1
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Perumal SK. A real-time fluorescent gp32 probe-based assay for monitoring single-stranded DNA-dependent DNA processing enzymes. Biochem Biophys Rep 2023; 35:101518. [PMID: 37534323 PMCID: PMC10391720 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2023.101518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) generated during DNA replication, recombination and damage repair reactions is an important intermediate and ssDNA-binding proteins that binds these intermediates coordinate various DNA metabolic processes. Mechanistic details of these ssDNA-dependent processes can be explored by monitoring the generation and consumption of ssDNA in real time. In this work, a fluorescein-labeled gp32-based sensor was employed to continuously monitor various aspects of ssDNA-dependent DNA replication and recombination processes in real time. The gp32 protein probe displayed high sensitivity and specificity to a variety of ssDNA-dependent processes of T4 phage. Several applications of the probe are illustrated here: the solution dynamics of ssDNA-binding protein, protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions involving gp32 protein and its mode of interaction, ssDNA translocation and protein displacement activities of helicases, primer extension activity of DNA polymerase holoenzyme and nucleoprotein filament formation during DNA recombination. The assay has identified new protein-protein interactions of gp32 during T4 replication and recombination. The fluorescent probe described here can thus be used as a universal probe for monitoring in real time various ssDNA-dependent processes, which is based on a well-characterized and easy-to-express bacteriophage T4 gene 32 protein, gp32.
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2
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Spinks RR, Spenkelink LM, Dixon NE, van Oijen AM. Single-Molecule Insights Into the Dynamics of Replicative Helicases. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:741718. [PMID: 34513934 PMCID: PMC8426354 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.741718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Helicases are molecular motors that translocate along single-stranded DNA and unwind duplex DNA. They rely on the consumption of chemical energy from nucleotide hydrolysis to drive their translocation. Specialized helicases play a critically important role in DNA replication by unwinding DNA at the front of the replication fork. The replicative helicases of the model systems bacteriophages T4 and T7, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been extensively studied and characterized using biochemical methods. While powerful, their averaging over ensembles of molecules and reactions makes it challenging to uncover information related to intermediate states in the unwinding process and the dynamic helicase interactions within the replisome. Here, we describe single-molecule methods that have been developed in the last few decades and discuss the new details that these methods have revealed about replicative helicases. Applying methods such as FRET and optical and magnetic tweezers to individual helicases have made it possible to access the mechanistic aspects of unwinding. It is from these methods that we understand that the replicative helicases studied so far actively translocate and then passively unwind DNA, and that these hexameric enzymes must efficiently coordinate the stepping action of their subunits to achieve unwinding, where the size of each step is prone to variation. Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy methods have made it possible to visualize replicative helicases acting at replication forks and quantify their dynamics using multi-color colocalization, FRAP and FLIP. These fluorescence methods have made it possible to visualize helicases in replication initiation and dissect this intricate protein-assembly process. In a similar manner, single-molecule visualization of fluorescent replicative helicases acting in replication identified that, in contrast to the replicative polymerases, the helicase does not exchange. Instead, the replicative helicase acts as the stable component that serves to anchor the other replication factors to the replisome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard R Spinks
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Lisanne M Spenkelink
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicholas E Dixon
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Antoine M van Oijen
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
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3
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Benkovic SJ. From Bioorganic Models to Cells. Annu Rev Biochem 2021; 90:57-76. [PMID: 34153218 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-062320-062929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
I endeavor to share how various choices-some deliberate, some unconscious-and the unmistakable influence of many others shaped my scientific pursuits. I am fascinated by how two long-term, major streams of my research, DNA replication and purine biosynthesis, have merged with unexpected interconnections. If I have imparted to many of the talented individuals who have passed through my lab a degree of my passion for uncloaking the mysteries hidden in scientific research and an understanding of the honesty and rigor it demands and its impact on the world community, then my mentorship has been successful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Benkovic
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA;
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4
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Bocanegra R, Ismael Plaza GA, Pulido CR, Ibarra B. DNA replication machinery: Insights from in vitro single-molecule approaches. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:2057-2069. [PMID: 33995902 PMCID: PMC8085672 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The replisome is the multiprotein molecular machinery that replicates DNA. The replisome components work in precise coordination to unwind the double helix of the DNA and replicate the two strands simultaneously. The study of DNA replication using in vitro single-molecule approaches provides a novel quantitative understanding of the dynamics and mechanical principles that govern the operation of the replisome and its components. ‘Classical’ ensemble-averaging methods cannot obtain this information. Here we describe the main findings obtained with in vitro single-molecule methods on the performance of individual replisome components and reconstituted prokaryotic and eukaryotic replisomes. The emerging picture from these studies is that of stochastic, versatile and highly dynamic replisome machinery in which transient protein-protein and protein-DNA associations are responsible for robust DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Bocanegra
- IMDEA Nanociencia, Faraday 9, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - G A Ismael Plaza
- IMDEA Nanociencia, Faraday 9, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos R Pulido
- IMDEA Nanociencia, Faraday 9, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Borja Ibarra
- IMDEA Nanociencia, Faraday 9, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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5
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Barry J, Wong ML, Alberts B. In vitro reconstitution of DNA replication initiated by genetic recombination: a T4 bacteriophage model for a type of DNA synthesis important for all cells. Mol Biol Cell 2018; 30:146-159. [PMID: 30403545 PMCID: PMC6337909 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e18-06-0386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Using a mixture of 10 purified DNA replication and DNA recombination proteins encoded by the bacteriophage T4 genome, plus two homologous DNA molecules, we have reconstituted the genetic recombination–initiated pathway that initiates DNA replication forks at late times of T4 bacteriophage infection. Inside the cell, this recombination-dependent replication (RDR) is needed to produce the long concatemeric T4 DNA molecules that serve as substrates for packaging the shorter, genome-sized viral DNA into phage heads. The five T4 proteins that catalyze DNA synthesis on the leading strand, plus the proteins required for lagging-strand DNA synthesis, are essential for the reaction, as are a special mediator protein (gp59) and a Rad51/RecA analogue (the T4 UvsX strand-exchange protein). Related forms of RDR are widespread in living organisms—for example, they play critical roles in the homologous recombination events that can restore broken ends of the DNA double helix, restart broken DNA replication forks, and cross over chromatids during meiosis in eukaryotes. Those processes are considerably more complex, and the results presented here should be informative for dissecting their detailed mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Barry
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158-2517
| | - Mei Lie Wong
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158-2517
| | - Bruce Alberts
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158-2517
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6
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Scherr MJ, Safaric B, Duderstadt KE. Noise in the Machine: Alternative Pathway Sampling is the Rule During DNA Replication. Bioessays 2017; 40. [PMID: 29282758 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201700159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The astonishing efficiency and accuracy of DNA replication has long suggested that refined rules enforce a single highly reproducible sequence of molecular events during the process. This view was solidified by early demonstrations that DNA unwinding and synthesis are coupled within a stable molecular factory, known as the replisome, which consists of conserved components that each play unique and complementary roles. However, recent single-molecule observations of replisome dynamics have begun to challenge this view, revealing that replication may not be defined by a uniform sequence of events. Instead, multiple exchange pathways, pauses, and DNA loop types appear to dominate replisome function. These observations suggest we must rethink our fundamental assumptions and acknowledge that each replication cycle may involve sampling of alternative, sometimes parallel, pathways. Here, we review our current mechanistic understanding of DNA replication while highlighting findings that exemplify multi-pathway aspects of replisome function and considering the broader implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias J Scherr
- Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Machines, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Barbara Safaric
- Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Machines, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Karl E Duderstadt
- Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Machines, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
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7
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Benkovic SJ, Spiering MM. Understanding DNA replication by the bacteriophage T4 replisome. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:18434-18442. [PMID: 28972188 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.r117.811208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The T4 replisome has provided a unique opportunity to investigate the intricacies of DNA replication. We present a comprehensive review of this system focusing on the following: its 8-protein composition, their individual and synergistic activities, and assembly in vitro and in vivo into a replisome capable of coordinated leading/lagging strand DNA synthesis. We conclude with a brief comparison with other replisomes with emphasis on how coordinated DNA replication is achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Benkovic
- From the Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Michelle M Spiering
- From the Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
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8
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Coordinated DNA Replication by the Bacteriophage T4 Replisome. Viruses 2015; 7:3186-200. [PMID: 26102578 PMCID: PMC4488733 DOI: 10.3390/v7062766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Revised: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The T4 bacteriophage encodes eight proteins, which are sufficient to carry out coordinated leading and lagging strand DNA synthesis. These purified proteins have been used to reconstitute DNA synthesis in vitro and are a well-characterized model system. Recent work on the T4 replisome has yielded more detailed insight into the dynamics and coordination of proteins at the replication fork. Since the leading and lagging strands are synthesized in opposite directions, coordination of DNA synthesis as well as priming and unwinding is accomplished by several protein complexes. These protein complexes serve to link catalytic activities and physically tether proteins to the replication fork. Essential to both leading and lagging strand synthesis is the formation of a holoenzyme complex composed of the polymerase and a processivity clamp. The two holoenzymes form a dimer allowing the lagging strand polymerase to be retained within the replisome after completion of each Okazaki fragment. The helicase and primase also form a complex known as the primosome, which unwinds the duplex DNA while also synthesizing primers on the lagging strand. Future studies will likely focus on defining the orientations and architecture of protein complexes at the replication fork.
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9
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New insights in pre-replication complex formation with single-molecule visualization. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-015-0815-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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10
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Abstract
A cell can be thought of as a highly sophisticated micro factory: in a pool of billions of molecules - metabolites, structural proteins, enzymes, oligonucleotides - multi-subunit complexes assemble to perform a large number of basic cellular tasks, such as DNA replication, RNA/protein synthesis or intracellular transport. By purifying single components and using them to reconstitute molecular processes in a test tube, researchers have gathered crucial knowledge about mechanistic, dynamic and structural properties of biochemical pathways. However, to sort this information into an accurate cellular road map, we need to understand reactions in their relevant context within the cellular hierarchy, which is at the individual molecule level within a crowded, cellular environment. Reactions occur in a stochastic fashion, have short-lived and not necessarily well-defined intermediates, and dynamically form functional entities. With the use of single-molecule techniques these steps can be followed and detailed kinetic information that otherwise would be hidden in ensemble averaging can be obtained. One of the first complex cellular tasks that have been studied at the single-molecule level is the replication of DNA. The replisome, the multi-protein machinery responsible for copying DNA, is built from a large number of proteins that function together in an intricate and efficient fashion allowing the complex to tolerate DNA damage, roadblocks or fluctuations in subunit concentration. In this review, we summarize advances in single-molecule studies, both in vitro and in vivo, that have contributed to our current knowledge of the mechanistic principles underlying DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Stratmann
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Centre for Synthetic Biology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
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11
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Zhao Y, Chen D, Yue H, Spiering M, Zhao C, Benkovic SJ, Huang TJ. Dark-field illumination on zero-mode waveguide/microfluidic hybrid chip reveals T4 replisomal protein interactions. NANO LETTERS 2014; 14:1952-60. [PMID: 24628474 PMCID: PMC4183369 DOI: 10.1021/nl404802f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The ability of zero-mode waveguides (ZMWs) to guide light energy into subwavelength-diameter cylindrical nanoapertures has been exploited for single-molecule fluorescence studies of biomolecules at micromolar concentrations, the typical dissociation constants for biomolecular interactions. Although epi-fluorescence microscopy is now adopted for ZMW-based imaging as an alternative to the commercialized ZMW imaging platform, its suitability and performance awaits rigorous examination. Here, we present conical lens-based dark-field fluorescence microscopy in combination with a ZMW/microfluidic chip for single-molecule fluorescence imaging. We demonstrate that compared to epi-illumination, the dark-field configuration displayed diminished background and noise and enhanced signal-to-noise ratios. This signal-to-noise ratio for imaging using the dark-field setup remains essentially unperturbed by the presence of background fluorescent molecules at micromolar concentration. Our design allowed single-molecule FRET studies that revealed weak DNA-protein and protein-protein interactions found with T4 replisomal proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhui Zhao
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics and Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Danqi Chen
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics and Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Hongjun Yue
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics and Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Michelle
M. Spiering
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics and Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Chenglong Zhao
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics and Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Stephen J. Benkovic
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics and Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- E-mail: (S.L.B.)
| | - Tony Jun Huang
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics and Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- E-mail: (T.J.H.)
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12
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Duderstadt KE, Reyes-Lamothe R, van Oijen AM, Sherratt DJ. Replication-fork dynamics. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2014; 6:cshperspect.a010157. [PMID: 23881939 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a010157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The proliferation of all organisms depends on the coordination of enzymatic events within large multiprotein replisomes that duplicate chromosomes. Whereas the structure and function of many core replisome components have been clarified, the timing and order of molecular events during replication remains obscure. To better understand the replication mechanism, new methods must be developed that allow for the observation and characterization of short-lived states and dynamic events at single replication forks. Over the last decade, great progress has been made toward this goal with the development of novel DNA nanomanipulation and fluorescence imaging techniques allowing for the direct observation of replication-fork dynamics both reconstituted in vitro and in live cells. This article reviews these new single-molecule approaches and the revised understanding of replisome operation that has emerged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl E Duderstadt
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands
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13
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Chen D, Yue H, Spiering MM, Benkovic SJ. Insights into Okazaki fragment synthesis by the T4 replisome: the fate of lagging-strand holoenzyme components and their influence on Okazaki fragment size. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:20807-20816. [PMID: 23729670 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.485961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we employed a circular replication substrate with a low priming site frequency (1 site/1.1 kb) to quantitatively examine the size distribution and formation pattern of Okazaki fragments. Replication reactions by the T4 replisome on this substrate yielded a patterned series of Okazaki fragments whose size distribution shifted through collision and signaling mechanisms as the gp44/62 clamp loader levels changed but was insensitive to changes in the gp43 polymerase concentration, as expected for a processive, recycled lagging-strand polymerase. In addition, we showed that only one gp45 clamp is continuously associated with the replisome and that no additional clamps accumulate on the DNA, providing further evidence that the clamp departs, whereas the polymerase is recycled upon completion of an Okazaki fragment synthesis cycle. We found no support for the participation of a third polymerase in Okazaki fragment synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danqi Chen
- From 414, Wartik Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Hongjun Yue
- From 414, Wartik Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Michelle M Spiering
- From 414, Wartik Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Stephen J Benkovic
- From 414, Wartik Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802.
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14
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Bacterial replication, transcription and translation: mechanistic insights from single-molecule biochemical studies. Nat Rev Microbiol 2013; 11:303-15. [DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro2994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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15
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Branagan AM, Maher RL, Morrical SW. Assembly and dynamics of Gp59-Gp32-single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), a DNA helicase loading complex required for recombination-dependent replication in bacteriophage T4. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:19070-81. [PMID: 22500043 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.343830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gp59 protein of bacteriophage T4 plays critical roles in recombination-dependent DNA replication and repair by correctly loading the replicative helicase, Gp41, onto recombination intermediates. Previous work demonstrated that Gp59 is required to load helicase onto single-stranded DNA that is saturated with Gp32, the T4 single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding protein. Gp59 and Gp32 bind simultaneously to ssDNA, forming a Gp59-Gp32-ssDNA complex that is a key intermediate in helicase loading. Here we characterize the assembly and dynamics of this helicase loading complex (HLC) through changes in the fluorescent states of Gp32F, a fluorescein-Gp32 conjugate. Results show that HLC formation requires a minimum Gp32-ssDNA cluster size and that Gp59 co-localizes with Gp32-ssDNA clusters in the presence of excess free ssDNA. These and other results indicate that Gp59 targets helicase assembly onto Gp32-ssDNA clusters that form on the displaced strand of D-loops, which suggests a mechanism for the rapid initiation of recombination-dependent DNA replication. Helicase loading at the HLC requires ATP binding (not hydrolysis) by Gp41 and results in local remodeling of Gp32 within the HLC. Subsequent ATPase-driven translocation of Gp41 progressively disrupts Gp32-ssDNA interactions. Evidence suggests that Gp59 from the HLC is recycled to promote multiple rounds of helicase assembly on Gp32-ssDNA, a capability that could be important for the restart of stalled replication forks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Branagan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont 05405, USA
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Zaera
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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17
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Kahra D, Kovermann M, Löw C, Hirschfeld V, Haupt C, Balbach J, Hübner CG. Conformational plasticity and dynamics in the generic protein folding catalyst SlyD unraveled by single-molecule FRET. J Mol Biol 2011; 411:781-90. [PMID: 21596048 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2011.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2011] [Revised: 04/29/2011] [Accepted: 05/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The relation between conformational dynamics and chemistry in enzyme catalysis recently has received increasing attention. While, in the past, the mechanochemical coupling was mainly attributed to molecular motors, nowadays, it seems that this linkage is far more general. Single-molecule fluorescence methods are perfectly suited to directly evidence conformational flexibility and dynamics. By labeling the enzyme SlyD, a member of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases of the FK506 binding protein type with an inserted chaperone domain, with donor and acceptor fluorophores for single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer, we directly monitor conformational flexibility and conformational dynamics between the chaperone domain and the FK506 binding protein domain. We find a broad distribution of distances between the labels with two main maxima, which we attribute to an open conformation and to a closed conformation of the enzyme. Correlation analysis demonstrates that the conformations exchange on a rate in the 100 Hz range. With the aid from Monte Carlo simulations, we show that there must be conformational flexibility beyond the two main conformational states. Interestingly, neither the conformational distribution nor the dynamics is significantly altered upon binding of substrates or other known binding partners. Based on these experimental findings, we propose a model where the conformational dynamics is used to search the conformation enabling the chemical step, which also explains the remarkable substrate promiscuity connected with a high efficiency of this class of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Kahra
- Institut für Physik, Universität zu Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, D-23564 Lübeck, Germany
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18
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Insight into helicase mechanism and function revealed through single-molecule approaches. Q Rev Biophys 2010; 43:185-217. [PMID: 20682090 DOI: 10.1017/s0033583510000107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Helicases are a class of nucleic acid (NA) motors that catalyze NTP-dependent unwinding of NA duplexes into single strands, a reaction essential to all areas of NA metabolism. In the last decade, single-molecule (sm) technology has proven to be highly useful in revealing mechanistic insight into helicase activity that is not always detectable via ensemble assays. A combination of methods based on fluorescence, optical and magnetic tweezers, and flow-induced DNA stretching has enabled the study of helicase conformational dynamics, force generation, step size, pausing, reversal and repetitive behaviors during translocation and unwinding by helicases working alone and as part of multiprotein complexes. The contributions of these sm investigations to our understanding of helicase mechanism and function will be discussed.
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19
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Abstract
Replication of DNA is carried out by the replisome, a multiprotein complex responsible for the unwinding of parental DNA and the synthesis of DNA on each of the two DNA strands. The impressive speed and processivity with which the replisome duplicates DNA are a result of a set of tightly regulated interactions between the replication proteins. The transient nature of these protein interactions makes it challenging to study the dynamics of the replisome by ensemble-averaging techniques. This review describes single-molecule methods that allow the study of individual replication proteins and their functioning within the replisome. The ability to mechanically manipulate individual DNA molecules and record the dynamic behavior of the replisome while it duplicates DNA has led to an improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine M van Oijen
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
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20
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Coupling DNA unwinding activity with primer synthesis in the bacteriophage T4 primosome. Nat Chem Biol 2009; 5:904-12. [PMID: 19838204 PMCID: PMC2784132 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2009] [Accepted: 08/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The unwinding and priming activities of the bacteriophage T4 primosome, which consists of a hexameric helicase (gp41) translocating 5′ to 3′ and an oligomeric primase (gp61) synthesizing primers 5′ to 3′, has been investigated on DNA hairpins manipulated by a magnetic trap. We find that the T4 primosome continuously unwinds the DNA duplex while allowing for primer synthesis through a primosome disassembly mechanism or a novel DNA looping mechanism. A fused gp61-gp41 primosome unwinds and primes DNA exclusively via the DNA looping mechanism. Other proteins within the replisome control the partitioning of these two mechanisms disfavoring primosome disassembly thereby increasing primase processivity. In contrast priming in bacteriophage T7 involves discrete pausing of the primosome and in Escherichia coli appears to be associated primarily with dissociation of the primase from the helicase. Thus nature appears to use several strategies to couple the disparate helicase and primase activities within primosomes.
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21
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Li Y, Qu X, Ma A, Smith GJ, Scherer NF, Dinner AR. Models of single-molecule experiments with periodic perturbations reveal hidden dynamics in RNA folding. J Phys Chem B 2009; 113:7579-90. [PMID: 19415919 DOI: 10.1021/jp900225q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Traditionally, microscopic fluctuations of molecules have been probed by measuring responses of an ensemble to perturbations. Now, single-molecule experiments are capable of following fluctuations without introducing perturbations. However, dynamics not readily sampled at equilibrium should be accessible to nonequilibrium single-molecule measurements. In a recent study [Qu, X. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2008, 105, 6602-6607], the efficiency of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between probes on the L18 loop and 3' terminus of the 260 nucleotide RNase P RNA from Bacillus stearothermophilus was found to exhibit complex kinetics that depended on the (periodically alternating) concentration of magnesium ions ([Mg2+]) in solution. Specifically, this time series was found to exhibit a quasi-periodic response to a square-wave pattern of [Mg2+] changes. Because these experiments directly probe only one of the many degrees of freedom in the macromolecule, models are needed to interpret these data. We find that Hidden Markov Models are inadequate for describing the nonequilibrium dynamics, but they serve as starting points for the construction of models in which a discrete observable degree of freedom is coupled to a continuously evolving (hidden) variable. Consideration of several models of this general form indicates that the quasi-periodic response in the nonequilibrium experiments results from the switching (back and forth) in positions of the minima of the effective potential for the hidden variable. This switching drives oscillation of that variable and synchronizes the population to the changing [Mg2+]. We set the models in the context of earlier theoretical and experimental studies and conclude that single-molecule experiments with periodic peturbations can indeed yield qualitatively new information beyond that obtained at equilibrium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- Department of Physics, James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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22
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Arumugam SR, Lee TH, Benkovic SJ. Investigation of stoichiometry of T4 bacteriophage helicase loader protein (gp59). J Biol Chem 2009; 284:29283-9. [PMID: 19700405 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.029926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The T4 bacteriophage helicase loader (gp59) is one of the main eight proteins that play an active role in the replisome. gp59 is a small protein (26 kDa) that exists as a monomer in solution and in the crystal. It binds preferentially to forked DNA and interacts directly with the T4 helicase (gp41), single-stranded DNA-binding protein (gp32), and polymerase (gp43). However, the stoichiometry and structure of the functional form are not very well understood. There is experimental evidence for a hexameric structure for the helicase (gp41) and the primase (gp61), inferring that the gp59 structure might also be hexameric. Various experimental approaches, including gel shift, fluorescence anisotropy, light scattering, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, have not provided a clearer understanding of the stoichiometry. In this study, we employed single-molecule photobleaching (smPB) experiments to elucidate the stoichiometry of gp59 on a forked DNA and to investigate its interaction with other proteins forming the primosome complex. smPB studies were performed with Alexa 555-labeled gp59 proteins and a forked DNA substrate. Co-localization experiments were performed using Cy5-labeled forked DNA and Alexa 555-labeled gp59 in the presence and absence of gp32 and gp41 proteins. A systematic study of smPB experiments and subsequent data analysis using a simple model indicated that gp59 on the forked DNA forms a hexamer. In addition, the presence of gp32 and gp41 proteins increases the stability of the gp59 complex, emphasizing their functional role in T4 DNA replication machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sri Ranjini Arumugam
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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23
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Perumal SK, Yue H, Hu Z, Spiering MM, Benkovic SJ. Single-molecule studies of DNA replisome function. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2009; 1804:1094-112. [PMID: 19665592 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2009.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2009] [Revised: 07/08/2009] [Accepted: 07/28/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Fast and accurate replication of DNA is accomplished by the interactions of multiple proteins in the dynamic DNA replisome. The DNA replisome effectively coordinates the leading and lagging strand synthesis of DNA. These complex, yet elegantly organized, molecular machines have been studied extensively by kinetic and structural methods to provide an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of DNA replication. Owing to averaging of observables, unique dynamic information of the biochemical pathways and reactions is concealed in conventional ensemble methods. However, recent advances in the rapidly expanding field of single-molecule analyses to study single biomolecules offer opportunities to probe and understand the dynamic processes involved in large biomolecular complexes such as replisomes. This review will focus on the recent developments in the biochemistry and biophysics of DNA replication employing single-molecule techniques and the insights provided by these methods towards a better understanding of the intricate mechanisms of DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senthil K Perumal
- 414 Wartik Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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24
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Nelson SW, Kumar R, Benkovic SJ. RNA primer handoff in bacteriophage T4 DNA replication: the role of single-stranded DNA-binding protein and polymerase accessory proteins. J Biol Chem 2008; 283:22838-46. [PMID: 18511422 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m802762200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In T4 phage, coordinated leading and lagging strand DNA synthesis is carried out by an eight-protein complex termed the replisome. The control of lagging strand DNA synthesis depends on a highly dynamic replisome with several proteins entering and leaving during DNA replication. Here we examine the role of single-stranded binding protein (gp32) in the repetitive cycles of lagging strand synthesis. Removal of the protein-interacting domain of gp32 results in a reduction in the number of primers synthesized and in the efficiency of primer transfer to the polymerase. We find that the primase protein is moderately processive, and this processivity depends on the presence of full-length gp32 at the replication fork. Surprisingly, we find that an increase in the efficiency of primer transfer to the clamp protein correlates with a decrease in the dissociation rate of the primase from the replisome. These findings result in a revised model of lagging strand DNA synthesis where the primase remains as part of the replisome after each successful cycle of Okazaki fragment synthesis. A delay in primer transfer results in an increased probability of the primase dissociating from the replication fork. The interplay between gp32, primase, clamp, and clamp loader dictates the rate and efficiency of primer synthesis, polymerase recycling, and primer transfer to the polymerase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott W Nelson
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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25
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Templated mutagenesis in bacteriophage T4 involving imperfect direct or indirect sequence repeats. Genetics 2008; 178:661-73. [PMID: 18245334 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.107.083444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Some mutations arise in association with a potential sequence donor that consists of an imperfect direct or reverse repeat. Many such mutations are complex; that is, they consist of multiple close sequence changes. Current models posit that the primer terminus of a replicating DNA molecule dissociates, reanneals with an ectopic template, extends briefly, and then returns to the cognate template, bringing with it a locally different sequence; alternatively, a hairpin structure may form the mutational intermediate when processed by mismatch repair. This process resembles replication repair, in which primer extension is blocked by a lesion in the template; in this case, the ectopic template is the other daughter strand, and the result is error-free bypass of the lesion. We previously showed that mutations that impair replication repair can enhance templated mutagenesis. We show here that the intensity of templated mutation can be exquisitely sensitive to its local sequence, that the donor and recipient arms of an imperfect inverse repeat can exchange roles, and that double mutants carrying two alleles, each affecting both templated mutagenesis and replication repair, can have unexpected phenotypes. We also record an instance in which the mutation rates at two particular sites change concordantly with a distant sequence change, but in a manner that appears unrelated to templated mutagenesis.
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26
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Real-time observation of bacteriophage T4 gp41 helicase reveals an unwinding mechanism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:19790-5. [PMID: 18077411 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0709793104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Helicases are enzymes that couple ATP hydrolysis to the unwinding of double-stranded (ds) nucleic acids. The bacteriophage T4 helicase (gp41) is a hexameric helicase that promotes DNA replication within a highly coordinated protein complex termed the replisome. Despite recent progress, the gp41 unwinding mechanism and regulatory interactions within the replisome remain unclear. Here we use a single tethered DNA hairpin as a real-time reporter of gp41-mediated dsDNA unwinding and single-stranded (ss) DNA translocation with 3-base pair (bp) resolution. Although gp41 translocates on ssDNA as fast as the in vivo replication fork ( approximately 400 bp/s), its unwinding rate extrapolated to zero force is much slower ( approximately 30 bp/s). Together, our results have two implications: first, gp41 unwinds DNA through a passive mechanism; second, this weak helicase cannot efficiently unwind the T4 genome alone. Our results suggest that important regulations occur within the replisome to achieve rapid and processive replication.
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27
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Visualizing chemical interactions in life sciences with wide-field fluorescence microscopy towards the single-molecule level. Trends Analyt Chem 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2007.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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28
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Abstract
Recent progress in proteomics suggests that the cell can be conceived as a large network of highly refined, nanomachine-like protein complexes. This working hypothesis calls for new methods capable of analyzing individual protein complexes in living cells and tissues at high speed. Here, we examine whether single-molecule fluorescence (SMF) analysis can satisfy that demand. First, recent technical progress in the visualization, localization, tracking, conformational analysis, and true resolution of individual protein complexes is highlighted. Second, results obtained by the SMF analysis of protein complexes are reviewed, focusing on the nuclear pore complex as an instructive example. We conclude that SMF methods provide powerful, indispensable tools for the structural and functional characterization of protein complexes. However, the transition from in vitro systems to living cells is in the initial stages. We discuss how current limitations in the nanoscopic analysis of living cells and tissues can be overcome to create a new paradigm, nanoscopic biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reiner Peters
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, and Center for Nanotechnology (CeNTech), University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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29
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Roeffaers MBJ, De Cremer G, Uji-i H, Muls B, Sels BF, Jacobs PA, De Schryver FC, De Vos DE, Hofkens J. Single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy in (bio)catalysis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:12603-9. [PMID: 17664433 PMCID: PMC1937513 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0610755104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ever-improving time and space resolution and molecular detection sensitivity of fluorescence microscopy offer unique opportunities to deepen our insights into the function of chemical and biological catalysts. Because single-molecule microscopy allows for counting the turnover events one by one, one can map the distribution of the catalytic activities of different sites in solid heterogeneous catalysts, or one can study time-dependent activity fluctuations of individual sites in enzymes or chemical catalysts. By experimentally monitoring individuals rather than populations, the origin of complex behavior, e.g., in kinetics or in deactivation processes, can be successfully elucidated. Recent progress of temporal and spatial resolution in single-molecule fluorescence microscopy is discussed in light of its impact on catalytic assays. Key concepts are illustrated regarding the use of fluorescent reporters in catalytic reactions. Future challenges comprising the integration of other techniques, such as diffraction, scanning probe, or vibrational methods in single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy are suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten B. J. Roeffaers
- *Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gert De Cremer
- *Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hiroshi Uji-i
- Department of Chemistry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; and
| | - Benîot Muls
- Department of Chemistry, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place L. Pasteur 1, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Bert F. Sels
- *Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pierre A. Jacobs
- *Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frans C. De Schryver
- Department of Chemistry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; and
| | - Dirk E. De Vos
- *Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
- To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail: or
| | - Johan Hofkens
- Department of Chemistry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; and
- To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail: or
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30
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van Oijen AM. Honey, I shrunk the DNA: DNA length as a probe for nucleic-acid enzyme activity. Biopolymers 2007; 85:144-53. [PMID: 17083118 DOI: 10.1002/bip.20624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The replication, recombination, and repair of DNA are processes essential for the maintenance of genomic information and require the activity of numerous enzymes that catalyze the polymerization or digestion of DNA. This review will discuss how differences in elastic properties between single- and double-stranded DNA can be used as a probe to study the dynamics of these enzymes at the single-molecule level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine M van Oijen
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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31
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Nossal NG, Makhov AM, Chastain PD, Jones CE, Griffith JD. Architecture of the Bacteriophage T4 Replication Complex Revealed with Nanoscale Biopointers. J Biol Chem 2007; 282:1098-108. [PMID: 17105722 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m606772200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Our previous electron microscopy of DNA replicated by the bacteriophage T4 proteins showed a single complex at the fork, thought to contain the leading and lagging strand proteins, as well as the protein-covered single-stranded DNA on the lagging strand folded into a compact structure. "Trombone" loops formed from nascent lagging strand fragments were present on a majority of the replicating molecules (Chastain, P., Makhov, A. M., Nossal, N. G., and Griffith, J. D. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 21276-21285). Here we probe the composition of this replication complex using nanoscale DNA biopointers to show the location of biotin-tagged replication proteins. We find that a large fraction of the molecules with a trombone loop had two pointers to polymerase, providing strong evidence that the leading and lagging strand polymerases are together in the replication complex. 6% of the molecules had two loops, and 31% of these had three pointers to biotin-tagged polymerase, suggesting that the two loops result from two fragments that are being extended simultaneously. Under fixation conditions that extend the lagging strand, occasional molecules show two nascent lagging strand fragments, each being elongated by a biotin-tagged polymerase. T4 41 helicase is present in the complex on a large fraction of actively replicating molecules but on a smaller fraction of molecules with a stalled polymerase. Unexpectedly, we found that 59 helicase-loading protein remains on the fork after loading the helicase and is present on molecules with extensive replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy G Nossal
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0830, USA
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32
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van Oijen AM. Single-molecule studies of complex systems: the replisome. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2006; 3:117-25. [PMID: 17245491 DOI: 10.1039/b612545j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A complete, system-level understanding of biological processes requires comprehensive information on the kinetics and thermodynamics of the underlying biochemical reactions. A wide variety of structural, biochemical, and molecular biological techniques have led to a quantitative understanding of the molecular properties and mechanisms essential to the processes of life. Yet, the ensemble averaging inherent to these techniques limits us in understanding the dynamic behavior of the molecular participants. Recent advances in imaging and molecular manipulation techniques have made it possible to observe the activity of individual enzymes and record "molecular movies" that provide insight into their dynamics and reaction mechanisms. An important future goal is extending the applicability of single-molecule techniques to the study of larger, more complex multi-protein systems. In this review, the DNA replication machinery will be used as an example to illustrate recent progress in the development of various single-molecule techniques and its contribution to our understanding of the orchestration of multiple enzymatic processes in large biomolecular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine M van Oijen
- Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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33
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Abstract
Sliding clamps and clamp loaders are processivity factors required for efficient DNA replication. Sliding clamps are ring-shaped complexes that tether DNA polymerases to DNA to increase the processivity of synthesis. Clamp loaders assemble these ring-shaped clamps onto DNA in an ATP-dependent reaction. The overall process of clamp loading is dynamic in that protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions must actively change in a coordinated fashion to complete the mechanical clamp-loading reaction cycle. The clamp loader must initially have a high affinity for both the clamp and DNA to bring these macromolecules together, but then must release the clamp on DNA for synthesis to begin. Evidence is presented for a mechanism in which the clamp-loading reaction comprises a series of binding reactions to ATP, the clamp, DNA, and ADP, each of which promotes some change in the conformation of the clamp loader that alters interactions with the next component of the pathway. These changes in interactions must be rapid enough to allow the clamp loader to keep pace with replication fork movement. This review focuses on the measurement of dynamic and transient interactions required to assemble the Escherichia coli sliding clamp on DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda B Bloom
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0245, USA.
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34
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Affiliation(s)
- R Derike Smiley
- Department of Biochemistry, Box 3711, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
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35
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Nelson SW, Yang J, Benkovic SJ. Site-directed mutations of T4 helicase loading protein (gp59) reveal multiple modes of DNA polymerase inhibition and the mechanism of unlocking by gp41 helicase. J Biol Chem 2006; 281:8697-706. [PMID: 16407253 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m512185200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The T4 helicase loading protein (gp59) interacts with a multitude of DNA replication proteins. In an effort to determine the functional consequences of these protein-protein interactions, point mutations were introduced into the gp59 protein. Mutations were chosen based on the available crystal structure and focused on hydrophobic residues with a high degree of solvent accessibility. Characterization of the mutant proteins revealed a single mutation, Y122A, which is defective in polymerase binding and has weakened affinity for the helicase. The interaction between single-stranded DNA-binding protein and Y122A is unaffected, as is the affinity of Y122A for DNA substrates. When standard concentrations of helicase are employed, Y122A is unable to productively load the helicase onto forked DNA substrates. As a result of the loss of polymerase binding, Y122A cannot inhibit the polymerase during nucleotide idling or prevent it from removing the primer strand of a D-loop. However, Y122A is capable of inhibiting strand displacement synthesis by polymerase. The retention of strand displacement inhibition by Y122A, even in the absence of a gp59-polymerase interaction, indicates that there are two modes of polymerase inhibition by gp59. Inhibition of the polymerase activity only requires gp59 to bind to the replication fork, whereas inhibition of the exonuclease activity requires an interaction between the polymerase and gp59. The inability of Y122A to interact with both the polymerase and the helicase suggests a mechanism for polymerase unlocking by the helicase based on a direct competition between the helicase and polymerase for an overlapping binding site on gp59.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott W Nelson
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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