DnaB proteolysis in vivo regulates oligomerization and its localization at oriC in Bacillus subtilis

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.

Regulation of DNA Binding and High-Order Oligomerization of the DnaB Helicase Loader

DnaB is an essential primosomal protein that coloads the replicative helicase in many Gram-positive bacteria, including several human pathogens. Although DnaB is tetrameric in solution, it is from a protein family whose members can oligomerize into large complexes when exposed to DNA. It is currently unknown how DNA binding by DnaB is regulated or how these interactions induce changes in its oligomeric state. Here, we investigated DNA binding by DnaB from Bacillus subtilis and the critical human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus We found that B. subtilis DnaB binds double-stranded DNA as a tetramer; however, M13mp18 single-stranded DNA induces high-order oligomerization. Mutating a conserved motif at the C-terminal end of DnaB stimulates single-stranded DNA binding, suggesting that conformational changes in this region regulate DNA substrate preferences. S. aureus DnaB could also be induced to form high-order oligomers with either M13mp18 or PhiX174 single-stranded DNA. Therefore, oligomeric shifts in DnaB are tightly controlled and this activity is conserved between B. subtilis and a pathogenic species.IMPORTANCE DnaB is a replicative helicase loader involved in initiating DNA replication in many bacterial species. We investigated the binding preferences of DnaB for its DNA substrate and determined that the C-terminal end of the protein plays a critical role in controlling DNA interactions. Furthermore, we found that DNA binding in general did not trigger changes to the oligomeric state of DnaB, but rather, certain types of single-stranded DNA substrates specifically induced DnaB to self-assemble into a large complex. This indicates that the structure of DNA itself is an important regulatory element that influences the behavior of DnaB. Importantly, these observations held for both Bacillus subtilis and the pathogenic species Staphylococcus aureus, demonstrating conserved biochemical functions of DnaB in these species.

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.

Primase is required for helicase activity and helicase alters the specificity of primase in the enteropathogen Clostridium difficile

DNA replication is an essential and conserved process in all domains of life and may serve as a target for the development of new antimicrobials. However, such developments are hindered by subtle mechanistic differences and limited understanding of DNA replication in pathogenic microorganisms. Clostridium difficile is the main cause of healthcare-associated diarrhoea and its DNA replication machinery is virtually uncharacterized. We identify and characterize the mechanistic details of the putative replicative helicase (CD3657), helicase-loader ATPase (CD3654) and primase (CD1454) of C. difficile, and reconstitute helicase and primase activities in vitro. We demonstrate a direct and ATP-dependent interaction between the helicase loader and the helicase. Furthermore, we find that helicase activity is dependent on the presence of primase in vitro. The inherent trinucleotide specificity of primase is determined by a single lysine residue and is similar to the primase of the extreme thermophile Aquifex aeolicus. However, the presence of helicase allows more efficient de novo synthesis of RNA primers from non-preferred trinucleotides. Thus, loader–helicase–primase interactions, which crucially mediate helicase loading and activation during DNA replication in all organisms, differ critically in C. difficile from that of the well-studied Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis model.

Structural analyses of the bacterial primosomal protein DnaB reveal that it is a tetramer and forms a complex with a primosomal re-initiation protein

The DnaB primosomal protein from Gram-positive bacteria plays a key role in DNA replication and restart as a loader protein for the recruitment of replisome cascade proteins. Previous investigations have established that DnaB is composed of an N-terminal domain, a middle domain, and a C-terminal domain. However, structural evidence for how DnaB functions at the atomic level is lacking. Here, we report the crystal structure of DnaB, encompassing the N-terminal and middle domains (residues 1-300), from Geobacillus stearothermophilus (GstDnaB1-300) at 2.8 Å resolution. Our structure revealed that GstDnaB1-300 forms a tetramer with two basket-like architectures, a finding consistent with those from solution studies using analytical ultracentrifugation. Furthermore, our results from both GST pulldown assays and analytical ultracentrifugation show that GstDnaB1-300 is sufficient to form a complex with PriA, the primosomal reinitiation protein. Moreover, with the aid of small angle X-ray scattering experiments, we also determined the structural envelope of full-length DnaB (GstDnaBFL) in solution. These small angle X-ray scattering studies indicated that GstDnaBFL has an elongated conformation and that the protruding density envelopes originating from GstDnaB1-300 could completely accommodate the GstDnaB C-terminal domain (residues 301-461). Taken together with biochemical assays, our results suggest that GstDnaB uses different domains to distinguish the PriA interaction and single-stranded DNA binding. These findings can further extend our understanding of primosomal assembly in replication restart.

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.

Beyond DnaA: the role of DNA topology and DNA methylation in bacterial replication initiation

The replication of chromosomal DNA is a fundamental event in the life cycle of every cell. The first step of replication, initiation, is controlled by multiple factors to ensure only one round of replication per cell cycle. The process of initiation has been described most thoroughly for bacteria, especially Escherichia coli, and involves many regulatory proteins that vary considerably between different species. These proteins control the activity of the two key players of initiation in bacteria: the initiator protein DnaA and the origin of chromosome replication (oriC). Factors involved in the control of the availability, activity, or oligomerization of DnaA during initiation are generally regarded as the most important and thus have been thoroughly characterized. Other aspects of the initiation process, such as origin accessibility and susceptibility to unwinding, have been less explored. However, recent findings indicate that these factors have a significant role. This review focuses on DNA topology, conformation, and methylation as important factors that regulate the initiation process in bacteria. We present a comprehensive summary of the factors involved in the modulation of DNA topology, both locally at oriC and more globally at the level of the entire chromosome. We show clearly that the conformation of oriC dynamically changes, and control of this conformation constitutes another, important factor in the regulation of bacterial replication initiation. Furthermore, the process of initiation appears to be associated with the dynamics of the entire chromosome and this association is an important but largely unexplored phenomenon.

Architecture and conservation of the bacterial DNA replication machinery, an underexploited drug target

New antibiotics with novel modes of action are required to combat the growing threat posed by multi-drug resistant bacteria. Over the last decade, genome sequencing and other high-throughput techniques have provided tremendous insight into the molecular processes underlying cellular functions in a wide range of bacterial species. We can now use these data to assess the degree of conservation of certain aspects of bacterial physiology, to help choose the best cellular targets for development of new broad-spectrum antibacterials.

DNA replication is a conserved and essential process, and the large number of proteins that interact to replicate DNA in bacteria are distinct from those in eukaryotes and archaea; yet none of the antibiotics in current clinical use acts directly on the replication machinery. Bacterial DNA synthesis thus appears to be an underexploited drug target. However, before this system can be targeted for drug design, it is important to understand which parts are conserved and which are not, as this will have implications for the spectrum of activity of any new inhibitors against bacterial species, as well as the potential for development of drug resistance. In this review we assess similarities and differences in replication components and mechanisms across the bacteria, highlight current progress towards the discovery of novel replication inhibitors, and suggest those aspects of the replication machinery that have the greatest potential as drug targets.

Chromosomal replication initiation machinery of low-G+C-content Firmicutes

Much of our knowledge of the initiation of DNA replication comes from studies in the gram-negative model organism Escherichia coli. However, the location and structure of the origin of replication within the E. coli genome and the identification and study of the proteins which constitute the E. coli initiation complex suggest that it might not be as universal as once thought. The archetypal low-G+C-content gram-positive Firmicutes initiate DNA replication via a unique primosomal machinery, quite distinct from that seen in E. coli, and an examination of oriC in the Firmicutes species Bacillus subtilis indicates that it might provide a better model for the ancestral bacterial origin of replication. Therefore, the study of replication initiation in organisms other than E. coli, such as B. subtilis, will greatly advance our knowledge and understanding of these processes as a whole. In this minireview, we highlight the structure-function relationships of the Firmicutes primosomal proteins, discuss the significance of their oriC architecture, and present a model for replication initiation at oriC.

Loading mechanisms of ring helicases at replication origins

Threading of DNA through the central channel of a replicative ring helicase is known as helicase loading, and is a pivotal event during replication initiation at replication origins. Once loaded, the helicase recruits the primase through a direct protein-protein interaction to complete the initial 'priming step' of DNA replication. Subsequent assembly of the polymerases and processivity factors completes the structure of the replisome. Two replisomes are assembled, one on each strand, and move in opposite directions to replicate the parental DNA during the 'elongation step' of DNA replication. Replicative helicases are the motor engines of replisomes powered by the conversion of chemical energy to mechanical energy through ATP binding and hydrolysis. Bidirectional loading of two ring helicases at a replication origin is achieved by strictly regulated and intricately choreographed mechanisms, often through the action of replication initiation and helicase-loader proteins. Current structural and biochemical data reveal a wide range of different helicase-loading mechanisms. Here we review advances in this area and discuss their implications.

Untwisting of the DNA helix stimulates the endonuclease activity of Bacillus subtilis Nth at AP sites

Bacterial nucleoid associated proteins play a variety of roles in genome maintenance and dynamics. Their involvement in genome packaging, DNA replication and transcription are well documented but it is still unclear whether they play any specific roles in genome repair. We discovered that untwisting of the DNA double helix by bacterial non-specific DNA binding proteins stimulates the activity of a repair endonuclease of the Nth/MutY family involved in abasic site removal during base excision repair. The essential Bacillus subtilis primosomal gene dnaD, coding for a protein with DNA-untwisting activity, is in the same operon with nth and the promoter activity of this operon is transiently stimulated by H(2)O(2). Consequently, dnaD mRNA levels persist high upon treatment with H(2)O(2) compared to the reduced mRNA levels of the other essential primosomal genes dnaB and dnaI, suggesting that DnaD may play an important role in DNA repair in addition to its essential role in replication initiation. Homologous Nth repair endonucleases are found in nearly all organisms, including humans. Our data have wider implications for DNA repair as they suggest that genome associated proteins that alter the superhelicity of the DNA indirectly facilitate base excision repair mediated by repair endonucleases of the Nth/MutY family.

Co-directional replication-transcription conflicts lead to replication restart

Head-on encounters between the replication and transcription machineries on the lagging DNA strand can lead to replication fork arrest and genomic instability. To avoid head-on encounters, most genes, especially essential and highly transcribed genes, are encoded on the leading strand such that transcription and replication are co-directional. Virtually all bacteria have the highly expressed ribosomal RNA genes co-directional with replication. In bacteria, co-directional encounters seem inevitable because the rate of replication is about 10-20-fold greater than the rate of transcription. However, these encounters are generally thought to be benign. Biochemical analyses indicate that head-on encounters are more deleterious than co-directional encounters and that in both situations, replication resumes without the need for any auxiliary restart proteins, at least in vitro. Here we show that in vivo, co-directional transcription can disrupt replication, leading to the involvement of replication restart proteins. We found that highly transcribed rRNA genes are hotspots for co-directional conflicts between replication and transcription in rapidly growing Bacillus subtilis cells. We observed a transcription-dependent increase in association of the replicative helicase and replication restart proteins where head-on and co-directional conflicts occur. Our results indicate that there are co-directional conflicts between replication and transcription in vivo. Furthermore, in contrast to the findings in vitro, the replication restart machinery is involved in vivo in resolving potentially deleterious encounters due to head-on and co-directional conflicts. These conflicts probably occur in many organisms and at many chromosomal locations and help to explain the presence of important auxiliary proteins involved in replication restart and in helping to clear a path along the DNA for the replisome.

Primosomal proteins DnaD and DnaB are recruited to chromosomal regions bound by DnaA in Bacillus subtilis

The initiation of DNA replication requires the binding of the initiator protein, DnaA, to specific binding sites in the chromosomal origin of replication, oriC. DnaA also binds to many sites around the chromosome, outside oriC, and acts as a transcription factor at several of these. In low-G+C Gram-positive bacteria, the primosomal proteins DnaD and DnaB, in conjunction with loader ATPase DnaI, load the replicative helicase at oriC, and this depends on DnaA. DnaD and DnaB also are required to load the replicative helicase outside oriC during replication restart, independently of DnaA. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we found that DnaD and DnaB, but not the replicative helicase, are associated with many of the chromosomal regions bound by DnaA in Bacillus subtilis. This association was dependent on DnaA, and the order of recruitment was the same as that at oriC, but it was independent of a functional oriC and suggests that DnaD and DnaB do not require open complex formation for the stable association with DNA. These secondary binding regions for DnaA could be serving as a reservoir for excess DnaA, DnaD, and DnaB to help properly regulate replication initiation and perhaps are analogous to the proposed function of the datA locus in Escherichia coli. Alternatively, DnaD and DnaB might modulate the activity of DnaA at the secondary binding regions. All three of these proteins are widely conserved and likely have similar functions in a range of organisms.

When simple sequence comparison fails: the cryptic case of the shared domains of the bacterial replication initiation proteins DnaB and DnaD

DnaD and DnaB are essential DNA-replication-initiation proteins in low-G+C content Gram-positive bacteria. Here we use sensitive Hidden Markov Model-based techniques to show that the DnaB and DnaD proteins share a common structure that is evident across all their structural domains, termed DDBH1 and DDBH2 (DnaD DnaB Homology 1 and 2). Despite strong sequence divergence, many of the DNA-binding and oligomerization properties of these domains have been conserved. Although eluding simple sequence comparisons, the DDBH2 domains share the only strong sequence motif; an extremely highly conserved YxxxIxxxW sequence that contributes to DNA binding. Sequence alignments of DnaD alone fail to identify another key part of the DNA-binding module, since it includes a poorly conserved sequence, a solvent-exposed and somewhat unstable helix and a mobile segment. We show by NMR, in vitro mutagenesis and in vivo complementation experiments that the DNA-binding module of Bacillus subtilis DnaD comprises the YxxxIxxxW motif, the unstable helix and a portion of the mobile region, the latter two being essential for viability. These structural insights lead us to a re-evaluation of the oligomerization and DNA-binding properties of the DnaD and DnaB proteins.