Coupling of DNA unwinding to nucleotide hydrolysis in a ring-shaped helicase

Monitoring helicase-catalyzed unwinding of multiple duplexes simultaneously

Helicases catalyze the unwinding of duplex nucleic acids to aid a variety of cellular processes. Although helicases unwind duplex DNA in the same direction that they translocate on single-stranded DNA, forked duplexes provide opportunities to monitor unwinding by helicase monomers bound to each arm of the fork. The activity of the helicase bound to the displaced strand can be discerned alongside the helicase bound to the translocase strand using a forked substrate with accessible duplexes on both strands labeled with different fluorophores. In order to quantify the effect of protein-protein interactions on the activity of multiple monomers of the Bacteroides fragilis Pif1 helicase bound to separate strands of a forked DNA junction, an ensemble gel-based assay for monitoring simultaneous duplex unwinding was developed (Su et al., 2019). Here, the use of that assay is described for measuring the total product formation and rate constants of product formation of multiple duplexes on a single nucleic acid substrate. Use of this assay may aid characterization of protein-protein interactions between multiple helicase monomers at forked nucleic acid junctions and can assist with the characterization of helicase action on the displaced strand of forked duplexes.

Measurement of Nucleotide Hydrolysis Using Fluorescent Biosensors for Phosphate

Assays for the detection of inorganic phosphate (P_i) are widely used to measure the activity of nucleotide hydrolyzing enzymes, such as ATPases and GTPases. The fluorescent biosensors for P_i, described here, are based on fluorescently labeled versions of E. coli phosphate-binding protein (PBP), which translates P_i binding into a large change in fluorescence intensity. In comparison with other P_i-detection systems, these biosensors are characterized by a high sensitivity (sub-micromolar P_i concentrations) and high time resolution (tens of milliseconds), and they are therefore particularly well suited for measurements of phosphate ester hydrolysis in real time. In this chapter, it is described how the P_i biosensors can be used to measure kinetics of ATPase and GTPase reactions, both under steady state and pre-steady state conditions. An example protocol is given for determining steady state kinetic parameters, K_m and k_cat, of the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler Chd1, in a plate reader format. In addition, the measurement of P_i release kinetics under pre-steady state conditions is described, including a detailed experimental procedure for a single turnover measurement of ATP hydrolysis by the ABC-type ATPase SufBC using rapid mixing.

Characterization of Streptococcus pneumoniae PriA helicase and its ATPase and unwinding activities in DNA replication restart

DNA replication forks often encounter template DNA lesions that can stall their progression. The PriA-dependent pathway is the major replication restart mechanism in Gram-positive bacteria, and it requires several primosome proteins. Among them, PriA protein - a 3' to 5' superfamily-2 DNA helicase - is the key factor in recognizing DNA lesions and it also recruits other proteins. Here, we investigated the ATPase and helicase activities of Streptococcus pneumoniae PriA (SpPriA) through biochemical and kinetic analyses. By comparing various DNA substrates, we observed that SpPriA is unable to unwind duplex DNA with high GC content. We constructed a deletion mutant protein (SpPriAdeloop) from which the loop area of the DNA-binding domain of PriA had been removed. Functional assays on SpPriAdeloop revealed that the loop area is important in endowing DNA-binding properties on the helicase. We also show that the presence of DnaD loader protein is important for enhancing SpPriA ATPase and DNA unwinding activities.

Identifying RNA Helicase Inhibitors Using Duplex Unwinding Assays

RNA helicases are responsible for virtually all of RNA metabolism. Viral and bacterial pathogens typically encode their own RNA helicases. Hence, this family of enzymes is increasingly recognized as potential targets for treatment of a variety of diseases. However, the conserved structural similarities among helicase families present an obstacle to the idea of developing specific inhibitors. In order to identify potential modulators of RNA helicase activity, rapid screening approaches are needed. This has been accomplished by optimizing and adapting standard helicase assays to function in high-throughput modalities. These optimized assays have enabled the application of rapid screening approaches to be applied toward discovering helicase inhibitors. This chapter provides detailed protocols for utilizing a medium to high-throughput approach for inhibitor discovery.

Interplay between Position-Dependent Codon Usage Bias and Hydrogen Bonding at the 5' End of ORFeomes

Codon usage bias exerts control over a wide variety of molecular processes. The positioning of synonymous codons within coding sequences (CDSs) dictates protein expression by mechanisms such as local translation efficiency, mRNA Gibbs free energy, and protein cotranslational folding. In this work, we explore how codon usage affects the position-dependent content of hydrogen bonding, which in turn influences energy requirements for unwinding double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). We categorized codons according to their hydrogen bond content and found differential effects on hydrogen bonding encoded by codon variants. The specific positional disposition of codon variants within CDSs creates a ramp of hydrogen bonding at the 5' end of the ORFeome in Escherichia coli CDSs occupying the first position of operons are subjected to selective pressure that reduces their hydrogen bonding compared to internal CDSs, and highly transcribed CDSs demand a lower maximum capacity of hydrogen bonds per codon, suggesting that the energetic requirement for unwinding the dsDNA in highly transcribed CDSs has evolved to be minimized in E. coli Subsequent analysis of over 14,000 ORFeomes showed a pervasive ramp of hydrogen bonding at the 5' end in Bacteria and Archaea that positively correlates with the probability of mRNA secondary structure formation. Both the ramp and the correlation were not found in Fungi The position-dependent hydrogen bonding might be part of the mechanism that contributes to the coordination between transcription and translation in Bacteria and Archaea A Web-based application to analyze the position-dependent hydrogen bonding of ORFeomes has been developed and is publicly available (https://juanvillada.shinyapps.io/hbonds/).IMPORTANCE Redundancy of the genetic code creates a vast space of alternatives to encode a protein. Synonymous codons exert control over a variety of molecular and physiological processes of cells mainly through influencing protein biosynthesis. Recent findings have shown that synonymous codon choice affects transcription by controlling mRNA abundance, mRNA stability, transcription termination, and transcript biosynthesis cost. In this work, by analyzing thousands of Bacteria, Archaea, and Fungi genomes, we extend recent findings by showing that synonymous codon choice, corresponding to the number of hydrogen bonds in a codon, can also have an effect on the energetic requirements for unwinding double-stranded DNA in a position-dependent fashion. This report offers new perspectives on the mechanism behind the transcription-translation coordination and complements previous hypotheses on the resource allocation strategies used by Bacteria and Archaea to manage energy efficiency in gene expression.

Duplex DNA engagement and RPA oppositely regulate the DNA-unwinding rate of CMG helicase

A ring-shaped helicase unwinds DNA during chromosome replication in all organisms. Replicative helicases generally unwind duplex DNA an order of magnitude slower compared to their in vivo replication fork rates. However, the origin of slow DNA unwinding rates by replicative helicases and the mechanism by which other replication components increase helicase speed are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that engagement of the eukaryotic CMG helicase with template DNA at the replication fork impairs its helicase activity, which is alleviated by binding of the single-stranded DNA binding protein, RPA, to the excluded DNA strand. Intriguingly, we found that, when stalled due to interaction with the parental duplex, DNA rezipping-induced helicase backtracking reestablishes productive helicase-fork engagement, underscoring the significance of plasticity in helicase action. Our work provides a mechanistic basis for relatively slow duplex unwinding by replicative helicases and explains how replisome components that interact with the excluded DNA strand stimulate fork rates.

Dynamic structural insights into the molecular mechanism of DNA unwinding by the bacteriophage T7 helicase

The hexametric T7 helicase (gp4) adopts a spiral lock-washer form and encircles a coil-like DNA (tracking) strand with two nucleotides bound to each subunit. However, the chemo-mechanical coupling mechanism in unwinding has yet to be elucidated. Here, we utilized nanotensioner-enhanced Förster resonance energy transfer with one nucleotide precision to investigate gp4-induced unwinding of DNA that contains an abasic lesion. We observed that the DNA unwinding activity of gp4 is hindered but not completely blocked by abasic lesions. Gp4 moves back and forth repeatedly when it encounters an abasic lesion, whereas it steps back only occasionally when it unwinds normal DNA. We further observed that gp4 translocates on the tracking strand in step sizes of one to four nucleotides. We propose that a hypothetical intermediate conformation of the gp4-DNA complex during DNA unwinding can help explain how gp4 molecules pass lesions, providing insights into the unwinding dynamics of gp4.

Excessive excision of correct nucleotides during DNA synthesis explained by replication hurdles

The proofreading exonuclease activity of replicative DNA polymerase excises misincorporated nucleotides during DNA synthesis, but these events are rare. Therefore, we were surprised to find that T7 replisome excised nearly 7% of correctly incorporated nucleotides during leading and lagging strand syntheses. Similar observations with two other DNA polymerases establish its generality. We show that excessive excision of correctly incorporated nucleotides is not due to events such as processive degradation of nascent DNA or spontaneous partitioning of primer‐end to the exonuclease site as a “cost of proofreading”. Instead, we show that replication hurdles, including secondary structures in template, slowed helicase, or uncoupled helicase–polymerase, increase DNA reannealing and polymerase backtracking, and generate frayed primer‐ends that are shuttled to the exonuclease site and excised efficiently. Our studies indicate that active‐site shuttling occurs at a high frequency, and we propose that it serves as a proofreading mechanism to protect primer‐ends from mutagenic extensions.

Rescuing Replication from Barriers: Mechanistic Insights from Single-Molecule Studies

To prevent replication failure due to fork barriers, several mechanisms have evolved to restart arrested forks independent of the origin of replication. Our understanding of these mechanisms that underlie replication reactivation has been aided through unique dynamic perspectives offered by single-molecule techniques. These techniques, such as optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers, and fluorescence-based methods, allow researchers to monitor the unwinding of DNA by helicase, nucleotide incorporation during polymerase synthesis, and replication fork progression in real time. In addition, they offer the ability to distinguish DNA intermediates after obstacles to replication at high spatial and temporal resolutions, providing new insights into the replication reactivation mechanisms. These and other highlights of single-molecule techniques and remarkable studies on the recovery of the replication fork from barriers will be discussed in this review.

Dynamics of the Eukaryotic Replicative Helicase at Lagging-Strand Protein Barriers Support the Steric Exclusion Model

Progression of DNA replication depends on the ability of the replisome complex to overcome nucleoprotein barriers. During eukaryotic replication, the CMG helicase translocates along the leading-strand template and unwinds the DNA double helix. While proteins bound to the leading-strand template efficiently block the helicase, the impact of lagging-strand protein obstacles on helicase translocation and replisome progression remains controversial. Here, we show that CMG and replisome progressions are impaired when proteins crosslinked to the lagging-strand template enhance the stability of duplex DNA. In contrast, proteins that exclusively interact with the lagging-strand template influence neither the translocation of isolated CMG nor replisome progression in Xenopus egg extracts. Our data imply that CMG completely excludes the lagging-strand template from the helicase central channel while unwinding DNA at the replication fork, which clarifies how two CMG helicases could freely cross one another during replication initiation and termination.

Hexameric helicase G40P unwinds DNA in single base pair steps

Most replicative helicases are hexameric, ring-shaped motor proteins that translocate on and unwind DNA. Despite extensive biochemical and structural investigations, how their translocation activity is utilized chemo-mechanically in DNA unwinding is poorly understood. We examined DNA unwinding by G40P, a DnaB-family helicase, using a single-molecule fluorescence assay with a single base pair resolution. The high-resolution assay revealed that G40P by itself is a very weak helicase that stalls at barriers as small as a single GC base pair and unwinds DNA with the step size of a single base pair. Binding of a single ATPγS could stall unwinding, demonstrating highly coordinated ATP hydrolysis between six identical subunits. We observed frequent slippage of the helicase, which is fully suppressed by the primase DnaG. We anticipate that these findings allow a better understanding on the fine balance of thermal fluctuation activation and energy derived from hydrolysis.

Living cells store their genetic code written in molecules of DNA, with two strands of DNA twisted together to form the familiar double helix. When a cell prepares to divide, it must unwind its DNA so that the individual strands can be copied. Enzymes known as DNA helicases play a vital role in this unwinding process; yet, it is not completely clear how these enzymes move along the DNA.

Schlierf et al. have now developed a new approach to see how an individual DNA helicase called G40P unwinds the DNA double helix. The experiments used a molecular ruler to measure the DNA unwinding and showed that the helicase opened the double helix one letter of genetic code at a time. Also, specific sequence of letters within the DNA molecules could slow down and stop G40P or even cause it to move backwards.

DNA helicases work closely with other proteins inside cells to perform their task. DNA primases, for example, are enzymes that create the starting points for making new strands of DNA. Schlierf et al. found that the primase DnaG could also prevent G40P from moving backwards on the DNA, a new and unexpected function of DnaG.

These findings contribute to an ongoing debate among researchers with partially contradictory models for how DNA helicases unwind the DNA double helix. Although originally from a virus, G40P is similar to a helicase enzyme found in bacteria. Therefore, a better understanding of this helicase may lead to new ways to stop bacteria copying their DNA, which might one day become new antibiotics to treat bacterial infections.

Protein Interactions in the T7 DNA Replisome Facilitate DNA Damage Bypass

The DNA replisome inevitably encounters DNA damage during DNA replication. The T7 DNA replisome contains a DNA polymerase (gp5), the processivity factor thioredoxin (trx), a helicase-primase (gp4), and a ssDNA-binding protein (gp2.5). T7 protein interactions mediate this DNA replication. However, whether the protein interactions could promote DNA damage bypass is still little addressed. In this study, we investigated strand-displacement DNA synthesis past 8-oxoG or O6 -MeG lesions at the synthetic DNA fork by the T7 DNA replisome. DNA damage does not obviously affect the binding affinities between helicase, polymerase, and DNA fork. Relative to unmodified G, both 8-oxoG and O6 -MeG-as well as GC-rich template sequence clusters-inhibit strand-displacement DNA synthesis and produce partial extension products. Relative to the gp4 ΔC-tail, gp4 promotes DNA damage bypass. The presence of gp2.5 also promotes it. Thus, the interactions of polymerase with helicase and ssDNA-binding protein facilitate DNA damage bypass. Accessory proteins in other complicated DNA replisomes also facilitate bypassing DNA damage in similar manner. This work provides new mechanistic information relating to DNA damage bypass by the DNA replisome.

Single-Molecule Optical-Trapping Techniques to Study Molecular Mechanisms of a Replisome

The replisome is a multiprotein molecular machinery responsible for the replication of DNA. It is composed of several specialized proteins each with dedicated enzymatic activities, and in particular, helicase unwinds double-stranded DNA and DNA polymerase catalyzes the synthesis of DNA. Understanding how a replisome functions in the process of DNA replication requires methods to dissect the mechanisms of individual proteins and of multiproteins acting in concert. Single-molecule optical-trapping techniques have proved to be a powerful approach, offering the unique ability to observe and manipulate biomolecules at the single-molecule level and providing insights into the mechanisms of molecular motors and their interactions and coordination in a complex. Here, we describe a practical guide to applying these techniques to study the dynamics of individual proteins in the bacteriophage T7 replisome, as well as the coordination among them. We also summarize major findings from these studies, including nucleotide-specific helicase slippage and new lesion bypass pathway in T7 replication.

Methods to study the coupling between replicative helicase and leading-strand DNA polymerase at the replication fork

Replicative helicases work closely with the replicative DNA polymerases to ensure that the genomic DNA is copied in a timely and error free manner. In the replisomes of prokaryotes, mitochondria, and eukaryotes, the helicase and DNA polymerase enzymes are functionally and physically coupled at the leading strand replication fork and rely on each other for optimal DNA strand separation and synthesis activities. In this review, we describe pre-steady state kinetic methods to quantify the base pair unwinding-synthesis rate constant, a fundamental parameter to understand how the helicase and polymerase help each other during leading strand replication. We describe a robust method to measure the chemical step size of the helicase-polymerase complex that determines how the two motors are energetically coupled while tracking along the DNA. The 2-aminopurine fluorescence-based method provide structural information on the leading strand helicase-polymerase complex, such as the distance between the two enzymes, their relative positions at the replication fork, and their roles in fork junction melting. The combined information garnered from these methods informs on the mutual dependencies between the helicase and DNA polymerase enzymes, their stepping mechanism, and their individual functions at the replication fork during leading strand replication.

Recent adaptations of fluorescence techniques for the determination of mechanistic parameters of helicases and translocases

Helicases and translocases are nucleic acid (NA)-based molecular motors that use the free energy liberated during the nucleoside triphosphate (NTP, usually ATP) hydrolysis cycle for unidirectional translocation along their NA (DNA, RNA or heteroduplex) substrates. Determination of the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of their mechanoenzymatic cycle serves as a basis for the exploration of their physiological behavior and various cellular functions. Here we describe how recent adaptations of fluorescence-based solution kinetic methods can be used to determine practically all important mechanistic parameters of NA-based motor proteins. We outline practically useful analysis procedures for equilibrium, steady-state and transient kinetic data. This analysis can be used to quantitatively characterize the enzymatic steps of the NTP hydrolytic cycle, the binding site size, stoichiometry and energetics of protein-NA interactions, the rate and processivity of translocation along and unwinding of NA strands, and the mechanochemical coupling between these processes. The described methods yield insights into the functional role of the enzymes, and also greatly aid the design and interpretation of single-molecule experiments as well as the engineering of enzymatic properties for biotechnological applications.

The Eukaryotic Replication Machine

The cellular replicating machine, or "replisome," is composed of numerous different proteins. The core replication proteins in all cell types include a helicase, primase, DNA polymerases, sliding clamp, clamp loader, and single-strand binding (SSB) protein. The core eukaryotic replisome proteins evolved independently from those of bacteria and thus have distinct architectures and mechanisms of action. The core replisome proteins of the eukaryote include: an 11-subunit CMG helicase, DNA polymerase alpha-primase, leading strand DNA polymerase epsilon, lagging strand DNA polymerase delta, PCNA clamp, RFC clamp loader, and the RPA SSB protein. There are numerous other proteins that travel with eukaryotic replication forks, some of which are known to be involved in checkpoint regulation or nucleosome handling, but most have unknown functions and no bacterial analogue. Recent studies have revealed many structural and functional insights into replisome action. Also, the first structure of a replisome from any cell type has been elucidated for a eukaryote, consisting of 20 distinct proteins, with quite unexpected results. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge of the eukaryotic core replisome proteins, their structure, individual functions, and how they are organized at the replication fork as a machine.

Evolution of replication machines

The machines that decode and regulate genetic information require the translation, transcription and replication pathways essential to all living cells. Thus, it might be expected that all cells share the same basic machinery for these pathways that were inherited from the primordial ancestor cell from which they evolved. A clear example of this is found in the translation machinery that converts RNA sequence to protein. The translation process requires numerous structural and catalytic RNAs and proteins, the central factors of which are homologous in all three domains of life, bacteria, archaea and eukarya. Likewise, the central actor in transcription, RNA polymerase, shows homology among the catalytic subunits in bacteria, archaea and eukarya. In contrast, while some "gears" of the genome replication machinery are homologous in all domains of life, most components of the replication machine appear to be unrelated between bacteria and those of archaea and eukarya. This review will compare and contrast the central proteins of the "replisome" machines that duplicate DNA in bacteria, archaea and eukarya, with an eye to understanding the issues surrounding the evolution of the DNA replication apparatus.

Two mechanisms coordinate replication termination by the Escherichia coli Tus-Ter complex

The Escherichia coli replication terminator protein (Tus) binds to Ter sequences to block replication forks approaching from one direction. Here, we used single molecule and transient state kinetics to study responses of the heterologous phage T7 replisome to the Tus–Ter complex. The T7 replisome was arrested at the non-permissive end of Tus–Ter in a manner that is explained by a composite mousetrap and dynamic clamp model. An unpaired C(6) that forms a lock by binding into the cytosine binding pocket of Tus was most effective in arresting the replisome and mutation of C(6) removed the barrier. Isolated helicase was also blocked at the non-permissive end, but unexpectedly the isolated polymerase was not, unless C(6) was unpaired. Instead, the polymerase was blocked at the permissive end. This indicates that the Tus–Ter mechanism is sensitive to the translocation polarity of the DNA motor. The polymerase tracking along the template strand traps the C(6) to prevent lock formation; the helicase tracking along the other strand traps the complementary G(6) to aid lock formation. Our results are consistent with the model where strand separation by the helicase unpairs the GC(6) base pair and triggers lock formation immediately before the polymerase can sequester the C(6) base.

Cooperative base pair melting by helicase and polymerase positioned one nucleotide from each other

Leading strand DNA synthesis requires functional coupling between replicative helicase and DNA polymerase (DNAP) enzymes, but the structural and mechanistic basis of coupling is poorly understood. This study defines the precise positions of T7 helicase and T7 DNAP at the replication fork junction with single-base resolution to create a structural model that explains the mutual stimulation of activities. Our 2-aminopurine studies show that helicase and polymerase both participate in DNA melting, but each enzyme melts the junction base pair partially. When combined, the junction base pair is melted cooperatively provided the helicase is located one nucleotide ahead of the primer-end. The synergistic shift in equilibrium of junction base pair melting by combined enzymes explains the cooperativity, wherein helicase stimulates the polymerase by promoting dNTP binding (decreasing dNTP K_m), polymerase stimulates the helicase by increasing the unwinding rate-constant (k_cat), consequently the combined enzymes unwind DNA with kinetic parameters resembling enzymes translocating on single-stranded DNA.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06562.001

DNA replication is the process whereby a molecule of DNA is copied to form two identical molecules. First, an enzyme called a DNA helicase separates the two strands of the DNA double helix. This forms a structure called a replication fork that has two exposed single strands. Other enzymes called DNA polymerases then use each strand as a template to build a new matching DNA strand.

DNA polymerases build the new DNA strands by joining together smaller molecules called nucleotides. One of the new DNA strands—called the ‘leading strand’—is built continuously, while the other—the ‘lagging strand’—is made as a series of short fragments that are later joined together. Building the leading strand requires the helicase and DNA polymerase to work closely together. However, it was not clear how these two enzymes coordinate their activity.

Now, Nandakumar et al. have studied the helicase and DNA polymerase from a virus that infects bacteria and have pinpointed the exact positions of the enzymes at a replication fork. The experiments revealed that both the polymerase and helicase contribute to the separating of the DNA strands, and that this process is most efficient when the helicase is only a single nucleotide ahead of the polymerase.

Further experiments showed that the helicase stimulates the polymerase by helping it to bind to nucleotides, and that the polymerase stimulates the helicase by helping it to separate the DNA strands at a faster rate. The next challenge is to investigate the molecular setup that allows the helicase and polymerase to increase each other's activities.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06562.002

Coordination and control inside simple biomolecular machines

Biomolecular machines can achieve physiological functions precisely and efficiently, though they always operate under fluctuations and noises. We review two types of simple machinery that we have recently studied. The machinery can be regarded as molecular motors. They transform chemical free energy from NTP hydrolysis to mechanical work. One type belongs to small monomeric helicases that move directionally along single-stranded nucleic acid, and may further unwind the duplex part for gene replication or repair. The other type belongs to ring-shaped NTPase motors that also move or transport nucleic acid or protein substrate in a directional manner, such as for genome packaging or protein degradation. The central issue in this review is on how the machinery coordinates essential degrees of freedom during the mechanochemical coupling process. Further concerns include how the coordination and control are manifested in experiments, and how they can be captured well in modeling and computational research. We employed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, coarse-grained analyses, and stochastic modeling techniques to examine the molecular machines at multiple resolutions and timescales. Detailed descriptions on how the protein interacts with its substrate at interface, as well as how multiple protein subunits are coordinated are summarized.

Single-molecule fluorescence reveals the unwinding stepping mechanism of replicative helicase

Bacteriophage T7 gp4 serves as a model protein for replicative helicases that couples deoxythymidine triphosphate (dTTP) hydrolysis to directional movement and DNA strand separation. We employed single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer methods to resolve steps during DNA unwinding by T7 helicase. We confirm that the unwinding rate of T7 helicase decreases with increasing base pair stability. For duplexes containing >35% guanine-cytosine (GC) base pairs, we observed stochastic pauses every 2–3 bp during unwinding. The dwells on each pause were distributed nonexponentially, consistent with two or three rounds of dTTP hydrolysis before each unwinding step. Moreover, we observed backward movements of the enzyme on GC-rich DNAs at low dTTP concentrations. Our data suggest a coupling ratio of 1:1 between base pairs unwound and dTTP hydrolysis, and they further support the concept that nucleic acid motors can have a hierarchy of different-sized steps or can accumulate elastic energy before transitioning to a subsequent phase.

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Single DNA unwinding assay recapitulates sequence-dependent unwinding

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High-resolution data reveal an unwinding step size of 2–3 bp

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Two or three hidden steps precede the unwinding step, suggesting 1:1 chemical coupling

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1:1 coupling is maintained at low dNTP, but helicase often slips backward

Helicase and polymerase move together close to the fork junction and copy DNA in one-nucleotide steps

By simultaneously measuring DNA synthesis and dNTP hydrolysis, we show that T7 DNA polymerase and T7 gp4 helicase move in sync during leading-strand synthesis, taking one-nucleotide steps and hydrolyzing one dNTP per base-pair unwound/copied. The cooperative catalysis enables the helicase and polymerase to move at a uniformly fast rate without guanine:cytosine (GC) dependency or idling with futile NTP hydrolysis. We show that the helicase and polymerase are located close to the replication fork junction. This architecture enables the polymerase to use its strand-displacement synthesis to increase the unwinding rate, whereas the helicase aids this process by translocating along single-stranded DNA and trapping the unwound bases. Thus, in contrast to the helicase-only unwinding model, our results suggest a model in which the helicase and polymerase are moving in one-nucleotide steps, DNA synthesis drives fork unwinding, and a role of the helicase is to trap the unwound bases and prevent DNA reannealing.

Nucleotide-induced asymmetry within ATPase activator ring drives σ54-RNAP interaction and ATP hydrolysis

It is largely unknown how the typical homomeric ring geometry of ATPases associated with various cellular activities enables them to perform mechanical work. Small-angle solution X-ray scattering, crystallography, and electron microscopy (EM) reconstructions revealed that partial ATP occupancy caused the heptameric closed ring of the bacterial enhancer-binding protein (bEBP) NtrC1 to rearrange into a hexameric split ring of striking asymmetry. The highly conserved and functionally crucial GAFTGA loops responsible for interacting with σ54-RNA polymerase formed a spiral staircase. We propose that splitting of the ensemble directs ATP hydrolysis within the oligomer, and the ring's asymmetry guides interaction between ATPase and the complex of σ54 and promoter DNA. Similarity between the structure of the transcriptional activator NtrC1 and those of distantly related helicases Rho and E1 reveals a general mechanism in homomeric ATPases whereby complex allostery within the ring geometry forms asymmetric functional states that allow these biological motors to exert directional forces on their target macromolecules.

Switching from single-stranded to double-stranded DNA limits the unwinding processivity of ring-shaped T7 DNA helicase

Phage T7 helicase unwinds double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) by encircling one strand while excluding the complementary strand from its central channel. When T7 helicase translocates on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), it has kilobase processivity; yet, it is unable to processively unwind linear dsDNA, even 60 base-pairs long. Particularly, the GC-rich dsDNAs are unwound with lower amplitudes under single-turnover conditions. Here, we provide evidence that T7 helicase switches from ssDNA to dsDNA during DNA unwinding. The switching propensity is higher when dsDNA is GC-rich or when the 3′-overhang of forked DNA is <15 bases. Once helicase encircles dsDNA, it travels along dsDNA and dissociates from the end of linear DNA without strand separation, which explains the low unwinding amplitude of these substrates. Trapping the displaced strand with ssDNA binding protein or changing its composition to morpholino oligomer that does not interact with helicase increases the unwinding amplitude. We conclude that the displaced strand must be continuously excluded and kept away from the central channel for processive DNA unwinding. The finding that T7 helicase can switch from ssDNA to dsDNA binding mode during unwinding provides new insights into ways of limiting DNA unwinding and triggering fork regression when stalled forks need to be restarted.

Dynamic coupling between the motors of DNA replication: hexameric helicase, DNA polymerase, and primase

Helicases are molecular motor proteins that couple NTP hydrolysis to directional movement along nucleic acids. A class of helicases characterized by their ring-shaped hexameric structures translocate processively and unidirectionally along single-stranded (ss) DNA to separate the strands of double-stranded (ds) DNA, aiding both in the initiation and fork progression during DNA replication. These replicative ring-shaped helicases are found from virus to human. We review recent biochemical and structural studies that have expanded our understanding on how hexameric helicases use the NTPase reaction to translocate on ssDNA, unwind dsDNA, and how their physical and functional interactions with the DNA polymerase and primase enzymes coordinate replication of the two strands of dsDNA.

Coupling dTTP hydrolysis with DNA unwinding by the DNA helicase of bacteriophage T7

The DNA helicase encoded by gene 4 of bacteriophage T7 assembles on single-stranded DNA as a hexamer of six identical subunits with the DNA passing through the center of the toroid. The helicase couples the hydrolysis of dTTP to unidirectional translocation on single-stranded DNA and the unwinding of duplex DNA. Phe(523), positioned in a β-hairpin loop at the subunit interface, plays a key role in coupling the hydrolysis of dTTP to DNA unwinding. Replacement of Phe(523) with alanine or valine abolishes the ability of the helicase to unwind DNA or allow T7 polymerase to mediate strand-displacement synthesis on duplex DNA. In vivo complementation studies reveal a requirement for a hydrophobic residue with long side chains at this position. In a crystal structure of T7 helicase, when a nucleotide is bound at a subunit interface, Phe(523) is buried within the interface. However, in the unbound state, it is more exposed on the outer surface of the helicase. This structural difference suggests that the β-hairpin bearing the Phe(523) may undergo a conformational change during nucleotide hydrolysis. We postulate that upon hydrolysis of dTTP, Phe(523) moves from within the subunit interface to a more exposed position where it contacts the displaced complementary strand and facilitates unwinding.

Coupling translocation with nucleic acid unwinding by NS3 helicase

We present a semiquantitative model for translocation and unwinding activities of monomeric nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) helicase. The model is based on structural, biochemical, and single-molecule measurements. The model predicts that the NS3 helicase actively unwinds duplex by reducing more than 50% the free energy that stabilizes base pairing/stacking. The unwinding activity slows the movement of the helicase in a sequence-dependent manner, lowering the average unwinding efficiency to less than 1 bp per ATP cycle. When bound with ATP, the NS3 helicase can display significant translocational diffusion. This increases displacement fluctuations of the helicase, decreases the average unwinding efficiency, and enhances the sequence dependence. Also, interactions between the helicase and the duplex stabilize the helicase at the junction, facilitating the helicase's unwinding activity while preventing it from dissociating. In the presence of translocational diffusion during active unwinding, the dissociation rate of the helicase also exhibits sequence dependence. Based on unwinding velocity fluctuations measured from single-molecule experiments, we estimate the diffusion rate to be on the order of 10 s(-1). The generic features of coupling single-stranded nucleic acid translocation with duplex unwinding presented in this work may apply generally to a class of helicases.

Kinetic mechanism for DNA unwinding by multiple molecules of Dda helicase aligned on DNA

Helicases catalyze the separation of double-stranded nucleic acids to form single-stranded intermediates. Using transient state kinetic methods, we have determined the kinetic properties of DNA unwinding under conditions that favor a monomeric form of the Dda helicase as well as conditions that allow multiple molecules to function on the same substrate. Multiple helicase molecules can align like a train on the DNA track. The number of base pairs unwound in a single binding event for Dda is increased from approximately 19 bp for the monomeric form to approximately 64 bp when as many as four Dda molecules are aligned on the same substrate, while the kinetic step size (3.2 +/- 0.7 bp) and unwinding rate (242 +/- 25 bp/s) appear to be independent of the number of Dda molecules present on a given substrate. The data support a model in which the helicase molecules bound to the same substrate move along the DNA track independently during DNA unwinding. The observed increase in processivity arises from the increased probability that at least one of the helicases will completely unwind the DNA prior to dissociation. These results are in contrast to previous reports in which multiple Dda molecules on the same track greatly enhanced the rate and amplitude for displacement of protein blocks on the track. Therefore, only when the progress of the lead molecule in the train is impeded by some type of block, such as a protein bound to DNA, do the trailing molecules interact with the lead molecule to overcome the block. The fact that trailing helicase molecules have little impact on the lead molecule in the train during routine DNA unwinding suggests that the trailing molecules are moving at rates similar to that of the lead molecule. This result implicates a step in the translocation mechanism as contributing greatly to the overall rate-limiting step for unwinding of duplex DNA.

The protease domain increases the translocation stepping efficiency of the hepatitis C virus NS3-4A helicase

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protein has two enzymatic activities of helicase and protease that are essential for viral replication. The helicase separates the strands of DNA and RNA duplexes using the energy from ATP hydrolysis. To understand how ATP hydrolysis is coupled to helicase movement, we measured the single turnover helicase translocation-dissociation kinetics and the pre-steady-state P(i) release kinetics on single-stranded RNA and DNA substrates of different lengths. The parameters of stepping were determined from global fitting of the two types of kinetic measurements into a computational model that describes translocation as a sequence of coupled hydrolysis-stepping reactions. Our results show that the HCV helicase moves with a faster rate on single stranded RNA than on DNA. The HCV helicase steps on the RNA or DNA one nucleotide at a time, and due to imperfect coupling, not every ATP hydrolysis event produces a successful step. Comparison of the helicase domain (NS3h) with the protease-helicase (NS3-4A) shows that the most significant contribution of the protease domain is to improve the translocation stepping efficiency of the helicase. Whereas for NS3h, only 20% of the hydrolysis events result in translocation, the coupling for NS3-4A is near-perfect 93%. The presence of the protease domain also significantly reduces the stepping rate, but it doubles the processivity. These effects of the protease domain on the helicase can be explained by an improved allosteric cross-talk between the ATP- and nucleic acid-binding sites achieved by the overall stabilization of the helicase domain structure.

ATP hydrolysis and DNA binding confer thermostability on the MCM helicase

The minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase is the replicative helicase in archaea. The enzyme utilizes the energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to translocate along one strand of the DNA and unwind the complementary strand. Here, the effect of DNA and ATP on the thermostability of the Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus MCM protein was determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The MCM protein shows a single thermal transition at 67 degrees C. The stability is dramatically altered with the appearance of a second thermal transition up to 10 degrees C higher in the presence of DNA and either ATP or ADP-AlF(4)(-), a transition-state analogue of ATP, bound to MCM. In the presence of DNA and ADP or the nonhydrolyzable ATP analogues ATPgammaS and AMP-PNP, however, only a single thermal transition is observed at temperatures slightly higher than the transition temperature of MCM alone. Thus, the results suggest that ATP hydrolysis proceeds through a transition state that decouples an interaction between the N-terminal DNA binding domain and the C-terminal catalytic domain in the presence of DNA.

Phosphate release contributes to the rate-limiting step for unwinding by an RNA helicase

RNA helicases function in numerous aspects of RNA biology. These enzymes are RNA-stimulated ATPases that translocate on RNA and unwind or remodel structured RNA in an ATP-dependent fashion. How ATP and the ATPase cycle fuel the work performed by helicases is not completely clear. The hepatitis C virus RNA helicase, NS3, is an important model system for this class of enzymes. NS3 binding to a single-/double-strand RNA or DNA junction leads to ATP-independent melting of the duplex and formation of a complex capable of ATP-dependent unwinding by using a spring-loaded mechanism. We have established an RNA substrate for NS3 that can be unwound in a single sub-step. Our studies are consistent with a model in which a single ATP binding and/or hydrolysis event sets the unwinding spring and phosphate dissociation contributes to release of the spring, thereby driving the power stroke used for unwinding.

Coordinating DNA replication by means of priming loop and differential synthesis rate

Genomic DNA is replicated by two DNA polymerase molecules, one of which works in close association with the helicase to copy the leading-strand template in a continuous manner while the second copies the already unwound lagging-strand template in a discontinuous manner through the synthesis of Okazaki fragments. Considering that the lagging-strand polymerase has to recycle after the completion of every Okazaki fragment through the slow steps of primer synthesis and hand-off to the polymerase, it is not understood how the two strands are synthesized with the same net rate. Here we show, using the T7 replication proteins, that RNA primers are made 'on the fly' during ongoing DNA synthesis and that the leading-strand T7 replisome does not pause during primer synthesis, contrary to previous reports. Instead, the leading-strand polymerase remains limited by the speed of the helicase; it therefore synthesizes DNA more slowly than the lagging-strand polymerase. We show that the primase-helicase T7 gp4 maintains contact with the priming sequence during ongoing DNA synthesis; the nascent lagging-strand template therefore organizes into a priming loop that keeps the primer in physical proximity to the replication complex. Our findings provide three synergistic mechanisms of coordination: first, primers are made concomitantly with DNA synthesis; second, the priming loop ensures efficient primer use and hand-off to the polymerase; and third, the lagging-strand polymerase copies DNA faster, which allows it to keep up with leading-strand DNA synthesis overall.

A stepwise 2'-hydroxyl activation mechanism for the bacterial transcription termination factor Rho helicase

The bacterial Rho factor is a ring-shaped ATP-dependent helicase that tracks along RNA transcripts and disrupts RNA-DNA duplexes and transcription complexes in its path. Using combinatorial nucleotide analog interference mapping (NAIM), we explore the topology and dynamics of functional Rho-RNA complexes and reveal the RNA-dependent stepping mechanism of Rho helicase. Periodic Gaussian distributions of NAIM signals show that Rho forms uneven productive interactions with the track nucleotides and disrupts RNA-DNA duplexes in a succession of large ( approximately 7-nucleotide-long) discrete steps triggered by 2'-hydroxyl activation events. This periodic 2'-OH-dependent activation does not depend on the RNA-DNA pairing energy but is finely tuned by sequence-dependent interactions with the RNA track. These features explain the strict RNA specificity and contextual efficiency of the enzyme and provide a new paradigm for conditional tracking by a helicase ring.

Motors, switches, and contacts in the replisome

Replisomes are the protein assemblies that replicate DNA. They function as molecular motors to catalyze template-mediated polymerization of nucleotides, unwinding of DNA, the synthesis of RNA primers, and the assembly of proteins on DNA. The replisome of bacteriophage T7 contains a minimum of proteins, thus facilitating its study. This review describes the molecular motors and coordination of their activities, with emphasis on the T7 replisome. Nucleotide selection, movement of the polymerase, binding of the processivity factor, unwinding of DNA, and RNA primer synthesis all require conformational changes and protein contacts. Lagging-strand synthesis is mediated via a replication loop whose formation and resolution is dictated by switches to yield Okazaki fragments of discrete size. Both strands are synthesized at identical rates, controlled by a molecular brake that halts leading-strand synthesis during primer synthesis. The helicase serves as a reservoir for polymerases that can initiate DNA synthesis at the replication fork. We comment on the differences in other systems where applicable.

Experimental and computational analysis of DNA unwinding and polymerization kinetics

DNA unwinding and polymerization are complex processes involving many intermediate species in the reactions. Our understanding of these processes is limited because the rates of the reactions or the existence of intermediate species is not apparent without specially designed experimental techniques and data analysis procedures. In this chapter we describe how pre-steady state and single-turnover measurements analyzed by model-based methods can be used for estimating the elementary rate constants. Using the hexameric helicase and the DNA polymerase from bacteriophage T7 as model systems, we provide stepwise procedures for measuring the kinetics of the reactions they catalyze based on radioactivity and fluorescence. We also describe analysis of the experimental measurements using publicly available models and software gfit ( http://gfit.sf.net ).