scholarly journals Stabilization of the Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III ε subunit by the θ subunit favors in vivo assembly of the Pol III catalytic core

2012 ◽  
Vol 523 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuele Conte ◽  
Gabriele Vincelli ◽  
Roel M. Schaaper ◽  
Daniela Bressanin ◽  
Alessandra Stefan ◽  
...  
2004 ◽  
Vol 384 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duane A. LEHTINEN ◽  
Fred W. PERRINO

The ε-subunit contains the catalytic site for the 3′→5′ proofreading exonuclease that functions in the DNA pol III (DNA polymerase III) core to edit nucleotides misinserted by the α-subunit DNA pol. A novel mutagenesis strategy was used to identify 23 dnaQ alleles that exhibit a mutator phenotype in vivo. Fourteen of the ε mutants were purified, and these proteins exhibited 3′→5′ exonuclease activities that ranged from 32% to 155% of the activity exhibited by the wild-type ε protein, in contrast with the 2% activity exhibited by purified MutD5 protein. DNA pol III core enzymes constituted with 11 of the 14 ε mutants exhibited an increased error rate during in vitro DNA synthesis using a forward mutation assay. Interactions of the purified ε mutants with the α- and θ-subunits were examined by gel filtration chromatography and exonuclease stimulation assays, and by measuring polymerase/exonuclease ratios to identify the catalytically active ε511 (I170T/V215A) mutant with dysfunctional proofreading in the DNA pol III core. The ε511 mutant associated tightly with the α-subunit, but the exonuclease activity of ε511 was not stimulated in the α–ε511 complex. Addition of the θ-subunit to generate the α–ε511–θ DNA pol III core partially restored stimulation of the ε511 exonuclease, indicating a role for the θ-subunit in co-ordinating the α–ε polymerase–exonuclease interaction. The α–ε511–θ DNA pol III core exhibited a 3.5-fold higher polymerase/exonuclease ratio relative to the wild-type DNA pol III core, further indicating dysfunctional proofreading in the α–ε511–θ complex. Thus the ε511 mutant has wild-type 3′→5′ exonuclease activity and associates physically with the α- and θ-subunits to generate a proofreading-defective DNA pol III enzyme.


2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (12) ◽  
pp. 4464-4473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max A. Keniry ◽  
Ah Young Park ◽  
Elisabeth A. Owen ◽  
Samir M. Hamdan ◽  
Guido Pintacuda ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The catalytic core of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III contains three tightly associated subunits, the α, ε, and θ subunits. The θ subunit is the smallest and least understood subunit. The three-dimensional structure of θ in a complex with the unlabeled N-terminal domain of the ε subunit, ε186, was determined by multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The structure was refined using pseudocontact shifts that resulted from inserting a lanthanide ion (Dy3+, Er3+, or Ho3+) at the active site of ε186. The structure determination revealed a three-helix bundle fold that is similar to the solution structures of θ in a methanol-water buffer and of the bacteriophage P1 homolog, HOT, in aqueous buffer. Conserved nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) patterns obtained for free and complexed θ show that most of the structure changes little upon complex formation. Discrepancies with respect to a previously published structure of free θ (Keniry et al., Protein Sci. 9:721-733, 2000) were attributed to errors in the latter structure. The present structure satisfies the pseudocontact shifts better than either the structure of θ in methanol-water buffer or the structure of HOT. satisfies these shifts. The epitope of ε186 on θ was mapped by NOE difference spectroscopy and was found to involve helix 1 and the C-terminal part of helix 3. The pseudocontact shifts indicated that the helices of θ are located about 15 Å or farther from the lanthanide ion in the active site of ε186, in agreement with the extensive biochemical data for the θ-ε system.


1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (6) ◽  
pp. 1563-1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Jonczyk ◽  
Adrianna Nowicka ◽  
Iwona J. Fijałkowska ◽  
Roel M. Schaaper ◽  
Zygmunt Cieśla

ABSTRACT The mechanisms that control the fidelity of DNA replication are being investigated by a number of approaches, including detailed kinetic and structural studies. Important tools in these studies are mutant versions of DNA polymerases that affect the fidelity of DNA replication. It has been suggested that proper interactions within the core of DNA polymerase III (Pol III) of Escherichia colicould be essential for maintaining the optimal fidelity of DNA replication (H. Maki and A. Kornberg, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:4389–4392, 1987). We have been particularly interested in elucidating the physiological role of the interactions between the DnaE (α subunit [possessing DNA polymerase activity]) and DnaQ (ɛ subunit [possessing 3′→5′ exonucleolytic proofreading activity]) proteins. In an attempt to achieve this goal, we have used theSaccharomyces cerevisiae two-hybrid system to analyze specific in vivo protein interactions. In this report, we demonstrate interactions between the DnaE and DnaQ proteins and between the DnaQ and HolE (θ subunit) proteins. We also tested the interactions of the wild-type DnaE and HolE proteins with three well-known mutant forms of DnaQ (MutD5, DnaQ926, and DnaQ49), each of which leads to a strong mutator phenotype. Our results show that the mutD5 anddnaQ926 mutations do not affect the ɛ subunit-α subunit and ɛ subunit-θ subunit interactions. However, thednaQ49 mutation greatly reduces the strength of interaction of the ɛ subunit with both the α and the θ subunits. Thus, the mutator phenotype of dnaQ49 may be the result of an altered conformation of the ɛ protein, which leads to altered interactions within the Pol III core.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caleb Homiski ◽  
Michelle K. Scotland ◽  
Vignesh M. P. Babu ◽  
Sundari Chodavarapu ◽  
Robert W. Maul ◽  
...  

Expression of the E. coli dnaN -encoded β clamp at ≥10-fold higher than chromosomally-expressed levels impedes growth by interfering with DNA replication. We hypothesized that the excess β clamp sequesters the replicative DNA polymerase III (Pol III) to inhibit replication. As a test of this hypothesis, we measured the ability of eight mutant clamps obtained by their inability to impede growth to stimulate Pol III replication in vitro . Compared with the wild type clamp, seven of the mutants were defective, consistent with their elevated cellular levels failing to sequester Pol III. However, the β E202K mutant, which bears a glutamic acid-to-lysine substitution at residue 202 displayed an increased affinity for Pol IIIα and Pol III core (Pol IIIαεθ), suggesting that it could still effectively sequester Pol III. Of interest, β E202K supported in vitro DNA replication by Pol II and Pol IV, but was defective with Pol III. Genetic experiments indicated that the dnaN E202K strain remained proficient in DNA damage-induced mutagenesis, but was modestly induced for SOS and displayed sensitivity to ultraviolet light and methyl methanesulfonate. These results correlate an impaired ability of the mutant β E202K clamp to support Pol III replication in vivo with its in vitro defect in DNA replication. Taken together, our results: (i) support the model that sequestration of Pol III contributes to growth inhibition, (ii) argue for existence of an additional mechanism that contributes to lethality and (iii) suggest that physical and functional interactions of the β clamp with Pol III are more extensive than currently appreciated. IMPORTANCE The β clamp plays critically important roles in managing the actions of multiple proteins at the replication fork. However, we lack a molecular understanding of both how the clamp interacts with these different partners, and the mechanisms by which it manages their respective actions. We previously exploited the finding that an elevated cellular level of the β clamp impedes E. coli growth by interfering with DNA replication. Using a genetic selection method, we obtained novel mutant β clamps that fail to inhibit growth. Their analysis revealed that β E202K is unique among them. Our work offers new insights into how the β clamp interacts with and manages the actions of E. coli DNA polymerases II, III and IV.


2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (20) ◽  
pp. 7081-7089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey A. Mueller ◽  
Thomas W. Kirby ◽  
Eugene F. DeRose ◽  
Dawei Li ◽  
Roel M. Schaaper ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The catalytic core of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme contains three subunits: α, ε, and θ. The α subunit contains the polymerase, and the ε subunit contains the exonucleolytic proofreading function. The small (8-kDa) θ subunit binds only to ε. Its function is not well understood, although it was shown to exert a small stabilizing effect on the ε proofreading function. In order to help elucidate its function, we undertook a determination of its solution structure. In aqueous solution, θ yielded poor-quality nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, presumably due to conformational exchange and/or protein aggregation. Based on our recently determined structure of the θ homolog from bacteriophage P1, named HOT, we constructed a homology model of θ. This model suggested that the unfavorable behavior of θ might arise from exposed hydrophobic residues, particularly toward the end of α-helix 3. In gel filtration studies, θ elutes later than expected, indicating that aggregation is potentially responsible for these problems. To address this issue, we recorded 1H-15N heteronuclear single quantum correlation (HSQC) spectra in water-alcohol mixed solvents and observed substantially improved dispersion and uniformity of peak intensities, facilitating a structural determination under these conditions. The structure of θ in 60/40 (vol/vol) water-methanol is similar to that of HOT but differs significantly from a previously reported θ structure. The new θ structure is expected to provide additional insight into its physiological role and its effect on the ε proofreading subunit.


2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (21) ◽  
pp. 6106-6113 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Walker ◽  
Christine Hervas ◽  
Julie D. Ross ◽  
Alexandra Blinkova ◽  
Michael J. Walbridge ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III τ and γ subunits are single-strand DNA-dependent ATPases (the latter requires the δ and δ′ subunits for significant ATPase activity) involved in loading processivity clamp β. They are homologous to clamp-loading proteins of many organisms from phages to humans. Alignment of 27 prokaryotic τ/γ homologs and 1 eukaryotic τ/γ homolog has refined the sequences of nine previously defined identity and functional motifs. Mutational analysis has defined highly conserved residues required for activity in vivo and in vitro. Specifically, mutations introduced into highly conserved residues within three of those motifs, the P loop, the DExx region, and the SRC region, inactivated complementing activity in vivo and clamp loading in vitro and reduced ATPase catalytic efficiency in vitro. Mutation of a highly conserved residue within a fourth motif, VIc, inactivated clamp-loading activity and reduced ATPase activity in vitro, but the mutant gene, on a multicopy plasmid, retained complementing activity in vivo and the mutant gene also supported apparently normal replication and growth as a haploid, chromosomal allele.


2009 ◽  
Vol 1794 (11) ◽  
pp. 1606-1615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Bressanin ◽  
Alessandra Stefan ◽  
Fabrizio Dal Piaz ◽  
Stefano Cianchetta ◽  
Luca Reggiani ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Bogutzki ◽  
Natalie Naue ◽  
Lidia Litz ◽  
Andreas Pich ◽  
Ute Curth

Abstract During DNA replication in E. coli, a switch between DnaG primase and DNA polymerase III holoenzyme (pol III) activities has to occur every time when the synthesis of a new Okazaki fragment starts. As both primase and the χ subunit of pol III interact with the highly conserved C-terminus of single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB), it had been proposed that the binding of both proteins to SSB is mutually exclusive. Using a replication system containing the origin of replication of the single-stranded DNA phage G4 (G4ori) saturated with SSB, we tested whether DnaG and pol III can bind concurrently to the primed template. We found that the addition of pol III does not lead to a displacement of primase, but to the formation of higher complexes. Even pol III-mediated primer elongation by one or several DNA nucleotides does not result in the dissociation of DnaG. About 10 nucleotides have to be added in order to displace one of the two primase molecules bound to SSB-saturated G4ori. The concurrent binding of primase and pol III is highly plausible, since even the SSB tetramer situated directly next to the 3′-terminus of the primer provides four C-termini for protein-protein interactions.


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