Structure and function of DnaA N-terminal domains: specific sites and mechanisms in inter-DnaA interaction and in DnaB helicase loading on oriC

[Modulation of Aggregation and Immunogenicity of a Protein: Based on the Study of Hen Lysozyme]

This study focuses on the modulation of protein aggregation and immunogenicity. As a starting point for investigating long-range interactions within a non-native protein, the effects of perturbing denatured protein states on their aggregation, including the formation of amyloid fibrils, were evaluated. The effects of adducts, sugar modifications, and stabilization on protein aggregation were then examined. We also investigated how protein immunogenicity was affected by enhancing protein conformational stability and other factors.

IHF and Fis as Escherichia coli Cell Cycle Regulators: Activation of the Replication Origin oriC and the Regulatory Cycle of the DnaA Initiator

This review summarizes current knowledge about the mechanisms of timely binding and dissociation of two nucleoid proteins, IHF and Fis, which play fundamental roles in the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in Escherichia coli. Replication is initiated from a unique replication origin called oriC and is tightly regulated so that it occurs only once per cell cycle. The timing of replication initiation at oriC is rigidly controlled by the timely binding of the initiator protein DnaA and IHF to oriC. The first part of this review presents up-to-date knowledge about the timely stabilization of oriC-IHF binding at oriC during replication initiation. Recent advances in our understanding of the genome-wide profile of cell cycle-coordinated IHF binding have revealed the oriC-specific stabilization of IHF binding by ATP-DnaA oligomers at oriC and by an initiation-specific IHF binding consensus sequence at oriC. The second part of this review summarizes the mechanism of the timely regulation of DnaA activity via the chromosomal loci DARS2 (DnaA-reactivating sequence 2) and datA. The timing of replication initiation at oriC is controlled predominantly by the phosphorylated form of the adenosine nucleotide bound to DnaA, i.e., ATP-DnaA, but not ADP-ADP, is competent for initiation. Before initiation, DARS2 increases the level of ATP-DnaA by stimulating the exchange of ADP for ATP on DnaA. This DARS2 function is activated by the site-specific and timely binding of both IHF and Fis within DARS2. After initiation, another chromosomal locus, datA, which inactivates ATP-DnaA by stimulating ATP hydrolysis, is activated by the timely binding of IHF. A recent study has shown that ATP-DnaA oligomers formed at DARS2-Fis binding sites competitively dissociate Fis via negative feedback, whereas IHF regulation at DARS2 and datA still remains to be investigated. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the specific role of IHF and Fis in the regulation of replication initiation and proposes a mechanism for the regulation of timely IHF binding and dissociation at DARS2 and datA.

Single-stranded DNA recruitment mechanism in replication origin unwinding by DnaA initiator protein and HU, an evolutionary ubiquitous nucleoid protein

The Escherichia coli replication origin oriC contains the initiator ATP-DnaA-Oligomerization Region (DOR) and its flanking duplex unwinding element (DUE). In the Left-DOR subregion, ATP-DnaA forms a pentamer by binding to R1, R5M and three other DnaA boxes. The DNA-bending protein IHF binds sequence-specifically to the interspace between R1 and R5M boxes, promoting DUE unwinding, which is sustained predominantly by binding of R1/R5M-bound DnaAs to the single-stranded DUE (ssDUE). The present study describes DUE unwinding mechanisms promoted by DnaA and IHF-structural homolog HU, a ubiquitous protein in eubacterial species that binds DNA sequence-non-specifically, preferring bent DNA. Similar to IHF, HU promoted DUE unwinding dependent on ssDUE binding of R1/R5M-bound DnaAs. Unlike IHF, HU strictly required R1/R5M-bound DnaAs and interactions between the two DnaAs. Notably, HU site-specifically bound the R1-R5M interspace in a manner stimulated by ATP-DnaA and ssDUE. These findings suggest a model that interactions between the two DnaAs trigger DNA bending within the R1/R5M-interspace and initial DUE unwinding, which promotes site-specific HU binding that stabilizes the overall complex and DUE unwinding. Moreover, HU site-specifically bound the replication origin of the ancestral bacterium Thermotoga maritima depending on the cognate ATP-DnaA. The ssDUE recruitment mechanism could be evolutionarily conserved in eubacteria.

Thermotoga maritima oriC involves a DNA unwinding element with distinct modules and a DnaA-oligomerizing region with a novel directional binding mode

Initiation of chromosomal replication requires dynamic nucleoprotein complexes. In most eubacteria, the origin oriC contains multiple DnaA box sequences to which the ubiquitous DnaA initiators bind. In Escherichia coli oriC, DnaA boxes sustain construction of higher-order complexes via DnaA-DnaA interactions, promoting the unwinding of the DNA unwinding element (DUE) within oriC and concomitantly binding the single-stranded DUE to install replication machinery. Despite the significant sequence homologies among DnaA proteins, bacterial oriC sequences are highly diverse. The present study investigated the design of oriC (tma-oriC) from Thermotoga maritima, an evolutionarily ancient eubacterium. The minimal tma-oriC sequence includes a DUE and a flanking region containing five DnaA boxes recognized by the cognate DnaA initiator (tmaDnaA). This DUE was comprised of two distinct functional modules, an unwinding module and a tmaDnaA-binding module. Three direct repeats of the trinucleotide TAG within DUE were essential for both unwinding and single-stranded DUE binding by tmaDnaA complexes constructed on the DnaA boxes. Its surrounding AT-rich sequences stimulated only duplex unwinding. Moreover, head-to-tail oligomers of ATP-bound tmaDnaA were constructed within tma-oriC, irrespective of the directions of the DnaA boxes. This binding mode was considered to be induced by flexible swiveling of DnaA domains III and IV, which were responsible for DnaA-DnaA interactions and DnaA box binding, respectively. Phasing of specific tmaDnaA boxes in tma-oriC DNA was also responsible for unwinding. These findings indicate that a single-stranded DUE recruitment mechanism was responsible for unwinding, and would enhance understanding of the fundamental molecular nature of the origin sequences present in evolutionarily divergent bacteria.

The DNA replication initiation protein DnaD recognises a specific strand of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome origin

Genome replication is a fundamental biological activity shared by all organisms. Chromosomal replication proceeds bidirectionally from origins, requiring the loading of two helicases, one for each replisome. However, the molecular mechanisms underpinning helicase loading at bacterial chromosome origins (oriC) are unclear. Here we investigated the essential DNA replication initiation protein DnaD in the model organism Bacillus subtilis. A set of DnaD residues required for ssDNA binding was identified, and photo-crosslinking revealed that this ssDNA binding region interacts preferentially with one strand of oriC. Biochemical and genetic data support the model that DnaD recognizes a new single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) motif located in oriC, the DnaD Recognition Element (DRE). Considered with single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) imaging of DnaD, we propose that the location of the DRE within oriC orchestrates strand-specific recruitment of helicase during DNA replication initiation. These findings significantly advance our mechanistic understanding of bidirectional replication from a bacterial chromosome origin.

Inhibition of Replication Fork Formation and Progression: Targeting the Replication Initiation and Primosomal Proteins

Over 1.2 million deaths are attributed to multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria each year. Persistence of MDR bacteria is primarily due to the molecular mechanisms that permit fast replication and rapid evolution. As many pathogens continue to build resistance genes, current antibiotic treatments are being rendered useless and the pool of reliable treatments for many MDR-associated diseases is thus shrinking at an alarming rate. In the development of novel antibiotics, DNA replication is still a largely underexplored target. This review summarises critical literature and synthesises our current understanding of DNA replication initiation in bacteria with a particular focus on the utility and applicability of essential initiation proteins as emerging drug targets. A critical evaluation of the specific methods available to examine and screen the most promising replication initiation proteins is provided.

Diverse Mechanisms of Helicase Loading during DNA Replication Initiation in Bacteria

Initiation of DNA replication is required for cell viability and passage of genetic information to the next generation. Studies in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis have established ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities (AAA+) as essential proteins required for loading of the replicative helicase at replication origins. AAA+ ATPases DnaC in E. coli and DnaI in B. subtilis have long been considered the paradigm for helicase loading during replication in bacteria. Recently, it has become increasingly clear that most bacteria lack DnaC/DnaI homologs. Instead, most bacteria express a protein homologous to the newly described DciA (dnaC/dnaI antecedent) protein. DciA is not an ATPase, and yet it serves as a helicase operator, providing a function analogous to that of DnaC and DnaI across diverse bacterial species. The recent discovery of DciA and of other alternative mechanisms of helicase loading in bacteria has changed our understanding of DNA replication initiation. In this review, we highlight recent discoveries, detailing what is currently known about the replicative helicase loading process across bacterial species, and we discuss the critical questions that remain to be investigated.

The Caulobacter crescentus DciA promotes chromosome replication through topological loading of the DnaB replicative helicase at replication forks

The replicative DNA helicase translocates on single-stranded DNA to drive replication forks during chromosome replication. In most bacteria the ubiquitous replicative helicase, DnaB, co-evolved with the accessory subunit DciA, but how they function remains incompletely understood. Here, using the model bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, we demonstrate that DciA plays a prominent role in DNA replication fork maintenance. Cell cycle analyses using a synchronized Caulobacter cell population showed that cells devoid of DciA exhibit a severe delay in fork progression. Biochemical characterization revealed that the DnaB helicase in its default state forms a hexamer that inhibits self-loading onto single-stranded DNA. We found that upon binding to DciA, the DnaB hexamer undergoes conformational changes required for encircling single-stranded DNA, thereby establishing the replication fork. Further investigation of the functional structure of DciA revealed that the C-terminus of DciA includes conserved leucine residues responsible for DnaB binding and is essential for DciA in vivo functions. We propose that DciA stimulates loading of DnaB onto single strands through topological isomerization of the DnaB structure, thereby ensuring fork progression. Given that the DnaB-DciA modules are widespread among eubacterial species, our findings suggest that a common mechanism underlies chromosome replication.

SirA inhibits the essential DnaA:DnaD interaction to block helicase recruitment during Bacillus subtilis sporulation

Bidirectional DNA replication from a chromosome origin requires the asymmetric loading of two helicases, one for each replisome. Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning helicase loading at bacterial chromosome origins is incomplete. Here we report both positive and negative mechanisms for directing helicase recruitment in the model organism Bacillus subtilis. Systematic characterization of the essential initiation protein DnaD revealed distinct protein interfaces required for homo-oligomerization, interaction with the master initiator protein DnaA, and interaction with the helicase co-loader protein DnaB. Informed by these properties of DnaD, we went on to find that the developmentally expressed repressor of DNA replication initiation, SirA, blocks the interaction between DnaD and DnaA, thereby restricting helicase recruitment from the origin during sporulation to inhibit further initiation events. These results advance our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning DNA replication initiation in B. subtilis, as well as guiding the search for essential cellular activities to target for antimicrobial drug design.

The linker domain of the initiator DnaA contributes to its ATP binding and membrane association in E. coli chromosomal replication

DnaA, the initiator of Escherichia coli chromosomal replication, has in its adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) domain residues required for adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) binding and membrane attachment. Here, we show that D118Q substitution in the DnaA linker domain, a domain known to be without major regulatory functions, influences ATP binding of DnaA and replication initiation in vivo. Although initiation defective by itself, overexpression of DnaA(D118Q) caused overinitiation of replication in dnaA46ts cells and prevented cell growth. The growth defect was rescued by overexpressing the initiation inhibitor, SeqA, indicating that the growth inhibition resulted from overinitiation. Small deletions within the linker showed another unexpected phenotype: cellular growth without requiring normal levels of anionic membrane lipids, a property found in DnaA mutated in its ATPase domain. The deleted proteins were defective in association with anionic membrane vesicles. These results show that changes in the linker domain can alter DnaA functions similarly to the previously shown changes in the ATPase domain.

DciA Helicase Operators Exhibit Diversity across Bacterial Phyla

A fundamental requirement for life is the replication of an organism's DNA. Studies in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis have set the paradigm for DNA replication in bacteria. During replication initiation in E. coli and B. subtilis, the replicative helicase is loaded onto the DNA at the origin of replication by an ATPase helicase loader. However, most bacteria do not encode homologs to the helicase loaders in E. coli and B. subtilis. Recent work has identified the DciA protein as a predicted helicase operator that may perform a function analogous to the helicase loaders in E. coli and B. subtilis. DciA proteins, which are defined by the presence of a DUF721 domain (termed the DciA domain herein), are conserved in most bacteria but have only been studied in mycobacteria and gammaproteobacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Vibrio cholerae). Sequences outside the DciA domain in Mycobacterium tuberculosis DciA are essential for protein function but are not conserved in the P. aeruginosa and V. cholerae homologs, raising questions regarding the conservation and evolution of DciA proteins across bacterial phyla. To comprehensively define the DciA protein family, we took a computational evolutionary approach and analyzed the domain architectures and sequence properties of DciA domain-containing proteins across the tree of life. These analyses identified lineage-specific domain architectures among DciA homologs, as well as broadly conserved sequence-structural motifs. The diversity of DciA proteins represents the evolution of helicase operation in bacterial DNA replication and highlights the need for phylum-specific analyses of this fundamental biological process. IMPORTANCE Despite the fundamental importance of DNA replication for life, this process remains understudied in bacteria outside Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. In particular, most bacteria do not encode the helicase-loading proteins that are essential in E. coli and B. subtilis for DNA replication. Instead, most bacteria encode a DciA homolog that likely constitutes the predominant mechanism of helicase operation in bacteria. However, it is still unknown how DciA structure and function compare across diverse phyla that encode DciA proteins. In this study, we performed computational evolutionary analyses to uncover tremendous diversity among DciA homologs. These studies provide a significant advance in our understanding of an essential component of the bacterial DNA replication machinery.

Concerted actions of DnaA complexes with DNA-unwinding sequences within and flanking replication origin oriC promote DnaB helicase loading

Unwinding of the replication origin and loading of DNA helicases underlie the initiation of chromosomal replication. In Escherichia coli, the minimal origin oriC contains a duplex unwinding element (DUE) region and three (Left, Middle, and Right) regions that bind the initiator protein DnaA. The Left/Right regions bear a set of DnaA-binding sequences, constituting the Left/Right-DnaA subcomplexes, while the Middle region has a single DnaA-binding site, which stimulates formation of the Left/Right-DnaA subcomplexes. In addition, a DUE-flanking AT-cluster element (TATTAAAAAGAA) is located just outside of the minimal oriC region. The Left-DnaA subcomplex promotes unwinding of the flanking DUE exposing TT[A/G]T(T) sequences that then bind to the Left-DnaA subcomplex, stabilizing the unwound state required for DnaB helicase loading. However, the role of the Right-DnaA subcomplex is largely unclear. Here, we show that DUE unwinding by both the Left/Right-DnaA subcomplexes, but not the Left-DnaA subcomplex only, was stimulated by a DUE-terminal subregion flanking the AT-cluster. Consistently, we found the Right-DnaA subcomplex–bound single-stranded DUE and AT-cluster regions. In addition, the Left/Right-DnaA subcomplexes bound DnaB helicase independently. For only the Left-DnaA subcomplex, we show the AT-cluster was crucial for DnaB loading. The role of unwound DNA binding of the Right-DnaA subcomplex was further supported by in vivo data. Taken together, we propose a model in which the Right-DnaA subcomplex dynamically interacts with the unwound DUE, assisting in DUE unwinding and efficient loading of DnaB helicases, while in the absence of the Right-DnaA subcomplex, the AT-cluster assists in those processes, supporting robustness of replication initiation.

Negative feedback for DARS2-Fis complex by ATP-DnaA supports the cell cycle-coordinated regulation for chromosome replication

In Escherichia coli, the replication initiator DnaA oscillates between an ATP- and an ADP-bound state in a cell cycle-dependent manner, supporting regulation for chromosome replication. ATP-DnaA cooperatively assembles on the replication origin using clusters of low-affinity DnaA-binding sites. After initiation, DnaA-bound ATP is hydrolyzed, producing initiation-inactive ADP-DnaA. For the next round of initiation, ADP-DnaA binds to the chromosomal locus DARS2, which promotes the release of ADP, yielding the apo-DnaA to regain the initiation activity through ATP binding. This DnaA reactivation by DARS2 depends on site-specific binding of IHF (integration host factor) and Fis proteins and IHF binding to DARS2 occurs specifically during pre-initiation. Here, we reveal that Fis binds to an essential region in DARS2 specifically during pre-initiation. Further analyses demonstrate that ATP-DnaA, but not ADP-DnaA, oligomerizes on a cluster of low-affinity DnaA-binding sites overlapping the Fis-binding region, which competitively inhibits Fis binding and hence the DARS2 activity. DiaA (DnaA initiator-associating protein) stimulating ATP-DnaA assembly enhances the dissociation of Fis. These observations lead to a negative feedback model where the activity of DARS2 is repressed around the time of initiation by the elevated ATP-DnaA level and is stimulated following initiation when the ATP-DnaA level is reduced.

Identification of the Unwinding Region in the Clostridioides difficile Chromosomal Origin of Replication

Faithful DNA replication is crucial for viability of cells across all kingdoms. Targeting DNA replication is a viable strategy for inhibition of bacterial pathogens. Clostridioides difficile is an important enteropathogen that causes potentially fatal intestinal inflammation. Knowledge about DNA replication in this organism is limited and no data is available on the very first steps of DNA replication. Here, we use a combination of in silico predictions and in vitro experiments to demonstrate that C. difficile employs a bipartite origin of replication that shows DnaA-dependent melting at oriC2, located in the dnaA-dnaN intergenic region. Analysis of putative origins of replication in different clostridia suggests that the main features of the origin architecture are conserved. This study is the first to characterize aspects of the origin region of C. difficile and contributes to our understanding of the initiation of DNA replication in clostridia.

Structural ensemble and biological activity of DciA intrinsically disordered region

DciA is a newly discovered bacterial protein involved in loading the replicative helicase DnaB onto DNA at the initiation step of chromosome replication. Its three-dimensional structure is composed of a folded N-terminal domain (residues 1-111) resembling K Homology domains and a long disordered C-terminal tail (residues 112-157) which structure-activity relationship remains to be elucidated. In the present study on Vibrio cholerae DciA, we emphasize the importance of its disordered region to load DnaB onto DNA using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC). Then we characterize the conformational ensemble of the full-length protein using a combination of circular dichroism (CD), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The atomic-level structural ensemble generated by MD simulations is in very good agreement with SAXS data. From initial conformations of the C-terminal tail without any secondary structure, our simulations bring to light several transient helical structures in this segment, which might be molecular recognition features (MoRFs) for the binding to DnaB and its recruitment and loading onto DNA.

DnaB helicase is recruited to the replication initiation complex via binding of DnaA domain I to the lateral surface of the DnaB N-terminal domain

The DNA replication protein DnaA in Escherichia coli constructs higher-order complexes on the origin, oriC, to unwind this region. DnaB helicase is loaded onto unwound oriC via interactions with the DnaC loader and the DnaA complex. The DnaB-DnaC complex is recruited to the DnaA complex via stable binding of DnaB to DnaA domain I. The DnaB-DnaC complex is then directed to unwound oriC via a weak interaction between DnaB and DnaA domain III. Previously, we showed that Phe⁴⁶ in DnaA domain I binds to DnaB. Here, we searched for the DnaA domain I-binding site in DnaB. The DnaB L160A variant was impaired in binding to DnaA complex on oriC but retained its DnaC-binding and helicase activities. DnaC binding moderately stimulated DnaA binding of DnaB L160A, and loading of DnaB L160A onto oriC was consistently and moderately inhibited. In a helicase assay with partly single-stranded DNA bearing a DnaA-binding site, DnaA stimulated DnaB loading, which was strongly inhibited in DnaB L160A even in the presence of DnaC. DnaB L160A was functionally impaired in vivo On the basis of these findings, we propose that DnaB Leu¹⁶⁰ interacts with DnaA domain I Phe⁴⁶ DnaB Leu¹⁶⁰ is exposed on the lateral surface of the N-terminal domain, which can explain unobstructed interactions of DnaA domain I-bound DnaB with DnaC, DnaG primase, and DnaA domain III. We propose a probable structure for the DnaA-DnaB-DnaC complex, which could be relevant to the process of DnaB loading onto oriC.

A novel mode of DnaA-DnaA interaction promotes ADP dissociation for reactivation of replication initiation activity

ATP-DnaA is temporally increased to initiate replication during the cell cycle. Two chromosomal loci, DARS (DnaA-reactivating sequences) 1 and 2, promote ATP-DnaA production by nucleotide exchange of ADP-DnaA for timely initiation. ADP-DnaA complexes are constructed on DARS1 and DARS2, bearing a cluster of three DnaA-binding sequences (DnaA boxes I−III), promoting ADP dissociation. Although DnaA has an AAA+ domain, which ordinarily directs construction of oligomers in a head-to-tail manner, DnaA boxes I and II are oriented oppositely. In this study, we constructed a structural model of a head-to-head dimer of DnaA AAA+ domains, and analyzed residues residing on the interface of the model dimer. Gln208 was specifically required for DARS-dependent ADP dissociation in vitro, and in vivo analysis yielded consistent results. Additionally, ADP release from DnaA protomers bound to DnaA boxes I and II was dependent on Gln208 of the DnaA protomers, and DnaA box III-bound DnaA did not release ADP nor require Gln208 for ADP dissociation by DARS–DnaA complexes. Based on these and other findings, we propose a model for DARS–DnaA complex dynamics during ADP dissociation, and provide novel insight into the regulatory mechanisms of DnaA and the interaction modes of AAA+ domains.

A nucleotide-dependent oligomerization of the Escherichia coli replication initiator DnaA requires residue His136 for remodeling of the chromosomal origin

Escherichia coli replication initiator protein DnaA binds ATP with high affinity but the amount of ATP required to initiate replication greatly exceeds the amount required for binding. Previously, we showed that ATP-DnaA, not ADP-DnaA, undergoes a conformational change at the higher nucleotide concentration, which allows DnaA oligomerization at the replication origin but the association state remains unclear. Here, we used Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) to investigate oligomerization of DnaA in solution. Whereas ADP-DnaA was predominantly monomeric, AMP–PNP–DnaA (a non-hydrolysable ATP-analog bound-DnaA) was oligomeric, primarily dimeric. Functional studies using DnaA mutants revealed that DnaA(H136Q) is defective in initiating replication in vivo. The mutant retains high-affinity ATP binding, but was defective in producing replication-competent initiation complexes. Docking of ATP on a structure of E. coli DnaA, modeled upon the crystallographic structure of Aquifex aeolicus DnaA, predicts a hydrogen bond between ATP and imidazole ring of His136, which is disrupted when Gln is present at position 136. SAXS performed on AMP–PNP–DnaA (H136Q) indicates that the protein has lost its ability to form oligomers. These results show the importance of high ATP in DnaA oligomerization and its dependence on the His136 residue.

The role of Helicobacter pylori DnaA domain I in orisome assembly on a bipartite origin of chromosome replication

The main roles of the DnaA protein are to bind the origin of chromosome replication (oriC), to unwind DNA and to provide a hub for the step-wise assembly of a replisome. DnaA is composed of four domains, with each playing a distinct functional role in the orisome assembly. Out of the four domains, the role of domain I is the least understood and appears to be the most species-specific. To better characterise Helicobacter pylori DnaA domain I, we have constructed a series of DnaA variants and studied their interactions with H. pylori bipartite oriC. We show that domain I is responsible for the stabilisation and organisation of DnaA-oriC complexes and provides cooperativity in DnaA-DNA interactions. Domain I mediates cross-interactions between oriC subcomplexes, which indicates that domain I is important for long-distance DnaA interactions and is essential for orisosme assembly on bipartite origins. HobA, which interacts with domain I, increases the DnaA binding to bipartite oriC; however, it does not stimulate but rather inhibits DNA unwinding. This suggests that HobA helps DnaA to bind oriC, but an unknown factor triggers DNA unwinding. Together, our results indicate that domain I self-interaction is important for the DnaA assembly on bipartite H. pylori oriC.

Cryptic protein interactions regulate DNA replication initiation

DNA replication is a fundamental biological process that is tightly regulated in all cells. In bacteria, DnaA controls when and where replication begins by building a step-wise complex that loads the replicative helicase onto chromosomal DNA. In many low-GC Gram-positive species, DnaA recruits the DnaD and DnaB proteins to function as adaptors to assist in helicase loading. How DnaA, its adaptors and the helicase form a complex at the origin is unclear. We addressed this question using the bacterial two-hybrid assay to determine how the initiation proteins from Bacillus subtilis interact with each other. We show that cryptic interaction sites play a key role in this process and we map these regions for the entire pathway. In addition, we found that the SirA regulator that blocks initiation in sporulating cells binds to a surface on DnaA that overlaps with DnaD. The interaction between DnaA and DnaD was also mapped to the same DnaA surface in the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, demonstrating the broad conservation of this surface. Therefore, our study has unveiled key protein interactions essential for initiation and our approach is widely applicable for mapping interactions in other signaling pathways that are governed by cryptic binding surfaces.

The DnaA AAA+ Domain His136 Residue Directs DnaB Replicative Helicase to the Unwound Region of the Replication Origin, oriC

Chromosomal replication initiation requires dynamic mechanisms in higher-order nucleoprotein complexes that are constructed at the origin of replication. In Escherichia coli, DnaA molecules construct functional oligomers at the origin oriC, enabling localized unwinding of oriC and stable binding of DnaB helicases via multiple domain I molecules of oriC-bound DnaA. DnaA-bound DnaB helicases are then loaded onto the unwound region of oriC for construction of a pair of replisomes for bidirectional replication. However, mechanisms of DnaB loading to the unwound oriC remain largely elusive. In this study, we determined that His136 of DnaA domain III has an important role in loading of DnaB helicases onto the unwound oriC. DnaA H136A mutant protein was impaired in replication initiation in vivo, and in DnaB loading to the unwound oriC in vitro, whereas the protein fully sustained activities for oriC unwinding and DnaA domain I-dependent stable binding between DnaA and DnaB. Functional and structural analyses supported the idea that transient weak interactions between DnaB helicase and DnaA His136 within specific protomers of DnaA oligomers direct DnaB to a region in close proximity to single stranded DNA at unwound oriC bound to DnaA domain III of the DnaA oligomer. The aromatic moiety of His136 is basically conserved at corresponding residues of eubacterial DnaA orthologs, implying that the guidance function of DnaB is common to all eubacterial species.

Initiation of DNA Replication at the Chromosomal Origin of E. coli, oriC

The Escherichia coli chromosomal origin consists of a duplex-unwinding region and a region bearing a DNA-bending protein, IHF-binding site, and clusters of binding sites for the initiator protein DnaA. ATP-DnaA molecules form highly organized oligomers in a process stimulated by DiaA, a DnaA-binding protein. The resultant ATP-DnaA complexes promote local unwinding of oriC with the aid of IHF, for which specific interaction of DnaA with the single-stranded DNA is crucial. DnaA complexes also interact with DnaB helicases bound to DnaC loaders, promoting loading of DnaB onto the unwound DNA strands for bidirectional replication. Initiation of replication is strictly regulated during the cell cycle by multiple regulatory systems for oriC and DnaA. The activity of oriC is regulated by its methylation state, whereas that of DnaA depends on the form of the bound nucleotide. ATP-DnaA can be yielded from initiation-inactive ADP-DnaA in a timely manner depending on specific chromosomal DNA elements termed DARS (DnaA-reactivating sequences). After initiation, DnaA-bound ATP is hydrolyzed by two systems, yielding ADP-DnaA. In this review, these and other mechanisms of initiation and its regulation in E. coli are described.

The Macromolecular Machines that Duplicate the Escherichia coli Chromosome as Targets for Drug Discovery

DNA replication is an essential process. Although the fundamental strategies to duplicate chromosomes are similar in all free-living organisms, the enzymes of the three domains of life that perform similar functions in DNA replication differ in amino acid sequence and their three-dimensional structures. Moreover, the respective proteins generally utilize different enzymatic mechanisms. Hence, the replication proteins that are highly conserved among bacterial species are attractive targets to develop novel antibiotics as the compounds are unlikely to demonstrate off-target effects. For those proteins that differ among bacteria, compounds that are species-specific may be found. Escherichia coli has been developed as a model system to study DNA replication, serving as a benchmark for comparison. This review summarizes the functions of individual E. coli proteins, and the compounds that inhibit them.

The DnaA Tale

More than 50 years have passed since the presentation of the Replicon Model which states that a positively acting initiator interacts with a specific site on a circular chromosome molecule to initiate DNA replication. Since then, the origin of chromosome replication, oriC, has been determined as a specific region that carries sequences required for binding of positively acting initiator proteins, DnaA-boxes and DnaA proteins, respectively. In this review we will give a historical overview of significant findings which have led to the very detailed knowledge we now possess about the initiation process in bacteria using Escherichia coli as the model organism, but emphasizing that virtually all bacteria have DnaA proteins that interacts with DnaA boxes to initiate chromosome replication. We will discuss the dnaA gene regulation, the special features of the dnaA gene expression, promoter strength, and translation efficiency, as well as, the DnaA protein, its concentration, its binding to DnaA-boxes, and its binding of ATP or ADP. Furthermore, we will discuss the different models for regulation of initiation which have been proposed over the years, with particular emphasis on the Initiator Titration Model.

Regulatory dynamics in the ternary DnaA complex for initiation of chromosomal replication in Escherichia coli

In Escherichia coli, the level of the ATP-DnaA initiator is increased temporarily at the time of replication initiation. The replication origin, oriC, contains a duplex-unwinding element (DUE) flanking a DnaA-oligomerization region (DOR), which includes twelve DnaA-binding sites (DnaA boxes) and the DNA-bending protein IHF-binding site (IBS). Although complexes of IHF and ATP-DnaA assembly on the DOR unwind the DUE, the configuration of the crucial nucleoprotein complexes remains elusive. To resolve this, we analyzed individual DnaA protomers in the complex and here demonstrate that the DUE-DnaA-box-R1-IBS-DnaA-box-R5M region is essential for DUE unwinding. R5M-bound ATP-DnaA predominantly promotes ATP-DnaA assembly on the DUE-proximal DOR, and R1-bound DnaA has a supporting role. This mechanism might support timely assembly of ATP-DnaA on oriC. DnaA protomers bound to R1 and R5M directly bind to the unwound DUE strand, which is crucial in replication initiation. Data from in vivo experiments support these results. We propose that the DnaA assembly on the IHF-bent DOR directly binds to the unwound DUE strand, and timely formation of this ternary complex regulates replication initiation. Structural features of oriC support the idea that these mechanisms for DUE unwinding are fundamentally conserved in various bacterial species including pathogens.

The DnaA Cycle in Escherichia coli: Activation, Function and Inactivation of the Initiator Protein

This review summarizes the mechanisms of the initiator protein DnaA in replication initiation and its regulation in Escherichia coli. The chromosomal origin (oriC) DNA is unwound by the replication initiation complex to allow loading of DnaB helicases and replisome formation. The initiation complex consists of the DnaA protein, DnaA-initiator-associating protein DiaA, integration host factor (IHF), and oriC, which contains a duplex-unwinding element (DUE) and a DnaA-oligomerization region (DOR) containing DnaA-binding sites (DnaA boxes) and a single IHF-binding site that induces sharp DNA bending. DiaA binds to DnaA and stimulates DnaA assembly at the DOR. DnaA binds tightly to ATP and ADP. ATP-DnaA constructs functionally different sub-complexes at DOR, and the DUE-proximal DnaA sub-complex contains IHF and promotes DUE unwinding. The first part of this review presents the structures and mechanisms of oriC-DnaA complexes involved in the regulation of replication initiation. During the cell cycle, the level of ATP-DnaA level, the active form for initiation, is strictly regulated by multiple systems, resulting in timely replication initiation. After initiation, regulatory inactivation of DnaA (RIDA) intervenes to reduce ATP-DnaA level by hydrolyzing the DnaA-bound ATP to ADP to yield ADP-DnaA, the inactive form. RIDA involves the binding of the DNA polymerase clamp on newly synthesized DNA to the DnaA-inactivator Hda protein. In datA-dependent DnaA-ATP hydrolysis (DDAH), binding of IHF at the chromosomal locus datA, which contains a cluster of DnaA boxes, results in further hydrolysis of DnaA-bound ATP. SeqA protein inhibits untimely initiation at oriC by binding to newly synthesized oriC DNA and represses dnaA transcription in a cell cycle dependent manner. To reinitiate DNA replication, ADP-DnaA forms oligomers at DnaA-reactivating sequences (DARS1 and DARS2), resulting in the dissociation of ADP and the release of nucleotide-free apo-DnaA, which then binds ATP to regenerate ATP-DnaA. In vivo, DARS2 plays an important role in this process and its activation is regulated by timely binding of IHF to DARS2 in the cell cycle. Chromosomal locations of DARS sites are optimized for the strict regulation for timely replication initiation. The last part of this review describes how DDAH and DARS regulate DnaA activity.

Rv0004 is a new essential member of the mycobacterial DNA replication machinery

DNA replication is fundamental for life, yet a detailed understanding of bacterial DNA replication is limited outside the organisms Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Many bacteria, including mycobacteria, encode no identified homologs of helicase loaders or regulators of the initiator protein DnaA, despite these factors being essential for DNA replication in E. coli and B. subtilis. In this study we discover that a previously uncharacterized protein, Rv0004, from the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis is essential for bacterial viability and that depletion of Rv0004 leads to a block in cell cycle progression. Using a combination of genetic and biochemical approaches, we found that Rv0004 has a role in DNA replication, interacts with DNA and the replicative helicase DnaB, and affects DnaB-DnaA complex formation. We also identify a conserved domain in Rv0004 that is predicted to structurally resemble the N-terminal protein-protein interaction domain of DnaA. Mutation of a single conserved tryptophan within Rv0004’s DnaA N-terminal-like domain leads to phenotypes similar to those observed upon Rv0004 depletion and can affect the association of Rv0004 with DnaB. In addition, using live cell imaging during depletion of Rv0004, we have uncovered a previously unappreciated role for DNA replication in coordinating mycobacterial cell division and cell size. Together, our data support that Rv0004 encodes a homolog of the recently identified DciA family of proteins found in most bacteria that lack the DnaC-DnaI helicase loaders in E. coli and B. subtilis. Therefore, the mechanisms of Rv0004 elucidated here likely apply to other DciA homologs and reveal insight into the diversity of bacterial strategies in even the most conserved biological processes.

DNA is the molecule that encodes all of the genetic information of an organism. In order to pass genes onto the next generation, DNA has to first be copied through a process called DNA replication. Most of the initial studies on bacterial DNA replication were performed in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. While these studies were very informative, there is an increasing appreciation that more distantly related bacteria have diverged from these organisms in even the most fundamental processes. Mycobacteria, a group of bacteria that includes the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, are distantly related to E. coli and B. subtilis and lack some of the proteins used for DNA replication in those model organisms. In this study, we discover that a previously uncharacterized protein in Mycobacteria, named Rv0004, is essential for bacterial viability and involved in DNA replication. Rv0004 is conserved in most bacteria but is absent from E. coli and B. subtilis. Since Rv0004 is essential for mycobacterial viability, this study both identifies a future target for antibiotic therapy and expands our knowledge on the diversity of bacterial DNA replication strategies, which may be applicable to other organisms.

Targeting DNA Replication and Repair for the Development of Novel Therapeutics against Tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease which results in approximately 10 million incident cases and 1.4 million deaths globally each year, making it the leading cause of mortality from infection. An effective frontline combination chemotherapy exists for TB; however, this regimen requires the administration of four drugs in a 2 month long intensive phase followed by a continuation phase of a further 4 months with two of the original drugs, and is only effective for the treatment of drug-sensitive TB. The emergence and global spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) as well as extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains of M. tuberculosis, and the complications posed by co-infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other co-morbidities such as diabetes, have prompted urgent efforts to develop shorter regimens comprising new compounds with novel mechanisms of action. This demands that researchers re-visit cellular pathways and functions that are essential to M. tuberculosis survival and replication in the host but which are inadequately represented amongst the targets of current anti-mycobacterial agents. Here, we consider the DNA replication and repair machinery as a source of new targets for anti-TB drug development. Like most bacteria, M. tuberculosis encodes a complex array of proteins which ensure faithful and accurate replication and repair of the chromosomal DNA. Many of these are essential; so, too, are enzymes in the ancillary pathways of nucleotide biosynthesis, salvage, and re-cycling, suggesting the potential to inhibit replication and repair functions at multiple stages. To this end, we provide an update on the state of chemotherapeutic inhibition of DNA synthesis and related pathways in M. tuberculosis. Given the established links between genotoxicity and mutagenesis, we also consider the potential implications of targeting DNA metabolic pathways implicated in the development of drug resistance in M. tuberculosis, an organism which is unusual in relying exclusively on de novo mutations and chromosomal rearrangements for evolution, including the acquisition of drug resistance. In that context, we conclude by discussing the feasibility of targeting mutagenic pathways in an ancillary, “anti-evolution” strategy aimed at protecting existing and future TB drugs.

X-ray crystal structure of Escherichia coli HspQ, a protein involved in the retardation of replication initiation

The heat shock protein HspQ (YccV) of Escherichia coli has been proposed to participate in the retardation of replication initiation in cells with the dnaA508 allele. In this study, we have determined the 2.5-Å-resolution X-ray structure of the trimer of HspQ, which is also the first structure of a member of the YccV superfamily. The acidic character of the HspQ trimer suggests an interaction surface with basic proteins. From these results, we discuss the cellular function of HspQ, including its relationship with the DnaA508 protein.

The Role of the N-Terminal Domains of Bacterial Initiator DnaA in the Assembly and Regulation of the Bacterial Replication Initiation Complex

The primary role of the bacterial protein DnaA is to initiate chromosomal replication. The DnaA protein binds to DNA at the origin of chromosomal replication (oriC) and assembles into a filament that unwinds double-stranded DNA. Through interaction with various other proteins, DnaA also controls the frequency and/or timing of chromosomal replication at the initiation step. Escherichia coli DnaA also recruits DnaB helicase, which is present in unwound single-stranded DNA and in turn recruits other protein machinery for replication. Additionally, DnaA regulates the expression of certain genes in E. coli and a few other species. Acting as a multifunctional factor, DnaA is composed of four domains that have distinct, mutually dependent roles. For example, C-terminal domain IV interacts with double-stranded DnaA boxes. Domain III drives ATP-dependent oligomerization, allowing the protein to form a filament that unwinds DNA and subsequently binds to and stabilizes single-stranded DNA in the initial replication bubble; this domain also interacts with multiple proteins that control oligomerization. Domain II constitutes a flexible linker between C-terminal domains III–IV and N-terminal domain I, which mediates intermolecular interactions between DnaA and binds to other proteins that affect DnaA activity and/or formation of the initiation complex. Of these four domains, the role of the N-terminus (domains I–II) in the assembly of the initiation complex is the least understood and appears to be the most species-dependent region of the protein. Thus, in this review, we focus on the function of the N-terminus of DnaA in orisome formation and the regulation of its activity in the initiation complex in different bacteria.

Control of Initiation of DNA Replication in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli

Initiation of DNA Replication is tightly regulated in all cells since imbalances in chromosomal copy number are deleterious and often lethal. In bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, at the point of cytokinesis, there must be two complete copies of the chromosome to partition into the daughter cells following division at mid-cell during vegetative growth. Under conditions of rapid growth, when the time taken to replicate the chromosome exceeds the doubling time of the cells, there will be multiple initiations per cell cycle and daughter cells will inherit chromosomes that are already undergoing replication. In contrast, cells entering the sporulation pathway in B. subtilis can do so only during a short interval in the cell cycle when there are two, and only two, chromosomes per cell, one destined for the spore and one for the mother cell. Here, we briefly describe the overall process of DNA replication in bacteria before reviewing initiation of DNA replication in detail. The review covers DnaA-directed assembly of the replisome at oriC and the multitude of mechanisms of regulation of initiation, with a focus on the similarities and differences between E. coli and B. subtilis.

Cooperative DnaA Binding to the Negatively Supercoiled datA Locus Stimulates DnaA-ATP Hydrolysis

Timely initiation of replication in Escherichia coli requires functional regulation of the replication initiator, ATP-DnaA. The cellular level of ATP-DnaA increases just before initiation, after which its level decreases through hydrolysis of DnaA-bound ATP, yielding initiation-inactive ADP-DnaA. Previously, we reported a novel DnaA-ATP hydrolysis system involving the chromosomal locus datA and named it datA-dependent DnaA-ATP hydrolysis (DDAH). The datA locus contains a binding site for a nucleoid-associating factor integration host factor (IHF) and a cluster of three known DnaA-binding sites, which are important for DDAH. However, the mechanisms underlying the formation and regulation of the datA-IHF·DnaA complex remain unclear. We now demonstrate that a novel DnaA box within datA is essential for ATP-DnaA complex formation and DnaA-ATP hydrolysis. Specific DnaA residues, which are important for interaction with bound ATP and for head-to-tail inter-DnaA interaction, were also required for ATP-DnaA-specific oligomer formation on datA Furthermore, we show that negative DNA supercoiling of datA stabilizes ATP-DnaA oligomers, and stimulates datA-IHF interaction and DnaA-ATP hydrolysis. Relaxation of DNA supercoiling by the addition of novobiocin, a DNA gyrase inhibitor, inhibits datA function in cells. On the basis of these results, we propose a mechanistic model of datA-IHF·DnaA complex formation and DNA supercoiling-dependent regulation for DDAH.

Near-atomic structural model for bacterial DNA replication initiation complex and its functional insights

Upon DNA replication initiation in Escherichia coli, the initiator protein DnaA forms higher-order complexes with the chromosomal origin oriC and a DNA-bending protein IHF. Although tertiary structures of DnaA and IHF have previously been elucidated, dynamic structures of oriC-DnaA-IHF complexes remain unknown. Here, combining computer simulations with biochemical assays, we obtained models at almost-atomic resolution for the central part of the oriC-DnaA-IHF complex. This complex can be divided into three subcomplexes; the left and right subcomplexes include pentameric DnaA bound in a head-to-tail manner and the middle subcomplex contains only a single DnaA. In the left and right subcomplexes, DnaA ATPases associated with various cellular activities (AAA+) domain III formed helices with specific structural differences in interdomain orientations, provoking a bend in the bound DNA. In the left subcomplex a continuous DnaA chain exists, including insertion of IHF into the DNA looping, consistent with the DNA unwinding function of the complex. The intervening spaces in those subcomplexes are crucial for DNA unwinding and loading of DnaB helicases. Taken together, this model provides a reasonable near-atomic level structural solution of the initiation complex, including the dynamic conformations and spatial arrangements of DnaA subcomplexes.

Replisome Assembly at Bacterial Chromosomes and Iteron Plasmids

The proper initiation and occurrence of DNA synthesis depends on the formation and rearrangements of nucleoprotein complexes within the origin of DNA replication. In this review article, we present the current knowledge on the molecular mechanism of replication complex assembly at the origin of bacterial chromosome and plasmid replicon containing direct repeats (iterons) within the origin sequence. We describe recent findings on chromosomal and plasmid replication initiators, DnaA and Rep proteins, respectively, and their sequence-specific interactions with double- and single-stranded DNA. Also, we discuss the current understanding of the activities of DnaA and Rep proteins required for replisome assembly that is fundamental to the duplication and stability of genetic information in bacterial cells.

Characterization of newly identified DnaA and DnaB proteins from Acetobacter

Although chromosomal replication is an essential feature of the bacterial life cycle, the replication mechanism and involved molecular players have never been properly characterized in the Acetobacter genera. Thanks to whole-genome sequencing, the unknown replication proteins from Acetobacter pasteurianus and Acetobacter orleanensis, DnaA-like and DnaB-like, could be identified. Despite the low nucleotide or amino acid similarity to the respective orthologs from Escherichia coli, their involvement during replication regulation was corroborated by artificial microRNA. In the Acetobacter genome, a novel replication origin, oriAo, was detected with three 9-nucleotide-long DnaA boxes to which DnaA-like proteins bind actively. Bacterial two-hybrid systems and co-immunoprecipitation confirmed the homologous and heterologous interactions between DnaA-like and DnaB-like proteins with their E. coli orthologs. This communication is due to the conserved tryptophan at position 6 for E. coli or 25 for Acetobacter that unables DnaA-like proteins to form oligomeric protein structures after its substitution. Altogether, these results provide novel insights into the genome replication mechanism in Acetobacter.

The E. coli DNA Replication Fork

DNA replication in Escherichia coli initiates at oriC, the origin of replication and proceeds bidirectionally, resulting in two replication forks that travel in opposite directions from the origin. Here, we focus on events at the replication fork. The replication machinery (or replisome), first assembled on both forks at oriC, contains the DnaB helicase for strand separation, and the DNA polymerase III holoenzyme (Pol III HE) for DNA synthesis. DnaB interacts transiently with the DnaG primase for RNA priming on both strands. The Pol III HE is made up of three subassemblies: (i) the αɛθ core polymerase complex that is present in two (or three) copies to simultaneously copy both DNA strands, (ii) the β2 sliding clamp that interacts with the core polymerase to ensure its processivity, and (iii) the seven-subunit clamp loader complex that loads β2 onto primer-template junctions and interacts with the α polymerase subunit of the core and the DnaB helicase to organize the two (or three) core polymerases. Here, we review the structures of the enzymatic components of replisomes, and the protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions that ensure they remain intact while undergoing substantial dynamic changes as they function to copy both the leading and lagging strands simultaneously during coordinated replication.

Replication Initiation in Bacteria

The initiation of chromosomal DNA replication starts at a replication origin, which in bacteria is a discrete locus that contains DNA sequence motifs recognized by an initiator protein whose role is to assemble the replication fork machinery at this site. In bacteria with a single chromosome, DnaA is the initiator and is highly conserved in all bacteria. As an adenine nucleotide binding protein, DnaA bound to ATP is active in the assembly of a DnaA oligomer onto these sites. Other proteins modulate DnaA oligomerization via their interaction with the N-terminal region of DnaA. Following the DnaA-dependent unwinding of an AT-rich region within the replication origin, DnaA then mediates the binding of DnaB, the replicative DNA helicase, in a complex with DnaC to form an intermediate named the prepriming complex. In the formation of this intermediate, the helicase is loaded onto the unwound region within the replication origin. As DnaC bound to DnaB inhibits its activity as a DNA helicase, DnaC must dissociate to activate DnaB. Apparently, the interaction of DnaB with primase (DnaG) and primer formation leads to the release of DnaC from DnaB, which is coordinated with or followed by translocation of DnaB to the junction of the replication fork. There, DnaB is able to coordinate its activity as a DNA helicase with the cellular replicase, DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, which uses the primers made by primase for leading strand DNA synthesis.

The Escherichia coli Cryptic Prophage Protein YfdR Binds to DnaA and Initiation of Chromosomal Replication Is Inhibited by Overexpression of the Gene Cluster yfdQ-yfdR-yfdS-yfdT

The initiation of bacterial chromosomal replication is regulated by multiple pathways. To explore novel regulators, we isolated multicopy suppressors for the cold-sensitive hda-185 ΔsfiA(sulA) mutant. Hda is crucial for the negative regulation of the initiator DnaA and the hda-185 mutation causes severe replication overinitiation at the replication origin oriC. The SOS-associated division inhibitor SfiA inhibits FtsZ ring formation, an essential step for cell division regulation during the SOS response, and ΔsfiA enhances the cold sensitivity of hda-185 cells in colony formation. One of the suppressors comprised the yfdQ-yfdR-yfdS-yfdT gene cluster carried on a cryptic prophage. Increased copy numbers of yfdQRT or yfdQRS inhibited not only hda-185-dependent overinitiation, but also replication overinitiation in a hyperactive dnaA mutant, and in a mutant lacking an oriC-binding initiation-inhibitor SeqA. In addition, increasing the copy number of the gene set inhibited the growth of cells bearing specific, initiation-impairing dnaA mutations. In wild-type cells, multicopy supply of yfdQRT or yfdQRS also inhibited replication initiation and increased hydroxyurea (HU)-resistance, as seen in cells lacking DiaA, a stimulator of DnaA assembly on oriC. Deletion of the yfdQ-yfdR-yfdS-yfdT genes did not affect either HU resistance or initiation regulation. Furthermore, we found that DnaA bound specifically to YfdR in soluble protein extracts oversupplied with YfdQRST. Purified YfdR also bound to DnaA, and DnaA Phe46, an amino acid residue crucial for DnaA interactions with DiaA and DnaB replicative helicase was important for this interaction. Consistently, YfdR moderately inhibited DiaA-DnaA and DnaB-DnaA interactions. In addition, protein extracts oversupplied with YfdQRST inhibited replication initiation in vitro. Given the roles of yfdQ and yfdS in cell tolerance to specific environmental stresses, the yfdQ-yfdR-yfdS-yfdT genes might downregulate the initiator DnaA-oriC complex under specific growth conditions.

Structural Mechanisms of Hexameric Helicase Loading, Assembly, and Unwinding

Hexameric helicases control both the initiation and the elongation phase of DNA replication. The toroidal structure of these enzymes provides an inherent challenge in the opening and loading onto DNA at origins, as well as the conformational changes required to exclude one strand from the central channel and activate DNA unwinding. Recently, high-resolution structures have not only revealed the architecture of various hexameric helicases but also detailed the interactions of DNA within the central channel, as well as conformational changes that occur during loading. This structural information coupled with advanced biochemical reconstitutions and biophysical methods have transformed our understanding of the dynamics of both the helicase structure and the DNA interactions required for efficient unwinding at the replisome.

Identification of the Replication Origins from Cyanothece ATCC 51142 and Their Interactions with the DnaA Protein: From In Silico to In Vitro Studies

Based on the complete genome of Cyanothece ATCC 51142, the oriCs of both the circular and linear chromosomes in Cyanothece ATCC 51142 have been predicted by utilizing a web-based system Ori-Finder. Here, we provide experimental support for the results of Ori-Finder to identify the replication origins of Cyanothece ATCC 51142 and their interactions with the initiator protein, DnaA. The two replication origins are composed of three characteristically arranged DnaA boxes and an AT-rich stretch, and the oriC in the circular chromosome is followed by the dnaN gene. The dnaA gene is located downstream of the origin of the circular chromosome and it expresses a typical DnaA protein that is divided into four domains (I, II, III, IV), as with other members of the DnaA protein family. We purify DnaA (IV) and characterize the interaction of the purified protein with the replication origins, so as to offer experimental support for the prediction. The results of the electrophoretic mobility shift assay and DNase I footprint assay demonstrate that the C-terminal domain of the DnaA protein from Cyanothece ATCC 51142 specifically binds the oriCs of both the circular and linear chromosomes, and the DNase I footprint assay demonstrates that DnaA (IV) exhibits hypersensitive affinity with DnaA boxes in both oriCs.

Nucleotide-Induced Conformational Changes in Escherichia coli DnaA Protein Are Required for Bacterial ORC to Pre-RC Conversion at the Chromosomal Origin

DnaA oligomerizes when bound to origins of chromosomal replication. Structural analysis of a truncated form of DnaA from Aquifex aeolicus has provided insight into crucial conformational differences within the AAA+ domain that are specific to the ATP- versus ADP- bound form of DnaA. In this study molecular docking of ATP and ADP onto Escherichia coli DnaA, modeled on the crystal structure of Aquifex aeolicus DnaA, reveals changes in the orientation of amino acid residues within or near the vicinity of the nucleotide-binding pocket. Upon limited proteolysis with trypsin or chymotrypsin ADP-DnaA, but not ATP-DnaA generated relatively stable proteolytic fragments of various sizes. Examined sites of limited protease susceptibility that differ between ATP-DnaA and ADP-DnaA largely reside in the amino terminal half of DnaA. The concentration of adenine nucleotide needed to induce conformational changes, as detected by these protease susceptibilities of DnaA, coincides with the conversion of an inactive bacterial origin recognition complex (bORC) to a replication efficient pre-replication complex (pre-RC) at the E. coli chromosomal origin of replication (oriC).

Initiation of DNA Replication

In recent years it has become clear that complex regulatory circuits control the initiation step of DNA replication by directing the assembly of a multicomponent molecular machine (the orisome) that separates DNA strands and loads replicative helicase at oriC, the unique chromosomal origin of replication. This chapter discusses recent efforts to understand the regulated protein-DNA interactions that are responsible for properly timed initiation of chromosome replication. It reviews information about newly identified nucleotide sequence features within Escherichia coli oriC and the new structural and biochemical attributes of the bacterial initiator protein DnaA. It also discusses the coordinated mechanisms that prevent improperly timed DNA replication. Identification of the genes that encoded the initiators came from studies on temperature-sensitive, conditional-lethal mutants of E. coli, in which two DNA replication-defective phenotypes, "immediate stop" mutants and "delayed stop" mutants, were identified. The kinetics of the delayed stop mutants suggested that the defective gene products were required specifically for the initiation step of DNA synthesis, and subsequently, two genes, dnaA and dnaC, were identified. The DnaA protein is the bacterial initiator, and in E. coli, the DnaC protein is required to load replicative helicase. Regulation of DnaA accessibility to oriC, the ordered assembly and disassembly of a multi-DnaA complex at oriC, and the means by which DnaA unwinds oriC remain important questions to be answered and the chapter discusses the current state of knowledge on these topics.

Choosing a suitable method for the identification of replication origins in microbial genomes

As the replication of genomic DNA is arguably the most important task performed by a cell and given that it is controlled at the initiation stage, the events that occur at the replication origin play a central role in the cell cycle. Making sense of DNA replication origins is important for improving our capacity to study cellular processes and functions in the regulation of gene expression, genome integrity in much finer detail. Thus, clearly comprehending the positions and sequences of replication origins which are fundamental to chromosome organization and duplication is the first priority of all. In view of such important roles of replication origins, tremendous work has been aimed at identifying and testing the specificity of replication origins. A number of computational tools based on various skew types have been developed to predict replication origins. Using various in silico approaches such as Ori-Finder, and databases such as DoriC, researchers have predicted the locations of replication origins sites for thousands of bacterial chromosomes and archaeal genomes. Based on the predicted results, we should choose an effective method for identifying and confirming the interactions at origins of replication. Here we describe the main existing experimental methods that aimed to determine the replication origin regions and list some of the many the practical applications of these methods.

N-terminal-mediated oligomerization of DnaA drives the occupancy-dependent rejuvenation of the protein on the membrane

Initiation of DNA replication in bacteria requires recharging of DnaA with ATP. We demonstrate in the present study that this process involves the N-terminal domain-mediated oligomerization of the protein on the membrane, which can be modelled as a surface density-driven phase transition switch.

DnaA, the initiator of chromosome replication in most known eubacteria species, is activated once per cell division cycle. Its overall activity cycle is driven by ATP hydrolysis and ADP–ATP exchange. The latter can be promoted by binding to specific sequences on the chromosome and/or to acidic phospholipids in the membrane. We have previously shown that the transition into an active form (rejuvenation) is strongly co-operative with respect to DnaA membrane occupancy. Only at low membrane occupancy is DnaA reactivation efficiently catalysed by the acidic phospholipids. The present study was aimed at unravelling the molecular mechanism underlying the occupancy-dependent DnaA rejuvenation. We found that truncation of the DnaA N-terminal completely abolishes the co-operative transformation between the high and low occupancy states (I and II respectively) without affecting the membrane binding. The environmentally sensitive fluorophore specifically attached to the N-terminal cysteines of DnaA reported on occupancy-correlated changes in its vicinity. Cross-linking of DnaA with a short homobifunctional reagent revealed that state II of the protein on the membrane corresponds to a distinct oligomeric form of DnaA. The kinetic transition of DnaA on the membrane surface is described in the present study by a generalized 2D condensation phase transition model, confirming the existence of two states of DnaA on the membrane and pointing to the possibility that membrane protein density serves as an on-off switch in vivo. We conclude that the DnaA conformation attained at low surface density drives its N-terminal-mediated oligomerization, which is presumably a pre-requisite for facilitated nt exchange.

The Arg Fingers of Key DnaA Protomers Are Oriented Inward within the Replication Origin oriC and Stimulate DnaA Subcomplexes in the Initiation Complex

ATP-DnaA binds to multiple DnaA boxes in the Escherichia coli replication origin (oriC) and forms left-half and right-half subcomplexes that promote DNA unwinding and DnaB helicase loading. DnaA forms homo-oligomers in a head-to-tail manner via interactions between the bound ATP and Arg-285 of the adjacent protomer. DnaA boxes R1 and R4 reside at the outer edges of the DnaA-binding region and have opposite orientations. In this study, roles for the protomers bound at R1 and R4 were elucidated using chimeric DnaA molecules that had alternative DNA binding sequence specificity and chimeric oriC molecules bearing the alternative DnaA binding sequence at R1 or R4. In vitro, protomers at R1 and R4 promoted initiation regardless of whether the bound nucleotide was ADP or ATP. Arg-285 was shown to play an important role in the formation of subcomplexes that were active in oriC unwinding and DnaB loading. The results of in vivo analysis using the chimeric molecules were consistent with the in vitro data. Taken together, the data suggest a model in which DnaA subcomplexes form in symmetrically opposed orientations and in which the Arg-285 fingers face inward to mediate interactions with adjacent protomers. This mode is consistent with initiation regulation by ATP-DnaA and bidirectional loading of DnaB helicases.

Recoded organisms engineered to depend on synthetic amino acids

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are increasingly used in research and industrial systems to produce high-value pharmaceuticals, fuels, and chemicals¹. Genetic isolation and intrinsic biocontainment would provide essential biosafety measures to secure these closed systems and enable safe applications of GMOs in open systems^2,3, which include bioremediation⁴ and probiotics⁵. Although safeguards have been designed to control cell growth by essential gene regulation⁶, inducible toxin switches⁷, and engineered auxotrophies⁸, these approaches are compromised by cross-feeding of essential metabolites, leaked expression of essential genes, or genetic mutations^9,10. Here, we describe the construction of a series of genomically recoded organisms (GROs)¹¹ whose growth is restricted by the expression of multiple essential genes that depend on exogenously supplied synthetic amino acids (sAAs). We introduced a Methanocaldococcus jannaschii tRNA:aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS) pair into the chromosome of a GRO that lacks all TAG codons and release factor 1, endowing this organism with the orthogonal translational components to convert TAG into a dedicated sense codon for sAAs. Using multiplex automated genome engineering (MAGE)¹², we introduced in-frame TAG codons into 22 essential genes, linking their expression to the incorporation of synthetic phenylalanine-derived amino acids. Of the 60 sAA-dependent variants isolated, a notable strain harboring 3 TAG codons in conserved functional residues¹³ of MurG, DnaA and SerS and containing targeted tRNA deletions maintained robust growth and exhibited undetectable escape frequencies upon culturing ∼10¹¹ cells on solid media for seven days or in liquid media for 20 days. This is a significant improvement over existing biocontainment approaches^2,3,6-10. We constructed synthetic auxotrophs dependent on sAAs that were not rescued by cross-feeding in environmental growth assays. These auxotrophic GROs possess alternate genetic codes that impart genetic isolation by impeding horizontal gene transfer¹¹ and now depend on the use of synthetic biochemical building blocks, advancing orthogonal barriers between engineered organisms and the environment.

oriC-encoded instructions for the initiation of bacterial chromosome replication

Replication of the bacterial chromosome initiates at a single origin of replication that is called oriC. This occurs via the concerted action of numerous proteins, including DnaA, which acts as an initiator. The origin sequences vary across species, but all bacterial oriCs contain the information necessary to guide assembly of the DnaA protein complex at oriC, triggering the unwinding of DNA and the beginning of replication. The requisite information is encoded in the unique arrangement of specific sequences called DnaA boxes, which form a framework for DnaA binding and assembly. Other crucial sequences of bacterial origin include DNA unwinding element (DUE, which designates the site at which oriC melts under the influence of DnaA) and binding sites for additional proteins that positively or negatively regulate the initiation process. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge and understanding of the information encoded in bacterial origins of chromosomal replication, particularly in the context of replication initiation and its regulation. We show that oriC encoded instructions allow not only for initiation but also for precise regulation of replication initiation and coordination of chromosomal replication with the cell cycle (also in response to environmental signals). We focus on Escherichia coli, and then expand our discussion to include several other microorganisms in which additional regulatory proteins have been recently shown to be involved in coordinating replication initiation to other cellular processes (e.g., Bacillus, Caulobacter, Helicobacter, Mycobacterium, and Streptomyces). We discuss diversity of bacterial oriC regions with the main focus on roles of individual DNA recognition sequences at oriC in binding the initiator and regulatory proteins as well as the overall impact of these proteins on the formation of initiation complex.

Two replication initiators - one mechanism for replication origin opening?

DNA replication initiation has been well-characterized; however, studies in the past few years have shown that there are still important discoveries to be made. Recent publications concerning the bacterial DnaA protein have revealed how this replication initiator, via interaction with specific sequences within the origin region, causes local destabilization of double stranded DNA. Observations made in the context of this bacterial initiator have also been converging with those recently made for plasmid Rep proteins. In this mini review we discuss the relevance of new findings for the RK2 plasmid replication initiator, TrfA, with regard to new data on the structure of complexes formed by the chromosomal replication initiator DnaA. We discuss structure-function relationships of replication initiation proteins.

Structure and interactions of the Bacillus subtilis sporulation inhibitor of DNA replication, SirA, with domain I of DnaA

Chromosome copy number in cells is controlled so that the frequency of initiation of DNA replication matches that of cell division. In bacteria, this is achieved through regulation of the interaction between the initiator protein DnaA and specific DNA elements arrayed at the origin of replication. DnaA assembles at the origin and promotes DNA unwinding and the assembly of a replication initiation complex. SirA is a DnaA-interacting protein that inhibits initiation of replication in diploid Bacillus subtilis cells committed to the developmental pathway leading to formation of a dormant spore. Here we present the crystal structure of SirA in complex with the N-terminal domain of DnaA revealing a heterodimeric complex. The interacting surfaces of both proteins are α-helical with predominantly apolar side-chains packing in a hydrophobic interface. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments confirm the importance of this interface for the interaction of the two proteins in vitro and in vivo. Localization of GFP-SirA indicates that the protein accumulates at the replisome in sporulating cells, likely through a direct interaction with DnaA. The SirA interacting surface of DnaA corresponds closely to the HobA-interacting surface of DnaA from Helicobacter pylori even though HobA is an activator of DnaA and SirA is an inhibitor.