Dataset Information

Directional mechanical stability of Bacteriophage ?29 motor's 3WJ-pRNA: Extraordinary robustness along portal axis.

ABSTRACT: The molecular motor exploited by bacteriophage ?29 to pack DNA into its capsid is regarded as one of the most powerful mechanical devices present in viral, bacterial, and eukaryotic systems alike. Acting as a linker element, a prohead RNA (pRNA) effectively joins the connector and ATPase (adenosine triphosphatase) components of the ?29 motor. During DNA packing, this pRNA needs to withstand enormous strain along the capsid's portal axis-how this remarkable stability is achieved remains to be elucidated. We investigate the mechanical properties of the ?29 motor's three-way junction (3WJ)-pRNA using a combined steered molecular dynamics and atomic force spectroscopy approach. The 3WJ exhibits strong resistance to stretching along its coaxial helices, demonstrating its super structural robustness. This resistance disappears, however, when external forces are applied to the transverse directions. From a molecular standpoint, we demonstrate that this direction-dependent stability can be attributed to two Mg clamps that cooperate and generate mechanical resistance in the pRNA's coaxial direction. Our results suggest that the asymmetric nature of the 3WJ's mechanical stability is entwined with its biological function: Enhanced rigidity along the portal axis is likely essential to withstand the strain caused by DNA condensation, and flexibility in other directions should aid in the assembly of the pRNA and its association with other motor components.

SUBMITTER: Xu Z

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5446216 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Directional mechanical stability of Bacteriophage φ29 motor's 3WJ-pRNA: Extraordinary robustness along portal axis.

Xu Zhonghe Z Sun Yang Y Sun Yang Y Weber Jeffrey K JK Cao Yi Y Wang Wei W Jasinski Daniel D Guo Peixuan P Zhou Ruhong R Li Jingyuan J

Science advances 20170526 5

The molecular motor exploited by bacteriophage φ29 to pack DNA into its capsid is regarded as one of the most powerful mechanical devices present in viral, bacterial, and eukaryotic systems alike. Acting as a linker element, a prohead RNA (pRNA) effectively joins the connector and ATPase (adenosine triphosphatase) components of the φ29 motor. During DNA packing, this pRNA needs to withstand enormous strain along the capsid's portal axis-how this remarkable stability is achieved remains to be elu ...[more]

PMID: 28560321

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Project description:Bacillus subtilis phage ?29 has a linear, double-stranded DNA 19 kb long with an inverted terminal repeat of 6 nucleotides and a protein covalently linked to the 5' ends of the DNA. This protein, called terminal protein (TP), is the primer for the initiation of replication, a reaction catalyzed by the viral DNA polymerase at the two DNA ends. The DNA polymerase further elongates the nascent DNA chain in a processive manner, coupling strand displacement with elongation. The viral protein p5 is a single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) that binds to the single strands generated by strand displacement during the elongation process. Viral protein p6 is a double-stranded DNA binding protein (DBP) that preferentially binds to the origins of replication at the ?29 DNA ends and is required for the initiation of replication. Both SSB and DBP are essential for ?29 DNA amplification. This review focuses on the role of these phage DNA-binding proteins in ?29 DNA replication both in vitro and in vivo, as well as on the implication of several B. subtilis DNA-binding proteins in different processes of the viral cycle. We will revise the enzymatic activities of the ?29 DNA polymerase: TP-deoxynucleotidylation, processive DNA polymerization coupled to strand displacement, 3'-5' exonucleolysis and pyrophosphorolysis. The resolution of the ?29 DNA polymerase structure has shed light on the translocation mechanism and the determinants responsible for processivity and strand displacement. These two properties have made ?29 DNA polymerase one of the main enzymes used in the current DNA amplification technologies. The determination of the structure of ?29 TP revealed the existence of three domains: the priming domain, where the primer residue Ser232, as well as Phe230, involved in the determination of the initiating nucleotide, are located, the intermediate domain, involved in DNA polymerase binding, and the N-terminal domain, responsible for DNA binding and localization of the TP at the bacterial nucleoid, where viral DNA replication takes place. The biochemical properties of the ?29 DBP and SSB and their function in the initiation and elongation of ?29 DNA replication, respectively, will be described.

Dataset Information

Directional mechanical stability of Bacteriophage ?29 motor's 3WJ-pRNA: Extraordinary robustness along portal axis.

Publications

Directional mechanical stability of Bacteriophage φ29 motor's 3WJ-pRNA: Extraordinary robustness along portal axis.

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