scholarly journals Simian Virus 40 Large T Antigen Can Specifically Unwind the Central Palindrome at the Origin of DNA Replication

2009 ◽  
Vol 83 (7) ◽  
pp. 3312-3322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiping Wang ◽  
Daniel T. Simmons

ABSTRACT The hydrophilic channels between helicase domains of simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen play a critical role in DNA replication. Previous mutagenesis of residues in the channels identified one class of mutants (class A: D429A, N449S, and N515S) with normal DNA binding and ATPase and helicase activities but with a severely reduced ability to unwind origin DNA and to support SV40 DNA replication in vitro. Here, we further studied these mutants to gain insights into how T antigen unwinds the origin. We found that the mutants were compromised in melting the imperfect palindrome (EP) but normal in untwisting the AT-rich track. However, the mutants' defect in EP melting was not the major reason they failed to unwind the origin because supplying an EP region as a mismatched bubble, or deleting the EP region altogether, did not rescue their unwinding deficiency. These results suggested that specific separation of the central palindrome of the origin (site II) is an essential step in unwinding origin DNA by T antigen. In support of this, wild-type T antigen was able to specifically unwind a 31-bp DNA containing only site II in an ATPase-dependent reaction, whereas D429A and N515S failed to do so. By performing a systematic mutagenesis of 31-bp site II DNA, we identified discrete regions in each pentanucleotide necessary for normal origin unwinding. These data indicate that T antigen has a mechanism to specifically unwind the central palindrome. Various models are proposed to illustrate how T antigen could separate the central origin.

1987 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. B. Dean ◽  
P. Bullock ◽  
Y. Murakami ◽  
C. R. Wobbe ◽  
L. Weissbach ◽  
...  

1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (8) ◽  
pp. 1476-1482
Author(s):  
H Ariga

The replicating activity of several cloned DNAs containing putative origin sequences was examined in a cell-free extract that absolutely depends on simian virus 40 (SV40) T antigen promoting initiation of SV40 DNA replication in vitro. Of the three DNAs containing the human Alu family sequence (BLUR8), the origin of (Saccharomyces cerevisiae plasmid 2 micron DNA (pJD29), and the yeast autonomous replicating sequence (YRp7), only BLUR8 was active as a template. Replication in a reaction mixture with BLUR8 as a template was semiconservative and not primed by a putative RNA polymerase III transcript synthesized on the Alu family sequence in vitro. Pulse-chase experiments showed that the small-sized DNA produced in a short-term incubation was converted to full-length closed circular and open circular DNAs in alkaline sucrose gradients. DNA synthesis in extracts began in a region of the Alu family sequence and was inhibited 80% by the addition of anti-T serum. Furthermore, partially purified T antigen bound the Alu family sequence in BLUR8 by the DNA-binding immunoassay. These results suggest that SV40 T antigen recognizes the Alu family sequence, similar to the origin sequence of SV40 DNA, and initiates semiconservative DNA replication in vitro.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2882-2890 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Denis ◽  
P A Bullock

Studies of simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA replication in vitro have identified a small (approximately 30-nucleotide) RNA-DNA hybrid species termed primer-DNA. Initial experiments indicated that T antigen and the polymerase alpha-primase complex are required to form primer-DNA. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and presumably proliferating cell nuclear antigen-dependent polymerases, is not needed to form this species. Herein, we present an investigation of the stages at which primer-DNA functions during SV40 DNA replication in vitro. Hybridization studies indicate that primer-DNA is initially formed in the origin region and is subsequently synthesized in regions distal to the origin. At all time points, primer-DNA is synthesized from templates for lagging-strand DNA replication. These studies indicate that primer-DNA functions during both initiation and elongation stages of SV40 DNA synthesis. Results of additional experiments suggesting a precursor-product relationship between formation of primer-DNA and Okazaki fragments are presented.


1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 1099-1107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Utz Herbig ◽  
Klaus Weisshart ◽  
Poonam Taneja ◽  
Ellen Fanning

ABSTRACT Simian virus 40 (SV40) large tumor (T) antigen is the major regulatory protein that directs the course of viral infection, primarily by interacting with host cell proteins and modulating their functions. Initiation of viral DNA replication requires specific interactions of T antigen bound to the viral origin of DNA replication with cellular replication proteins. Transcription factors are thought to stimulate initiation of viral DNA replication, but the mechanism of stimulation is poorly understood. Since the transcription factor TATA-binding protein (TBP) binds to sequences within the origin of replication and interacts specifically with T antigen, we examined whether TBP complexes stimulate SV40 DNA replication in vitro. On the contrary, we found that depletion of TBP complexes from human cell extracts increased their ability to support viral DNA replication, and readdition of TBP complexes to the depleted extracts diminished their activity. We have mapped the sites of interaction between the proteins to residues 181 to 205 of T antigen and 184 to 220 of TBP. Titration of fusion proteins containing either of these peptides into undepleted cell extracts stimulated their replication activity, suggesting that they prevented the T antigen-TBP interaction that interfered with replication activity. TBP complexes also interfered with origin DNA unwinding by purified T antigen, and addition of either the T antigen or the TBP fusion peptide relieved the inhibition. These results suggest that TBP complexes associate with a T-antigen surface that is also required for origin DNA unwinding and viral DNA replication. We speculate that competition among cellular proteins for T antigen may play a role in regulating the course of viral infection.


1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. 4077-4087
Author(s):  
S T Smale ◽  
R Tjian

We have combined in vitro DNA replication reactions and immunological techniques to analyze biochemical interactions between simian virus (SV40) large T antigen and components of the cellular replication apparatus. First, in vitro SV40 DNA replication was characterized with specific origin mutants. Next, monoclonal antibodies were used to demonstrate that a specific domain of T antigen formed a complex with cellular DNA polymerase alpha. Several antibodies were identified that coprecipitated T antigen and DNA polymerase alpha, while others were found to selectively prevent this interaction and concomitantly inhibit DNA replication. DNA polymerase alpha also bound efficiently to a T-antigen affinity column, confirming the immunoprecipitation results and providing a useful method for purification of the complete protein complex. Taken together, these results suggest that the T-antigen-polymerase association may be a key step in the initiation of SV40 DNA replication.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document