Domain structure of gpNu1, a phage lambda DNA packaging protein

Biophysical and structural characterization of a multifunctional viral genome packaging motor

The large dsDNA viruses replicate their DNA as concatemers consisting of multiple covalently linked genomes. Genome packaging is catalyzed by a terminase enzyme that excises individual genomes from concatemers and packages them into preassembled procapsids. These disparate tasks are catalyzed by terminase alternating between two distinct states-a stable nuclease that excises individual genomes and a dynamic motor that translocates DNA into the procapsid. It was proposed that bacteriophage λ terminase assembles as an anti-parallel dimer-of-dimers nuclease complex at the packaging initiation site. In contrast, all characterized packaging motors are composed of five terminase subunits bound to the procapsid in a parallel orientation. Here, we describe biophysical and structural characterization of the λ holoenzyme complex assembled in solution. Analytical ultracentrifugation, small angle X-ray scattering, and native mass spectrometry indicate that 5 subunits assemble a cone-shaped terminase complex. Classification of cryoEM images reveals starfish-like rings with skewed pentameric symmetry and one special subunit. We propose a model wherein nuclease domains of two subunits alternate between a dimeric head-to-head arrangement for genome maturation and a fully parallel arrangement during genome packaging. Given that genome packaging is strongly conserved in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic viruses, the results have broad biological implications.

Viral Small Terminase: A Divergent Structural Framework for a Conserved Biological Function

The genome packaging motor of bacteriophages and herpesviruses is built by two terminase subunits, known as large (TerL) and small (TerS), both essential for viral genome packaging. TerL structure, composition, and assembly to an empty capsid, as well as the mechanisms of ATP-dependent DNA packaging, have been studied in depth, shedding light on the chemo-mechanical coupling between ATP hydrolysis and DNA translocation. Instead, significantly less is known about the small terminase subunit, TerS, which is dispensable or even inhibitory in vitro, but essential in vivo. By taking advantage of the recent revolution in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and building upon a wealth of crystallographic structures of phage TerSs, in this review, we take an inventory of known TerSs studied to date. Our analysis suggests that TerS evolved and diversified into a flexible molecular framework that can conserve biological function with minimal sequence and quaternary structure conservation to fit different packaging strategies and environmental conditions.

Kinetics of ATP/ADP Binding to the gp16 ATPase

The gp16 ATPase is the constituent subunit of the pentameric dsDNA (Double-stranded Deoxyribonucleic Acid) translocation motor of the B. subtilis Φ29 bacteriophage. Although recent single-molecule studies have provided tantalizing clues about the activity of this motor, the mechanism by which the gp16 subunits couple the energy obtained from the binding and hydrolysis of ATP to the mechanical work of dsDNA translocation remains unknown. To address this need, we have characterized the binding of fluorophore labeled ATP and ADP to monomeric gp16 using a stopped-flow fluorescence assay. These experiments show that the binding of ATP/ADP occurs through a single-step mechanism with corresponding affinities of (523.8 ± 247.3) nM for ATP and a lower limit of 30μM for ADP. When analyzed through the lens of changes in free energy of the system, this difference in binding affinities is reasonable for a cyclical process of binding, hydrolysis, and product release. In addition to answering questions about the activity of monomeric gp16, these results are also a necessary step in constructing a model for inter-subunit communication within the pentameric gp16 motor.

Viral genome packaging machines: Structure and enzymology

Although the process of genome encapsidation is highly conserved in tailed bacteriophages and eukaryotic double-stranded DNA viruses, there are two distinct packaging pathways that these viruses use to catalyze ATP-driven translocation of the viral genome into a preassembled procapsid shell. One pathway is used by ϕ29-like phages and adenoviruses, which replicate and subsequently package a monomeric, unit-length genome covalently attached to a virus/phage-encoded protein at each 5'-end of the dsDNA genome. In a second, more ubiquitous packaging pathway characterized by phage lambda and the herpesviruses, the viral DNA is replicated as multigenome concatemers linked in a head-to-tail fashion. Genome packaging in these viruses thus requires excision of individual genomes from the concatemer that are then translocated into a preassembled procapsid. Hence, the ATPases that power packaging in these viruses also possess nuclease activities that cut the genome from the concatemer at the beginning and end of packaging. This review focuses on proposed mechanisms of genome packaging in the dsDNA viruses using unit-length ϕ29 and concatemeric λ genome packaging motors as representative model systems.

Evidence that a catalytic glutamate and an 'Arginine Toggle' act in concert to mediate ATP hydrolysis and mechanochemical coupling in a viral DNA packaging motor

ASCE ATPases include ring-translocases such as cellular helicases and viral DNA packaging motors (terminases). These motors have conserved Walker A and B motifs that bind Mg²⁺-ATP and a catalytic carboxylate that activates water for hydrolysis. Here we demonstrate that Glu179 serves as the catalytic carboxylate in bacteriophage λ terminase and probe its mechanistic role. All changes of Glu179 are lethal: non-conservative changes abrogate ATP hydrolysis and DNA translocation, while the conservative E179D change attenuates ATP hydrolysis and alters single molecule translocation dynamics, consistent with a slowed chemical hydrolysis step. Molecular dynamics simulations of several homologous terminases suggest a novel mechanism, supported by experiments, wherein the conserved Walker A arginine ‘toggles’ between interacting with a glutamate residue in the ‘lid’ subdomain and the catalytic glutamate upon ATP binding; this switch helps mediate a transition from an ‘open’ state to a ‘closed’ state that tightly binds nucleotide and DNA, and also positions the catalytic glutamate next to the γ-phosphate to align the hydrolysis transition state. Concomitant reorientation of the lid subdomain may mediate mechanochemical coupling of ATP hydrolysis and DNA translocation. Given the strong conservation of these structural elements in terminase enzymes, this mechanism may be universal for viral packaging motors.

Hijacking the Hijackers: Escherichia coli Pathogenicity Islands Redirect Helper Phage Packaging for Their Own Benefit

Phage-inducible chromosomal islands (PICIs) represent a novel and universal class of mobile genetic elements, which have broad impact on bacterial virulence. In spite of their relevance, how the Gram-negative PICIs hijack the phage machinery for their own specific packaging and how they block phage reproduction remains to be determined. Using genetic and structural analyses, we solve the mystery here by showing that the Gram-negative PICIs encode a protein that simultaneously performs these processes. This protein, which we have named Rpp (for redirecting phage packaging), interacts with the phage terminase small subunit, forming a heterocomplex. This complex is unable to recognize the phage DNA, blocking phage packaging, but specifically binds to the PICI genome, promoting PICI packaging. Our studies reveal the mechanism of action that allows PICI dissemination in nature, introducing a new paradigm in the understanding of the biology of pathogenicity islands and therefore of bacterial pathogen evolution.

Genetics of critical contacts and clashes in the DNA packaging specificities of bacteriophages λ and 21

The cos sites in λ and 21 chromosomes contain binding sites that recruit terminase to initiate DNA packaging. The small subunits of terminase, gpNu1 (λ) and gp1 (21), have winged helix-turn-helix DNA binding domains, where the recognition helixes differ in four of nine residues. To initiate packaging, the small subunit binds three R sequences in the cosB subsite. λ and 21 cannot package each other׳s DNA, due to recognition helix and R sequence differences. In λ and 21 cosBs, two bp, tri1 and tri2, are conserved in the R sequences yet differ between the phages; they are proposed to play a role in phage-specific packaging by λ and 21. Genetic experiments done with mixed and matched terminase and cosB alleles show packaging specificity depends on favorable contacts and clashes. These interactions indicate that the recognition helixes orient with residues 20 and 24 proximal to tri2 and tri1, respectively.

Function and horizontal transfer of the small terminase subunit of the tailed bacteriophage Sf6 DNA packaging nanomotor

Bacteriophage Sf6 DNA packaging series initiate at many locations across a 2kbp region. Our in vivo studies show that Sf6 small terminase subunit (TerS) protein recognizes a specific packaging (pac) site near the center of this region, that this site lies within the portion of the Sf6 gene that encodes the DNA-binding domain of TerS protein, that this domain of the TerS protein is responsible for the imprecision in Sf6 packaging initiation, and that the DNA-binding domain of TerS must be covalently attached to the domain that interacts with the rest of the packaging motor. The TerS DNA-binding domain is self-contained in that it apparently does not interact closely with the rest of the motor and it binds to a recognition site that lies within the DNA that encodes the domain. This arrangement has allowed the horizontal exchange of terS genes among phages to be very successful.

Evolution of mosaically related tailed bacteriophage genomes seen through the lens of phage P22 virion assembly

The mosaic composition of the genomes of dsDNA tailed bacteriophages (Caudovirales) is well known. Observations of this mosaicism have generally come from comparisons of small numbers of often rather distantly related phages, and little is known about the frequency or detailed nature of the processes that generate this kind of diversity. Here we review and examine the mosaicism within fifty-seven clusters of virion assembly genes from bacteriophage P22 and its "close" relatives. We compare these orthologous gene clusters, discuss their surprising diversity and document horizontal exchange of genetic information between subgroups of the P22-like phages as well as between these phages and other phage types. We also point out apparent restrictions in the locations of mosaic sequence boundaries in this gene cluster. The relatively large sample size and the fact that phage P22 virion structure and assembly are exceptionally well understood make the conclusions especially informative and convincing.

Crystal structure of the DNA-recognition component of the bacterial virus Sf6 genome-packaging machine

In herpesviruses and many bacterial viruses, genome-packaging is a precisely mediated process fulfilled by a virally encoded molecular machine called terminase that consists of two protein components: A DNA-recognition component that defines the specificity for packaged DNA, and a catalytic component that provides energy for the packaging reaction by hydrolyzing ATP. The terminase docks onto the portal protein complex embedded in a single vertex of a preformed viral protein shell called procapsid, and pumps the viral DNA into the procapsid through a conduit formed by the portal. Here we report the 1.65 A resolution structure of the DNA-recognition component gp1 of the Shigella bacteriophage Sf6 genome-packaging machine. The structure reveals a ring-like octamer formed by interweaved protein monomers with a highly extended fold, embracing a tunnel through which DNA may be translocated. The N-terminal DNA-binding domains form the peripheral appendages surrounding the octamer. The central domain contributes to oligomerization through interactions of bundled helices. The C-terminal domain forms a barrel with parallel beta-strands. The structure reveals a common scheme for oligomerization of terminase DNA-recognition components, and provides insights into the role of gp1 in formation of the packaging-competent terminase complex and assembly of the terminase with the portal, in which ring-like protein oligomers stack together to form a continuous channel for viral DNA translocation.

The small terminase, gp16, of bacteriophage T4 is a regulator of the DNA packaging motor

Tailed bacteriophages and herpes viruses use powerful molecular motors to translocate DNA into a preassembled prohead and compact the DNA to near crystalline density. The phage T4 motor, a pentamer of 70-kDa large terminase, gp17, is the fastest and most powerful motor reported to date. gp17 has an ATPase activity that powers DNA translocation and a nuclease activity that cuts concatemeric DNA and generates the termini of viral genome. An 18-kDa small terminase, gp16, is also essential, but its role in DNA packaging is poorly understood. gp16 forms oligomers, most likely octamers, exhibits no enzymatic activities, but stimulates the gp17-ATPase activity, and inhibits the nuclease activity. Extensive mutational and biochemical analyses show that gp16 contains three domains, a central oligomerization domain, and N- and C-terminal domains that are essential for ATPase stimulation. Stimulation occurs not by nucleotide exchange or enhanced ATP binding but by triggering hydrolysis of gp17-bound ATP, a mechanism reminiscent of GTPase-activating proteins. gp16 does not have an arginine finger but its interaction with gp17 seems to position a gp17 arginine finger into the catalytic pocket. gp16 inhibits DNA translocation when gp17 is associated with the prohead. gp16 restricts gp17-nuclease such that the putative packaging initiation cut is made but random cutting is inhibited. These results suggest that the phage T4 packaging machine consists of a motor (gp17) and a regulator (gp16). The gp16 regulator is essential to coordinate the gp17 motor ATPase, translocase, and nuclease activities, otherwise it could be suicidal to the virus.

The bacteriophage DNA packaging motor

An ATP-powered DNA translocation machine encapsidates the viral genome in the large dsDNA bacteriophages. The essential components include the empty shell, prohead, and the packaging enzyme, terminase. During translocation, terminase is docked on the prohead's portal protein. The translocation ATPase and the concatemer-cutting endonuclease reside in terminase. Remarkably, terminases, portal proteins, and shells of tailed bacteriophages and herpes viruses show conserved features. These DNA viruses may have descended from a common ancestor. Terminase's ATPase consists of a classic nucleotide binding fold, most closely resembling that of monomeric helicases. Intriguing models have been proposed for the mechanism of dsDNA translocation, invoking ATP hydrolysis-driven conformational changes of portal or terminase powering DNA motion. Single-molecule studies show that the packaging motor is fast and powerful. Recent advances permit experiments that can critically test the packaging models. The viral genome translocation mechanism is of general interest, given the parallels between terminases, helicases, and other motor proteins.

The DNA maturation domain of gpA, the DNA packaging motor protein of bacteriophage lambda, contains an ATPase site associated with endonuclease activity

Terminase enzymes are common to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses and are responsible for packaging viral DNA into the confines of an empty capsid shell. In bacteriophage lambda the catalytic terminase subunit is gpA, which is responsible for maturation of the genome end prior to packaging and subsequent translocation of the matured DNA into the capsid. DNA packaging requires an ATPase catalytic site situated in the N terminus of the protein. A second ATPase catalytic site associated with the DNA maturation activities of the protein has been proposed; however, direct demonstration of this putative second site is lacking. Here we describe biochemical studies that define protease-resistant peptides of gpA and expression of these putative domains in Escherichia coli. Biochemical characterization of gpA-DeltaN179, a construct in which the N-terminal 179 residues of gpA have been deleted, indicates that this protein encompasses the DNA maturation domain of gpA. The construct is folded, soluble and possesses an ATP-dependent nuclease activity. Moreover, the construct binds and hydrolyzes ATP despite the fact that the DNA packaging ATPase site in the N terminus of gpA has been deleted. Mutation of lysine 497, which alters the conserved lysine in a predicted Walker A "P-loop" sequence, does not affect ATP binding but severely impairs ATP hydrolysis. Further, this mutation abrogates the ATP-dependent nuclease activity of the protein. These studies provide direct evidence for the elusive nucleotide-binding site in gpA that is directly associated with the DNA maturation activity of the protein. The implications of these results with respect to the two roles of the terminase holoenzyme, DNA maturation and DNA packaging, are discussed.

A critical coiled coil motif in the small terminase, gp16, from bacteriophage T4: insights into DNA packaging initiation and assembly of packaging motor

Double-stranded DNA packaging in bacteriophages is driven by one of the most powerful force-generating molecular motors reported to date. The phage T4 motor is composed of the small terminase protein, gpl6 (18kDa), the large terminase protein, gp17 (70kDa), and the dodecameric portal protein gp20 (61kDa). gp16, which exists as an oligomer in solution, is involved in the recognition of the viral DNA substrate, the very first step in the DNA packaging pathway, and stimulates the ATPase and packaging activities associated with gp17. Sequence analyses using COILS2 revealed the presence of coiled coil motifs (CCMs) in gp16. Sixteen T4-family and numerous phage small terminases show CCMs in the corresponding region of the protein, suggesting a common structural and functional theme. Biochemical properties such as reversible thermal denaturation and analytical gel filtration data suggest that the central CCM-1 is critical for oligomerization of gp16. Mutations in CCM-1 that change the hydrophobicity of key residues, or pH 6.0, destabilized coiled coil interactions, resulting in a loss of gp16 oligomerization. The gp16 oligomers are in a dynamic equilibrium with lower M(r) intermediate species and monomer. Monomeric gp16 is unable to stimulate gp17-ATPase, an activity essential for DNA packaging, while conversion back into oligomeric form restored the activity. These data for the first time defined a CCM that is critical for structure and function of the small terminase. We postulate a packaging model in which the gp16 CCM is implicated in the regulation of packaging initiation and assembly of a supramolecular DNA packaging machine on the viral concatemer.

Self-association properties of the bacteriophage lambda terminase holoenzyme: implications for the DNA packaging motor

Terminases are enzymes common to complex double-stranded DNA viruses and are required for packaging of viral DNA into a protective capsid. Bacteriophage lambda terminase holoenzyme is a hetero-oligomer composed of the A and Nu1 lambda gene products; however, the self-association properties of the holoenzyme have not been investigated systematically. Here, we report the results of sedimentation velocity, sedimentation equilibrium, and gel-filtration experiments studying the self-association properties of the holoenzyme. We find that purified, recombinant lambda terminase forms a homogeneous, heterotrimeric structure, consisting of one gpA molecule associated with two gpNu1 molecules (114.2 kDa). We further show that lambda terminase adopts a heterogeneous mixture of higher-order structures, with an average molecular mass of 528(+/-34) kDa. Both the heterotrimer and the higher-order species possess site-specific cos cleavage activity, as well as DNA packaging activity; however, the heterotrimer is dependent upon Escherichia coli integration host factor (IHF) for these activities. Furthermore, the ATPase activity of the higher-order species is approximately 1000-fold greater than that of the heterotrimer. These data suggest that IHF bending of the duplex at the cos site in viral DNA promotes the assembly of the heterotrimer into a biologically active, higher-order packaging motor. We propose that a single, higher-order hetero-oligomer of gpA and gpNu1 functions throughout lambda development.

Biochemical characterization of bacteriophage lambda genome packaging in vitro

Bacteriophage lambda has been extensively studied, and the abundance of genetic and biochemical information available makes this an ideal model system to study virus DNA packaging at the molecular level. Limited in vitro packaging efficiency has hampered progress toward this end, however. It has been suggested that limited packaging efficiency is related to poor activity of purified procapsids. We describe the construction of a vector that expresses lambda procapsids with a yield that is 40-fold greater than existing systems. Consistent with previous studies, packaging of a mature lambda genome is very inefficient in vitro, with only 4% of the input procapsids utilized. Concatemeric DNA is the preferred packaging substrate in vivo, and procapsids interact with a nucleoprotein complex known as complex I to initiate genome packaging. When complex I is used as a packaging substrate in vitro, capsid utilization is extremely efficient, and 40% of the input DNA is packaged. Finally, we provide evidence for a packaging-stimulated ATPase activity, and kinetically characterize this reaction quantifying the energetic cost of DNA packaging in bacteriophage lambda.

Sequence analysis of bacteriophage T4 DNA packaging/terminase genes 16 and 17 reveals a common ATPase center in the large subunit of viral terminases

Phage DNA packaging is believed to be driven by a rotary device coupled to an ATPase 'motor'. Recent evidence suggests that the phage DNA packaging motor is one of the strongest force-generating molecular motors reported to date. However, the ATPase center that is responsible for generating this force is unknown. In order to identify the DNA translocating ATPase, the sequences of the packaging/terminase genes of coliphages T4 and RB49 and vibriophages KVP40 and KVP20 have been analyzed. Alignment of the terminase polypeptide sequences revealed a number of functional signatures in the terminase genes 16 and 17. Most importantly, the data provide compelling evidence for an ATPase catalytic center in the N-terminal half of the large terminase subunit gp17. An analogous ATPase domain consisting of conserved functional signatures is also identified in the large terminase subunit of other bacteriophages and herpesviruses. Interestingly, the putative terminase ATPase domain exhibits some of the common features found in the ATPase domain of DEAD box helicases. Residues that would be critical for ATPase catalysis and its coupling to DNA packaging are identified. Com binatorial mutagenesis shows that the predicted threonine residues in the putative ATPase coupling motif are indeed critical for function.

Insights into specific DNA recognition during the assembly of a viral genome packaging machine

Terminase enzymes mediate genome "packaging" during the reproduction of DNA viruses. In lambda, the gpNu1 subunit guides site-specific assembly of terminase onto DNA. The structure of the dimeric DNA binding domain of gpNu1 was solved using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Its fold contains a unique winged helix-turn-helix (wHTH) motif within a novel scaffold. Surprisingly, a predicted P loop ATP binding motif is in fact the wing of the DNA binding motif. Structural and genetic analysis has identified determinants of DNA recognition specificity within the wHTH motif and the DNA recognition sequence. The structure reveals an unexpected DNA binding mode and provides a mechanistic basis for the concerted action of gpNu1 and Escherichia coli integration host factor during assembly of the packaging machinery.

Biophysical characterization of the DNA binding domain of gpNu1, a viral DNA packaging protein

Terminase enzymes are common to double-stranded DNA viruses. These enzymes "package" the viral genome into a pre-formed capsid. Terminase from bacteriophage lambda is composed of gpA (72.4 kDa) and gpNu1 (20.4 kDa) subunits. We have described the expression and biochemical characterization of gpNu1DeltaK100, a construct comprising the N-terminal 100 amino acids of gpNu1 (Yang, Q., de Beer, T., Woods, L., Meyer, J., Manning, M., Overduin, M., and Catalano, C. E. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 465-477). Here we present a biophysical characterization of this construct. Thermally induced loss of secondary and tertiary structures is fully reversible. Surprisingly, although loss of tertiary structure is cooperative, loss of secondary structure is non-cooperative. NMR and limited proteolysis data suggest that approximately 30 amino acids of gpNu1DeltaK100 are solvent-exposed and highly flexible. We therefore constructed gpNu1DeltaE68, a protein consisting of the N-terminal 68 residues of gpNu1. gpNu1DeltaE68 is a dimer with no evidence of dissociation or further aggregation. Thermally induced unfolding of gpNu1DeltaE68 is reversible, with concomitant loss of both secondary and tertiary structure. The melting temperature increases with increasing protein concentration, suggesting that dimerization and folding are, at least in part, coupled. The data suggest that gpNu1DeltaE68 represents the minimal DNA binding domain of gpNu1. We further suggest that the C-terminal approximately 30 residues in gpNu1DeltaK100 adopt a pseudo-stable alpha-helix that extends from the folded core of the protein. A model describing the role of this helix in the assembly of the packaging apparatus is discussed.