Unique features of the mitochondrial rolling circle-plasmid mp1 from the higher plant Chenopodium album (L.)

Acidic pH Decreases the Endonuclease Activity of Initiator RepB and Increases the Stability of the Covalent RepB-DNA Intermediate while Has Only a Limited Effect on the Replication of Plasmid pMV158 in Lactococcus lactis

Plasmid vectors constitute a valuable tool for homologous and heterologous gene expression, for characterization of promoter and regulatory regions, and for genetic manipulation and labeling of bacteria. During the last years, a series of vectors based on promiscuous replicons of the pMV158 family have been developed for their employment in a variety of Gram-positive bacteria and proved to be useful for all above applications in lactic acid bacteria. A proper use of the plasmid vectors requires detailed knowledge of their main replicative features under the changing growth conditions of the studied bacteria, such as the acidification of the culture medium by lactic acid production. Initiation of pMV158 rolling-circle replication is catalyzed by the plasmid-encoded RepB protein, which performs a sequence-specific cleavage on one of the parental DNA strands and, as demonstrated in this work, establishes a covalent bond with the 5′-P end generated in the DNA. This covalent adduct must last until the leading-strand termination stage, where a new cleavage on the regenerated nick site and a subsequent strand-transfer reaction result in rejoining of the ends of the cleaved parental strand, whereas hydrolysis of the newly-generated adduct would release the protein from a nicked double-stranded DNA plasmid form. We have analyzed here the effect of pH on the different in vitro reactions catalyzed by RepB and on the in vivo replication ability of plasmid pMV158. We show that acidic pH greatly impairs the catalytic activity of the protein and reduces hydrolysis of the covalent RepB-DNA adduct, as expected for the nucleophilic nature of these reactions. Conversely, the ability of pMV158 to replicate in vivo, as monitored by the copy number and segregational stability of the plasmid in Lactococcus lactis, remains almost intact at extracellular pHs ranging from 7.0 to 5.0, and a significant reduction (by ∼50%) in the plasmid copy number per chromosome equivalent is only observed at pH 4.5. Moreover, the RepB to pMV158 molar ratio is increased at pH 4.5, suggesting the existence of compensatory mechanisms that operate in vivo to allow pMV158 replication at pH values that severely disturb the catalytic activity of the initiator protein.

Plasmid Rolling-Circle Replication

Plasmids are DNA entities that undergo controlled replication independent of the chromosomal DNA, a crucial step that guarantees the prevalence of the plasmid in its host. DNA replication has to cope with the incapacity of the DNA polymerases to start de novo DNA synthesis, and different replication mechanisms offer diverse solutions to this problem. Rolling-circle replication (RCR) is a mechanism adopted by certain plasmids, among other genetic elements, that represents one of the simplest initiation strategies, that is, the nicking by a replication initiator protein on one parental strand to generate the primer for leading-strand initiation and a single priming site for lagging-strand synthesis. All RCR plasmid genomes consist of a number of basic elements: leading strand initiation and control, lagging strand origin, phenotypic determinants, and mobilization, generally in that order of frequency. RCR has been mainly characterized in Gram-positive bacterial plasmids, although it has also been described in Gram-negative bacterial or archaeal plasmids. Here we aim to provide an overview of the RCR plasmids' lifestyle, with emphasis on their characteristic traits, promiscuity, stability, utility as vectors, etc. While RCR is one of the best-characterized plasmid replication mechanisms, there are still many questions left unanswered, which will be pointed out along the way in this review.

Replication intermediates of the linear mitochondrial DNA of Candida parapsilosis suggest a common recombination based mechanism for yeast mitochondria

Variation in the topology of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in eukaryotes evokes the question if differently structured DNAs are replicated by a common mechanism. RNA-primed DNA synthesis has been established as a mechanism for replicating the circular animal/mammalian mtDNA. In yeasts, circular mtDNA molecules were assumed to be templates for rolling circle DNA-replication. We recently showed that in Candida albicans, which has circular mapping mtDNA, recombination driven replication is a major mechanism for replicating a complex branched mtDNA network. Careful analyses of C. albicans-mtDNA did not reveal detectable amounts of circular DNA molecules. In the present study we addressed the question of how the unit sized linear mtDNA of Candida parapsilosis terminating at both ends with arrays of tandem repeats (mitochondrial telomeres) is replicated. Originally, we expected to find replication intermediates diagnostic of canonical bi-directional replication initiation at the centrally located bi-directional promoter region. However, we found that the linear mtDNA of Candida parapsilosis also employs recombination for replication initiation. The most striking findings were that the mitochondrial telomeres appear to be hot spots for recombination driven replication, and that stable RNA:DNA hybrids, with a potential role in mtDNA replication, are also present in the mtDNA preparations.

The plant mitochondrial genome: dynamics and maintenance

Plant mitochondria have a complex and peculiar genetic system. They have the largest genomes, as compared to organelles from other eukaryotic organisms. These can expand tremendously in some species, reaching the megabase range. Nevertheless, whichever the size, the gene content remains modest and restricted to a few polypeptides required for the biogenesis of the oxidative phosphorylation chain complexes, ribosomal proteins, transfer RNAs and ribosomal RNAs. The presence of autonomous plasmids of essentially unknown function further enhances the level of complexity. The physical organization of the plant mitochondrial DNA includes a set of sub-genomic forms resulting from homologous recombination between repeats, with a mixture of linear, circular and branched structures. This material is compacted into membrane-bound nucleoids, which are the inheritance units but also the centers of genome maintenance and expression. Recombination appears to be an essential characteristic of plant mitochondrial genetic processes, both in shaping and maintaining the genome. Under nuclear surveillance, recombination is also the basis for the generation of new mitotypes and is involved in the evolution of the mitochondrial DNA. In line with, or as a consequence of its complex physical organization, replication of the plant mitochondrial DNA is likely to occur through multiple mechanisms, potentially involving recombination processes. We give here a synthetic view of these aspects.

The amount and integrity of mtDNA in maize decline with development

In maize and other grasses there is a developmental gradient from the meristematic cells at the base of the stalk to the differentiated cells at the leaf tip. This gradient presents an opportunity to investigate changes in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that accompany growth under light and dark conditions, as done previously for plastid DNA. Maize mtDNA was analyzed by DAPI-DNA staining of individual mitochondria, gel electrophoresis/blot hybridization, and real-time qPCR. Both the amount and integrity of the mtDNA were found to decline with development. There was a 20-fold decline in mtDNA copy number per cell from the embryo to the light-grown leaf blade. The amount of DNA per mitochondrial particle was greater in dark-grown leaf blade (24 copies, on average) than in the light (2 copies), with some mitochondria lacking any detectable DNA. Three factors that influence the demise of mtDNA during development are considered: (1) the decision to either repair or degrade mtDNA molecules that are damaged by the reactive oxygen species produced as byproducts of respiration; (2) the generation of ATP by photophosphorylation in chloroplasts, reducing the need for respiratory-competent mitochondria; and (3) the shift in mitochondrial function from energy-generating respiration to photorespiration during the transition from non-green to green tissue.

In vivo conformation and replication intermediates of circular mitochondrial plasmids in Neurospora and Cryphonectria parasitica

The in vivo conformation and replication intermediates of fungal circular mitochondrial plasmids and plasmid-like mitochondrial element (plMEs) were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and electron microscopy. Plasmids with circular restriction maps exist predominantly as circular molecules and were found to replicate by rolling circle mechanisms. However, the reverse transcriptase-encoding Mauriceville plasmid of Neurospora crassa was observed to replicate by two possible mechanisms: one that is consistent with a reverse transcriptase-mediated process and a second one might involve rolling circle DNA replication. Like the mtDNA-derived plasmid-like elements of N. crassa (Hausner et al. 2006a, b), a plasmid-like element of Cryphonectria parasitica (plME-C9), which consists predominantly of a 1.4 kb nucleotide sequence different from mitochondrial DNA, also was found to replicate by a rolling circle mechanism. Although the techniques used in this study were not suited for the establishment of the in vivo conformation and mode of replication of the mtDNAs of Neurospora or Cryphonectria, we surmise that the rolling circle mechanism might be the predominant mode of DNA replication in fungal mitochondria.

Of circles, forks and humanity: Topological organisation and replication of mammalian mitochondrial DNA

The organisation of mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is more complex than usually assumed. Despite often being depicted as a simple circle, the topology of mtDNA can vary from supercoiled monomeric circles over catenanes and oligomers to complex multimeric networks. Replication of mtDNA is also not clear cut. Two different mechanisms of replication have been found in cultured cells and in most tissues: a strand-asynchronous mode involving temporary RNA coverage of one strand, and a strand-coupled mode rather resembling conventional nuclear DNA replication. In addition, a recombination-initiated replication mechanism is likely to be associated with the multimeric mtDNA networks found in human heart. Although an insight into the general principles and key factors of mtDNA organisation and maintenance has been gained over the last few years, there are many open questions regarding replication initiation, termination and physiological factors determining mtDNA organisation and replication mode. However, common themes in mtDNA maintenance across eukaryotic kingdoms can provide valuable lessons for future work.

Mitochondrial plasmids of sugar beet amplified via rolling circle method detected during curtovirus screening

Crops of sugar beet have been considerably impaired by infection with Beet curly top virus (BCTV) during the past decades. Quick and reliable diagnostic techniques are therefore desirable to detect this circular single-stranded DNA-containing geminivirus. Techniques combining either tissue printing or blot hybridization, or rolling circle amplification (RCA) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) were compared. Although they easily detected BCTV with certainty, both exhibited apparent false positive results which have been scrutinized in closer detail. Uninfected control plants revealed unspecific signals due to probe attachment on tissue blots, and dominant fragment patterns upon RCA/RFLP which did not hybridize with BCTV-specific probes. Cloning and sequencing of these DNA fragments showed that they were amplified from mitochondrial plasmids. Examination of their genome structure revealed no relationship with geminiviruses or their satellites.

DNA recombination activity in soybean mitochondria

Mitochondrial genomes in higher plants are much larger and more complex as compared to animal mitochondrial genomes. There is growing evidence that plant mitochondrial genomes exist predominantly as a collection of linear and highly branched DNA molecules and replicate by a recombination-dependent mechanism. However, biochemical evidence of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) recombination activity in plants has previously been lacking. We provide the first report of strand-invasion activity in plant mitochondria. Similar to bacterial RecA, this activity from soybean is dependent on the presence of ATP and Mg(2+). Western blot analysis using an antibody against the Arabidopsis mitochondrial RecA protein shows cross-reaction with a soybean protein of about 44 kDa, indicating conservation of this protein in at least these two plant species. mtDNA structure was analyzed by electron microscopy of total soybean mtDNA and molecules recovered after field-inversion gel electrophoresis (FIGE). While most molecules were found to be linear, some molecules contained highly branched DNA structures and a small but reproducible proportion consisted of circular molecules (many with tails) similar to recombination intermediates. The presence of recombination intermediates in plant mitochondria preparations is further supported by analysis of mtDNA molecules by 2-D agarose gel electrophoresis, which indicated the presence of complex recombination structures along with a considerable amount of single-stranded DNA. These data collectively provide convincing evidence for the occurrence of homologous DNA recombination in plant mitochondria.

Conjugative plasmid DNA transfer in Helicobacter pylori mediated by chromosomally encoded relaxase and TraG-like proteins

One of the striking characteristics of Helicobacter pylori is the extensive genetic diversity among clinical isolates. This diversity has been attributed to an elevated mutation rate, impaired DNA repair, DNA transfer and frequent recombination events. Plasmids have also been identified in H. pylori but it remained unknown whether conjugation can contribute to DNA transfer between clinical isolates. To examine whether H. pylori possesses intrinsic capability for conjugative plasmid transfer, shuttle vectors were introduced into H. pylori containing an oriT sequence of the conjugative IncPalpha plasmid RP4 but no mobilization (mob) genes. It was shown that these vectors could stably replicate and be mobilized among clinical H. pylori strains. It was also demonstrated that traG and relaxase (rlx) homologues carried on the H. pylori chromosome were important for plasmid transfer. Primer extension studies and mutagenesis further confirmed that the relaxase homologue rlx1 in H. pylori encodes a functional enzyme capable of acting on the RP4 oriT. Furthermore, the findings of this study indicate that traG and rlx1 act independently of the previously described type IV secretion systems, including that encoded by the cag pathogenicity island and the comB transformation apparatus, in mediating conjugative plasmid DNA transfer between H. pylori strains.

The patchwork nature of rolling-circle plasmids: comparison of six plasmids from two distinct Bacillus thuringiensis serotypes

Bacillus thuringiensis, the entomopathogenic bacteria from the Bacillus cereus group, harbors numerous extrachromosomal molecules whose sizes vary from 2 to more than 200kb. Apart from the genes coding for the biopesticide delta-endotoxins located on large plasmids, little information has been obtained on these plasmids and their contribution to the biology of their host. In this paper, we embarked on a detailed comparison of six small rolling-circle replicating (RCR) plasmids originating from two major B. thuringiensis strains. The complete nucleotide sequences of plasmid pGI1, pGI2, pGI3, pTX14-1, pTX14-2, and pTX14-3 have been obtained and compared. Replication functions, comprising, for each plasmid, the gene encoding the Rep-protein, double-strand origin of replication (dso), single-strand origin of replication (sso), have been identified and analyzed. Two new families, or homology groups, of RCR plasmids originated from the studies of these plasmids (Group VI based on pGI3 and Group VII based on pTX14-3). On five of the six plasmids, loci involved in conjugative mobilization (Mob-genes and origin of transfer (oriT)) were identified. Plasmids pTX14-1, pTX14-2, and pTX14-3 each harbor an ORF encoding a polypeptide containing a central domain with repetitive elements similar to eukaryotic collagen (Gly-X-Y triplets). These genes were termed bcol for Bacillus-collagen-like genes.

R-loop-dependent rolling-circle replication and a new model for DNA concatemer resolution by mitochondrial plasmid mp1

The mitochondrial (mt) plasmid mp1 of Chenopodium album replicates by a rolling-circle (RC) mechanism initiated at two double-stranded replication origins (dso1 and dso2). Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and electron microscopy of early mp1 replication intermediates revealed novel spots. Ribonucleotide (R)-loops were identified at dso1, which function as a precursor for the RCs in vivo and in vitro. Bacteriophage T4-like networks of highly branched mp1 concatemers with up to 20 monomer units were mapped and shown to be mainly formed by replicating, invading, recombining and resolving molecules. A new model is proposed in which concatemers were separated into single units by a "snap-back" mechanism and homologous recombination. dso1 is a recombination hotspot, with sequence homology to bacterial Xer recombination cores. mp1 is a unique eukaryotic plasmid that expresses features of phages like T4 and could serve as a model system for replication and maintenance of DNA concatemers.

Mitochondrial DNA from the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha: circularly permuted linear molecules, head-to-tail concatemers, and a 5' protein

Mapping predicts that the mitochondrial genome of the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha exists as a circular molecule, although nearly all the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is found as genome-sized and multigenomic molecules in linear and branched form. We used restriction enzymes with one recognition site per genome, end-specific exonucleases and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to analyze the arrangement of genomic units and the terminal structure of the molecules. We find a head-to-tail arrangement in the concatemers and circular permutation in both the monomeric and multigenomic molecules. The termini contain covalently bound protein at the 5' end and an open (unblocked) 3' end. We find that the standard in-gel procedure used to prepare large DNA molecules for PFGE may introduce extraction artifacts leading to erroneous conclusions about the termini. These artifacts can be reduced by omitting high salt (high EDTA) and protease during mitochondrial lysis. Our results suggest that the mtDNA may use a T4 phage-like mechanism of replication and that the linear molecules may be due to strand breaks mediated by type II topoisomerase.

Replication and preferential inheritance of hypersuppressive petite mitochondrial DNA

Wild-type yeast mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is inherited biparentally, whereas mtDNA of hypersuppressive petite mutants is inherited uniparentally in crosses to strains with wild-type mtDNA. Genomes of hypersuppressive petites contain a conserved ori sequence that includes a promoter, but it is unclear whether the ori confers a segregation or replication advantage. Fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis of wild-type and petite mtDNAs in crosses reveals no preferential segregation of hypersuppressive petite mtDNA to first zygotic buds. We identify single-stranded DNA circles and RNA-primed DNA replication intermediates in hypersuppressive petite mtDNA that are absent from non-hypersuppressive petites. Mutating the promoter blocks hypersuppressiveness in crosses to wild-type strains and eliminates the distinctive replication intermediates. We propose that promoter-dependent RNA-primed replication accounts for the uniparental inheritance of hypersuppressive petite mtDNA.

Strand switching during rolling circle replication of plasmid-like DNA circles in the mitochondria of the higher plant Chenopodium album (L.)

The structure of sigma-like mitochondrial DNA molecules prepared from suspension cultured cells of Chenopodium album (L.) was studied by electron microscopy. These molecules were highly variable in size, ranging from about 1 to 104 kb, and had single- and double-stranded regions typical for rolling circle replicating intermediates. Partial denaturation studies confirmed that these structures constitute rolling circles. Close inspection of the circle-tail junctions of the replication fork at high magnification suggests that in circles with a double-stranded tail, both strands of the tail seem to be covalently attached to the circle in about 27% of the molecules. This observation can be explained by a phenomenon called strand switching or strand splippage during rolling circle replication, similar to a mechanism proposed for bacterial replicons or in vitro replicating constructs harboring bacteriophage T4 replication origins.

In vitro replication of mitochondrial plasmid mp1 from the higher plant Chenopodium album (L.): a remnant of bacterial rolling circle and conjugative plasmids?

According to the endosymbiotic theory, mitochondrial genomes evolved from the chromosome of an alpha-proteobacterium-like ancestor and developed during evolution an extraordinary variation in size, structure and replication. We studied in vitro DNA replication of the mitochondrial circular plasmid mp1 (1309 bp) from the higher plant Chenopodium album (L.) as a model system that replicates in a manner reminiscent of bacterial rolling circle plasmids. Several mp1 subclones were tested for their ability to support DNA replication using a newly developed in vitro system. Neutral/neutral two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of the in vitro products revealed typical simple Y patterns of intermediates consistent with a rolling circle type of replication. Replication activity was very high for a BamHI-restricted total plasmid DNA clone, a 464 bp BamHI/KpnI fragment and a 363 bp BamHI/SmaI fragment. Further subcloning of a 148 bp BamHI/EcoRI fragment resulted in the strongest in vitro DNA replication activity, while a 1161 bp-template outside of this region resulted in a substantial loss of activity. Electron microscopic studies of in vitro DNA replication products from the highly active clones also revealed sigma-shaped molecules. These results support our in vivo data for the presence of a predominant replication origin between positions 628 and 776 on the plasmid map. This sequence shares homology with double-stranded rolling circle origin (dso) or transfer origin (oriT) nicking motifs from bacterial plasmids. mp1 is the first described rolling circle plasmid in eukaryotes.

Stoichiometric shifts in the common bean mitochondrial genome leading to male sterility and spontaneous reversion to fertility

The plant mitochondrial genome is characterized by a complex, multipartite structure. In cytoplasmic male-sterile (CMS) common bean, the sterility-inducing mitochondrial configuration maps as three autonomous DNA molecules, one containing the sterility-associated sequence pvs-or f 239. We constructed a physical map of the mitochondrial genome from the direct progenitors to the CMS cytoplasm and have shown that it maps as a single, circular master configuration. With long-exposure autoradiography of DNA gel blots and polymerase chain reaction analysis, we demonstrate that the three-molecule CMS-associated configuration was present at unusually low copy number within the progenitor genome and that the progenitor form was present substoichiometrically within the genome of the CMS line. Furthermore, upon spontaneous reversion to fertility, the progenitor genomic configuration as well as the molecule containing the pvs-or f 239 sterility-associated sequence were both maintained at substoichiometric levels within the revertant genome. In vitro mitochondrial incubation results demonstrated that the genomic shift of the pvs-or f 239-containing molecule to substoichiometric levels upon spontaneous reversion was a reversible phenomenon. Moreover, we demonstrate that substoichiometric forms, apparently silent with regard to gene expression, are transcriptionally and translationally active once amplified. Thus, copy number suppression may serve as an effective means of regulating gene expression in plant mitochondria.

The structure of mitochondrial DNA from the liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha

The structure of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from cultured cells of the liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha, was analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and moving pictures of the fluorescently labeled molecules. Previous electron microscopic analysis with this liverwort revealed a unique property among land plants: mtDNA circles of only one size, that of the 186 kb genome, with no subgenomic circles. Most of the mtDNA was immobile in PFGE and contained complex structures, larger than the genome size with a bright fluorescent node and multiple attached fibers. The mobile mtDNA was mostly linear molecules in monomeric to pentameric lengths of the unit genome that increased following mung bean nuclease digestion, with a corresponding decrease in the immobile fraction. From 0 to 5% of the mtDNA was found as circular molecules the size of the genome and its oligomers; no subgenome-sized circles were present. Radiolabeling revealed that mtDNA synthesis began soon after transfer of cells to fresh medium and most newly replicated mtDNA was immobile; the circular form of the genome was not rapidly labeled.

Rolling-circle replication of bacterial plasmids

Many bacterial plasmids replicate by a rolling-circle (RC) mechanism. Their replication properties have many similarities to as well as significant differences from those of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) coliphages, which also replicate by an RC mechanism. Studies on a large number of RC plasmids have revealed that they fall into several families based on homology in their initiator proteins and leading-strand origins. The leading-strand origins contain distinct sequences that are required for binding and nicking by the Rep proteins. Leading-strand origins also contain domains that are required for the initiation and termination of replication. RC plasmids generate ssDNA intermediates during replication, since their lagging-strand synthesis does not usually initiate until the leading strand has been almost fully synthesized. The leading- and lagging-strand origins are distinct, and the displaced leading-strand DNA is converted to the double-stranded form by using solely the host proteins. The Rep proteins encoded by RC plasmids contain specific domains that are involved in their origin binding and nicking activities. The replication and copy number of RC plasmids, in general, are regulated at the level of synthesis of their Rep proteins, which are usually rate limiting for replication. Some RC Rep proteins are known to be inactivated after supporting one round of replication. A number of in vitro replication systems have been developed for RC plasmids and have provided insight into the mechanism of plasmid RC replication.

High content, size and distribution of single-stranded DNA in the mitochondria of Chenopodium album (L.)

Mitochondrial (mt) DNA of higher plants is unique in its large size and complexity. We report here a hitherto unknown feature, the presence of large quantities of single-stranded (ss) DNA. About 2.0-8.5% of the chromosomal mtDNA from a suspension culture (depending on the growth stage) and 6.5% of the chromosomal mtDNA from whole plants of Chenopodium album were found to be in ss form by dot-blot hybridization after neutral transfer. Similar amounts of ss mtDNA were observed by binding of the single-strand binding (SSB) protein of Escherichia coli under the electron microscope. Significantly less ssDNA was found in plastids of C. album and in E. coli cells. We observed ss regions between 100 and 22,800 bases distributed in the mt genome spaced from 0.5-100 kb apart. After pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), the well-bound fraction of mtDNA (found to consist of circular, sigma-shaped and rosette-like molecules), contained the major part of ssDNA as opposed to the migrating linear molecules. Digestion of mtDNA by ss-specific nucleases followed by PFGE mobilized all well-bound DNA and correspondingly increased the quantity of migrating linear DNA molecules. The implications of ssDNA for the structural organization on plant mt genomes are discussed.