LINKER: a program to generate linker sequences for fusion proteins

The construction of functional fusion proteins often requires a linker sequence that adopts an extended conformation to allow for maximal flexibility. Linker sequences are generally selected based on intuition. Without a reliable selection criterion, the design of such linkers is often difficult, particularly in situations where longer linker sequences are required. Here we describe a program called LINKER which can automatically generate a set of linker sequences that are known to adopt extended conformations as determined by X-ray crystallography and NMR. The only required input to the program is the desired linker sequence length. The program is specifically designed to assist in fusion protein construction. A number of optional input parameters have been incorporated so that users are able to enhance sequence selection based on specific applications. The program output simply contains a set of sequences with a specified length. This program should be a useful tool in both the biotechnology industry and biomedical research. It can be accessed through the Web page http://www.fccc. edu/research/labs/feng/linker.html.

Determining the DNA bending angle induced by non-specific high mobility group-1 (HMG-1) proteins: a novel method

To study the DNA bending induced by non-sequence-specific HMG-1 domain proteins, we have engineered a fusion protein linking the yeast NHP6A with a sequence-specific DNA binding domain, the DNA binding domain of the Hin recombinase, Hin-DBD. A series of biochemical experiments were carried out to characterize the DNA binding property of this fusion protein. Our data showed that the fusion protein not only specifically recognizes a DNA fragment containing the Hin-DBD binding site, but also binds DNA with a higher affinity in comparison with either domain alone. Both domains of the fusion protein are bound to the DNA in juxtaposition. Permutation assays showed that the fusion protein induced a DNA bending at the site of NHP6A binding by an estimated value of 63 degrees. We believe that this experimental design provides an effective vehicle to determine the DNA bending induced by nonspecific HMG-1 proteins.

Deoxyribose phosphate excision by the N-terminal domain of the polymerase beta: the mechanism revisited

DNA polymerase beta (Pol beta) is one of the key enzymes in the base excision repair pathway. The amino-terminal 8 kDa domain of Pol beta has an activity for excising a 5'-deoxyribose phosphate (dRP) group from preincised apurine/apyrimidine (AP) sites. Recent biochemical studies have identified the catalytic center of the 8 kDa domain and provided new insight into the mechanism of DNA repair by DNA polymerase beta. By incorporating both structural and biochemical data, we present here a reaction mechanism for the 5'-dRP excision activity of the 8 kDa domain. This mechanism focuses on a catalytic groove near the helix-hairpin-helix (HhH) motif of the 8 kDa domain. Our model shows that the dRP group of the AP site can be stabilized in the catalytic groove through extensive interactions with the residues of the groove and be positioned close to the active center, Lys72, which catalyzes a beta-elimination reaction by forming a Schiff base with the C1' of the dRP group.

Catalytic center of DNA polymerase beta for excision of deoxyribose phosphate groups

The amino-terminal 8-kDa domain of vertebrate DNA polymerase beta (pol beta) has an activity to excise deoxyribose phosphate (dRP) groups from 5'-incised apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites during base excision repair. The excision reaction proceeds via a beta-elimination reaction following formation of a Schiff base between an aldehyde group of the AP site and an amino group of the enzyme. Here we report that the Lys-72 residue of this enzyme is the catalytic center for dRP excision. Substitutions of Lys-72 with Arg or Gln reduced the dRP excision activity to less than 1% of the wild-type 8-kDa domain, while substitutions of Lys-35, Lys-68, or Lys-84 did not abolish its activity. The Lys-72 mutations also significantly decreased Schiff base intermediates trapped by reduction with sodium borohydride. The 8-kDa domain alone was able to bind preferentially to a single-nucleotide gap or 5'-incised synthetic AP site on double-stranded DNA. The Lys-72 mutations did not affect this damage-specific DNA binding activity. When introduced into the intact enzyme, a mutation of Lys-72 to Arg did not affect DNA synthesis activity of pol beta, but eliminated the repair activity. Addition of the wild-type 8-kDa domain to this reaction restored the repair activity. These results indicate a specific role of Lys-72 of pol beta in the dRP excision during base excision repair.

Variable structures of Fis-DNA complexes determined by flanking DNA-protein contacts

The Fis protein from Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium regulates many diverse reactions including recombination, transcription, and replication and is one of the most abundant DNA binding proteins present in the cell under certain physiological conditions. As a specific regulator, Fis binds to discrete sites that are poorly related in primary sequence. Analysis of DNA scission by a collection of Fis conjugates to 1,10-phenanthroline-copper combined with comparative gel electrophoresis has shown that the structures of Fis-DNA complexes are highly variable, displaying overall DNA curvatures that range from < or = 50 degrees to > or = 90 degrees. This variability is primarily determined by differential wrapping of flanking DNA around Fis. By contrast, DNA bending within the core recognition regions appears similar among the binding sites that were analyzed. Flanking DNA contacts by Fis depend on the nucleotide sequence and are mediated by an electrostatic interaction with arginine 71 and a hydrogen bond with asparagine 73, both of which are located outside of the helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif. These contacts strongly influence the kinetics of binding. These data, combined with the crystal structure of Fis, have enabled us to generate new models for Fis-DNA complexes that emphasize the variability in DNA structures within the flanking regions.

Structure of the Escherichia coli Fis-DNA complex probed by protein conjugated with 1,10-phenanthroline copper(I) complex

The Escherichia coli Fis (factor for inversion stimulation) protein functions in many diverse biological systems including recombination, transcription, and DNA replication. Although Fis is a site-specific DNA-binding protein, it lacks a well-defined consensus recognition sequence. The electrophoretic mobility of Fis-DNA complexes, along with considerations of the Fis crystal structure, indicates that significant deformation of DNA occurs upon Fis binding. To investigate the structure of Fis-DNA complexes, the chemical nuclease 1,10-phenanthroline-copper complex (OP-Cu) has been linked to four specific sites within the Fis DNA-binding domain. Two of these Fis-OP derivatives were active in cleaving DNA. The scission patterns obtained on four different Fis binding sites indicate that Fis positions itself on these highly divergent DNA sequences in a very similar fashion. The patterns of cleavage of a derivative at Asn-98 generally support a model of a Fis-DNA complex that contains specific bends within the core-recognition sequence. Data from a second Fis-OP derivative at Asn-73 provides evidence for greater wrapping of flanking DNA around the sides of the Fis protein than was previously postulated. The cleavage efficiency of flanking segments varies, suggesting that the extent of DNA wrapping is sequence dependent. Specific amino acids on Fis are implicated in promoting this DNA wrapping.

Hin recombinase bound to DNA: the origin of specificity in major and minor groove interactions

The structure of the 52-amino acid DNA-binding domain of the prokaryotic Hin recombinase, complexed with a DNA recombination half-site, has been solved by x-ray crystallography at 2.3 angstrom resolution. The Hin domain consists of a three-alpha-helix bundle, with the carboxyl-terminal helix inserted into the major groove of DNA, and two flanking extended polypeptide chains that contact bases in the minor groove. The overall structure displays features resembling both a prototypical bacterial helix-turn-helix and the eukaryotic homeodomain, and in many respects is an intermediate between these two DNA-binding motifs. In addition, a new structural motif is seen: the six-amino acid carboxyl-terminal peptide of the Hin domain runs along the minor groove at the edge of the recombination site, with the peptide backbone facing the floor of the groove and side chains extending away toward the exterior. The x-ray structure provides an almost complete explanation for DNA mutant binding studies in the Hin system and for DNA specificity observed in the Hin-related family of DNA invertases.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the DNA binding domain of the Hin recombinase with its DNA binding site

The Hin recombinase catalyzes site-specific inversion of DNA. Chemical and genetic studies on Hin binding to the recombination sites indicates that both major and minor DNA groove interactions are critical. In order to determine the molecular nature of these interactions, we have crystallized a synthetically derived 52 amino acid peptide consisting of the DNA binding domain of Hin with a 14 base-pair oligonucleotide representing a recombination half-site. This communication presents preliminary diffraction and analysis of these cocrystals and a packing model for the complex within the crystal.

The molecular structure of wild-type and a mutant Fis protein: relationship between mutational changes and recombinational enhancer function or DNA binding

The 98-amino acid Fis protein from Escherichia coli functions in a variety of reactions, including promotion of Hin-mediated site-specific DNA inversion when bound to an enhancer sequence. It is unique among site-specific DNA-binding proteins in that it binds to a large number of different DNA sequences, for which a consensus sequence is difficult to establish. X-ray crystal structure analyses have been carried out at 2.3 A resolution for wild-type Fis and for an Arg-89----Cys mutant that does not stimulate DNA inversion. Each monomer of the Fis dimer has four alpha-helices, A-D; the first 19 residues are disordered in the crystal. The end of each C helix is hydrogen bonded to the beginning of helix B' from the opposite subunit in what effectively is one long continuous, although bent, helix. The four helices, C, B', C', and B, together define a platform through the center of the Fis molecule: helices A and A' are believed to be involved with Hin recombinase on one side, and helices D and D' interact with DNA lying on the other side of the platform. Helices C and D of each subunit comprise a helix-turn-helix (HTH) DNA-binding element. The spacing of these two HTH elements in the dimer, 25 A, is too short to allow insertion into adjacent major grooves of a straight B-DNA helix. However, bending the DNA at discrete points, to an overall radius of curvature of 62 A, allows efficient docking of a B-DNA helix with the Fis molecule. The proposed complex explains the experimentally observed patterns of methylation protection and DNase I cleavage hypersensitivity. The x-ray structure accounts for the effects of mutations in the Fis sequence. Those that affect DNA inversion but not DNA binding are located within the N-terminal disordered region and helix A. This inversion activation domain is physically separated in the Fis molecule from the HTH elements and may specify a region of contact with the Hin recombinase. In contrast, mutations that affect HTH helices C and D, or interactions of these with helix B, have the additional effect of decreasing or eliminating binding to DNA.