scholarly journals Composition and Function of Telomerase—A Polymerase Associated with the Origin of Eukaryotes

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1425
Author(s):  
Petra Procházková Schrumpfová ◽  
Jiří Fajkus
Keyword(s):  
Dna Polymerase ◽  
Dna Polymerases ◽  
Telomerase Activity ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Enzyme Complex ◽  
Eukaryotic Evolution ◽  
Linear Chromosomes ◽  
And Function ◽  
Phylogenetic Divergence ◽  
Origin Of Eukaryotes

The canonical DNA polymerases involved in the replication of the genome are unable to fully replicate the physical ends of linear chromosomes, called telomeres. Chromosomal termini thus become shortened in each cell cycle. The maintenance of telomeres requires telomerase—a specific RNA-dependent DNA polymerase enzyme complex that carries its own RNA template and adds telomeric repeats to the ends of chromosomes using a reverse transcription mechanism. Both core subunits of telomerase—its catalytic telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) subunit and telomerase RNA (TR) component—were identified in quick succession in Tetrahymena more than 30 years ago. Since then, both telomerase subunits have been described in various organisms including yeasts, mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. Despite the fact that telomerase activity in plants was described 25 years ago and the TERT subunit four years later, a genuine plant TR has only recently been identified by our group. In this review, we focus on the structure, composition and function of telomerases. In addition, we discuss the origin and phylogenetic divergence of this unique RNA-dependent DNA polymerase as a witness of early eukaryotic evolution. Specifically, we discuss the latest information regarding the recently discovered TR component in plants, its conservation and its structural features.

scholarly journals Deoxynucleotide Triphosphate Binding Mode Conserved in Y Family DNA Polymerases

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 3008-3012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Johnson ◽  
José Trincao ◽  
Aneel K. Aggarwal ◽  
Satya Prakash ◽  
Louise Prakash
Keyword(s):  
Dna Polymerase ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Dna Polymerases ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Nucleotide Incorporation ◽  
The Family ◽  
And Function ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Y Family ◽  
Deoxynucleotide Triphosphate

ABSTRACT Although DNA polymerase η (Polη) and other Y family polymerases differ in sequence and function from classical DNA polymerases, they all share a similar right-handed architecture with the palm, fingers, and thumb domains. Here, we examine the role in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Polη of three conserved residues, tyrosine 64, arginine 67, and lysine 279, which come into close contact with the triphosphate moiety of the incoming nucleotide, in nucleotide incorporation. We find that mutational alteration of these residues reduces the efficiency of correct nucleotide incorporation very considerably. The high degree of conservation of these residues among the various Y family DNA polymerases suggests that these residues are also crucial for nucleotide incorporation in the other members of the family. Furthermore, we note that tyrosine 64 and arginine 67 are functionally equivalent to the deoxynucleotide triphosphate binding residues arginine 518 and histidine 506 in T7 DNA polymerase, respectively.

scholarly journals Telomeres and Age-Related Diseases

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1335
Author(s):  
Hans-Jürgen Gruber ◽  
Maria Donatella Semeraro ◽  
Wilfried Renner ◽  
Markus Herrmann
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Telomerase Activity ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Protective Function ◽  
3 Dimensional ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Telomere Biology ◽  
Linear Chromosomes ◽  
And Function

Telomeres are at the non-coding ends of linear chromosomes. Through a complex 3-dimensional structure, they protect the coding DNA and ensure appropriate separation of chromosomes. Aging is characterized by a progressive shortening of telomeres, which compromises their structure and function. Because of their protective function for genomic DNA, telomeres appear to play an important role in the development and progression of many age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), malignancies, dementia, and osteoporosis. Despite substantial evidence that links telomere length with these conditions, the nature of these observations remains insufficiently understood. Therefore, future studies should address the question of causality. Furthermore, analytical methods should be further improved with the aim to provide informative and comparable results. This review summarize the actual knowledge of telomere biology and the possible implications of telomere dysfunction for the development and progression of age-related diseases. Furthermore, we provide an overview of analytical techniques for the measurement of telomere length and telomerase activity.

scholarly journals Structure of the family B DNA polymerase from the hyperthermophilic archaeonPyrobaculum calidifontis

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 420-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingxu Guo ◽  
Wenling Zhang ◽  
Alun R. Coker ◽  
Steve P. Wood ◽  
Jonathan B. Cooper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Dna Polymerase ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Dna Polymerases ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Salt Bridges ◽  
Central Channel ◽  
High Sequence Identity ◽  
Sequence Identity ◽  
The Family

The family B DNA polymerase fromPyrobaculum calidifontis(Pc-polymerase) consists of 783 amino acids and is magnesium-ion dependent. It has an optimal pH of 8.5, an optimal temperature of 75°C and a half-life of 4.5 h at 95°C, giving it greater thermostability than the widely usedTaqDNA polymerase. The enzyme is also capable of PCR-amplifying larger DNA fragments of up to 7.5 kb in length. It was shown to have functional, error-correcting 3′–5′ exonuclease activity, as do the related high-fidelity DNA polymerases fromPyrococcus furiosus,Thermococcus kodakarensisKOD1 andThermococcus gorgonarius, which have extensive commercial applications.Pc-polymerase has a quite low sequence identity of approximately 37% to these enzymes, which, in contrast, have very high sequence identity to each other, suggesting that theP. calidifontisenzyme is distinct. Here, the structure determination ofPc-polymerase is reported, which has been refined to anRfactor of 24.47% and anRfreeof 28.81% at 2.80 Å resolution. The domains of the enzyme are arranged in a circular fashion to form a disc with a narrow central channel. One face of the disc has a number of connected crevices in it, which allow the protein to bind duplex and single-stranded DNA. The central channel is thought to allow incoming nucleoside triphosphates to access the active site. The enzyme has a number of unique structural features which distinguish it from other archaeal DNA polymerases and may account for its high processivity. A model of the complex with the primer-template duplex of DNA indicates that the largest conformational change that occurs upon DNA binding is the movement of the thumb domain, which rotates by 7.6° and moves by 10.0 Å. The surface potential of the enzyme is dominated by acidic groups in the central region of the molecule, where catalytic magnesium ions bind at the polymerase and exonuclease active sites. The outer regions are richer in basic amino acids that presumably interact with the sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA. The large number of salt bridges may contribute to the high thermal stability of this enzyme.

scholarly journals Structure of an open conformation of T7 DNA Polymerase reveals novel structural features regulating primer-template stabilization at the polymerization active-site

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Juárez-Quintero ◽  
Antolin Peralta-Castro ◽  
Claudia G. G Benítez-Cardoza ◽  
Tom Ellenberger ◽  
Luis G Brieba
Keyword(s):  
Dna Polymerase ◽  
Active Site ◽  
Double Helix ◽  
Dna Polymerases ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Modular Architecture ◽  
Template Strand ◽  
Helix Loop Helix ◽  
Exonuclease Domain ◽  
Dna Double Helix

The crystal structure of full-length T7 DNA polymerase in complex with its processivity factor thioredoxin and double-stranded DNA in the polymerization active site exhibits two novel structural motifs in family-A DNA polymerases: an extended b-hairpin at the fingers subdomain, that interacts with the DNA template strand downstream the primer-terminus, and a helix-loop-helix motif (insertion1) located between residues 102 to 122 in the exonuclease domain. The extended b-hairpin is involved in nucleotide incorporation on substrates with 5'-overhangs longer than 2 nucleotides, suggesting a role in stabilizing the template strand into the polymerization domain. Our biochemical data reveal that insertion1 of the exonuclease domain makes stabilizing interactions that facilitate proofreading by shuttling the primer strand into the exonuclease active site. Overall, our studies evidence conservation of the 3'-5' exonuclease domain fold between family-A DNA polymerases and highlight the modular architecture of T7 DNA polymerase. Our data suggest that the intercalating b-hairpin guides the template-strand into the polymerization active site after the T7 primase-helicase unwinds the DNA double helix ameliorating the formation of secondary structures and decreasing the appearance of indels

PrimPol (Primase/Polymerase), replicating enzyme – A mini review

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 89-92
Author(s):  
Muhammad Amir ◽  
Sabeera Afzal ◽  
Alia Ishaq
Keyword(s):  
Dna Replication ◽  
Dna Polymerase ◽  
Genetic Information ◽  
Nuclear Dna ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Dna Polymerases ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Mitochondrial Dna Replication ◽  
Dna Template ◽  
Preliminary Phase

Polymerases were revealed first in 1970s. Most important to the modest perception the enzyme responsible for nuclear DNA replication that was pol , for DNA repair pol and for mitochondrial DNA replication pol  DNA construction and renovation done by DNA polymerases, so directing both the constancy and discrepancy of genetic information. Replication of genome initiate with DNA template-dependent fusion of small primers of RNA. This preliminary phase in replication of DNA demarcated as de novo primer synthesis which is catalyzed by specified polymerases known as primases. Sixteen diverse DNA-synthesizing enzymes about human perspective are devoted to replication, reparation, mutilation lenience, and inconsistency of nuclear DNA. But in dissimilarity, merely one DNA polymerase has been called in mitochondria. It has been suggest that PrimPol is extremely acting the roles by re-priming DNA replication in mitochondria to permit an effective and appropriate way replication to be accomplished. Investigations from a numeral of test site have significantly amplified our appreciative of the role, recruitment and regulation of the enzyme during DNA replication. Though, we are simply just start to increase in value the versatile roles that play PrimPol in eukaryote.

kangaroo, a Mobile Element From Volvox carteri, Is a Member of a Newly Recognized Third Class of Retrotransposons

Genetics ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 162 (4) ◽  
pp. 1617-1630
Author(s):  
Leonard Duncan ◽  
Kristine Bouckaert ◽  
Fay Yeh ◽  
David L Kirk
Keyword(s):  
Genomic Structure ◽  
Mobile Element ◽  
Direct Repeat ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Volvox Carteri ◽  
Developmentally Regulated ◽  
Closed Circle ◽  
Integration Mechanisms ◽  
And Function

Abstract Retrotransposons play an important role in the evolution of genomic structure and function. Here we report on the characterization of a novel retrotransposon called kangaroo from the multicellular green alga, Volvox carteri. kangaroo elements are highly mobile and their expression is developmentally regulated. They probably integrate via double-stranded, closed-circle DNA intermediates through the action of an encoded recombinase related to the λ-site-specific integrase. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that kangaroo elements are closely related to other unorthodox retrotransposons including PAT (from a nematode), DIRS-1 (from Dictyostelium), and DrDIRS1 (from zebrafish). PAT and kangaroo both contain split direct repeat (SDR) termini, and here we show that DIRS-1 and DrDIRS1 elements contain terminal features structurally related to SDRs. Thus, these mobile elements appear to define a third class of retrotransposons (the DIRS1 group) that are unified by common structural features, genes, and integration mechanisms, all of which differ from those of LTR and conventional non-LTR retrotransposons.

scholarly journals Antimutator mutations in the alpha subunit of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III: identification of the responsible mutations and alignment with other DNA polymerases.

Genetics ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 134 (4) ◽  
pp. 1039-1044 ◽  
Author(s):  
I J Fijalkowska ◽  
R M Schaaper
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Dna Polymerase ◽  
Dna Polymerases ◽  
Alpha Subunit ◽  
Sequence Motifs ◽  
Dna Polymerase Iii ◽  
Conserved Sequence ◽  
Polymerase Iii ◽  
Dna Replication Errors

Abstract The dnaE gene of Escherichia coli encodes the DNA polymerase (alpha subunit) of the main replicative enzyme, DNA polymerase III holoenzyme. We have previously identified this gene as the site of a series of seven antimutator mutations that specifically decrease the level of DNA replication errors. Here we report the nucleotide sequence changes in each of the different antimutator dnaE alleles. For each a single, but different, amino acid substitution was found among the 1,160 amino acids of the protein. The observed substitutions are generally nonconservative. All affected residues are located in the central one-third of the protein. Some insight into the function of the regions of polymerase III containing the affected residues was obtained by amino acid alignment with other DNA polymerases. We followed the principles developed in 1990 by M. Delarue et al. who have identified in DNA polymerases from a large number of prokaryotic and eukaryotic sources three highly conserved sequence motifs, which are suggested to contain components of the polymerase active site. We succeeded in finding these three conserved motifs in polymerase III as well. However, none of the amino acid substitutions responsible for the antimutator phenotype occurred at these sites. This and other observations suggest that the effect of these mutations may be exerted indirectly through effects on polymerase conformation and/or DNA/polymerase interactions.

scholarly journals Cysteine-Free Proteins in the Immunobiology of Arthropod-Borne Diseases

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Santiago Mejia ◽  
Erik N. Arthun ◽  
Richard G. Titus
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Cysteine Residues ◽  
Distribution Analysis ◽  
And Function ◽  
Abundance And Distribution ◽  
Host Parasite

One approach to identify epitopes that could be used in the design of vaccines to control several arthropod-borne diseases simultaneously is to look for common structural features in the secretome of the pathogens that cause them. Using a novel bioinformatics technique, cysteine-abundance and distribution analysis, we found that many different proteins secreted by several arthropod-borne pathogens, includingPlasmodium falciparum, Borrelia burgdorferi, and eight species of Proteobacteria, are devoid of cysteine residues. The identification of three cysteine-abundance and distribution patterns in several families of proteins secreted by pathogenic and nonpathogenic Proteobacteria, and not found when the amino acid analyzed was tryptophan, provides evidence of forces restricting the content of cysteine residues in microbial proteins during evolution. We discuss these findings in the context of protein structure and function, antigenicity and immunogenicity, and host-parasite relationships.

scholarly journals Bacteriophage PRD1 DNA polymerase: evolution of DNA polymerases.

1987 ◽  
Vol 84 (23) ◽  
pp. 8287-8291 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. Jung ◽  
M. C. Leavitt ◽  
J. C. Hsieh ◽  
J. Ito
Keyword(s):  
Dna Polymerase ◽  
Dna Polymerases ◽  
Bacteriophage Prd1

The Mechanism of Replication of Single-Stranded DNA. VI. Requirements for Ribonucleoside Triphosphates and DNA Polymerase III

1973 ◽  
Vol 51 (12) ◽  
pp. 1588-1597 ◽  
Author(s):  
David T. Denhardt ◽  
Makoto Iwaya ◽  
Grant McFadden ◽  
Gerald Schochetman
Keyword(s):  
Dna Polymerase ◽  
Dna Polymerases ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Restrictive Temperature ◽  
Dna Polymerase Iii ◽  
Single Stranded Dna ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Polymerase Iii

Evidence is presented that in Escherichia coli made permeable to nucleotides by exposure to toluene, the synthesis of a DNA chain complementary to the infecting single-stranded DNA of bacteriophage [Formula: see text] requires ATP as well as the four deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates. This synthesis results in the formation of the parental double-stranded replicative-form (RF) molecule. The ATP is not required simply to prevent degradation of the ribonucleoside or deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates; it can be partially substituted for by other ribonucleoside triphosphates.No single one of the known E. coli DNA polymerases appears to be uniquely responsible in vivo for the formation of the parental RF. Since [Formula: see text] replicates well in strains lacking all, or almost all, of the in-vitro activities of DNA polymerases I and II, neither of these two enzymes would seem essential; and in a temperature-sensitive E. coli mutant (dnaEts) deficient in DNA polmerase-I activity and possessing a temperature-sensitive DNA polymerase III, the viral single-stranded DNA is efficiently incorporated into an RF molecule at the restrictive temperature. In contrast, both RF replication and progeny single-stranded DNA synthesis are dependent upon DNA polymerase III activity.

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