Mechanism of DNA elongation catalyzed by Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III, dnaZ protein, and DNA elongation factors I and III.

Elongation of a primed single-stranded DNA template catalyzed by E. coli DNA polymerase III (DNA nucleotidyltransferase, deoxynucleosidetriphosphate:DNA deoxynucleotidyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.7) requires dnaZ protein and two other protein factors, DNA elongation factors I and III. The reaction occurs by the following mechanism: (i) dnaZ protein and DNA elongation factor III together catalyze the transfer of DNA elongation factor I to a primed DNA template. This transfer reaction requires ATP or dATP in addition to dnaZ protein, DNA elongation factors I and III, and primed template; it does not require DNA polymerase III. (ii) DNA polymerase III binds to the complex of DNA elongation factor I with primed template; it does not bind to primed template which is not complexed with DNA elongation factor I. This binding reaction proceeds in the absence of ATP or dATP as cofactor, dnaZ protein, and DNA elongation factor III and without additional DNA elongation factor I. (iii) The complex of DNA polymerase III, DNA elongation factor I, and primed template catalyzes DNA synthesis upon the addition of dNTPs.     

DNA or RNA priming of bacteriophage G4 DNA synthesis by Escherichia coli dnaG protein.

Escherichia coli dnaG protein is involved in the initiation of DNA synthesis dependent on G4 or ST-1 single-stranded phage DNAs [Bouche, J.-P., Zechel, K & Kornberg, A. (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 5995-6001]. The reaction occurs by the following mechanism: dnaG protein binds to specific sites on the DNA in a reaction requiring E. coli DNA binding protein. An oligonucleotide is synthesized in a reaction involving dnaG protein, DNA binding protein, and DNA. With G4 DNA this reaction requires ADP, dTTP (or UTP), and dGTP (or GTP). Elongation of the oligonucleotide can be catalyzed by DNA polymerase II or III in combination with dnaZ protein and DNA elongation factors I and III, presumably by the mechanism previously reported [Wickner, S. (1976) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 73, 3511-3515] or by DNA polymerase I.     

Involvement of Two Protein Factors and ATP in In Vitro DNA Synthesis Catalyzed by DNA Polymerase III of Escherichia coli

The in vitro conversion of single-stranded DNA from bacteriophage fd to duplex structures depends on E. coli RNA polymerase, DNA polymerase III, riboand deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, Mg(+2), spermidine or DNA-unwinding protein of E. coli, and two additional protein factors, referred to here as Factors I and II. These two factors are also essential for dTMP incorporation catalyzed by DNA polymerase III and dependent on poly(dA).oligo(dT) primer-template. In the latter reaction, there is an absolute dependency on ATP or dATP.     

A DNA-Unwinding Protein Isolated from Escherichia coli: Its Interaction with DNA and with DNA Polymerases

A DNA-unwinding protein has been purified to homogeneity from E. coli. This protein has a molecular weight of about 22,000, as judged by its electrophoretic mobility on polyacrylamide gels containing sodium dodecylsulfate, and it appears to be present in about 800 copies per log-phase cell. It binds tightly and cooperatively to single-stranded DNA, and much less tightly, if at all, to RNA or double-stranded DNA.Like the T4 gene-32 protein characterized previously, the E. coli DNA-unwinding protein depresses the melting temperature of double-stranded DNAs, with regions rich in A-T base-pairs being preferentially melted. The E. coli protein strongly stimulates in vitro DNA synthesis by E. coli DNA polymerase II on appropriate templates; however, no stimulation is found with purified polymerases I or III of E. coli, or with T4 DNA polymerase. In contrast, gene-32 protein stimulates only the T4 DNA polymerase in a parallel assay.     

A DNA-Binding Protein Induced by Bacteriophage T7

A DNA-binding protein has been purified from Escherichia coli infected with bacteriophage T7 by DNA-cellulose chromatography. The protein is absent in uninfected cells. The purified protein has a molecular weight of 31,000 and binds strongly and preferentially to single-stranded DNA. In vitro studies show that this protein can stimulate the rate of polymerization catalyzed by the T7-induced DNA polymerase 10-15 times under conditions where the polymerase is unable to effectively use a single-stranded template. The degree of stimulation is dependent upon the ratio of binding protein to DNA template and is independent of polymerase concentration.The observed stimulation is specific for the T7 DNA polymerase in that addition of the protein to reactions catalyzed by E. coli DNA polymerases I, II, or III or T4 DNA polymerase is without effect.     

Conversion of ϕX174 Viral DNA to Double-Stranded Form by Purified Escherichia coli Proteins

The E. coli proteins that catalyze the conversion of varphiX174 single-stranded DNA to duplex DNA have now been purified extensively. The reaction depends on dnaB, dnaC(D), dnaE, and dnaG gene products, DNA elongation factors I and II, E. coli DNA binding protein, and two additional E. coli proteins, replication factors X and Y. DNA synthesis by these proteins requires varphiX174 viral DNA, dNTPs, Mg(+2), and ATP. The product synthesized is full-length linear varphiX174 DNA. The reaction has been resolved into two steps. The first step involves the interaction of ATP and varphiX174 DNA with dnaB and dnaC(D) gene products, E. coli DNA binding protein, and replication factors X and Y in the absence of dNTPs. Subsequent dNMP incorporation requires the addition of DNA polymerase III, DNA elongation factors I and II, dnaG gene product, and dNTPs.     

In vitro DNA replication of recombinant plasmid DNAs containing the origin of progeny replicative form DNA synthesis of phage phi X174.

The origin of phage phi X174 progeny replicative form (RF) DNA synthesis has been inserted into the plasmid vector pBR322 and cloned. In direct contrast to pBR322, the recombinant superhelical plasmids can substitute for phi X174 RFI DNA as template in phi X174-specific reactions in vitro. We have shown that the recombinant plasmids: (i) are cleaved by the phi X174 A protein; (ii) support net synthesis of unit-length single-stranded circular DNA in the presence of the phi X174 A protein and Escherichia coli rep protein, DNA-binding protein, and DNA polymerase III elongation system; (iii) support replication of duplexes catalyzed by the phi X174 A protein and extracts of E. coli.     

Properties of the Escherichia coli DNA Binding (Unwinding) Protein: Interaction with DNA Polymerase and DNA

The E. coli DNA binding protein reduces the activity of the single-strand-specific nucleases associated with all three DNA polymerases known in E. coli. A slight excess of binding protein over that required to saturate the DNA template leads to total inhibition of activity of the 3' --> 5' nucleases associated with DNA polymerases I and III, but restores maximum activity of the DNA polymerase II-associated nuclease. The binding protein forms a specific complex with DNA polymerase II in the absence of DNA, and it is this complex that degrades a DNA.binding protein complex. Binding protein also facilitates the binding of DNA polymerase II to single-stranded DNA, whereas the binding to DNA of DNA polymerase I is inhibited. These data may explain the specificity with which the binding protein enhances the synthetic ability of DNA polymerase II.     

Bypass and termination at apurinic sites during replication of single-stranded DNA in vitro: a model for apurinic site mutagenesis.

Mutations produced in Escherichia coli by apurinic sites are believed to arise via SOS-assisted translesion replication. Analysis of replication products synthesized on depurinated single-stranded DNA by DNA polymerase III holoenzyme revealed that apurinic sites frequently blocked in vitro replication. Bypass frequency of an apurinic site was estimated to be 10-15%. Direct evidence for replicative bypass was obtained in a complete single-stranded----replicative form replication system containing DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, single-stranded DNA binding protein, DNA polymerase I, and DNa ligase, by demonstrating the sensitivity of fully replicated products to the apurinic endonuclease activity of E. coli exonuclease III. Termination at apurinic sites, like termination at pyrimidine photodimers, involved dissociation of the polymerase from the blocked termini, followed by initiations at available primer templates. When no regular primer templates were available, the polymerase underwent repeated cycles of dissociation and rebinding at the blocked termini and, while bound, carried out multiple polymerization-excision reactions opposite the apurinic sites, leading to turnover of dNTPs into dNMPs. From the in vitro turnover rates, we could predict with striking accuracy the specificity of apurinic site mutagenesis, as determined in vivo in depurinated single-stranded DNA from an M13-lac hybrid phage. This finding is consistent with the view that DNA polymerase III holoenzyme carries out the mutagenic "misinsertion" step during apurinic site mutagenesis in vivo and that the specificity of the process is determined primarily by the polymerase. SOS-induced proteins such as UmuD/C might act as processivity-like factors to stabilize the polymerase-DNA complex, thus increasing the efficiency of the next stage of past-lesion polymerization required to complete the bypass reaction.     

Replication of UV-irradiated single-stranded DNA by DNA polymerase III holoenzyme of Escherichia coli: evidence for bypass of pyrimidine photodimers.

Replication of UV-irradiated circular single-stranded phage M13 DNA by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (EC 2.7.7.6) and DNA polymerase III holoenzyme (EC 2.7.7.7) in the presence of single-stranded DNA binding protein yielded full-length as well as partially replicated products. A similar result was obtained with phage G4 DNA primed with E. coli DNA primase, and phage phi X174 DNA primed with a synthetic oligonucleotide. The fraction of full-length DNA was several orders of magnitude higher than predicted if pyrimidine photodimers were to constitute absolute blocks to DNA replication. Recent models have suggested that pyrimidine photodimers are absolute blocks to DNA replication and that SOS-induced proteins are required to allow their bypass. Our results demonstrate that, under in vitro replication conditions, E. coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme can insert nucleotides opposite pyrimidine dimers to a significant extent, even in the absence of SOS-induced proteins.     

A DNA primase specified by I-like plasmids.

An enzyme has been isolated from Escherichia coli strains harboring the I-like plasmid R64drd11, which is capable of initiating DNA synthesis on the circular, single-stranded DNA of phages phi X174, fd, and G4. In the conversion of these templates to duplex forms in vitro, the enzyme can substitute for the functions of E. coli dna B-dnaB-dnaC-dnaG proteins, E. coli RNA polymerase, and E. coli dnaG protein, respectively. The enzyme requires all four ribonucleoside triphosphates for optimal activity, although a combination of ATP, CTP, and GTP can almost completely satisfy the rNTP requirement. The enzyme appears to cooperate specifically with DNA polymerases III because single-stranded DNA-dependent synthesis takes place in extracts deficient in DNA polymerases I and II but not in extracts from a dnaZ mutant. Highly purified enzyme preparations consist mostly of two major polypeptides, Mr 140,000 and 180,000, when analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. These polypeptides cosediment with the enzyme activity through a glycerol gradient with a sedimentation coefficient of 3.6 S. DNA priming activity in extracts of E. coli strains harboring the mutant plasmids R64drd11 or ColIdrd1, which are derepressed in functions of conjugational DNA transfer, severalfold higher than the activity from strains carrying the corresponding wild-type plasmid. This correlation suggests that the enzyme may play a role in conjugational DNA synthesis.     

Association of phiX174 DNA-dependent ATPase activity with an Escherichia coli protein, replication factor Y, required for in vitro synthesis of phiX174 DNA.

phiX174 DNA-dependent DNA synthesis is catalyzed in vitro by the combination of at least 11 purified protein fractions: dnaB, dnaC(D), and dnaG gene products, DNA polymerase III, DNA elongation factors I and II, DNA binding protein, and replication factors W, X, Y, and Z. The reaction requires ATP, 4 dNTPs, and Mg+2 and is specific for phiX174 (or phiXahb) DNA. Purified replication factor Y contains phiX174 (or phiXahb) DNA-dependent ATPase (or dATPase) activity. The ATPase activity is poorly stimulated by other single-stranded DNA, by double-stranded DNA, or by RNA. The products of the phiX174 DNA-dependent ATPase activity of factor Y are Pi and ADP (or dADP). The association of phiX174 DNA-dependent ATPase activity with factor Y was shown in the following ways: (a) the two activities copurified with a constant ratio; (b) they comigrated on native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; (c) both activities were heat-inactivated at the same rate; and (d) both showed identical patterns of N-ethylmaleimide sensitivity.     

Studies on the initiation and elongation reactions in the simian virus 40 DNA replication system.

The synthesis of oligoribonucleotides by DNA primase in the presence of duplex DNA containing the simian virus 40 (SV40) origin of replication was examined. Small RNA chains (10-15 nucleotides) were synthesized in the presence of the four common ribonucleoside triphosphates, SV40 large tumor antigen (T antigen), the human DNA polymerase alpha (pol alpha)-DNA primase complex, the human single-stranded DNA-binding protein (HSSB), and topoisomerase I isolated from HeLa cells. The DNA primase-catalyzed reaction showed an absolute requirement for T antigen, HSSB, and pol alpha. The requirement for HSSB was not satisfied by other SSBs that can support the T-antigen-catalyzed unwinding of DNA containing the SV40 origin of replication. Oligoribonucleotide synthesis occurred with a lag that paralleled the lag observed in DNA synthesis. These results indicate that the specificity for the HSSB in the SV40 replication reaction is due to the pol alpha-primase-mediated synthesis of the Okazaki fragments. In contrast to this specificity, the elongation of Okazaki fragments can be catalyzed by a variety of different DNA polymerases, including high levels of pol alpha, the polymerase delta holoenzyme, T4 polymerase holoenzyme, the Escherichia coli polymerase III holoenzyme, and other polymerases. These observations suggest that leading-strand synthesis in the in vitro SV40 replication system can be nonspecific.     

Identification of two Escherichia coli factor Y effector sites near the origins of replication of the plasmids (ColE1 and pBR322.

The Escherichia coli replication factor Y has been characterized as a phi X174 (+) strand specific DNA-dependent phosphohydrolase. In conjunction with other E. coli replication proteins, factor Y is involved in the formation of heterogeneous primers that are elongated by the E. coli DNA polymerase III elongation machinery. We report here that the heat-denatured DNAs of plasmids pBR322 and ColE1 serve as effectors for the hydrolysis of ATP by factor Y. The DNA sequences of pBR322 responsible for factor Y effector activity have been localized. Two separate regions of the pBR322 chromosome support Y ATPase activity. These sequences are near the replication origin and are located on opposite DNA strands.     

Template-directed pausing in in vitro DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase a from Drosophila melanogaster embryos.

The activity of Drosophila melanogaster DNA polymerase alpha on DNA-primed single-stranded DNA templates has been examined. The DNA templates contain a 1471-nucleotide sequence from the heavy-strand origin region of mouse mtDNA inserted into the single-stranded bacteriophage vector M13Gori1. Preferred sites for pausing of in vitro DNA synthesis have been mapped within the cloned mtDNA insert and in the G4 cDNA strand origin which is contained within the vector DNA. Analysis of nascent DNA strands from replicative intermediates has revealed that pause sites are discrete and lie both at the positions of predicted stable dyads and in regions lacking the potential for formation of such structures. The patterns of kinetic pause sites observed for Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme is qualitatively similar to that found for DNA polymerase alpha. A subset of the observed kinetic pause signals are recognized by E. coli DNA polymerase I under similar conditions.     

Yeast 2-microns plasmid DNA replication in vitro: purification of the CDC8 gene product by complementation assay.

Extracts of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae support DNA replication on exogenous yeast 2-microns plasmid DNA templates. A crude extract from a S. cerevisiae cell division cycle mutant, cdc8-1, expressed the temperature-sensitive phenotype since it could be inactivated at 42 degrees C in vitro. This heat-inactivated extract was fully complemented by the addition of either wild-type or cdc8-1 single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB). restoration by SSB of the activity of the mutant cell extract allowed replication like that of a wild-type crude extract, as shown by bidirectional DNA synthesis from the in vivo origin. The DNA binding protein specifically stimulates the reaction catalyzed by yeast DNA polymerase I, a true DNA replicase, using the hybrid of phi X174 single-stranded DNA and a restriction endonuclease fragment as a template. It also increases processivity of DNA polymerase I at least 10-fold. Escherichia coli SSB, but not T4 gene 32 protein, can substitute for yeast SSB. Both restoration of DNA synthesis in the heated mutant cell extract and stimulation of the DNA polymerase I reaction by SSB from cdc8-1 cells are inactivated at nonpermissive temperatures, suggesting that yeast SSB is the CDC8 gene product.     

Escherichia coli replication factor Y, a component of the primosome, can act as a DNA helicase.

The primosome is a mobile multienzyme DNA replication-priming complex that requires seven Escherichia coli proteins for assembly (the products of the dnaB, dnaC, dnaG, and dnaT genes as well as proteins n and n" and replication factor Y). It has been shown previously that the primosome, in combination with the E. coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, can form replication forks in vitro that move at rates similar to those measured in vivo and that the primosome and one of the components of the primosome, the DNA B protein, have DNA helicase activity. Evidence is presented here that another component of the primosome, replication factor Y, possesses DNA helicase activity as well. Factor Y helicase activity requires the presence of E. coli single-stranded DNA binding protein, Mg2+, and hydrolyzable ATP or dATP. Helicase activity is stimulated 15-fold when the enzyme is actively loaded onto single-stranded DNA through a primosome assembly site, and duplex DNA is unwound unidirectionally, 3'----5', along the DNA strand to which the protein is bound.     

Conversion of ?X174 and fd Single-Stranded DNA to Replicative Forms in Extracts of Escherichia coli

varphiX174 and M13 (fd) single-stranded circular DNAs are converted to their replicative forms by extracts of E. coli pol A1 cells. We find that the varphiX174 DNA-dependent reaction requires Mg(++), ATP, and all four deoxynucleoside triphosphates, but not CTP, UTP, or GTP. This reaction also involves the products of the dnaC, dnaD, dnaE (DNA polymerase III), and dnaG genes, but not that of dnaF (ribonucleotide reductase). The in vitro conversion of fd single-stranded DNA to the replicative form requires all four ribonucleoside triphosphates, Mg(++), and all four deoxynucleoside triphosphates. The reaction involves the product of gene dnaE but not those of genes dnaC, dnaD, dnaF, or dnaG. The reaction with fd DNA is inhibited by rifampicin or antibody to RNA polymerase, while the reaction with varphiX174 DNA is not affected by either. With the varphiX174 DNA-dependent reaction, activities have been detected that specifically complement extracts of dnaA, dnaB, dnaC, dnaD, or dnaG mutants.     

Synthesis of DNA containing the simian virus 40 origin of replication by the combined action of DNA polymerases alpha and delta.

Proliferating-cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) mediates the replication of simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA by reversing the effects of a protein that inhibits the elongation reaction. Two other protein fractions, activator I and activator II, were also shown to play important roles in this process. We report that activator II isolated from HeLa cell extracts is a PCNA-dependent DNA polymerase delta that is required for efficient replication of DNA containing the SV40 origin of replication. PCNA-dependent DNA polymerase delta on a DNA singly primed phi X174 single-stranded circular DNA template required PCNA, a complex of the elongation inhibitor and activator I, and the single-stranded DNA-binding protein essential for SV40 DNA replication. DNA polymerase delta, in contrast to DNA polymerase alpha, hardly used RNA-primed DNA templates. These results indicate that both DNA polymerase alpha and delta are involved in SV40 DNA replication in vitro and their activity depends on PCNA, the elongation inhibitor, and activator I.