1
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Wald J, Marlovits TC. Holliday junction branch migration driven by AAA+ ATPase motors. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 82:102650. [PMID: 37604043 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Holliday junctions are key intermediate DNA structures during genetic recombination. One of the first Holliday junction-processing protein complexes to be discovered was the well conserved RuvAB branch migration complex present in bacteria that mediates an ATP-dependent movement of the Holliday junction (branch migration). Although the RuvAB complex served as a paradigm for the processing of the Holliday junction, due to technical limitations the detailed structure and underlying mechanism of the RuvAB branch migration complex has until now remained unclear. Recently, structures of a reconstituted RuvAB complex actively-processing a Holliday junction were resolved using time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy. These structures showed distinct conformational states at different stages of the migration process. These structures made it possible to propose an integrated model for RuvAB Holliday junction branch migration. Furthermore, they revealed unexpected insights into the highly coordinated and regulated mechanisms of the nucleotide cycle powering substrate translocation in the hexameric AAA+ RuvB ATPase. Here, we review these latest advances and describe areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiri Wald
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany; Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany; Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thomas C Marlovits
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany; Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany; Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany.
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2
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Wald J, Fahrenkamp D, Goessweiner-Mohr N, Lugmayr W, Ciccarelli L, Vesper O, Marlovits TC. Mechanism of AAA+ ATPase-mediated RuvAB-Holliday junction branch migration. Nature 2022; 609:630-639. [PMID: 36002576 PMCID: PMC9477746 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05121-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The Holliday junction is a key intermediate formed during DNA recombination across all kingdoms of life1. In bacteria, the Holliday junction is processed by two homo-hexameric AAA+ ATPase RuvB motors, which assemble together with the RuvA-Holliday junction complex to energize the strand-exchange reaction2. Despite its importance for chromosome maintenance, the structure and mechanism by which this complex facilitates branch migration are unknown. Here, using time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy, we obtained structures of the ATP-hydrolysing RuvAB complex in seven distinct conformational states, captured during assembly and processing of a Holliday junction. Five structures together resolve the complete nucleotide cycle and reveal the spatiotemporal relationship between ATP hydrolysis, nucleotide exchange and context-specific conformational changes in RuvB. Coordinated motions in a converter formed by DNA-disengaged RuvB subunits stimulate hydrolysis and nucleotide exchange. Immobilization of the converter enables RuvB to convert the ATP-contained energy into a lever motion, which generates the pulling force driving the branch migration. We show that RuvB motors rotate together with the DNA substrate, which, together with a progressing nucleotide cycle, forms the mechanistic basis for DNA recombination by continuous branch migration. Together, our data decipher the molecular principles of homologous recombination by the RuvAB complex, elucidate discrete and sequential transition-state intermediates for chemo-mechanical coupling of hexameric AAA+ motors and provide a blueprint for the design of state-specific compounds targeting AAA+ motors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiri Wald
- Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.
- Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany.
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology GmbH (IMBA), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria.
| | - Dirk Fahrenkamp
- Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.
- Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Nikolaus Goessweiner-Mohr
- Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology GmbH (IMBA), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University (JKU), Linz, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Lugmayr
- Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology GmbH (IMBA), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria
| | - Luciano Ciccarelli
- Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology GmbH (IMBA), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria
- GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Siena, Italy
| | - Oliver Vesper
- Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology GmbH (IMBA), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas C Marlovits
- Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.
- Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany.
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology GmbH (IMBA), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria.
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3
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Ruiz-Gutierrez N, Rieu M, Ouellet J, Allemand JF, Croquette V, Le Hir H. Novel approaches to study helicases using magnetic tweezers. Methods Enzymol 2022; 673:359-403. [PMID: 35965012 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Helicases form a universal family of molecular motors that bind and translocate onto nucleic acids. They are involved in essentially every aspect of nucleic acid metabolism: from DNA replication to RNA decay, and thus ensure a large spectrum of functions in the cell, making their study essential. The development of micromanipulation techniques such as magnetic tweezers for the mechanistic study of these enzymes has provided new insights into their behavior and their regulation that were previously unrevealed by bulk assays. These experiments allowed very precise measures of their translocation speed, processivity and polarity. Here, we detail our newest technological advances in magnetic tweezers protocols for high-quality measurements and we describe the new procedures we developed to get a more profound understanding of helicase dynamics, such as their translocation in a force independent manner, their nucleic acid binding kinetics and their interaction with roadblocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Ruiz-Gutierrez
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Martin Rieu
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France; Laboratoire de Physique de L'Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris, CNRS, ENS, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Jean-François Allemand
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France; Laboratoire de Physique de L'Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris, CNRS, ENS, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Croquette
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France; Laboratoire de Physique de L'Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris, CNRS, ENS, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Paris, France; ESPCI Paris, Université PSL, Paris, France.
| | - Hervé Le Hir
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France.
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4
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Thompson MD, Malone EG, Byrd AK. Monitoring helicase-catalyzed unwinding of multiple duplexes simultaneously. Methods Enzymol 2022; 672:1-27. [PMID: 35934470 PMCID: PMC9397138 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Thompson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Emory G Malone
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Alicia K Byrd
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States; Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.
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5
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Gándara C, Torres R, Carrasco B, Ayora S, Alonso JC. DisA Restrains the Processing and Cleavage of Reversed Replication Forks by the RuvAB-RecU Resolvasome. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11323. [PMID: 34768753 PMCID: PMC8583203 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA lesions that impede fork progression cause replisome stalling and threaten genome stability. Bacillus subtilis RecA, at a lesion-containing gap, interacts with and facilitates DisA pausing at these branched intermediates. Paused DisA suppresses its synthesis of the essential c-di-AMP messenger. The RuvAB-RecU resolvasome branch migrates and resolves formed Holliday junctions (HJ). We show that DisA prevents DNA degradation. DisA, which interacts with RuvB, binds branched structures, and reduces the RuvAB DNA-dependent ATPase activity. DisA pre-bound to HJ DNA limits RuvAB and RecU activities, but such inhibition does not occur if the RuvAB- or RecU-HJ DNA complexes are pre-formed. RuvAB or RecU pre-bound to HJ DNA strongly inhibits DisA-mediated synthesis of c-di-AMP, and indirectly blocks cell proliferation. We propose that DisA limits RuvAB-mediated fork remodeling and RecU-mediated HJ cleavage to provide time for damage removal and replication restart in order to preserve genome integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Silvia Ayora
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CNB-CSIC, 3 Darwin St, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (C.G.); (R.T.); (B.C.)
| | - Juan C. Alonso
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CNB-CSIC, 3 Darwin St, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (C.G.); (R.T.); (B.C.)
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6
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Bianco PR, Lu Y. Single-molecule insight into stalled replication fork rescue in Escherichia coli. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:4220-4238. [PMID: 33744948 PMCID: PMC8096234 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA replication forks stall at least once per cell cycle in Escherichia coli. DNA replication must be restarted if the cell is to survive. Restart is a multi-step process requiring the sequential action of several proteins whose actions are dictated by the nature of the impediment to fork progression. When fork progress is impeded, the sequential actions of SSB, RecG and the RuvABC complex are required for rescue. In contrast, when a template discontinuity results in the forked DNA breaking apart, the actions of the RecBCD pathway enzymes are required to resurrect the fork so that replication can resume. In this review, we focus primarily on the significant insight gained from single-molecule studies of individual proteins, protein complexes, and also, partially reconstituted regression and RecBCD pathways. This insight is related to the bulk-phase biochemical data to provide a comprehensive review of each protein or protein complex as it relates to stalled DNA replication fork rescue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piero R Bianco
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6025, USA
| | - Yue Lu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6025, USA
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7
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Direct unfolding of RuvA-HJ complex at the single-molecule level. Biophys J 2021; 120:1894-1902. [PMID: 33737156 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The repair of double-stranded DNA breaks via homologous recombination involves a four-way cross-strand intermediate known as Holliday junction (HJ), which is recognized, processed, and resolved by a specific set of proteins. RuvA, a prokaryotic HJ-binding protein, is known to stabilize the square-planar conformation of the HJ, which is otherwise a short-lived intermediate. Despite much progress being made regarding the molecular mechanism of RuvA-HJ interactions, the mechanochemical aspect of this protein-HJ complex is yet to be investigated. Here, we employed an optical-tweezers-based, single-molecule manipulation assay to detect the formation of RuvA-HJ complex and determined its mechanical and thermodynamic properties in a manner that would be impossible with traditional ensemble techniques. We found that the binding of RuvA increases the unfolding force (Funfold) of the HJ by ∼2-fold. Compared with the ΔGunfold of the HJ alone (54 ± 13 kcal/mol), the increased free energy of the RuvA-HJ complex (101 ± 20 kcal/mol) demonstrates that the RuvA protein stabilizes HJs. Interestingly, the protein remains bound to the mechanically melted HJ, facilitating its refolding at an unusually high force when the stretched DNA molecule is relaxed. These results suggest that the RuvA protein not only stabilizes the HJs but also induces refolding of the HJs. The single-molecule platform that we employed here for studying the RuvA-HJ interaction is broadly applicable to study other HJ-binding proteins involved in the critical DNA repair process.
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Mohapatra S, Lin CT, Feng XA, Basu A, Ha T. Single-Molecule Analysis and Engineering of DNA Motors. Chem Rev 2019; 120:36-78. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Taekjip Ha
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
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9
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Yang YJ, Song L, Zhao XC, Zhang C, Wu WQ, You HJ, Fu H, Zhou EC, Zhang XH. A Universal Assay for Making DNA, RNA, and RNA-DNA Hybrid Configurations for Single-Molecule Manipulation in Two or Three Steps without Ligation. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:1663-1672. [PMID: 31264849 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite having a great variety of topologies, most DNA, RNA, and RNA-DNA hybrid (RDH) configurations for single-molecule manipulation are composed of several single-stranded (ss) DNA and ssRNA strands, with functional labels at the two ends for surface tethering. On this basis, we developed a simple, robust, and universal amplification-annealing (AA) assay for making all these configurations in two or three steps without inefficient digestion and ligation reactions. As examples, we made ssDNA, short ssDNA with double-stranded (ds) DNA handles, dsDNA with ssDNA handles, replication-fork shaped DNA/RDH/RNA, DNA holiday junction, three-site multiple-labeled and nicked DNA, torsion-constrained RNA/RDH, and short ssRNA with RDH handles. In addition to single-molecule manipulation techniques including optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers, and atomic force microscopy, these configurations can be applied in other surface-tethering techniques as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Jun Yang
- College of Life Sciences, the Institute for Advanced Studies, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Lun Song
- College of Life Sciences, the Institute for Advanced Studies, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiao-Cong Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, the Institute for Advanced Studies, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, the Institute for Advanced Studies, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Wen-Qiang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, China
| | - Hui-Juan You
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Hang Fu
- College of Life Sciences, the Institute for Advanced Studies, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Er-Chi Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, the Institute for Advanced Studies, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xing-Hua Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, the Institute for Advanced Studies, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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10
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Zhou R, Yang O, Déclais AC, Jin H, Gwon GH, Freeman ADJ, Cho Y, Lilley DMJ, Ha T. Junction resolving enzymes use multivalency to keep the Holliday junction dynamic. Nat Chem Biol 2019; 15:269-275. [PMID: 30664685 PMCID: PMC6377835 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-018-0209-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Holliday junction (HJ) resolution by resolving enzymes is essential for chromosome segregation and recombination-mediated DNA repair. HJs undergo two types of structural dynamics that determine the outcome of recombination: conformer exchange between two isoforms and branch migration. However, it is unknown how the preferred branch point and conformer are achieved between enzyme binding and HJ resolution given the extensive binding interactions seen in static crystal structures. Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis of resolving enzymes from bacteriophages (T7 endonuclease I), bacteria (RuvC), fungi (GEN1) and humans (hMus81-Eme1) showed that both types of HJ dynamics still occur after enzyme binding. These dimeric enzymes use their multivalent interactions to achieve this, going through a partially dissociated intermediate in which the HJ undergoes nearly unencumbered dynamics. This evolutionarily conserved property of HJ resolving enzymes provides previously unappreciated insight on how junction resolution, conformer exchange and branch migration may be coordinated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruobo Zhou
- Department of Physics and Center for the Physics of Living Cells, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Olivia Yang
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anne-Cécile Déclais
- Cancer Research UK Nucleic Acid Structure Research Group, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Hyeonseok Jin
- Department of Life Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, South Korea
| | - Gwang Hyeon Gwon
- Department of Life Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, South Korea
| | - Alasdair D J Freeman
- Cancer Research UK Nucleic Acid Structure Research Group, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Yunje Cho
- Department of Life Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, South Korea
| | - David M J Lilley
- Cancer Research UK Nucleic Acid Structure Research Group, School of Life Sciences, The University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Taekjip Ha
- Department of Physics and Center for the Physics of Living Cells, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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11
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Abstract
Ubiquitous conserved processes that repair DNA damage are essential for the maintenance and propagation of genomes over generations. Then again, inaccuracies in DNA transactions and failures to remove mutagenic lesions cause heritable genome changes. Building on decades of research using genetics and biochemistry, unprecedented quantitative insight into DNA repair mechanisms has come from the new-found ability to measure single proteins in vitro and inside individual living cells. This has brought together biologists, chemists, engineers, physicists, and mathematicians to solve long-standing questions about the way in which repair enzymes search for DNA lesions and form protein complexes that act in DNA repair pathways. Furthermore, unexpected discoveries have resulted from capabilities to resolve molecular heterogeneity and cell subpopulations, provoking new questions about the role of stochastic processes in DNA repair and mutagenesis. These studies are leading to new technologies that will find widespread use in basic research, biotechnology, and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Uphoff
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom; ,
| | - David J Sherratt
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom; ,
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12
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Kemmerich FE, Kasaciunaite K, Seidel R. Modular magnetic tweezers for single-molecule characterizations of helicases. Methods 2016; 108:4-13. [PMID: 27402355 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Revised: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnetic tweezers provide a versatile toolkit supporting the mechanistic investigation of helicases. In the present article, we show that custom magnetic tweezers setups are straightforward to construct and can easily be extended to provide adaptable platforms, capable of addressing a multitude of enquiries regarding the functions of these fascinating molecular machines. We first address the fundamental components of a basic magnetic tweezers scheme and review some previous results to demonstrate the versatility of this instrument. We then elaborate on several extensions to the basic magnetic tweezers scheme, and demonstrate their applications with data from ongoing research. As our methodological overview illustrates, magnetic tweezers are an extremely useful tool for the characterization of helicases and a custom built instrument can be specifically tailored to suit the experimenter's needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix E Kemmerich
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Institute of Experimental Physics I, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kristina Kasaciunaite
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Institute of Experimental Physics I, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ralf Seidel
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Institute of Experimental Physics I, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
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13
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Shrestha P, Emura T, Koirala D, Cui Y, Hidaka K, Maximuck WJ, Endo M, Sugiyama H, Mao H. Mechanical properties of DNA origami nanoassemblies are determined by Holliday junction mechanophores. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:6574-82. [PMID: 27387283 PMCID: PMC5001620 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA nanoassemblies have demonstrated wide applications in various fields including nanomaterials, drug delivery and biosensing. In DNA origami, single-stranded DNA template is shaped into desired nanostructure by DNA staples that form Holliday junctions with the template. Limited by current methodologies, however, mechanical properties of DNA origami structures have not been adequately characterized, which hinders further applications of these materials. Using laser tweezers, here, we have described two mechanical properties of DNA nanoassemblies represented by DNA nanotubes, DNA nanopyramids and DNA nanotiles. First, mechanical stability of DNA origami structures is determined by the effective density of Holliday junctions along a particular stress direction. Second, mechanical isomerization observed between two conformations of DNA nanotubes at 10–35 pN has been ascribed to the collective actions of individual Holliday junctions, which are only possible in DNA origami with rotational symmetric arrangements of Holliday junctions, such as those in DNA nanotubes. Our results indicate that Holliday junctions control mechanical behaviors of DNA nanoassemblies. Therefore, they can be considered as ‘mechanophores’ that sustain mechanical properties of origami nanoassemblies. The mechanical properties observed here provide insights for designing better DNA nanostructures. In addition, the unprecedented mechanical isomerization process brings new strategies for the development of nano-sensors and actuators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakash Shrestha
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Tomoko Emura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Deepak Koirala
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Yunxi Cui
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Kumi Hidaka
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - William J Maximuck
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Masayuki Endo
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS), Kyoto University, Yoshida-ushinomiyacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sugiyama
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS), Kyoto University, Yoshida-ushinomiyacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hanbin Mao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
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14
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Iwasa T, Han YW, Hiramatsu R, Yokota H, Nakao K, Yokokawa R, Ono T, Harada Y. Synergistic effect of ATP for RuvA-RuvB-Holliday junction DNA complex formation. Sci Rep 2015; 5:18177. [PMID: 26658024 PMCID: PMC4677358 DOI: 10.1038/srep18177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The Escherichia coli RuvB hexameric ring motor proteins, together with RuvAs, promote branch migration of Holliday junction DNA. Zero mode waveguides (ZMWs) constitute of nanosized holes and enable the visualization of a single fluorescent molecule under micromolar order of the molecules, which is applicable to characterize the formation of RuvA–RuvB–Holliday junction DNA complex. In this study, we used ZMWs and counted the number of RuvBs binding to RuvA–Holliday junction DNA complex. Our data demonstrated that different nucleotide analogs increased the amount of Cy5-RuvBs binding to RuvA–Holliday junction DNA complex in the following order: no nucleotide, ADP, ATPγS, and mixture of ADP and ATPγS. These results suggest that not only ATP binding to RuvB but also ATP hydrolysis by RuvB facilitates a stable RuvA–RuvB–Holliday junction DNA complex formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Iwasa
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Materials Science (WPI-iCeMS), Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.,Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yong-Woon Han
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Materials Science (WPI-iCeMS), Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.,CREST, Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), Sanbancho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan
| | - Ryo Hiramatsu
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Yokota
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Materials Science (WPI-iCeMS), Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Kimiko Nakao
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Materials Science (WPI-iCeMS), Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Ryuji Yokokawa
- Department of Micro Engineering, Graduate School of Technology, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Teruo Ono
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Yoshie Harada
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Materials Science (WPI-iCeMS), Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.,Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.,CREST, Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), Sanbancho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan
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15
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Kowalczykowski SC. An Overview of the Molecular Mechanisms of Recombinational DNA Repair. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2015; 7:a016410. [PMID: 26525148 PMCID: PMC4632670 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a016410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 313] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Recombinational DNA repair is a universal aspect of DNA metabolism and is essential for genomic integrity. It is a template-directed process that uses a second chromosomal copy (sister, daughter, or homolog) to ensure proper repair of broken chromosomes. The key steps of recombination are conserved from phage through human, and an overview of those steps is provided in this review. The first step is resection by helicases and nucleases to produce single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) that defines the homologous locus. The ssDNA is a scaffold for assembly of the RecA/RAD51 filament, which promotes the homology search. On finding homology, the nucleoprotein filament catalyzes exchange of DNA strands to form a joint molecule. Recombination is controlled by regulating the fate of both RecA/RAD51 filaments and DNA pairing intermediates. Finally, intermediates that mature into Holliday structures are disjoined by either nucleolytic resolution or topological dissolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen C Kowalczykowski
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616
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16
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Novel RuvB nuclear ATPase is specific to intraerythrocytic mitosis during schizogony of Plasmodium falciparum. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2012; 185:58-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2012.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2012] [Revised: 06/01/2012] [Accepted: 06/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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17
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Lionnet T, Allemand JF, Revyakin A, Strick TR, Saleh OA, Bensimon D, Croquette V. Single-molecule studies using magnetic traps. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2012; 2012:34-49. [PMID: 22194259 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top067488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, techniques have been developed to study and manipulate single molecules of DNA and other biopolymers. In one such technique, the magnetic trap, a single DNA molecule is bound at one end to a glass surface and at the other to a magnetic microbead. Small magnets, whose position and rotation can be controlled, pull on and rotate the microbead. This provides a simple method to stretch and twist the molecule. The system allows one to apply and measure forces ranging from 10(-3) to >100 pN. In contrast to other techniques, the force measurement is absolute and does not require calibration of the sensor. In this article, we describe the principle of the magnetic trap, as well as its use in the measurement of the elastic properties of DNA and the study of DNA-protein interactions.
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18
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Abstract
One of the greatest challenges facing synthetic biology is to develop a technology that allows gene regulatory circuits in microbes to integrate multiple inputs or stimuli using a small DNA sequence "foot-print", and which will generate precise and reproducible outcomes. Achieving this goal is hindered by the routine utilization of the commonplace σ(70) promoters in gene-regulatory circuits. These promoters typically are not capable of integrating binding of more than two or three transcription factors in natural examples, which has limited the field to developing integrated circuits made of two-input biological "logic" gates. In natural examples the regulatory elements, which integrate multiple inputs are called enhancers. These regulatory elements are ubiquitous in all organisms in the tree of life, and interestingly metazoan and bacterial enhancers are significantly more similar in terms of both Transcription Factor binding site arrangement and biological function than previously thought. These similarities imply that there may be underlying enhancer design principles or grammar rules by which one can engineer novel gene regulatory circuits. However, at present our current understanding of enhancer structure-function relationship in all organisms is limited, thus preventing us from using these objects routinely in synthetic biology application. In order to alleviate this problem, in this book chapter, I will review our current view of bacterial enhancers, allowing us to first highlight the potential of enhancers to be a game-changing tool in synthetic biology application, and subsequently to draw a road-map for developing the necessary quantitative understanding to reach this goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roee Amit
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel,
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19
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Brenner MD, Zhou R, Ha T. Forcing a connection: impacts of single-molecule force spectroscopy on in vivo tension sensing. Biopolymers 2011; 95:332-44. [PMID: 21267988 PMCID: PMC3097292 DOI: 10.1002/bip.21587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2010] [Revised: 12/21/2010] [Accepted: 12/22/2010] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical tension plays a large role in cell development ranging from morphology to gene expression. On the molecular level, the effects of tension can be seen in the dynamic arrangement of membrane proteins as well as the recruitment and activation of intracellular proteins. Forces applied to biopolymers during in vitro force measurements offer greater understanding of the effects of tension on molecules in live cells, and experimental techniques involving test tubes and live cells can often overlap. Indeed, when forces exerted on cellular components can be calibrated ex vivo with force spectroscopy, a powerful tool is available for researchers in probing cellular mechanotransduction on the molecular scale. This review will discuss the techniques used in measuring both cellular traction forces and single-molecule force spectroscopy. Emphasis will be placed on the use of fluorescence reporter systems for the development of in vivo tension sensors that can be used for calibration with single molecule force methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Brenner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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20
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Ishida H. Branch migration of Holliday junction in RuvA tetramer complex studied by umbrella sampling simulation using a path-search algorithm. J Comput Chem 2010; 31:2317-29. [PMID: 20575014 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.21525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Branch migration of the Holliday junction takes place at the center of the RuvA tetramer. To elucidate how branch migration occurs, umbrella sampling simulations were performed for complexes of the RuvA tetramer and Holliday junction DNA. Although conventional umbrella sampling simulations set sampling points a priori, the umbrella sampling simulation in this study set the sampling points one by one in order to search for a realistic path of the branch migration during the simulations. Starting from the X-ray structure of the complex, in which the hydrogen bonds between two base-pairs were unformed, the hydrogen bonds between the next base-pairs of the shrinking stems were observed to start to disconnect. At the intermediate stage, three or four of the eight unpaired bases interacted closely with the acidic pins from RuvA. During the final stage, these bases moved away from the pins and formed the hydrogen bonds of the new base-pairs of the growing stems. The free-energy profile along this reaction path showed that the intermediate stage was a meta-stable state between two free-energy barriers of about 10 to 15 kcal/mol. These results imply that the pins play an important role in stabilizing the interactions between the pins and the unpaired base-pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisashi Ishida
- Quantum Beam Science Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa-shi, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan.
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21
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Fili N, Mashanov GI, Toseland CP, Batters C, Wallace MI, Yeeles JTP, Dillingham MS, Webb MR, Molloy JE. Visualizing helicases unwinding DNA at the single molecule level. Nucleic Acids Res 2010; 38:4448-57. [PMID: 20350930 PMCID: PMC2910053 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkq173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA helicases are motor proteins that catalyze the unwinding of double-stranded DNA into single-stranded DNA using the free energy from ATP hydrolysis. Single molecule approaches enable us to address detailed mechanistic questions about how such enzymes move processively along DNA. Here, an optical method has been developed to follow the unwinding of multiple DNA molecules simultaneously in real time. This was achieved by measuring the accumulation of fluorescent single-stranded DNA-binding protein on the single-stranded DNA product of the helicase, using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. By immobilizing either the DNA or helicase, localized increase in fluorescence provides information about the rate of unwinding and the processivity of individual enzymes. In addition, it reveals details of the unwinding process, such as pauses and bursts of activity. The generic and versatile nature of the assay makes it applicable to a variety of DNA helicases and DNA templates. The method is an important addition to the single-molecule toolbox available for studying DNA processing enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natali Fili
- MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
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22
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Abstract
Homologous recombination (HR) performs crucial functions including DNA repair, segregation of homologous chromosomes, propagation of genetic diversity, and maintenance of telomeres. HR is responsible for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks and DNA interstrand cross-links. The process of HR is initiated at the site of DNA breaks and gaps and involves a search for homologous sequences promoted by Rad51 and auxiliary proteins followed by the subsequent invasion of broken DNA ends into the homologous duplex DNA that then serves as a template for repair. The invasion produces a cross-stranded structure, known as the Holliday junction. Here, we describe the properties of Rad54, an important and versatile HR protein that is evolutionarily conserved in eukaryotes. Rad54 is a motor protein that translocates along dsDNA and performs several important functions in HR. The current review focuses on the recently identified Rad54 activities which contribute to the late phase of HR, especially the branch migration of Holliday junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V Mazin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA.
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23
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The extent of migration of the Holliday junction is a crucial factor for gene conversion in Rhizobium etli. J Bacteriol 2009; 191:4987-95. [PMID: 19502410 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00111-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene conversion, defined as the nonreciprocal transfer of DNA, is one result of homologous recombination. Three steps in recombination could give rise to gene conversion: (i) DNA synthesis for repair of the degraded segment, (ii) Holliday junction migration, leading to heteroduplex formation, and (iii) repair of mismatches in the heteroduplex. There are at least three proteins (RuvAB, RecG, and RadA) that participate in the second step. Their roles have been studied for homologous recombination, but evidence of their relative role in gene conversion is lacking. In this work, we showed the effect on gene conversion of mutations in ruvB, recG, and radA in Rhizobium etli, either alone or in combination, using a cointegration strategy previously developed in our laboratory. The results indicate that the RuvAB system is highly efficient for gene conversion, since its absence provokes smaller gene conversion segments than those in the wild type as well as a shift in the preferred position of conversion tracts. The RecG system possesses a dual role for gene conversion. Inactivation of recG leads to longer gene conversion tracts than those in the wild type, indicating that its activity may hinder heteroduplex extension. However, under circumstances where it is the only migration activity present (as in the ruvB radA double mutant), conversion segments can still be seen, indicating that RecG can also promote gene conversion. RadA is the least efficient system in R. etli but is still needed for the production of detectable gene conversion tracts.
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24
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Finkelstein IJ, Greene EC. Single molecule studies of homologous recombination. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2008; 4:1094-104. [PMID: 18931785 DOI: 10.1039/b811681b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Single molecule methods offer an unprecedented opportunity to examine complex macromolecular reactions that are obfuscated by ensemble averaging. The application of single molecule techniques to study DNA processing enzymes has revealed new mechanistic details that are unobtainable from bulk biochemical studies. Homologous DNA recombination is a multi-step pathway that is facilitated by numerous enzymes that must precisely and rapidly manipulate diverse DNA substrates to repair potentially lethal breaks in the DNA duplex. In this review, we present an overview of single molecule assays that have been developed to study key aspects of homologous recombination and discuss the unique information gleaned from these experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya J Finkelstein
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, 650 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
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25
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Rasnik I, Jeong YJ, McKinney SA, Rajagopal V, Patel SS, Ha T. Branch migration enzyme as a Brownian ratchet. EMBO J 2008; 27:1727-35. [PMID: 18511910 PMCID: PMC2435128 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2008.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2008] [Accepted: 04/30/2008] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, it has been shown that helicases are able to perform functions beyond their traditional role in unwinding of double-stranded nucleic acids; yet the mechanistic aspects of these different activities are not clear. Our kinetic studies of Holliday junction branch migration catalysed by a ring-shaped helicase, T7 gp4, show that heterology of as little as a single base stalls catalysed branch migration. Using single-molecule analysis, one can locate the stall position to within a few base pairs of the heterology. Our data indicate that the presence of helicase alone promotes junction unfolding, which accelerates spontaneous branch migration, and individual time traces reveal complex trajectories consistent with random excursions of the branch point. Our results suggest that instead of actively unwinding base pairs as previously thought, the helicase exploits the spontaneous random walk of the junction and acts as a Brownian ratchet, which walks along duplex DNA while facilitating and biasing branch migration in a specific direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Rasnik
- Physics Department, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
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26
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Fujiwara Y, Mayanagi K, Morikawa K. Functional significance of octameric RuvA for a branch migration complex from Thermus thermophilus. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2007; 366:426-31. [PMID: 18068124 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.11.149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2007] [Accepted: 11/26/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The RuvAB complex promotes migration of Holliday junction at the late stage of homologous recombination. The RuvA tetramer specifically recognizes Holliday junction to form two types of complexes. A single tetramer is bound to the open configuration of the junction DNA in complex I, while the octameric RuvA core structure sandwiches the same junction in complex II. The hexameric RuvB rings, symmetrically bound to both sides of RuvA on Holliday junction, pump out DNA duplexes, depending upon ATP hydrolysis. We investigated functional differences between the wild-type RuvA from Thermus thermophilus and mutants impaired the ability of complex II formation. These mutant RuvA, exclusively forming complex I, reduced activities of branch migration and ATP hydrolysis, suggesting that the octameric RuvA is essential for efficient branch migration. Together with our recent electron microscopic analysis, this finding provides important insights into functional roles of complex II in the coordinated branch migration mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshie Fujiwara
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
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27
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Model for RuvAB-mediated branch migration of Holliday junctions. J Theor Biol 2007; 249:566-73. [PMID: 17919660 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2007.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2007] [Revised: 08/27/2007] [Accepted: 08/27/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
During RuvAB-mediated Holliday-junction migration two opposite arms of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) are driven to translocate unidirectional by two respective ring-like hexameric RuvB proteins. However, how the RuvB protein, powered by ATP hydrolysis, drives unidirectional translocation of dsDNA is not clear. Here a model is presented for this mechanochemical-coupling mechanism. In the model, the unidirectional translocation is resulted from both the ATP hydrolysis-induced rotation (power stroke) of the RuvB subunits and the passage of the strong DNA binding from the previous to next RuvB subunits during the sequential ATPase activities around the ring. Using the model, the relationship between the power-stroke size, the step size of DNA translocation and the ratio of the rotational rate of DNA over that of RuvB relative to RuvA is predicted.
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28
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Seol Y, Li J, Nelson PC, Perkins TT, Betterton MD. Elasticity of short DNA molecules: theory and experiment for contour lengths of 0.6-7 microm. Biophys J 2007; 93:4360-73. [PMID: 17766363 PMCID: PMC2098713 DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.107.112995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The wormlike chain (WLC) model currently provides the best description of double-stranded DNA elasticity for micron-sized molecules. This theory requires two intrinsic material parameters-the contour length L and the persistence length p. We measured and then analyzed the elasticity of double-stranded DNA as a function of L (632 nm-7.03 microm) using the classic solution to the WLC model. When the elasticity data were analyzed using this solution, the resulting fitted value for the persistence length p(wlc) depended on L; even for moderately long DNA molecules (L = 1300 nm), this apparent persistence length was 10% smaller than its limiting value for long DNA. Because p is a material parameter, and cannot depend on length, we sought a new solution to the WLC model, which we call the "finite wormlike chain (FWLC)," to account for effects not considered in the classic solution. Specifically we accounted for the finite chain length, the chain-end boundary conditions, and the bead rotational fluctuations inherent in optical trapping assays where beads are used to apply the force. After incorporating these corrections, we used our FWLC solution to generate force-extension curves, and then fit those curves with the classic WLC solution, as done in the standard experimental analysis. These results qualitatively reproduced the apparent dependence of p(wlc) on L seen in experimental data when analyzed with the classic WLC solution. Directly fitting experimental data to the FWLC solution reduces the apparent dependence of p(fwlc) on L by a factor of 3. Thus, the FWLC solution provides a significantly improved theoretical framework in which to analyze single-molecule experiments over a broad range of experimentally accessible DNA lengths, including both short (a few hundred nanometers in contour length) and very long (microns in contour length) molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeonee Seol
- JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, USA
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29
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Vindigni A. Biochemical, biophysical, and proteomic approaches to study DNA helicases. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2007; 3:266-74. [PMID: 17372655 DOI: 10.1039/b616145f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Helicases are a family of enzymes that play an essential role in nearly all DNA metabolic processes, catalyzing the transient opening of DNA duplexes. These motor proteins couple the chemical energy of ATP binding and hydrolysis to the separation of the complementary strands of a DNA or RNA duplex substrate. A full understanding of their mechanism of DNA unwinding can be achieved only through careful investigation of the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters that control this ATP-driven process, as well as through analysis of the helicases' tertiary and quaternary structures associated with nucleic acids and/or nucleotide recognition. This review describes the various biochemical, biophysical, and, more recently, proteomic techniques that have been developed to shed light on the still controversial, and in some aspects elusive, helicase-catalyzed mechanism of DNA unwinding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Vindigni
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, I-34012 Trieste, Italy.
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30
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Seidel R, Dekker C. Single-molecule studies of nucleic acid motors. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2007; 17:80-6. [PMID: 17207989 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2006.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2006] [Revised: 11/22/2006] [Accepted: 12/15/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Nucleic acid motors comprise a variety of structurally, mechanistically and functionally very different enzymes. These motor proteins have in common the ability to directionally move DNA or RNA, or to move along DNA or RNA using a chemical energy source such as ATP. Recently, it became possible to study the action of a single motor on single DNA or RNA molecules in real time; this has provided unprecedented insight into the behavior and mechanism of these motors. As a result, the past few years have witnessed an enormous increase in such single-molecule studies of a variety of different motor systems. Particular highlights have included the investigation of the sequence-dependent behavior and helical tracking of motors, and the attainment of the ultimate (i.e. single base pair) resolution, which enables the detection of individual single base motor steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Seidel
- Biotechnological Centre, University of Technology Dresden, Tatzberg 47-51, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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31
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Hopfner KP, Michaelis J. Mechanisms of nucleic acid translocases: lessons from structural biology and single-molecule biophysics. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2006; 17:87-95. [PMID: 17157498 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2006.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2006] [Revised: 10/18/2006] [Accepted: 11/27/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Enzymes that translocate nucleic acids using ATP hydrolysis include DNA and RNA helicases, viral genome packaging motors and chromatin remodeling ATPases. Recent structural analysis, in conjunction with single-molecule studies, has revealed a wealth of new insights into how these enzymes use ATP-driven conformational changes to move on nucleic acids.
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32
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Lionnet T, Dawid A, Bigot S, Barre FX, Saleh OA, Heslot F, Allemand JF, Bensimon D, Croquette V. DNA mechanics as a tool to probe helicase and translocase activity. Nucleic Acids Res 2006; 34:4232-44. [PMID: 16935884 PMCID: PMC1616950 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkl451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Helicases and translocases are proteins that use the energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to move along or pump nucleic acid substrates. Single molecule manipulation has proved to be a powerful tool to investigate the mechanochemistry of these motors. Here we first describe the basic mechanical properties of DNA unraveled by single molecule manipulation techniques. Then we demonstrate how the knowledge of these properties has been used to design single molecule assays to address the enzymatic mechanisms of different translocases. We report on four single molecule manipulation systems addressing the mechanism of different helicases using specifically designed DNA substrates: UvrD enzyme activity detection on a stretched nicked DNA molecule, HCV NS3 helicase unwinding of a RNA hairpin under tension, the observation of RecBCD helicase/nuclease forward and backward motion, and T7 gp4 helicase mediated opening of a synthetic DNA replication fork. We then discuss experiments on two dsDNA translocases: the RuvAB motor studied on its natural substrate, the Holliday junction, and the chromosome-segregation motor FtsK, showing its unusual coupling to DNA supercoiling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothée Lionnet
- Laboratoire de Physique Statistique de l' Ecole Normale Supérieure, UMR 8550 CNRS24 rue Lhomond, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
- Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure46 rue d'Ulm, 75231 Paris Cedex, 05, France
| | - Alexandre Dawid
- Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure46 rue d'Ulm, 75231 Paris Cedex, 05, France
- Laboratoire Pierre Aigrain, Ecole Normale SupérieureUMR 8551 CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Sarah Bigot
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaire, CNRS UMR5100Toulouse, France
| | - François-Xavier Barre
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaire, CNRS UMR5100Toulouse, France
- Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR2167Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Omar A. Saleh
- Laboratoire de Physique Statistique de l' Ecole Normale Supérieure, UMR 8550 CNRS24 rue Lhomond, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
- Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure46 rue d'Ulm, 75231 Paris Cedex, 05, France
| | - François Heslot
- Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure46 rue d'Ulm, 75231 Paris Cedex, 05, France
- Laboratoire Pierre Aigrain, Ecole Normale SupérieureUMR 8551 CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Jean-François Allemand
- Laboratoire de Physique Statistique de l' Ecole Normale Supérieure, UMR 8550 CNRS24 rue Lhomond, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
- Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure46 rue d'Ulm, 75231 Paris Cedex, 05, France
| | - David Bensimon
- Laboratoire de Physique Statistique de l' Ecole Normale Supérieure, UMR 8550 CNRS24 rue Lhomond, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
- Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure46 rue d'Ulm, 75231 Paris Cedex, 05, France
| | - Vincent Croquette
- Laboratoire de Physique Statistique de l' Ecole Normale Supérieure, UMR 8550 CNRS24 rue Lhomond, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
- Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure46 rue d'Ulm, 75231 Paris Cedex, 05, France
- To whom correspondence should be addressed at Laboratoire de Physique Statisque de l’ Ecole Normale Supérieure, 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France. Tel: 33 1 44 32 34 92; Fax: 33 1 44 32 34 33;
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Abstract
Recent years have seen an increasing number of biological applications of single molecule techniques, evolving from a proof of principle type to the more sophisticated studies. Here we compare the capabilities and limitations of different single molecule techniques in studying the activities of helicases. Helicases share a common catalytic activity but present a high variability in kinetic and phenomenological behavior, making their studies ideal in exemplifying the use of the new single molecule techniques to answer biological questions. Unexpected phenomena have also been observed from individual molecules suggesting extended or alternative functionality of helicases in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Rasnik
- Department of Physics, Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA 30322,USA
| | - Sua Myong
- Department of Physics, University of IllinoisUrbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Taekjip Ha
- Department of Physics, University of IllinoisUrbana, IL 61801, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteUrbana, IL 61801, USA
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 271 265 0717;
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34
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Han YW, Tani T, Hayashi M, Hishida T, Iwasaki H, Shinagawa H, Harada Y. Direct observation of DNA rotation during branch migration of Holliday junction DNA by Escherichia coli RuvA-RuvB protein complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006; 103:11544-8. [PMID: 16864792 PMCID: PMC1544206 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0600753103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Escherichia coli RuvA-RuvB complex promotes branch migration of Holliday junction DNA, which is the central intermediate of homologous recombination. Like many DNA motor proteins, it is suggested that RuvA-RuvB promotes branch migration by driving helical rotation of the DNA. To clarify the RuvA-RuvB-mediated branch migration mechanism in more detail, we observed DNA rotation during Holliday junction branch migration by attaching a bead to one end of cruciform DNA that was fixed to a glass surface at the opposite end. Bead rotation was observed when RuvA, RuvB, and ATP were added to the solution. We measured the rotational rates of the beads caused by RuvA-RuvB-mediated branch migration at various ATP concentrations. The data provided a K(m) value of 65 microM and a V(max) value of 1.6 revolutions per second, which corresponds to 8.3 bp per second. This real-time observation of the DNA rotation not only allows us to measure the kinetics of the RuvA-RuvB-mediated branch migration, but also opens the possibility of elucidating the branch migration mechanism in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Woon Han
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8613, Japan
| | - Tomomi Tani
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8613, Japan
| | - Masahito Hayashi
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8613, Japan
| | - Takashi Hishida
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Iwasaki
- Graduate School of Integrated Science, Yokohama City University, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Hideo Shinagawa
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan; and
- BioAcademia, Inc., Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0085, Japan
| | - Yoshie Harada
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8613, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan; and
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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35
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Carrasco B, Ayora S, Lurz R, Alonso JC. Bacillus subtilis RecU Holliday-junction resolvase modulates RecA activities. Nucleic Acids Res 2005; 33:3942-52. [PMID: 16024744 PMCID: PMC1176016 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gki713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Bacillus subtilis RecU protein is able to catalyze in vitro DNA strand annealing and Holliday-junction resolution. The interaction between the RecA and RecU proteins, in the presence or absence of a single-stranded binding (SSB) protein, was studied. Substoichiometric amounts of RecU enhanced RecA loading onto single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and stimulated RecA-catalyzed D-loop formation. However, RecU inhibited the RecA-mediated three-strand exchange reaction and ssDNA-dependent dATP or rATP hydrolysis. The addition of an SSB protein did not reverse the negative effect exerted by RecU on RecA function. Annealing of circular ssDNA and homologous linear 3′-tailed double-stranded DNA by RecU was not affected by the addition of RecA both in the presence and in the absence of SSB. We propose that RecU modulates RecA activities by promoting RecA-catalyzed strand invasion and inhibiting RecA-mediated branch migration, by preventing RecA filament disassembly, and suggest a potential mechanism for the control of resolvasome assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Begoña Carrasco
- Departmento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSICC/Darwin 3, Campus Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvia Ayora
- Departmento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSICC/Darwin 3, Campus Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biología MolecularC/Darwin 2, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rudi Lurz
- Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare GenetikIhnestrasse 73, D-14195, Germany
| | - Juan C. Alonso
- Departmento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSICC/Darwin 3, Campus Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +34 91585 4546; Fax: +34 91585 4506;
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36
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Abstract
Single-molecule imaging and manipulation techniques have evolved in the past decade from mere jaw-dropping attractions to essential laboratory tools. By applying single-molecule methods important insights otherwise unavailable have been obtained on various biomolecular systems. Constantly improving single-molecule imaging techniques keep expanding the scale of the explorable spatial detail, thereby providing possible solutions to getting around the debilitating diffraction limit present in physiological-condition structural investigations. In some areas, such as motor protein studies, single-molecule methods have become part of the routine and essential research toolkit. Entire research fields, such as single-molecule force spectroscopy, have been born. In the present review single-molecule visualization and manipulation methods are reviewed with a focus on proteins. Relevant signals and prominent applications are discussed along with experimental examples and recent important results. Finally, the perspectives of the single-molecule field are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miklós S Z Kellermayer
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12. Pécs H-7624, Hungary.
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37
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McKinney SA, Freeman ADJ, Lilley DMJ, Ha T. Observing spontaneous branch migration of Holliday junctions one step at a time. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2005; 102:5715-20. [PMID: 15824311 PMCID: PMC556122 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0409328102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic recombination occurs between homologous DNA molecules via a four-way (Holliday) junction intermediate. This ancient and ubiquitous process is important for the repair of double-stranded breaks, the restart of stalled replication forks, and the creation of genetic diversity. Once formed, the four-way junction alone can undergo the stepwise exchange of base pairs known as spontaneous branch migration. Conventional ensemble assays, useful for finding average migration rates over long sequences, have been unable to examine the affect of sequence and structure on the migration process. Here, we present a single-molecule spontaneous branch migration assay with single-base pair resolution in a study of individual DNA junctions that can undergo one step of migration. Junctions exhibit markedly different dynamics of exchange between stacking conformers depending on the point of strand exchange, allowing the moment at which branch migration occurs to be detected. The free energy landscape of spontaneous branch migration is found to be highly nonuniform and governed by two types of sequence-dependent barriers, with unmediated local migration being up to 10 times more rapid than the previously deduced average rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean A McKinney
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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