Distinct function of conserved amino acids in the fingers of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase alpha

DNA Polymerases at the Eukaryotic Replication Fork Thirty Years after: Connection to Cancer

Recent studies on tumor genomes revealed that mutations in genes of replicative DNA polymerases cause a predisposition for cancer by increasing genome instability. The past 10 years have uncovered exciting details about the structure and function of replicative DNA polymerases and the replication fork organization. The principal idea of participation of different polymerases in specific transactions at the fork proposed by Morrison and coauthors 30 years ago and later named "division of labor," remains standing, with an amendment of the broader role of polymerase δ in the replication of both the lagging and leading DNA strands. However, cancer-associated mutations predominantly affect the catalytic subunit of polymerase ε that participates in leading strand DNA synthesis. We analyze how new findings in the DNA replication field help elucidate the polymerase variants' effects on cancer.

Activity and fidelity of human DNA polymerase α depend on primer structure

DNA polymerase α (Polα) plays an important role in genome replication. In a complex with primase, Polα synthesizes chimeric RNA-DNA primers necessary for replication of both chromosomal DNA strands. During RNA primer extension with deoxyribonucleotides, Polα needs to use double-stranded helical substrates having different structures. Here, we provide a detailed structure-function analysis of human Polα's interaction with dNTPs and DNA templates primed with RNA, chimeric RNA-DNA, or DNA. We report the crystal structures of two ternary complexes of the Polα catalytic domain containing dCTP, a DNA template, and either a DNA or an RNA primer. Unexpectedly, in the ternary complex with a DNA:DNA duplex and dCTP, the "fingers" subdomain of Polα is in the open conformation. Polα induces conformational changes in the DNA and hybrid duplexes to produce the universal double helix form. Pre-steady-state kinetic studies indicated for both duplex types that chemical catalysis rather than product release is the rate-limiting step. Moreover, human Polα extended DNA primers with higher efficiency but lower processivity than it did with RNA and chimeric primers. Polα has a substantial propensity to make errors during DNA synthesis, and we observed that its fidelity depends on the type of sugar at the primer 3'-end. A detailed structural comparison of Polα with other replicative DNA polymerases disclosed common features and some differences, which may reflect the specialization of each polymerase in genome replication.

A substitution in the fingers domain of DNA polymerase δ reduces fidelity by altering nucleotide discrimination in the catalytic site

DNA polymerase δ (Pol δ) is one of the major replicative DNA polymerases in eukaryotic cells, catalyzing lagging strand synthesis as well as playing a role in many DNA repair pathways. The catalytic site for polymerization consists of a palm domain and mobile fingers domain that opens and closes each catalytic cycle. We explored the effect of amino acid substitutions in a region of the highly conserved sequence motif B in the fingers domain on replication fidelity. A novel substitution, A699Q, results in a marked increase in mutation rate at the yeast CAN1 locus, and is synthetic lethal with both proofreading deficiency and mismatch repair deficiency. Modeling the A699Q mutation onto the crystal structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pol δ template reveals four potential contacts for A699Q but not for A699. We substituted alanine for each of these residues and determined that an interaction with multiple residues of the N-terminal domain is responsible for the mutator phenotype. The corresponding mutation in purified human Pol δ results in a similar 30-fold increase in mutation frequency when copying gapped DNA templates. Sequence analysis indicates that the most characteristic mutation is a guanine-to-adenine (G to A) transition. The increase in deoxythymidine 5'-triphosphate-G mispairs was confirmed by performing steady state single nucleotide addition studies. Our combined data support a model in which the Ala-to-Gln substitution in the fingers domain of Pol δ results in an interaction with the N-terminal domain that affects the base selectivity of the enzyme.

DNA polymerase delta in DNA replication and genome maintenance

The eukaryotic genome is in a constant state of modification and repair. Faithful transmission of the genomic information from parent to daughter cells depends upon an extensive system of surveillance, signaling, and DNA repair, as well as accurate synthesis of DNA during replication. Often, replicative synthesis occurs over regions of DNA that have not yet been repaired, presenting further challenges to genomic stability. DNA polymerase δ (pol δ) occupies a central role in all of these processes: catalyzing the accurate replication of a majority of the genome, participating in several DNA repair synthetic pathways, and contributing structurally to the accurate bypass of problematic lesions during translesion synthesis. The concerted actions of pol δ on the lagging strand, pol ϵ on the leading strand, associated replicative factors, and the mismatch repair (MMR) proteins results in a mutation rate of less than one misincorporation per genome per replication cycle. This low mutation rate provides a high level of protection against genetic defects during development and may prevent the initiation of malignancies in somatic cells. This review explores the role of pol δ in replication fidelity and genome maintenance.

Modulation of mutagenesis in eukaryotes by DNA replication fork dynamics and quality of nucleotide pools

The rate of mutations in eukaryotes depends on a plethora of factors and is not immediately derived from the fidelity of DNA polymerases (Pols). Replication of chromosomes containing the anti-parallel strands of duplex DNA occurs through the copying of leading and lagging strand templates by a trio of Pols α, δ and ϵ, with the assistance of Pol ζ and Y-family Pols at difficult DNA template structures or sites of DNA damage. The parameters of the synthesis at a given location are dictated by the quality and quantity of nucleotides in the pools, replication fork architecture, transcription status, regulation of Pol switches, and structure of chromatin. The result of these transactions is a subject of survey and editing by DNA repair.

Aberrant DNA replication in cancer

Genomic instability plays an important role in cancer susceptibility, though the mechanics of its development remain unclear. An often-stated hypothesis is that error-prone phenotypes in DNA replication or aberrations in translesion DNA synthesis lead to genomic instability and cancer. Mutations in core DNA replication proteins have been identified in human cancer, although DNA replication is essential for cell proliferation and most mutations eliminating this function are deleterious. With recent developments in this field we review and discuss the possible involvement of DNA replication proteins in carcinogenesis.

The role of DNA polymerase alpha in the control of mutagenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells starved for nutrients

In nature, micro organisms experience numerous environmental stresses and generally grow poorly most of the time. In the last two decades it has become evident that mutations arise not only in actively dividing cells but also in non-replicating or slowly replicating cells starved for nutrients. In yeast, precise base selection and proofreading by replicative DNA polymerases δ and ε keep starvation-associated mutagenesis (SAM) at basal levels. Less is known about the role of replicative DNA polymerase α (Pol α). Here we provide evidence that Pol α is involved in the control of SAM in yeast cells starved for adenine by participation in sporadic replication and/or DNA repair under these conditions.

Regulation of DNA polymerase POLD4 influences genomic instability in lung cancer

Genomic instability is an important factor in cancer susceptibility, but a mechanistic understanding of how it arises remains unclear. We examined hypothesized contributions of the replicative DNA polymerase δ (pol δ) subunit POLD4 to the generation of genomic instability in lung cancer. In examinations of 158 lung cancers and 5 mixtures of 10 normal lungs, cell cycle- and checkpoint-related genes generally showed mRNA expression increases in cancer, whereas POLD4 showed reduced mRNA in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). A fraction of non-small cell lung cancer patients also showed low expression comparable with that in SCLC, which was associated with poor prognosis. The lung cancer cell line ACC-LC-48 was found to have low POLD4 expression, with higher histone H3K9 methylation and lower acetylation in the POLD4 promoter, as compared with the A549 cell line with high POLD4 expression. In the absence of POLD4, pol δ exhibited impaired in vitro DNA synthesis activity. Augmenting POLD4 expression in cells where it was attenuated altered the sensitivity to the chemical carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide. Conversely, siRNA-mediated reduction of POLD4 in cells with abundant expression resulted in a cell cycle delay, checkpoint activation, and an elevated frequency of chromosomal gap/break formation. Overexpression of an engineered POLD4 carrying silent mutations at the siRNA target site rescued these phenotypes, firmly establishing the role of POLD4 in these effects. Furthermore, POLD4 overexpression reduced intrinsically high induction of γ-H2AX, a well-accepted marker of double-stranded DNA breaks. Together, our findings suggest that reduced expression of POLD4 plays a role in genomic instability in lung cancer.

Functions of base selection step in human DNA polymerase alpha

Recent studies have revealed that the base selection step of DNA polymerases (pol) plays a role in prevention of DNA replication errors. We investigated whether base selection is required for the DNA replication fidelity of pol alpha and genomic stability in human cells. We introduced an Leu864 to Phe substitution (L864F) into human pol alpha and performed an in vitro LacZ alpha forward mutation assay. Our results showed that the overall mutation rate was increased by 180-fold as compared to that of the wild-type. Furthermore, steady state kinetics analyses consistently showed that L864F pol alpha had a decreased discrimination ability between correct and incorrect nucleotide incorporation, as well as between matched and mismatched primer termini. L864F pol alpha also exhibited increased translesion activity over the abasic, etheno-A, O(4)-methyl-T, and O(6)-methyl-G sites. In addition, our steady state kinetics analyses supported the finding of increased translesion activity of L864F pol alpha over O(6)-methyl-G. We also established stable clones transfected with pola1L864F utilizing the human cancer cell line HCT116. Using the HPRT gene as a reporter, the spontaneous mutation rate of pola1L864F cells was determined to be 2.4-fold greater than that of wild-type cells. Mutation assays were also carried out using cells transiently transfected with the wild-type or pola1L864F, and increased mutant frequencies were observed in pola1L864F cells under both spontaneous and methyl methanesulfonate-induced conditions. Together, our results indicate that the base selection step in human pol alpha functions to prevent DNA replication errors and maintain genomic integrity in HCT116 cells.

PCNA mono-ubiquitination and activation of translesion DNA polymerases by DNA polymerase {alpha}

Translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) involves PCNA mono-ubiquitination and TLS DNA polymerases (pols). Recent evidence has shown that the mono-ubiquitination is induced not only by DNA damage but also by other factors that induce stalling of the DNA replication fork. We studied the effect of spontaneous DNA replication errors on PCNA mono-ubiquitination and TLS induction. In the pol1L868F strain, which expressed an error-prone pol alpha, PCNA was spontaneously mono-ubiquitinated. Pol alpha L868F had a rate-limiting step at the extension from mismatched primer termini. Electron microscopic observation showed the accumulation of a single-stranded region at the DNA replication fork in yeast cells. For pol alpha errors, pol zeta participated in a generation of +1 frameshifts. Furthermore, in the pol1L868F strain, UV-induced mutations were lower than in the wild-type and a pol delta mutant strain (pol3-5DV), and deletion of the RAD30 gene (pol eta) suppressed this defect. These data suggest that nucleotide misincorporation by pol alpha induces exposure of single-stranded DNA, PCNA mono-ubiquitination and activates TLS pols.

Hypersusceptibility to substrate analogs conferred by mutations in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) contains four structural motifs (A, B, C, and D) that are conserved in polymerases from diverse organisms. Motif B interacts with the incoming nucleotide, the template strand, and key active-site residues from other motifs, suggesting that motif B is an important determinant of substrate specificity. To examine the functional role of this region, we performed "random scanning mutagenesis" of 11 motif B residues and screened replication-competent mutants for altered substrate analog sensitivity in culture. Single amino acid replacements throughout the targeted region conferred resistance to lamivudine and/or hypersusceptibility to zidovudine (AZT). Substitutions at residue Q151 increased the sensitivity of HIV-1 to multiple nucleoside analogs, and a subset of these Q151 variants was also hypersusceptible to the pyrophosphate analog phosphonoformic acid (PFA). Other AZT-hypersusceptible mutants were resistant to PFA and are therefore phenotypically similar to PFA-resistant variants selected in vitro and in infected patients. Collectively, these data show that specific amino acid replacements in motif B confer broad-spectrum hypersusceptibility to substrate analog inhibitors. Our results suggest that motif B influences RT-deoxynucleoside triphosphate interactions at multiple steps in the catalytic cycle of polymerization.

Palm mutants in DNA polymerases alpha and eta alter DNA replication fidelity and translesion activity

We isolated active mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase alpha that were associated with a defect in error discrimination. Among them, L868F DNA polymerase alpha has a spontaneous error frequency of 3 in 100 nucleotides and 570-fold lower replication fidelity than wild-type (WT) polymerase alpha. In vivo, mutant DNA polymerases confer a mutator phenotype and are synergistic with msh2 or msh6, suggesting that DNA polymerase alpha-dependent replication errors are recognized and repaired by mismatch repair. In vitro, L868F DNA polymerase alpha catalyzes efficient bypass of a cis-syn cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer, extending the 3' T 26000-fold more efficiently than the WT. Phe34 is equivalent to residue Leu868 in translesion DNA polymerase eta, and the F34L mutant of S. cerevisiae DNA polymerase eta has reduced translesion DNA synthesis activity in vitro. These data suggest that high-fidelity DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase alpha is required for genomic stability in yeast. The data also suggest that the phenylalanine and leucine residues in translesion and replicative DNA polymerases, respectively, might have played a role in the functional evolution of these enzyme classes.

The alpha4 residues of human DNA topoisomerase IIalpha function in enzymatic activity and anticancer drug sensitivity

We introduced a series of Pro substitutions within and near the alpha4 helix, a part of the breakage/rejoining region, in human DNA topoisomerase IIalpha, and analyzed if this region is involved in determination of anti-cancer drug sensitivity in a temperature- sensitive yeast strain (top2-4 allele). Among the 19 mutants generated, H759P and N770P showed resistance to etoposide and doxorubicin at the non-permissive temperature, where cell growth depends on activity of the human enzyme. For these residues, mutants with an Ala substitution were further created, in which H759A also showed resistance to etoposide. H759P, H759A and N770P were expressed, purified and subjected to in vitro measurement of drug sensitivity. They generated lower amounts of the etoposide-induced cleavable complexes, and were also found to have lower decatenation activity than the wild-type. In the crystal structure, the yeast equivalent of His759 is found in the vicinity of the Arg713, a putative anchoring residue of the 3'-side of cleaved DNA strands. These results suggest that His759 and the other alpha4 helix residues are involved in the enzymatic activity and drug sensitivity of human DNA topoisomerase IIalpha, via interaction with cleaved DNA.

The Gly-952 residue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase alpha is important in discriminating correct deoxyribonucleotides from incorrect ones

Gly-952 is a conserved residue in Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase alpha (pol alpha) that is strictly required for catalytic activity and for genetic complementation of a pol alpha-deficient yeast strain. This study analyzes the role of Gly-952 by characterizing the biochemical properties of Gly-952 mutants. Analysis of the nucleotide incorporation specificity of pol alpha G952A showed that this mutant incorporates nucleotides with extraordinarily low fidelity. In a steady-state kinetic assay to measure nucleotide misincorporation, pol alpha G952A incorporated incorrect nucleotides more efficiently than correct nucleotides opposite template C, G, and T. The fidelity of the G952A mutant polymerase was highest at template A, where the ratio of incorporation of dCMP to dTMP was as high as 0.37. Correct nucleotide insertion was 500- to 3500-fold lower for G952A than for wild type pol alpha, with up to 22-fold increase in pyrimidine misincorporation. The Km for G952A pol alpha bound to mismatched termini T:T, T:C, C:A, and A:C was 71- to 460-fold lower than to a matched terminus. Furthermore, pol alpha G952A preferentially incorporated pyrimidine instead of dAMP opposite an abasic site, cis-syn cyclobutane di-thymine, or (6-4) di-thymine photoproduct. These data demonstrate that Gly-952 is a critical residue for catalytic efficiency and error prevention in S. cerevisiae pol alpha.