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Sliding clamp-DNA interactions are required for viability and contribute to DNA polymerase management in Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: Sliding clamp proteins topologically encircle DNA and play vital roles in coordinating the actions of various DNA replication, repair, and damage tolerance proteins. At least three distinct surfaces of the Escherichia coli beta clamp interact physically with the DNA that it topologically encircles. We utilized mutant beta clamp proteins bearing G66E and G174A substitutions (beta159), affecting the single-stranded DNA-binding region, or poly-Ala substitutions in place of residues 148-HQDVR-152 (beta(148-152)), affecting the double-stranded DNA binding region, to determine the biological relevance of clamp-DNA interactions. As part of this work, we solved the X-ray crystal structure of beta(148-152), which verified that the poly-Ala substitutions failed to significantly alter the tertiary structure of the clamp. Based on functional assays, both beta159 and beta(148-152) were impaired for loading and retention on a linear primed DNA in vitro. In the case of beta(148-152), this defect was not due to altered interactions with the DnaX clamp loader, but rather was the result of impaired beta(148-152)-DNA interactions. Once loaded, beta(148-152) was proficient for DNA polymerase III (Pol III) replication in vitro. In contrast, beta(148-152) was severely impaired for Pol II and Pol IV replication and was similarly impaired for direct physical interactions with these Pols. Despite its ability to support Pol III replication in vitro, beta(148-152) was unable to support viability of E. coli. Nevertheless, physiological levels of beta(148-152) expressed from a plasmid efficiently complemented the temperature-sensitive growth phenotype of a strain expressing beta159 (dnaN159), provided that Pol II and Pol IV were inactivated. Although this strain was impaired for Pol V-dependent mutagenesis, inactivation of Pol II and Pol IV restored the Pol V mutator phenotype. Taken together, these results support a model in which a sophisticated combination of competitive clamp-DNA, clamp-partner, and partner-DNA interactions serve to manage the actions of the different E. coli Pols in vivo.

SUBMITTER: Heltzel JM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2670953 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sliding clamp-DNA interactions are required for viability and contribute to DNA polymerase management in Escherichia coli.

Heltzel Justin M H JM Scouten Ponticelli Sarah K SK Sanders Laurie H LH Duzen Jill M JM Cody Vivian V Pace James J Snell Edward H EH Sutton Mark D MD

Journal of molecular biology 20090130 1

Sliding clamp proteins topologically encircle DNA and play vital roles in coordinating the actions of various DNA replication, repair, and damage tolerance proteins. At least three distinct surfaces of the Escherichia coli beta clamp interact physically with the DNA that it topologically encircles. We utilized mutant beta clamp proteins bearing G66E and G174A substitutions (beta159), affecting the single-stranded DNA-binding region, or poly-Ala substitutions in place of residues 148-HQDVR-152 (b ...[more]

PMID: 19361435

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Project description:The Escherichia coli umuDC gene products encode DNA polymerase V, which participates in both translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) and a DNA damage checkpoint control. These two temporally distinct roles of the umuDC gene products are regulated by RecA-single-stranded DNA-facilitated self-cleavage of UmuD (which participates in the checkpoint control) to yield UmuD' (which enables TLS). In addition, even modest overexpression of the umuDC gene products leads to a cold-sensitive growth phenotype, apparently due to the inappropriate expression of the DNA damage checkpoint control activity of UmuD(2)C. We have previously reported that overexpression of the epsilon proofreading subunit of DNA polymerase III suppresses umuDC-mediated cold sensitivity, suggesting that interaction of epsilon with UmuD(2)C is important for the DNA damage checkpoint control function of the umuDC gene products. Here, we report that overexpression of the beta processivity clamp of the E. coli replicative DNA polymerase (encoded by the dnaN gene) not only exacerbates the cold sensitivity conferred by elevated levels of the umuDC gene products but, in addition, confers a severe cold-sensitive phenotype upon a strain expressing moderately elevated levels of the umuD'C gene products. Such a strain is not otherwise normally cold sensitive. To identify mutant beta proteins possibly deficient for physical interactions with the umuDC gene products, we selected for novel dnaN alleles unable to confer a cold-sensitive growth phenotype upon a umuD'C-overexpressing strain. In all, we identified 75 dnaN alleles, 62 of which either reduced the expression of beta or prematurely truncated its synthesis, while the remaining alleles defined eight unique missense mutations of dnaN. Each of the dnaN missense mutations retained at least a partial ability to function in chromosomal DNA replication in vivo. In addition, these eight dnaN alleles were also unable to exacerbate the cold sensitivity conferred by modestly elevated levels of the umuDC gene products, suggesting that the interactions between UmuD' and beta are a subset of those between UmuD and beta. Taken together, these findings suggest that interaction of beta with UmuD(2)C is important for the DNA damage checkpoint function of the umuDC gene products. Four possible models for how interactions of UmuD(2)C with the epsilon and the beta subunits of DNA polymerase III might help to regulate DNA replication in response to DNA damage are discussed.

Dataset Information

Sliding clamp-DNA interactions are required for viability and contribute to DNA polymerase management in Escherichia coli.

Publications

Sliding clamp-DNA interactions are required for viability and contribute to DNA polymerase management in Escherichia coli.

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