturbations were determined for ¹H–¹⁵N amide resonances, for ¹H–¹³C Ile-δ-CH₃ resonances, and for stereospecifically assigned Leu-δ-CH₃ and Val-γ-CH₃ resonances. Many chemical shifts throughout the cognate complex are unperturbed, so metal binding does not induce major conformational changes. However, some large perturbations of amide and side chain methyl resonances occur as far as 34 Å from the metal ions. Concerted changes in specific residues imply that local effects of metal binding are propagated via a β-sheet and an α-helix. Both amide and methyl resonance perturbations indicate changes in the interface between subunits of the EcoRV homodimer. Bound metal ions also affect amide hydrogen exchange rates for distant residues, including a distant subdomain that contacts DNA phosphates and promotes DNA bending, showing that metal ions in the active sites, which relieve electrostatic repulsion between protein and DNA, cause changes in slow dynamics throughout the complex.

Making the bend: DNA tertiary structure and protein-DNA interactions

DNA structure functions as an overlapping code to the DNA sequence. Rapid progress in understanding the role of DNA structure in gene regulation, DNA damage recognition and genome stability has been made. The three dimensional structure of both proteins and DNA plays a crucial role for their specific interaction, and proteins can recognise the chemical signature of DNA sequence ("base readout") as well as the intrinsic DNA structure ("shape recognition"). These recognition mechanisms do not exist in isolation but, depending on the individual interaction partners, are combined to various extents. Driving force for the interaction between protein and DNA remain the unique thermodynamics of each individual DNA-protein pair. In this review we focus on the structures and conformations adopted by DNA, both influenced by and influencing the specific interaction with the corresponding protein binding partner, as well as their underlying thermodynamics.

Using single-turnover kinetics with osmotic stress to characterize the EcoRV cleavage reaction

Type II restriction endonucleases require metal ions to specifically cleave DNA at canonical sites. Despite the wealth of structural and biochemical information, the number of Mg(2+) ions used for cleavage by EcoRV, in particular, at physiological divalent ion concentrations has not been established. In this work, we employ a single-turnover technique that uses osmotic stress to probe reaction kinetics between an initial specific EcoRV-DNA complex formed in the absence of Mg(2+) and the final cleavage step. With osmotic stress, complex dissociation before cleavage is minimized and the reaction rates are slowed to a convenient time scale of minutes to hours. We find that cleavage occurs by a two-step mechanism that can be characterized by two rate constants. The dependence of these rate constants on Mg(2+) concentration and osmotic pressure gives the number of Mg(2+) ions and water molecules coupled to each kinetic step of the EcoRV cleavage reaction. Each kinetic step is coupled to the binding 1.5-2.5 Mg(2+) ions, the uptake of ∼30 water molecules, and the cleavage of a DNA single strand. We suggest that each kinetic step reflects an independent, rate-limiting conformational change of each monomer of the dimeric enzyme that allows Mg(2+) ion binding. This modified single-turnover protocol has general applicability for metalloenzymes.

Structural analysis of activated SgrAI-DNA oligomers using ion mobility mass spectrometry

SgrAI is a type IIF restriction endonuclease that cuts an unusually long recognition sequence and exhibits self-modulation of DNA cleavage activity and sequence specificity. Previous studies have shown that SgrAI forms large oligomers when bound to particular DNA sequences and under the same conditions where SgrAI exhibits accelerated DNA cleavage kinetics. However, the detailed structure and stoichiometry of the SgrAI-DNA complex as well as the basic building block of the oligomers have not been fully characterized. Ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) was employed to analyze SgrAI-DNA complexes and show that the basic building block of the oligomers is the DNA-bound SgrAI dimer (DBD) with one SgrAI dimer bound to two precleaved duplex DNA molecules each containing one-half of the SgrAI primary recognition sequence. The oligomers contain variable numbers of DBDs with as many as 19 DBDs. Observation of the large oligomers shows that nanoelectrospray ionization (nano-ESI) can preserve the proposed activated form of an enzyme. Finally, the collision cross section of the SgrAI-DNA oligomers measured by IM-MS was found to have a linear relationship with the number of DBDs in each oligomer, suggesting a regular, repeating structure.

Now on display: a gallery of group II intron structures at different stages of catalysis

Group II introns are mobile genetic elements that self-splice and retrotranspose into DNA and RNA. They are considered evolutionary ancestors of the spliceosome, the ribonucleoprotein complex essential for pre-mRNA processing in higher eukaryotes. Over a 20-year period, group II introns have been characterized first genetically, then biochemically, and finally by means of X-ray crystallography. To date, 17 crystal structures of a group II intron are available, representing five different stages of the splicing cycle. This review provides a framework for classifying and understanding these new structures in the context of the splicing cycle. Structural and functional implications for the spliceosome are also discussed.

Restriction endonucleases: natural and directed evolution

Type II restriction endonucleases (REs) are highly sequence-specific compared with other classes of nucleases. PD-(D/E)XK nucleases, initially represented by only type II REs, now comprise a large and extremely diverse superfamily of proteins and, although sharing a structurally conserved core, typically display little or no detectable sequence similarity except for the active site motifs. Sequence similarity can only be observed in methylases and few isoschizomers. As a consequence, REs are classified according to combinations of functional properties rather than on the basis of genetic relatedness. New alignment matrices and classification systems based on structural core connectivity and cleavage mechanisms have been developed to characterize new REs and related proteins. REs recognizing more than 300 distinct specificities have been identified in RE database (REBASE: http://rebase.neb.com/cgi-bin/statlist ) but still the need for newer specificities is increasing due to the advancement in molecular biology and applications. The enzymes have undergone constant evolution through structural changes in protein scaffolds which include random mutations, homologous recombinations, insertions, and deletions of coding DNA sequences but rational mutagenesis or directed evolution delivers protein variants with new functions in accordance with defined biochemical or environmental pressures. Redesigning through random mutation, addition or deletion of amino acids, methylation-based selection, synthetic molecules, combining recognition and cleavage domains from different enzymes, or combination with domains of additional functions change the cleavage specificity or substrate preference and stability. There is a growing number of patents awarded for the creation of engineered REs with new and enhanced properties.

Solution parameters modulating DNA binding specificity of the restriction endonuclease EcoRV

The DNA binding stringency of restriction endonucleases is crucial for their proper function. The X-ray structures of the specific and non-cognate complexes of the restriction nuclease EcoRV are considerably different suggesting significant differences in the hydration and binding free energies. Nonetheless, the majority of studies performed at pH 7.5, optimal for enzymatic activity, have found a < 10-fold difference between EcoRV binding constants to the specific and nonspecific sequences in the absence of divalent ions. We used a recently developed self-cleavage assay to measure EcoRV-DNA competitive binding and to evaluate the influence of water activity, pH and salt concentration on the binding stringency of the enzyme in the absence of divalent ions. We find the enzyme can readily distinguish specific and nonspecific sequences. The relative specific-nonspecific binding constant increases strongly with increasing neutral solute concentration and with decreasing pH. The difference in number of associated waters between specific and nonspecific DNA-EcoRV complexes is consistent with the differences in the crystal structures. Despite the large pH dependence of the sequence specificity, the osmotic pressure dependence indicates little change in structure with pH. The large osmotic pressure dependence means that measurement of protein-DNA specificity in dilute solution cannot be directly applied to binding in the crowded environment of the cell. In addition to divalent ions, water activity and pH are key parameters that strongly modulate binding specificity of EcoRV.

The energetic contribution of induced electrostatic asymmetry to DNA bending by a site-specific protein

DNA bending can be promoted by reducing the net negative electrostatic potential around phosphates on one face of the DNA, such that electrostatic repulsion among phosphates on the opposite face drives bending toward the less negative surface. To provide the first assessment of energetic contribution to DNA bending when electrostatic asymmetry is induced by a site-specific DNA binding protein, we manipulated the electrostatics in the EcoRV endonuclease-DNA complex by mutation of cationic side chains that contact DNA phosphates and/or by replacement of a selected phosphate in each strand with uncharged methylphosphonate. Reducing the net negative charge at two symmetrically located phosphates on the concave DNA face contributes -2.3 kcal mol(-1) to -0.9 kcal mol(-1) (depending on position) to complex formation. In contrast, reducing negative charge on the opposing convex face produces a penalty of +1.3 kcal mol(-1). Förster resonance energy transfer experiments show that the extent of axial DNA bending (about 50°) is little affected in modified complexes, implying that modification affects the energetic cost but not the extent of DNA bending. Kinetic studies show that the favorable effects of induced electrostatic asymmetry on equilibrium binding derive primarily from a reduced rate of complex dissociation, suggesting stabilization of the specific complex between protein and markedly bent DNA. A smaller increase in the association rate may suggest that the DNA in the initial encounter complex is mildly bent. The data imply that protein-induced electrostatic asymmetry makes a significant contribution to DNA bending but is not itself sufficient to drive full bending in the specific EcoRV-DNA complex.

Activation of DNA cleavage by oligomerization of DNA-bound SgrAI

SgrAI is a type II restriction endonuclease that cuts an unusually long recognition sequence and exhibits allosteric self-modulation of DNA activity and sequence specificity. Precleaved primary site DNA has been shown to be an allosteric effector [Hingorani-Varma, K., and Bitinaite, J. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 40392-40399], stimulating cleavage of both primary (CR|CCGGYG, where the vertical bar indicates a cut site, R denotes A or G, and Y denotes C or T) and secondary [CR|CCGGY(A/C/T) and CR|CCGGGG] site DNA sequences. The fact that DNA is the allosteric effector of this endonuclease suggests at least two DNA binding sites on the functional SgrAI molecule, yet crystal structures of SgrAI [Dunten, P. W., et al. (2008) Nucleic Acids Res. 36, 5405-5416] show only one DNA duplex bound to one dimer of SgrAI. We show that SgrAI forms species larger than dimers or tetramers [high-molecular weight species (HMWS)] in the presence of sufficient concentrations of SgrAI and its primary site DNA sequence that are dependent on the concentration of the DNA-bound SgrAI dimer. Analytical ultracentrifugation indicates that the HMWS is heterogeneous, has sedimentation coefficients of 15-20 s, and is composed of possibly 4-12 DNA-bound SgrAI dimers. SgrAI bound to secondary site DNA will not form HMWS itself but can bind to HMWS formed with primary site DNA and SgrAI. Uncleaved, as well as precleaved, primary site DNA is capable of stimulating HMWS formation. Stimulation of DNA cleavage by SgrAI, at primary as well as secondary sites, is also dependent on the concentration of primary site DNA (cleaved or uncleaved) bound SgrAI dimers. SgrAI bound to secondary site DNA does not have significant stimulatory activity. We propose that the oligomers of DNA-bound SgrAI (i.e., HMWS) are the activated, or activatable, forms of the enzyme.

Nucleophile activation in PD...(D/E)xK metallonucleases: an experimental and computational pK(a) study

Metallonucleases conduct metal-dependent nucleic acid hydrolysis. While metal ions serve in multiple mechanistic capacities in these enzymes, precisely how the attacking water is activated remains unclear for those lacking an obvious general base. All arguments hinge on appropriate pK(a)s for active site moieties very close to this species, and measurement of the pK(a) of a specific water molecule is difficult to access experimentally. Here we describe a computational approach for exploring the local electrostatic influences on the water-derived nucleophile in metallonucleases featuring the common PD...(D/E)xK motif. We utilized UHBD to predict the pK(a)s of active site groups, including that of a water molecule positioned to act as a nucleophile. The pK(a) of a Mg(II)-ligated water molecule hydrogen bonded to the conserved Lys70 in a Mg(II)-PvuII enzyme complex was calculated to be 6.5. The metal and the charge on the Lys group were removed in separate experiments; both resulted in the elevation of the pK(a) of this water molecule, consistent with contributions from both moieties to lowering this pK(a). This behavior is preserved among other PD...(D/E)xK metallonucleases. pK(a)s extracted from the pH dependence of the single turnover rate constant are compared to previous experimental data and the above predicted pK(a)s.

Differences between Ca2+ and Mg2+ in DNA binding and release by the SfiI restriction endonuclease: implications for DNA looping

Many enzymes acting on DNA require Mg(2+) ions not only for catalysis but also to bind DNA. Binding studies often employ Ca(2+) as a substitute for Mg(2+), to promote DNA binding whilst disallowing catalysis. The SfiI endonuclease requires divalent metal ions to bind DNA but, in contrast to many systems where Ca(2+) mimics Mg(2+), Ca(2+) causes SfiI to bind DNA almost irreversibly. Equilibrium binding by wild-type SfiI cannot be conducted with Mg(2+) present as the DNA is cleaved so, to study the effect of Mg(2+) on DNA binding, two catalytically-inactive mutants were constructed. The mutants bound DNA in the presence of either Ca(2+) or Mg(2+) but, unlike wild-type SfiI with Ca(2+), the binding was reversible. With both mutants, dissociation was slow with Ca(2+) but was in one case much faster with Mg(2+). Hence, Ca(2+) can affect DNA binding differently from Mg(2+). Moreover, SfiI is an archetypal system for DNA looping; on DNA with two recognition sites, it binds to both sites and loops out the intervening DNA. While the dynamics of looping cannot be measured with wild-type SfiI and Ca(2+), it becomes accessible with the mutant and Mg(2+).

One- and two-metal ion catalysis: global single-turnover kinetic analysis of the PvuII endonuclease mechanism

Ester hydrolysis is one of the most ubiquitous reactions in biochemistry. Many of these reactions rely on metal ions for various mechanistic steps. A large number of metal-dependent nucleases have been crystallized with two metal ions in their active sites. In spite of an ongoing discussion about the roles of these metal ions in nucleic acid hydrolysis, there are very few studies which examine this issue using the native cofactor Mg(II) and global fitting of reaction progress curves. As part of a comprehensive study of the representative homodimeric PvuII endonuclease, we have collected single-turnover DNA cleavage data as a function of Mg(II) concentration and globally fit these data to a number of models which test various aspects of the metallonuclease mechanism. DNA association rate constants are approximately 100-fold higher in the presence of the catalytically nonsupportive Ca(II) versus the native cofactor Mg(II), highlighting an interesting cofactor difference. A pathway in which metal ions bind prior to DNA is kinetically favored. The data fit well to a model in which both one and two metal ions per active site (EM(2)S and EM(4)S, respectively) support cleavage. Interestingly, the cleavage rate for EM(2)S is approximately 100-fold slower than that displayed by EM(4)S. Collectively, these data indicate that for the PvuII system, catalysis involving one metal ion per active site can indeed occur, but that a more efficient two-metal ion mechanism can be operative under saturating metal ion (in vitro) conditions.

DNA distortion and specificity in a sequence-specific endonuclease

Five new structures of the Q138F HincII enzyme bound to a total of three different DNA sequences and three different metal ions (Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and Mn(2+)) are presented. While previous structures were produced from soaking Ca(2+) into preformed Q138F HincII/DNA crystals, the new structures are derived from cocrystallization with Ca(2+), Mg(2+), or Mn(2+). The Mn(2)(+)-bound structure provides the first view of a product complex of Q138F HincII with cleaved DNA. Binding studies and a crystal structure show how Ca(2+) allows trapping of a Q138F HincII complex with noncognate DNA in a catalytically incompetent conformation. Many Q138F HincII/DNA structures show asymmetry, despite the binding of a symmetric substrate by a symmetric enzyme. The various complexes are fit into a model describing the different conformations of the DNA-bound enzyme and show how DNA conformational energetics determine DNA-cleavage rates by the Q138F HincII enzyme.

A switch in the mechanism of communication between the two DNA-binding sites in the SfiI restriction endonuclease

While many Type II restriction enzymes are dimers with a single DNA-binding cleft between the subunits, SfiI is a tetramer of identical subunits. Two of its subunits (a dimeric unit) create one DNA-binding cleft, and the other two create a second cleft on the opposite side of the protein. The two clefts bind specific DNA cooperatively to give a complex of SfiI with two recognition sites. This complex is responsible for essentially all of the DNA-cleavage reactions by SfiI: virtually none is due to the complex with one site. The communication between the DNA-binding clefts was examined by disrupting one of the very few polar interactions in the otherwise hydrophobic interface between the dimeric units: a tyrosine hydroxyl was removed by mutation to phenylalanine. The mutant protein remained tetrameric in solution and could bind two DNA sites. But instead of being activated by binding two sites, like wild-type SfiI, it showed maximal activity when bound to a single site and had a lower activity when bound to two sites. This interaction across the dimer interface thus enforces in wild-type SfiI a cooperative transition between inactive and active states in both dimers, but without this interaction as in the mutant protein, a single dimer can undergo the transition to give a stable intermediate with one inactive dimer and one active dimer.

Single molecule transcription profiling with AFM

Established techniques for global gene expression profiling, such as microarrays, face fundamental sensitivity constraints. Due to greatly increasing interest in examining minute samples from micro-dissected tissues, including single cells, unorthodox approaches, including molecular nanotechnologies, are being explored in this application. Here, we examine the use of single molecule, ordered restriction mapping, combined with AFM, to measure gene transcription levels from very low abundance samples. We frame the problem mathematically, using coding theory, and present an analysis of the critical error sources that may serve as a guide to designing future studies. We follow with experiments detailing the construction of high density, single molecule, ordered restriction maps from plasmids and from cDNA molecules, using two different enzymes, a result not previously reported. We discuss these results in the context of our calculations.

Kinetic analyses of divalent cation-dependent EcoRV digestions on a DNA-immobilized quartz crystal microbalance

Enzymatic digestion with a type IIP restriction endonuclease EcoRV was investigated on a DNA-immobilized 27-MHz quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Real-time observations of both the enzyme binding process and the DNA cleavage process of EcoRV were followed by frequency (mass) changes on the QCM, which were dependent on divalent cations such as Ca(2+) or Mg(2+). In the presence of Ca(2+), the site-specific binding of EcoRV to DNA could be observed, without the catalytic process. On the other hand, in the presence of Mg(2+), both the binding of the enzyme to the specific DNA (mass increase) and the site-specific cleavage reaction (mass decrease) could be observed continuously from QCM frequency changes. From time courses of frequency (mass) changes, each kinetic parameter, namely binding rate constants (k(on)), dissociation rate constants (k(off)), dissociation constants (K(d)) of EcoRV to DNA, and catalytic rate constant (k(cat)) of the cleavage reaction, could be determined. The binding kinetic parameters of EcoRV in the presence of Ca(2+) were consistent with those of the binding process followed by the cleavage process in the presence of Mg(2+). The k(cat) value obtained by the QCM method was also consistent with that obtained by other methods. This study is the first to simultaneously determine k(on), k(off), and k(cat) for a type IIP restriction endonuclease on one device.

Observing an Induced-fit Mechanism during Sequence-specific DNA Methylation

The characterization of conformational changes that drive induced-fit mechanisms and their quantitative importance to enzyme specificity are essential for a full understanding of enzyme function. Here, we report on M.HhaI, a sequence-specific DNA cytosine C(5) methyltransferase that reorganizes a flexible loop (residues 80-100) upon binding cognate DNA as part of an induced-fit mechanism. To directly observe this approximately 26A conformational rearrangement and provide a basis for understanding its importance to specificity, we replaced loop residues Lys-91 and Glu-94 with tryptophans. The double mutants W41F/K91W and W41F/E94W are relatively unperturbed in kinetic and thermodynamic properties. W41F/E94W shows DNA sequence-dependent changes in fluorescence: significant changes in equilibrium and transient state fluorescence that occur when the enzyme binds cognate DNA are absent with nonspecific DNA. These real-time, solution-based results provide direct evidence that binding to cognate DNA induces loop reorganization into the closed conformer, resulting in the correct assembly of the active site. We propose that M.HhaI scans nonspecific DNA in the loop-open conformer and rearranges to the closed form once the cognate site is recognized. The fluorescence data exclude mechanisms in which loop motion precedes base flipping, and we show loop rearrangements are directly coupled to base flipping, because the sequential removal of single hydrogen bonds within the target guanosine:cytosine base pair results in corresponding changes in loop motion.

Positively charged C-terminal subdomains of EcoRV endonuclease: contributions to DNA binding, bending, and cleavage

The carboxy-terminal subdomains of the homodimeric EcoRV restriction endonuclease each bear a net charge of +4 and are positioned on the inner concave surface of the 50 degree DNA bend that is induced by the enzyme. A complete kinetic and structural analysis of a truncated EcoRV mutant lacking these domains was performed to assess the importance of this diffuse charge in facilitating DNA binding, bending, and cleavage. At the level of formation of an enzyme-DNA complex, the association rate for the dimeric mutant enzyme was sharply decreased by 10(3)-fold, while the equilibrium dissociation constant was weakened by nearly 10(6)-fold compared with that of wild-type EcoRV. Thus, the C-terminal subdomains strongly stabilize the enzyme-DNA ground-state complex in which the DNA is known to be bent. Further, the extent of DNA bending as observed by fluorescence resonance energy transfer was also significantly decreased. The crystal structure of the truncated enzyme bound to DNA and calcium ions at 2.4 A resolution reveals that the global fold is preserved and suggests that a divalent metal ion crucial to catalysis is destabilized in the active site. This may explain the 100-fold decrease in the rate of metal-dependent phosphoryl transfer observed for the mutant. These results show that diffuse positive charge associated with the C-terminal subdomains of EcoRV plays a key role in DNA association, bending, and cleavage.

Unique 31P spectral response to the formation of a specific restriction enzyme-DNA complex

Protein-induced distortion is a dramatic but not universally observed feature of sequence-specific DNA interactions. This is illustrated by the crystal structures of restriction enzyme-DNA complexes: While some of these structures exhibit DNA distortion, others do not. Among the latter is Pvull endonuclease, a small enzyme that is also amenable to NMR spectroscopic studies. Here 31P NMR spectroscopy is applied to demonstrate the unique spectral response of DNA to sequence-specific protein interactions. The 31P NMR spectrum of a noncognate DNA exhibits only spectral broadening upon the addition of enzyme. However, when enzyme is added to target DNA, a number of 31P resonances shift dramatically. The magnitudes of the chemical shifts (2-3 ppm) are among the largest observed. Site-specific substitution with phosphoramidates and phosphorothioates are used analyze these effects. While such spectral features have been interpreted as indicative of DNA backbone distortions, FRET analysis indicates that this does not occur in PvuII-cognate DNA complexes in solution. The distinct 31P spectral signature observed for cognate DNA mirrors that observed for the enzyme, underscoring the unique features of cognate complex formation.

Alteration of sequence specificity of the type II restriction endonuclease HincII through an indirect readout mechanism

The functional and structural consequences of a mutation of the DNA intercalating residue of HincII, Q138F, are presented. Modeling has suggested that the DNA intercalation by Gln-138 results in DNA distortions potentially used by HincII in indirect readout of its cognate DNA, GTYRAC (Y = C or T, R = A or G) (Horton, N. C., Dorner, L. F., and Perona, J. J. (2002) Nat. Struct. Biol. 9, 42-47). Kinetic data presented here indicate that the mutation of glutamine 138 to phenylalanine (Q138F) results in a change in sequence specificity at the center two base pairs of the cognate recognition site. We show that the preference of HincII for cutting, but not binding, the three cognate sites differing in the center two base pairs has been altered by the mutation Q138F. Five new crystal structures are presented including Q138F HincII bound to GTTAAC and GTCGAC both with and without Ca2+ as well as the structure of wild type HincII bound to GTTAAC. The Q138F HincII/DNA structures show conformational changes in the protein, bound DNA, and at the protein-DNA interface, consistent with the formation of adaptive complexes. Analysis of these structures and the effect of Ca2+ binding on the protein-DNA interface illuminates the origin of the altered specificity by the mutation Q138F in the HincII enzyme.

Non-cognate Enzyme–DNA Complex: Structural and Kinetic Analysis of EcoRV Endonuclease Bound to the EcoRI Recognition Site GAATTC

The crystal structure of EcoRV endonuclease bound to non-cognate DNA at 2.0 angstroms resolution shows that very small structural adaptations are sufficient to ensure the extreme sequence specificity characteristic of restriction enzymes. EcoRV bends its specific GATATC site sharply by 50 degrees into the major groove at the center TA step, generating unusual base-base interactions along each individual DNA strand. In the symmetric non-cognate complex bound to GAATTC, the center step bend is relaxed to avoid steric hindrance caused by the different placement of the exocyclic thymine methyl groups. The decreased base-pair unstacking in turn leads to small conformational rearrangements in the sugar-phosphate backbone, sufficient to destabilize binding of crucial divalent metal ions in the active site. A second crystal structure of EcoRV bound to the base-analog GAAUTC site shows that the 50 degrees center-step bend of the DNA is restored. However, while divalent metals bind at high occupancy in this structure, one metal ion shifts away from binding at the scissile DNA phosphate to a position near the 3'-adjacent phosphate group. This may explain why the 10(4)-fold attenuated cleavage efficiency toward GAATTC is reconstituted by less than tenfold toward GAAUTC. Examination of DNA binding and bending by equilibrium and stopped-flow florescence quenching and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) methods demonstrates that the capacity of EcoRV to bend the GAATTC non-cognate site is severely limited, but that full bending of GAAUTC is achieved at only a threefold reduced rate compared with the cognate complex. Together, the structural and biochemical data demonstrate the existence of distinct mechanisms for ensuring specificity at the bending and catalytic steps, respectively. The limited conformational rearrangements observed in the EcoRV non-cognate complex provide a sharp contrast to the extensive structural changes found in a non-cognate BamHI-DNA crystal structure, thus demonstrating a diversity of mechanisms by which restriction enzymes are able to achieve specificity.

Measurement of the contributions of 1D and 3D pathways to the translocation of a protein along DNA

Proteins that act at specific DNA sequences bind DNA randomly and then translocate to the target site. The translocation is often ascribed to the protein sliding along the DNA while maintaining continuous contact with it. Proteins also can move on DNA by multiple cycles of dissociation/reassociation within the same chain. To distinguish these pathways, a strategy was developed to analyze protein motion between DNA sites. The strategy reveals whether the protein maintains contact with the DNA as it transfers from one site to another by sliding or whether it loses contact by a dissociation/reassociation step. In reactions at low salt, the test protein stayed on the DNA as it traveled between sites, but only when the sites were <50 bp apart. Transfers of >30 bp at in vivo salt, and over distances of >50 bp at any salt, always included at least one dissociation step. Hence, for this enzyme, 1D sliding operates only over short distances at low salt, and 3D dissociation/reassociation is its main mode of translocation.

Trapping DNA-protein binding reactions with neutral osmolytes for the analysis by gel mobility shift and self-cleavage assays

We take advantage of our previous observation that neutral osmolytes can strongly slow down the rate of DNA–protein complex dissociation to develop a method that uses osmotic stress to ‘freeze’ mixtures of DNA–protein complexes and prevent further reaction enabling analysis of the products. We apply this approach to the gel mobility shift assay and use it to modify a self-cleavage assay that uses the nuclease activity of the restriction endonucleases to measure sensitively their specific binding to DNA. At sufficiently high concentrations of neutral osmolytes the cleavage reaction can be triggered at only those DNA fragments with initially bound enzyme. The self-cleavage assay allows measurement of binding equilibrium and kinetics directly in solution avoiding the intrinsic problems of gel mobility shift and filter binding assays while providing the same sensitivity level. Here we compare the self-cleavage and gel mobility shift assays applied to the DNA binding of EcoRI and BamHI restriction endonucleases. Initial results indicate that BamHI dissociation from its specific DNA sequence is strongly linked to water activity with the half-life time of the specific complex increasing ∼20-fold from 0 to 1 osmolal betaine.

Thermodynamic and kinetic basis for the relaxed DNA sequence specificity of "promiscuous" mutant EcoRI endonucleases

Promiscuous mutant EcoRI endonucleases produce lethal to sublethal effects because they cleave Escherichia coli DNA despite the presence of the EcoRI methylase. Three promiscuous mutant forms, Ala138Thr, Glu192Lys and His114Tyr, have been characterized with respect to their binding affinities and first-order cleavage rate constants towards the three classes of DNA sites: specific, miscognate (EcoRI*) and non-specific. We have made the unanticipated and counterintuitive observations that the mutant restriction endonucleases that exhibit relaxed specificity in vivo nevertheless bind more tightly than the wild-type enzyme to the specific recognition sequence in vitro, and show even greater preference for binding to the cognate GAATTC site over miscognate sites. Binding preference for EcoRI* over non-specific DNA is also improved. The first-order cleavage rate constants of the mutant enzymes are normal for the cognate site GAATTC, but are greater than those of the wild-type enzyme at EcoRI* sites. Thus, the mutant enzymes use two mechanisms to partially bypass the multiple fail-safe mechanisms that protect against cleavage of genomic DNA in cells carrying the wild-type EcoRI restriction-modification system: (a) binding to EcoRI* sites is more probable than for wild-type enzyme because non-specific DNA is less effective as a competitive inhibitor; (b) the combination of increased affinity and elevated cleavage rate constants at EcoRI* sites makes double-strand cleavage of these sites a more probable outcome than it is for the wild-type enzyme. Semi-quantitative estimates of rates of EcoRI* site cleavage in vivo, predicted using the binding and cleavage constants measured in vitro, are in accord with the observed lethal phenotypes associated with the three mutations.

DNA-tension dependence of restriction enzyme activity reveals mechanochemical properties of the reaction pathway

Type II restriction endonucleases protect bacteria against phage infections by cleaving recognition sites on foreign double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) with extraordinary specificity. This capability arises primarily from large conformational changes in enzyme and/or DNA upon target sequence recognition. In order to elucidate the connection between the mechanics and the chemistry of DNA recognition and cleavage, we used a single-molecule approach to measure rate changes in the reaction pathway of EcoRV and BamHI as a function of DNA tension. We show that the induced-fit rate of EcoRV is strongly reduced by such tension. In contrast, BamHI is found to be insensitive, providing evidence that both substrate binding and hydrolysis are not influenced by this force. Based on these results, we propose a mechanochemical model of induced-fit reactions on DNA, allowing determination of induced-fit rates and DNA bend angles. Finally, for both enzymes a strongly decreased association rate is obtained on stretched DNA, presumably due to the absence of intradomain dissociation/re-association between non-specific sites (jumping). The obtained results should apply to many other DNA-associated proteins.

Mechanistic insights from the structures of HincII bound to cognate DNA cleaved from addition of Mg2+ and Mn2+

The three-dimensional X-ray crystal structures of HincII bound to cognate DNA containing GTCGAC and Mn(2+) or Mg(2+), at 2.50A and 2.95A resolution, respectively, are presented. In both structures, the DNA is found cleaved, and the positions of the active-site groups, cleaved phosphate group, and 3' oxygen atom of the leaving group are in very similar positions. Two highly occupied Mn(2+) positions are found in each active site of the four crystallographically independent subunit copies in the HincII/DNA/Mn(2+) structure. The manganese ion closest to the previously identified single Ca(2+) position of HincII is shifted 1.7A and has lost direct ligation to the active-site aspartate residue, Asp127. A Mn(2+)-ligated water molecule in a position analogous to that seen in the HincII/DNA/Ca(2+) structure, and proposed to be the attacking nucleophile, is beyond hydrogen bonding distance from the active-site lysine residue, Lys129, but remains within hydrogen bonding distance from the proRp oxygen atom of the phosphate group 3' to the scissile phosphate group. In addition, the position of the cleaved phosphate group is on the opposite side of the axis connecting the two metal ions relative to that found in the BamHI/product DNA/Mn(2+) structure. Mechanistic implications are discussed, and a model for the two-metal-ion mechanism of DNA cleavage by HincII is proposed.

Ca(2+)-mediated site-specific DNA cleavage and suppression of promiscuous activity of KpnI restriction endonuclease

The characteristic feature of type II restriction endonucleases (REases) is their exquisite sequence specificity and obligate Mg(2+) requirement for catalysis. Efficient cleavage of DNA only in the presence of Ca(2+) ions, comparable with that of Mg(2+), is previously not described. Most intriguingly, KpnI REase exhibits Ca(2+)-dependent specific DNA cleavage. Moreover, the enzyme is highly promiscuous in its cleavage pattern on plasmid DNAs in the presence of Mn(2+) or Mg(2+), with the complete suppression of promiscuous activity in the presence of Ca(2+). KpnI methyltransferase does not exhibit promiscuous activity unlike its cognate REase. The REase binds to oligonucleotides containing canonical and mapped noncanonical sites with comparable affinities. However, the extent of cleavage is varied depending on the metal ion and the sequence. The ability of the enzyme to be promiscuous or specific may reflect an evolutionary design. Based on the results, we suggest that the enzyme KpnI represents an REase evolving to attain higher sequence specificity from an ancient nonspecific nuclease.

DNA recognition by the EcoRV restriction endonuclease probed using base analogues

The EcoRV restriction endonuclease recognises palindromic GATATC sequences and cuts between the central T and dA bases in a reaction that has an absolute requirement for a divalent metal ion, physiologically Mg(2+). Use has been made of base analogues, which delete hydrogen bonds between the protein and DNA (or hydrophobic interactions in the case of the 5-CH(3) group of thymine), to evaluate the roles of the outer two base-pairs (GATATC) in DNA recognition. Selectivity arises at both the binding steps leading to the formation of the enzyme-DNA-metal ion ternary complex (assayed by measuring the dissociation constant in the presence of the non-reactive metal Ca(2+)) and the catalytic step (evaluated using single-turnover hydrolysis in the presence of Mg(2+)), with each protein-DNA contact contributing to recognition. With the A:T base-pair, binding was reduced by the amount expected for the simple loss of a single contact; much more severe effects were observed with the G:C base-pair, suggesting additional conformational perturbation. Most of the modified bases lowered the rate of hydrolysis; furthermore, the presence of an analogue in one strand of the duplex diminished cutting at the second, unmodified strand, indicative of communication between DNA binding and the active site. The essential metal ion Mg(2+) plays a key role in mediating interactions between the DNA binding site and active centre and in many instances rescue of hydrolysis was seen with Mn(2+). It is suggested that contacts between the GATATC site are required for tight binding and for the correct assembly of metal ions and bound water at the catalytic site, functions important in providing acid/base catalysis and transition state stabilisation.

PvuII-endonuclease induces structural alterations at the scissile phosphate group of its cognate DNA

We investigated the PvuII endonuclease with its cognate DNA by means of molecular dynamics simulations. Comparing the complexed DNA with a reference simulation of free DNA, we saw structural changes at the scissile phosphodiester bond. At this GpC step, the enzyme induces the highest twist and axial rise, inclination is increased and the minor groove widened. The distance between the scissile phosphate group and the phosphate group of the following thymine base is shortened significantly, indicating a substrate-assisted catalysis. A feasible reason for this vicinity is the catalytically important amino acid residue lysine 70, which bridges the free oxygen atoms of the successive phosphate groups. Due to this geometry, a compact reaction pocket is formed where a water molecule can be held, thus bringing the reaction partners for hydrolysis into contact. The O1-P-O2 angle of the scissile nucleotide is decreased, probably due to a complexation of the negative oxygen atoms through protein and solvent contacts.

Type II restriction endonucleases

Type II restriction endonucleases have emerged as important paradigms for the study of protein-nucleic acid interactions. This is due to their ability to catalyse phosphodiester bond cleavage with very large rate enhancements while also maintaining exquisite sequence selectivities. The principles and methods developed to analyze site-specific binding and catalysis for restriction endonucleases can be applied to other enzymes which also operate on nucleic acids. This paper reviews biochemical and structural approaches to characterization of these enzymes, with particular attention to the multiple crucial roles of divalent metal ions, the possibilities for use of alternative substrates in binding and catalytic experiments, the strategies for exploring the detailed chemistry of phosphoryl transfer, and the use of X-ray crystallography to provide descriptions of conformational pathways at specific, nonspecific, and noncognate DNA sites.

DNA binding and recognition by the IIs restriction endonuclease MboII

The type IIs restriction endonuclease MboII recognizes nonsymmetrical GAAGA sites, cutting 8 (top strand) and 7 (bottom strand) bases to the right. Gel retardation showed that MboII bound specifically to GAAGA sequences, producing two distinct complexes each containing one MboII and one DNA molecule. Interference analysis indicated that the initial species formed, named complex 1, comprised an interaction between the enzyme and the GAAGA target. Complex 2 involved interaction of the protein with both the GAAGA and the cutting sites. Only in the presence of divalent metal ions such as Ca(2+) is the conversion of complex 1 to 2 rapid. Additionally, a very retarded complex was seen with Ca(2+), possibly a (MboII)(2)-(DNA)(2) complex. Plasmids containing a single GAAGA site were hydrolyzed slowly by MboII. Plasmids containing two sites were cut far more rapidly, suggesting that the enzyme requires two recognition sites in the same DNA molecule for efficient hydrolysis. MboII appears to have a mechanism similar to the best characterized type IIs enzyme, FokI. Both enzymes initially bind DNA as monomers, followed by dimerization to give an (enzyme)(2)-(DNA)(2) complex. Dimerization is efficient only when the two target sites are located in the same DNA molecule and requires divalent metal ions.

DNA-binding activity in the excretory-secretory products of Trichinella pseudospiralis (Nematoda: Trichinelloidea)

A novel DNA-binding peptide of Mr approximately 30 kDa was documented for the first time in the excretory-secretory (E-S) products of the infective-stage larvae of Trichinella pseudospiralis. Larvae recovered from muscles of infected mice were maintained for 48 h in DMEM medium. E-S products of worms extracted from the medium were analysed for DNA-binding activity by the electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Multiple DNA-protein complexes were detected. A comparison of the Mr of proteins in the complexes indicated that they could bind to the target DNA as a dimer, tetramer or multiples of tetramers. Site selection and competition analysis showed that the binding has a low specificity. A (G/C-rich)-gap-(G/T-rich)-DNA sequence pattern was extracted from a pool of degenerate PCR fragments binding to the E-S products. Results of immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility supershift assay confirmed the authenticity of the DNA-binding protein as an E-S product.

The nicking endonuclease N.BstNBI is closely related to type IIs restriction endonucleases MlyI and PleI

N.BstNBI is a nicking endonuclease that recognizes the sequence GAGTC and nicks the top strand preferentially. The Type IIs restriction endonucleases PleI and MlyI also recognize GAGTC, but cleave both DNA strands. Cloning and sequencing the genes encoding each of these three endonucleases discloses significant sequence similarities. Mutagenesis studies reveal a conserved set of catalytic residues among the three endonucleases, suggesting that they are closely related to each other. Furthermore, PleI and MlyI contain a single active site for DNA cleavage. The results from cleavage assays show that the reactions catalyzed by PleI and MlyI are sequential two step processes. The double-stranded DNA is first nicked on one DNA strand and then further cleaved on the second strand to form linear DNA. Gel filtration analysis shows that MlyI dimerizes in the presence of a cognate DNA and Ca(2+) whereas N.BstNBI remains a monomer, implicating dimerization as a requisite for the second strand cleavage. We suggest that N.BstNBI, MlyI and PleI diverged from a common ancestor and propose that N.BstNBI differs from MlyI and PleI in having an extremely limited second strand cleavage activity, resulting in a site-specific nicking endonuclease.

The energetics of the interaction of BamHI endonuclease with its recognition site GGATCC

The interaction of BamHI endonuclease with DNA has been studied crystallographically, but has not been characterized rigorously in solution. The enzyme binds in solution as a homodimer to its recognition site GGATCC. Only six base-pairs are directly recognized, but binding affinity (in the absence of the catalytic cofactor Mg(2+)) increases 5400-fold as oligonucleotide length increases from 10 to 14 bp. Binding is modulated by sequence context outside the recognition site, varying about 30-fold from the bes t (GTG or TAT) to the worst (CGG) flanking triplets. BamHI, EcoRI and EcoRV endonucleases all have different context preferences, suggesting that context affects binding by influencing the free energy levels of the complexes rather than that of the free DNA. Ethylation interference footprinting in the absence of divalent metal shows a localized and symmetrical pattern of phosphate contacts, with strong contacts at NpNpNpGGApTCC. In the presence of Mg(2+), first-order cleavage rate constants are identical in the two GGA half-sites, are the same for the two nicked intermediates and are unaffected by substrate length in the range 10-24 bp. DNA binding is strongly enhanced by mutations D94N, E111A or E113K, by binding of Ca(2+) at the active site, or by deletion of the scissile phosphate GpGATCC, indicating that a cluster of negative charges at the catalytic site contributes at least 3-4 kcal/mol of unfavorable binding free energy. This electrostatic repulsion destabilizes the enzyme-DNA complex and favors metal ion binding and progression to the transition state for cleavage.

Exploring the catalytic center of TaqI endonuclease: rescuing catalytic activity by double mutations and Mn2+

TaqI is a metal-dependent endonuclease that recognizes T(downward arrow)CGA, with the arrow indicating the cleavage site. Mutations at K158 render the enzyme inactive and mutations at K157 significantly reduce DNA cleavage activity (W. Cao and F. Barany (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 33002-33010). Aspartate, glutamate, and histidine substitutions were made at K158 in the wild-type and K157S mutant TaqI endonuclease to understand the functional organization of the active site. None of the mutants was active with Mg(2+), but the DNA cleavage activities were partly rescued by Mn2+ for K157S-K158E and K157S-K158H mutants. The rescuing effects were observed with Mn2+ but not with other divalent cations. K157S-K158E required higher Mn2+ concentrations than the wild-type enzyme for DNA cleavage activity, suggesting that a Mn2+ ion is weakly bound at the 158 position. The need to neutralize K157 to recover the catalytic activity of K158E and K158H indicates that K158 and K157 may interact functionally. In analogy with EcoRV, Ca2+ stimulated Mn2+-mediated cleavage for the wild-type TaqI, suggesting the existence of at least two metal ions at the catalytic center. A catalytic mechanism involving two metal ions and the K157-K158 pair is proposed for TaqI endonuclease.

Catalytic efficiency and sequence selectivity of a restriction endonuclease modulated by a distal manganese ion binding site

Crystal structures of EcoRV endonuclease bound in a ternary complex with cognate duplex DNA and manganese ions have previously revealed an Mn(2+)-binding site located between the enzyme and the DNA outside of the dyad-symmetric GATATC recognition sequence. In each of the two enzyme subunits, this metal ion bridges between a distal phosphate group of the DNA and the imidazole ring of His71. The new metal- binding site is specific to Mn(2+) and is not occupied in ternary cocrystal structures with either Mg(2+) or Ca(2+). Characterization of the H71A and H71Q mutants of EcoRV now demonstrates that these distal Mn(2+) sites significantly modulate activity toward both cognate and non-cognate DNA substrates. Single-turnover and steady-state kinetic analyses show that removal of the distal site in the mutant enzymes increases Mn(2+)-dependent cleavage rates of specific substrates by tenfold. Conversely, the enhancement of non-cognate cleavage at GTTATC sequences by Mn(2+) is significantly attenuated in the mutants. As a consequence, under Mn(2+) conditions EcoRV-H71A and EcoRV-H71Q are 100 to 700-fold more specific than the wild-type enzyme for cognate DNA relative to the GTTATC non-cognate site. These data reveal a strong dependence of DNA cleavage efficiency upon metal ion-mediated interactions located some 20 A distant from the scissile phosphodiester linkages. They also show that discrimination of cognate versus non-cognate DNA sequences by EcoRV depends in part on contacts with the sugar-phosphate backbone outside of the target site.

Interaction of the E. coli DNA G:T-mismatch endonuclease (vsr protein) with oligonucleotides containing its target sequence

The Escherichia coli vsr endonuclease recognises G:T base-pair mismatches in double-stranded DNA and initiates a repair pathway by hydrolysing the phosphate group 5' to the incorrectly paired T. The enzyme shows a preference for G:T mismatches within a particular sequence context, derived from the recognition site of the E. coli dcm DNA-methyltransferase (CC[A/T]GG). Thus, the preferred substrate for the vsr protein is (CT[A/T]GG), where the underlined T is opposed by a dG base. This paper provides quantitative data for the interaction of the vsr protein with a number of oligonucleotides containing G:T mismatches. Evaluation of specificity constant (k(st)/K(D); k(st)=rate constant for single turnover, K(D)=equilibrium dissociation constant) confirms vsr's preference for a G:T mismatch within a hemi-methylated dcm sequence, i.e. the best substrate is a duplex (both strands written in the 5'-3' orientation) composed of CT[A/T]GG and C(5Me)C[T/A]GG. Conversion of the mispaired T (underlined) to dU or the d(5Me)C to dC gave poorer substrates. No interaction was observed with oligonucleotides that lacked a G:T mismatch or did not possess a dcm sequence. An analysis of the fraction of active protein, by "reverse-titration" (i.e. adding increasing amounts of DNA to a fixed amount of protein followed by gel-mobility shift analysis) showed that less than 1% of the vsr endonuclease was able to bind to the substrate. This was confirmed using "competitive titrations" (where competitor oligonucleotides are used to displace a (32)P-labelled nucleic acid from the vsr protein) and burst kinetic analysis. This result is discussed in the light of previous in vitro and in vivo data which indicate that the MutL protein may be needed for full vsr activity.

PvuII endonuclease contains two calcium ions in active sites

Restriction endonucleases differ in their use of metal cofactors despite having remarkably similar folds for their catalytic regions. To explore this, we have characterized the interaction of endonuclease PvuII with the catalytically incompetent cation Ca(2+). The structure of a glutaraldehyde-crosslinked crystal of the endonuclease PvuII-DNA complex, determined in the presence of Ca(2+) at a pH of approximately 6.5, supports a two-metal mechanism of DNA cleavage by PvuII. The first Ca(2+) position matches that found in all structurally examined endonucleases, while the second position is similar to that of EcoRV but is distinct from that of BamHI and BglI. The location of the second metal in PvuII, unlike that in BamHI/BglI, permits no direct interaction between the second metal and the O3' oxygen leaving group. However, the interactions between the DNA scissile phosphate and the metals, the first metal and the attacking water, and the attacking water and DNA are the same in PvuII as they are in the two-metal models of BamHI and BglI, but are distinct from the proposed three-metal or the two-metal models of EcoRV.

On the possibilities and limitations of rational protein design to expand the specificity of restriction enzymes: a case study employing EcoRV as the target

The restriction endonuclease EcoRV has been characterized in structural and functional terms in great detail. Based on this detailed information we employed a structure-guided approach to engineer variants of EcoRV that should be able to discriminate between differently flanked EcoRV recognition sites. In crystal structures of EcoRV complexed with d(CGGGATATCCC)(2) and d(AAAGATATCTT)(2), Lys104 and Ala181 closely approach the two base pairs flanking the GATATC recognition site and thus were proposed to be a reasonable starting point for the rational extension of site specificity in EcoRV [Horton,N.C. and Perona,J.J. (1998) J. Biol. Chem., 273, 21721-21729]. To test this proposal, several single (K104R, A181E, A181K) and double mutants of EcoRV (K104R/A181E, K104R/A181K) were generated. A detailed characterization of all variants examined shows that only the substitution of Ala181 by Glu leads to a considerably altered selectivity with both oligodeoxynucleotide and macromolecular DNA substrates, but not the predicted one, as these variants prefer cleavage of a TA flanked site over all other sites, under all conditions tested. The substitution of Lys104 by Arg, in contrast, which appeared to be very promising on the basis of the crystallographic analysis, does not lead to variants which differ very much from the EcoRV wild-type enzyme with respect to the flanking sequence preferences. The K104R/A181E and K104R/A181K double mutants show nearly the same preferences as the A181E and A181K single mutants. We conclude that even for the very well characterized restriction enzyme EcoRV, properties that determine specificity and selectivity are difficult to model on the basis of the available structural information.

Reactions of BglI and other type II restriction endonucleases with discontinuous recognition sites

Type II restriction enzymes generally recognize continuous sequences of 4-8 consecutive base pairs on DNA, but some recognize discontinuous sites where the specified sequence is interrupted by a defined length of nonspecific DNA. To date, a mechanism has been established for only one type II endonuclease with a discontinuous site, SfiI at GGCCNNNNNGGCC (where N is any base). In contrast to orthodox enzymes such as EcoRV, dimeric proteins that act at a single site, SfiI is a tetramer that interacts with two sites before cleaving DNA. BglI has a similar recognition sequence (GCCNNNNNGGC) to SfiI but a crystal structure like EcoRV. BglI and several other endonucleases with discontinuous sites were examined to see if they need two sites for their DNA cleavage reactions. The enzymes included some with sites containing lengthy segments of nonspecific DNA, such as XcmI (CCANNNNNNNNNTGG). In all cases, they acted at individual sites. Elongated recognition sites do not necessitate unusual reaction mechanisms. Other experiments on BglI showed that it bound to and cleaved DNA in the same manner as EcoRV, thus further delineating a distinct group of restriction enzymes with similar structures and a common reaction mechanism.