Oligomeric state of the N-terminal domain of DnaT for replication restart in Escherichia coli

DNA replication stops when chemical or physical damage occurs to the DNA. Repairing genomic DNA and reloading the replication helicase are crucial steps for restarting DNA replication. The Escherichia coli primosome is a complex of proteins and DNA responsible for reloading the replication helicase DnaB. DnaT, a protein found in the primosome complex, contains two functional domains. The C-terminal domain (89-179) forms an oligomeric complex with single-stranded DNA. Although the N-terminal domain (1-88) forms an oligomer, the specific residues responsible for this oligomeric structure have not yet been identified. In this study, we proposed that the N-terminal domain of DnaT has a dimeric antitoxin structure based on its primary sequence. Based on the proposed model, we confirmed the site of oligomerization in the N-terminal domain of DnaT through site-directed mutagenesis. The molecular masses and thermodynamic stabilities of the site-directed mutants located at the dimer interface, namely Phe42, Tyr43, Leu50, Leu53, and Leu54, were found to be lower than those of the wild-type. Moreover, we observed a decrease in the molecular masses of the V10S and F35S mutants compared to the wild-type DnaT. NMR analysis of the V10S mutant revealed that the secondary structure of the N-terminal domain of DnaT was consistent with the proposed model. Additionally, we have demonstrated that the stability of the oligomer formed by the N-terminal domain of DnaT is crucial for its function. Based on these findings, we propose that the DnaT oligomer plays a role in replication restart in Escherichia coli.

Characterization of the Chimeric PriB-SSBc Protein

PriB is a primosomal protein required for the replication fork restart in bacteria. Although PriB shares structural similarity with SSB, they bind ssDNA differently. SSB consists of an N-terminal ssDNA-binding/oligomerization domain (SSBn) and a flexible C-terminal protein–protein interaction domain (SSBc). Apparently, the largest difference in structure between PriB and SSB is the lack of SSBc in PriB. In this study, we produced the chimeric PriB-SSBc protein in which Klebsiella pneumoniae PriB (KpPriB) was fused with SSBc of K. pneumoniae SSB (KpSSB) to characterize the possible SSBc effects on PriB function. The crystal structure of KpSSB was solved at a resolution of 2.3 Å (PDB entry 7F2N) and revealed a novel 114-GGRQ-117 motif in SSBc that pre-occupies and interacts with the ssDNA-binding sites (Asn14, Lys74, and Gln77) in SSBn. As compared with the ssDNA-binding properties of KpPriB, KpSSB, and PriB-SSBc, we observed that SSBc could significantly enhance the ssDNA-binding affinity of PriB, change the binding behavior, and further stimulate the PriA activity (an initiator protein in the pre-primosomal step of DNA replication), but not the oligomerization state, of PriB. Based on these experimental results, we discuss reasons why the properties of PriB can be retrofitted when fusing with SSBc.

A structural model of the PriB-DnaT complex in Escherichia coli replication restart

In Escherichia coli, DNA replication is restarted following DNA repair by the PriA-dependent pathway, in which the binding and dissociation of proteins such as PriA, PriB, and DnaT on ssDNA lead to the formation of a protein-DNA complex for recruiting the DnaB-DnaC replication protein complex. However, the structure of the PriB-DnaT complex, which is an essential step in the PriA-dependent pathway, remains elusive. In this study, the importance of His26 in PriB for replication restart was reconfirmed using plasmid complementation. Furthermore, we used NMR to examine the DnaT interaction sites on PriB. We also evaluated the PriB-DnaT peptide complex model, which was prepared by in silico docking, using molecular dynamic simulation. From these data, we propose a structural model that provides insight into the PriB-DnaT interaction.

DnaT is a PriC-binding protein

DnaT and PriC are replication restart primosomal proteins required for re-initiating chromosomal DNA replication. DnaT is a component of the PriA-dependent primosome, while PriC belongs to the PriC-dependent primosome. Whether DnaT can interact with PriC is still unknown. In this study, we define a direct interaction between PriC, a key initiator protein in PriC-mediated DNA replication restart, and DnaT, a DnaB/C complex loader protein, from Klebsiella pneumoniae. In fluorescence titrations, PriC bound to single-stranded DNA with a binding-site size of approximately 9 nt. Gold nanoparticle assay showed that the solution of DnaT-PriC changed from red to purple, which indicated the protein-protein interactions due to gold nanoparticle aggregate. In addition, this DnaT-PriC complex could be co-purified by the heparin HP column. Surface plasmon resonance analysis showed that the Kd value of DnaT bound to PriC was 2.9 × 10(-8) M. These results constitute a pioneering study of the DnaT-PriC interaction and present a putative link between the two independent replication restart pathways, namely, PriA- and PriC-dependent primosome assemblies. Further research can directly focus on determining how DnaT binds to the PriC-SSB-DNA tricomplex and regulates the PriC-dependent replication restart.

The N-terminal domain of DnaT, a primosomal DNA replication protein, is crucial for PriB binding and self-trimerization

DnaT and PriB are replication restart primosomal proteins required for re-initiating chromosomal DNA replication in bacteria. Although the interaction of DnaT with PriB has been proposed, which region of DnaT is involved in PriB binding and self-trimerization remains unknown. In this study, we identified the N-terminal domain in DnaT (aa 1-83) that is important in PriB binding and self-trimerization but not in single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding. DnaT and the deletion mutant DnaT42-179 protein can bind to PriB according to native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blot analysis, and pull-down assay, whereas DnaT84-179 cannot bind to PriB. In contrast to DnaT, DnaT26-179, and DnaT42-179 proteins, which form distinct complexes with ssDNA of different lengths, DnaT84-179 forms only a single complex with ssDNA. Analysis of DnaT84-179 protein by gel filtration chromatography showed a stable monomer in solution rather than a trimer, such as DnaT, DnaT26-179, and DnaT42-179 proteins. These results constitute a pioneering study of the domain definition of DnaT. Further research can directly focus on determining how DnaT binds to the PriA-PriB-DNA tricomplex in replication restart by the hand-off mechanism.