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Sample records for hexameric helicase dnac

  1. Functional Dynamics of Hexameric Helicase Probed by Hydrogen Exchange and Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radou, Gaël; Dreyer, Frauke N.; Tuma, Roman; Paci, Emanuele

    2014-01-01

    The biological function of large macromolecular assemblies depends on their structure and their dynamics over a broad range of timescales; for this reason, it is a significant challenge to investigate these assemblies using conventional experimental techniques. One of the most promising experimental techniques is hydrogen-deuterium exchange detected by mass spectrometry. Here, we describe to our knowledge a new computational method for quantitative interpretation of deuterium exchange kinetics and apply it to a hexameric viral helicase P4 that unwinds and translocates RNA into a virus capsid at the expense of ATP hydrolysis. Room-temperature dynamics probed by a hundred nanoseconds of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations is sufficient to predict the exchange kinetics of most sequence fragments and provide a residue-level interpretation of the low-resolution experimental results. The strategy presented here is also a valuable tool to validate experimental data, e.g., assignments, and to probe mechanisms that cannot be observed by x-ray crystallography, or that occur over timescales longer than those that can be realistically simulated, such as the opening of the hexameric ring. PMID:25140434

  2. Archaeal MCM Proteins as an Analog for the Eukaryotic Mcm2–7 Helicase to Reveal Essential Features of Structure and Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Justin M.; Enemark, Eric J.

    2015-01-01

    In eukaryotes, the replicative helicase is the large multisubunit CMG complex consisting of the Mcm2–7 hexameric ring, Cdc45, and the tetrameric GINS complex. The Mcm2–7 ring assembles from six different, related proteins and forms the core of this complex. In archaea, a homologous MCM hexameric ring functions as the replicative helicase at the replication fork. Archaeal MCM proteins form thermostable homohexamers, facilitating their use as models of the eukaryotic Mcm2–7 helicase. Here we review archaeal MCM helicase structure and function and how the archaeal findings relate to the eukaryotic Mcm2–7 ring. PMID:26539061

  3. Viral hijacking of a replicative helicase loader and its implications for helicase loading control and phage replication

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hood, Iris V.; Berger, James M.

    2016-05-31

    Replisome assembly requires the loading of replicative hexameric helicases onto origins by AAA+ ATPases. How loader activity is appropriately controlled remains unclear. Here, we use structural and biochemical analyses to establish how an antimicrobial phage protein interferes with the function of theStaphylococcus aureusreplicative helicase loader, DnaI. The viral protein binds to the loader’s AAA+ ATPase domain, allowing binding of the host replicative helicase but impeding loader self-assembly and ATPase activity. Close inspection of the complex highlights an unexpected locus for the binding of an interdomain linker element in DnaI/DnaC-family proteins. We find that the inhibitor protein is genetically coupled to a phage-encoded homolog of the bacterial helicase loader, which we show binds to the host helicase but not to the inhibitor itself. These findings establish a new approach by which viruses can hijack host replication processes and explain how loader activity is internally regulated to prevent aberrant auto-association.

  4. DnaC inactivation in Escherichia coli K-12 induces the SOS response and expression of nucleotide biosynthesis genes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Løbner-Olesen, Anders; Slominska-Wojewodzka, Monika; Hansen, Flemming G.

    2008-01-01

    Background: Initiation of chromosome replication in E. coli requires the DnaA and DnaC proteins and conditionally-lethal dnaA and dnaC mutants are often used to synchronize cell populations. Methodology/Principal Findings: DNA microarrays were used to measure mRNA steady-state levels in initiatio......C genes was increased at the non-permissive temperature in the respective mutant strains indicating auto-regulation of both genes. Induction of the SOS regulon was observed in dnaC2 cells at 38 degrees C and 42 degrees C. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that dnaC2 mutant cells at non......-permissive temperature had completed the early stages of chromosome replication initiation. Conclusion/Significance: We suggest that in dnaC2 cells the SOS response is triggered by persistent open-complex formation at oriC and/or by arrested forks that require DnaC for replication restart....

  5. DNA unwinding by ring-shaped T4 helicase gp41 is hindered by tension on the occluded strand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ribeck, Noah; Saleh, Omar A

    2013-01-01

    The replicative helicase for bacteriophage T4 is gp41, which is a ring-shaped hexameric motor protein that achieves unwinding of dsDNA by translocating along one strand of ssDNA while forcing the opposite strand to the outside of the ring. While much study has been dedicated to the mechanism of binding and translocation along the ssDNA strand encircled by ring-shaped helicases, relatively little is known about the nature of the interaction with the opposite, 'occluded' strand. Here, we investigate the interplay between the bacteriophage T4 helicase gp41 and the ss/dsDNA fork by measuring, at the single-molecule level, DNA unwinding events on stretched DNA tethers in multiple geometries. We find that gp41 activity is significantly dependent on the geometry and tension of the occluded strand, suggesting an interaction between gp41 and the occluded strand that stimulates the helicase. However, the geometry dependence of gp41 activity is the opposite of that found previously for the E. coli hexameric helicase DnaB. Namely, tension applied between the occluded strand and dsDNA stem inhibits unwinding activity by gp41, while tension pulling apart the two ssDNA tails does not hinder its activity. This implies a distinct variation in helicase-occluded strand interactions among superfamily IV helicases, and we propose a speculative model for this interaction that is consistent with both the data presented here on gp41 and the data that had been previously reported for DnaB.

  6. Molecular architecture of the recombinant human MCM2-7 helicase in complex with nucleotides and DNA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boskovic, Jasminka; Bragado-Nilsson, Elisabeth; Saligram Prabhakar, Bhargav

    2016-01-01

    DNA replication is a key biological process that involves different protein complexes whose assembly is rigorously regulated in a successive order. One of these complexes is a replicative hexameric helicase, the MCM complex, which is essential for the initiation and elongation phases of replicati...

  7. Mutational analysis of an archaeal minichromosome maintenance protein exterior hairpin reveals critical residues for helicase activity and DNA binding

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    Brewster Aaron S

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The mini-chromosome maintenance protein (MCM complex is an essential replicative helicase for DNA replication in Archaea and Eukaryotes. While the eukaryotic complex consists of six homologous proteins (MCM2-7, the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus has only one MCM protein (ssoMCM, six subunits of which form a homohexamer. We have recently reported a 4.35Å crystal structure of the near full-length ssoMCM. The structure reveals a total of four β-hairpins per subunit, three of which are located within the main channel or side channels of the ssoMCM hexamer model generated based on the symmetry of the N-terminal Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus (mtMCM structure. The fourth β-hairpin, however, is located on the exterior of the hexamer, near the exit of the putative side channels and next to the ATP binding pocket. Results In order to better understand this hairpin's role in DNA binding and helicase activity, we performed a detailed mutational and biochemical analysis of nine residues on this exterior β-hairpin (EXT-hp. We examined the activities of the mutants related to their helicase function, including hexamerization, ATPase, DNA binding and helicase activities. The assays showed that some of the residues on this EXT-hp play a role for DNA binding as well as for helicase activity. Conclusions These results implicate several current theories regarding helicase activity by this critical hexameric enzyme. As the data suggest that EXT-hp is involved in DNA binding, the results reported here imply that the EXT-hp located near the exterior exit of the side channels may play a role in contacting DNA substrate in a manner that affects DNA unwinding.

  8. EV02: a Phase I trial to compare the safety and immunogenicity of HIV DNA-C prime-NYVAC-C boost to NYVAC-C alone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCormack, Sheena; Stöhr, Wolfgang; Barber, Tristan; Bart, Pierre-Alexandre; Harari, Alexandre; Moog, Christiane; Ciuffreda, Donatella; Cellerai, Cristina; Cowen, Miranda; Gamboni, Romilda; Burnet, Séverine; Legg, Ken; Brodnicki, Elizabeth; Wolf, Hans; Wagner, Ralf; Heeney, Jonathan; Frachette, Marie-Joëlle; Tartaglia, Jim; Babiker, Abdel; Pantaleo, Giuseppe; Weber, Jonathan

    2008-06-13

    The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to see if the addition of 4 mg/ml DNA-C priming given by the intramuscular route at weeks 0 and 4 to NYVAC-C at weeks 20 and 24, safely increased the proportion of participants with HIV-specific T-cell responses measured by the interferon (IFN)-gamma ELISpot assay at weeks 26 and/or 28 compared to NYVAC-C alone. Although 2 individuals discontinued after the first DNA-C due to adverse events (1 vaso-vagal; 1 transient, asymptomatic elevation in alanine transaminase), the vaccines were well tolerated. Three others failed to complete the regimen (1 changed her mind; 2 lost to follow-up). Of the 35 that completed the regimen 90% (18/20) in the DNA-C group had ELISpot responses compared to 33% (5/15) that received NYVAC-C alone (p=0.001). Responses were to envelope in the majority (21/23). Of the 9 individuals with responses to envelope and other peptides, 8 were in the DNA-C group. These promising results suggest that DNA-C was an effective priming agent, that merits further investigation.

  9. Staphylococcal SCCmec elements encode an active MCM-like helicase and thus may be replicative

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mir-Sanchis, Ignacio; Roman, Christina A.; Misiura, Agnieszka; Pigli, Ying Z.; Boyle-Vavra, Susan; Rice , Phoebe A. (UC)

    2016-08-29

    Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a public-health threat worldwide. Although the mobile genomic island responsible for this phenotype, staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC), has been thought to be nonreplicative, we predicted DNA-replication-related functions for some of the conserved proteins encoded by SCC. We show that one of these, Cch, is homologous to the self-loading initiator helicases of an unrelated family of genomic islands, that it is an active 3'-to-5' helicase and that the adjacent ORF encodes a single-stranded DNA–binding protein. Our 2.9-Å crystal structure of intact Cch shows that it forms a hexameric ring. Cch, like the archaeal and eukaryotic MCM-family replicative helicases, belongs to the pre–sensor II insert clade of AAA+ ATPases. Additionally, we found that SCC elements are part of a broader family of mobile elements, all of which encode a replication initiator upstream of their recombinases. Replication after excision would enhance the efficiency of horizontal gene transfer.

  10. Role of the hydrophilic channels of simian virus 40 T-antigen helicase in DNA replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Weiping; Manna, David; Simmons, Daniel T

    2007-05-01

    The simian virus 40 (SV40) hexameric helicase consists of a central channel and six hydrophilic channels located between adjacent large tier domains within each hexamer. To study the function of the hydrophilic channels in SV40 DNA replication, a series of single-point substitutions were introduced at sites not directly involved in protein-protein contacts. The mutants were characterized biochemically in various ways. All mutants oligomerized normally in the absence of DNA. Interestingly, 8 of the 10 mutants failed to unwind an origin-containing DNA fragment and nine of them were totally unable to support SV40 DNA replication in vitro. The mutants fell into four classes based on their biochemical properties. Class A mutants bound DNA normally and had normal ATPase and helicase activities but failed to unwind origin DNA and support SV40 DNA replication. Class B mutants were compromised in single-stranded DNA and origin DNA binding at low protein concentrations. They were defective in helicase activity and unwinding of the origin and in supporting DNA replication. Class C and D mutants possessed higher-than-normal single-stranded DNA binding activity at low protein concentrations. The class C mutants failed to separate origin DNA and support DNA replication. The class D mutants unwound origin DNA normally but were compromised in their ability to support DNA replication. Taken together, these results suggest that the hydrophilic channels have an active role in the unwinding of SV40 DNA from the origin and the placement of the resulting single strands within the helicase.

  11. Cdt1 stabilizes an open MCM ring for helicase loading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frigola, Jordi; He, Jun; Kinkelin, Kerstin; Pye, Valerie E; Renault, Ludovic; Douglas, Max E; Remus, Dirk; Cherepanov, Peter; Costa, Alessandro; Diffley, John F X

    2017-06-23

    ORC, Cdc6 and Cdt1 act together to load hexameric MCM, the motor of the eukaryotic replicative helicase, into double hexamers at replication origins. Here we show that Cdt1 interacts with MCM subunits Mcm2, 4 and 6, which both destabilizes the Mcm2-5 interface and inhibits MCM ATPase activity. Using X-ray crystallography, we show that Cdt1 contains two winged-helix domains in the C-terminal half of the protein and a catalytically inactive dioxygenase-related N-terminal domain, which is important for MCM loading, but not for subsequent replication. We used these structures together with single-particle electron microscopy to generate three-dimensional models of MCM complexes. These show that Cdt1 stabilizes MCM in a left-handed spiral open at the Mcm2-5 gate. We propose that Cdt1 acts as a brace, holding MCM open for DNA entry and bound to ATP until ORC-Cdc6 triggers ATP hydrolysis by MCM, promoting both Cdt1 ejection and MCM ring closure.

  12. Structure of the hexameric HerA ATPase reveals a mechanism of translocation-coupled DNA-end processing in archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rzechorzek, Neil J; Blackwood, John K; Bray, Sian M; Maman, Joseph D; Pellegrini, Luca; Robinson, Nicholas P

    2014-11-25

    The HerA ATPase cooperates with the NurA nuclease and the Mre11-Rad50 complex for the repair of double-strand DNA breaks in thermophilic archaea. Here we extend our structural knowledge of this minimal end-resection apparatus by presenting the first crystal structure of hexameric HerA. The full-length structure visualizes at atomic resolution the N-terminal HerA-ATP synthase domain and a conserved C-terminal extension, which acts as a physical brace between adjacent protomers. The brace also interacts in trans with nucleotide-binding residues of the neighbouring subunit. Our observations support a model in which the coaxial interaction of the HerA ring with the toroidal NurA dimer generates a continuous channel traversing the complex. HerA-driven translocation would propel the DNA towards the narrow annulus of NurA, leading to duplex melting and nucleolytic digestion. This system differs substantially from the bacterial end-resection paradigms. Our findings suggest a novel mode of DNA-end processing by this integrated archaeal helicase-nuclease machine.

  13. Authentic interdomain communication in an RNA helicase reconstituted by expressed protein ligation of two helicase domains.

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    Karow, Anne R; Theissen, Bettina; Klostermeier, Dagmar

    2007-01-01

    RNA helicases mediate structural rearrangements of RNA or RNA-protein complexes at the expense of ATP hydrolysis. Members of the DEAD box helicase family consist of two flexibly connected helicase domains. They share nine conserved sequence motifs that are involved in nucleotide binding and hydrolysis, RNA binding, and helicase activity. Most of these motifs line the cleft between the two helicase domains, and extensive communication between them is required for RNA unwinding. The two helicase domains of the Bacillus subtilis RNA helicase YxiN were produced separately as intein fusions, and a functional RNA helicase was generated by expressed protein ligation. The ligated helicase binds adenine nucleotides with very similar affinities to the wild-type protein. Importantly, its intrinsically low ATPase activity is stimulated by RNA, and the Michaelis-Menten parameters are similar to those of the wild-type. Finally, ligated YxiN unwinds a minimal RNA substrate to an extent comparable to that of the wild-type helicase, confirming authentic interdomain communication.

  14. Three-dimensional structure of N-terminal domain of DnaB helicase and helicase-primase interactions in Helicobacter pylori.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tara Kashav

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Replication initiation is a crucial step in genome duplication and homohexameric DnaB helicase plays a central role in the replication initiation process by unwinding the duplex DNA and interacting with several other proteins during the process of replication. N-terminal domain of DnaB is critical for helicase activity and for DnaG primase interactions. We present here the crystal structure of the N-terminal domain (NTD of H. pylori DnaB (HpDnaB helicase at 2.2 A resolution and compare the structural differences among helicases and correlate with the functional differences. The structural details of NTD suggest that the linker region between NTD and C-terminal helicase domain plays a vital role in accurate assembly of NTD dimers. The sequence analysis of the linker regions from several helicases reveals that they should form four helix bundles. We also report the characterization of H. pylori DnaG primase and study the helicase-primase interactions, where HpDnaG primase stimulates DNA unwinding activity of HpDnaB suggesting presence of helicase-primase cohort at the replication fork. The protein-protein interaction study of C-terminal domain of primase and different deletion constructs of helicase suggests that linker is essential for proper conformation of NTD to interact strongly with HpDnaG. The surface charge distribution on the primase binding surface of NTDs of various helicases suggests that DnaB-DnaG interaction and stability of the complex is most probably charge dependent. Structure of the linker and helicase-primase interactions indicate that HpDnaB differs greatly from E.coli DnaB despite both belong to gram negative bacteria.

  15. Mitochondrial helicases and mitochondrial genome maintenance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Souza-Pinto, Nadja C; Aamann, Maria Diget; Kulikowicz, Tomasz

    2010-01-01

    Helicases are essential enzymes that utilize the energy of nucleotide hydrolysis to drive unwinding of nucleic acid duplexes. Helicases play roles in all aspects of DNA metabolism including DNA repair, DNA replication and transcription. The subcellular locations and functions of several helicases...

  16. Insights into phosphate cooperativity and influence of substrate modifications on binding and catalysis of hexameric purine nucleoside phosphorylases.

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    Priscila O de Giuseppe

    Full Text Available The hexameric purine nucleoside phosphorylase from Bacillus subtilis (BsPNP233 displays great potential to produce nucleoside analogues in industry and can be exploited in the development of new anti-tumor gene therapies. In order to provide structural basis for enzyme and substrates rational optimization, aiming at those applications, the present work shows a thorough and detailed structural description of the binding mode of substrates and nucleoside analogues to the active site of the hexameric BsPNP233. Here we report the crystal structure of BsPNP233 in the apo form and in complex with 11 ligands, including clinically relevant compounds. The crystal structure of six ligands (adenine, 2'deoxyguanosine, aciclovir, ganciclovir, 8-bromoguanosine, 6-chloroguanosine in complex with a hexameric PNP are presented for the first time. Our data showed that free bases adopt alternative conformations in the BsPNP233 active site and indicated that binding of the co-substrate (2'deoxyribose 1-phosphate might contribute for stabilizing the bases in a favorable orientation for catalysis. The BsPNP233-adenosine complex revealed that a hydrogen bond between the 5' hydroxyl group of adenosine and Arg(43* side chain contributes for the ribosyl radical to adopt an unusual C3'-endo conformation. The structures with 6-chloroguanosine and 8-bromoguanosine pointed out that the Cl(6 and Br(8 substrate modifications seem to be detrimental for catalysis and can be explored in the design of inhibitors for hexameric PNPs from pathogens. Our data also corroborated the competitive inhibition mechanism of hexameric PNPs by tubercidin and suggested that the acyclic nucleoside ganciclovir is a better inhibitor for hexameric PNPs than aciclovir. Furthermore, comparative structural analyses indicated that the replacement of Ser(90 by a threonine in the B. cereus hexameric adenosine phosphorylase (Thr(91 is responsible for the lack of negative cooperativity of phosphate binding

  17. Requirement for the E1 Helicase C-Terminal Domain in Papillomavirus DNA Replication In Vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergvall, Monika; Gagnon, David; Titolo, Steve; Lehoux, Michaël; D'Abramo, Claudia M; Melendy, Thomas; Archambault, Jacques

    2016-01-06

    The papillomavirus (PV) E1 helicase contains a conserved C-terminal domain (CTD), located next to its ATP-binding site, whose function in vivo is still poorly understood. The CTD is comprised of an alpha helix followed by an acidic region (AR) and a C-terminal extension termed the C-tail. Recent biochemical studies on bovine papillomavirus 1 (BPV1) E1 showed that the AR and C-tail regulate the oligomerization of the protein into a double hexamer at the origin. In this study, we assessed the importance of the CTD of human papillomavirus 11 (HPV11) E1 in vivo, using a cell-based DNA replication assay. Our results indicate that combined deletion of the AR and C-tail drastically reduces DNA replication, by 85%, and that further truncation into the alpha-helical region compromises the structural integrity of the E1 helicase domain and its interaction with E2. Surprisingly, removal of the C-tail alone or mutation of highly conserved residues within the domain still allows significant levels of DNA replication (55%). This is in contrast to the absolute requirement for the C-tail reported for BPV1 E1 in vitro and confirmed here in vivo. Characterization of chimeric proteins in which the AR and C-tail from HPV11 E1 were replaced by those of BPV1 indicated that while the function of the AR is transferable, that of the C-tail is not. Collectively, these findings define the contribution of the three CTD subdomains to the DNA replication activity of E1 in vivo and suggest that the function of the C-tail has evolved in a PV type-specific manner. While much is known about hexameric DNA helicases from superfamily 3, the papillomavirus E1 helicase contains a unique C-terminal domain (CTD) adjacent to its ATP-binding site. We show here that this CTD is important for the DNA replication activity of HPV11 E1 in vivo and that it can be divided into three functional subdomains that roughly correspond to the three conserved regions of the CTD: an alpha helix, needed for the structural

  18. Requirement for the E1 Helicase C-Terminal Domain in Papillomavirus DNA Replication In Vivo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergvall, Monika; Gagnon, David; Titolo, Steve; Lehoux, Michaël; D'Abramo, Claudia M.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT The papillomavirus (PV) E1 helicase contains a conserved C-terminal domain (CTD), located next to its ATP-binding site, whose function in vivo is still poorly understood. The CTD is comprised of an alpha helix followed by an acidic region (AR) and a C-terminal extension termed the C-tail. Recent biochemical studies on bovine papillomavirus 1 (BPV1) E1 showed that the AR and C-tail regulate the oligomerization of the protein into a double hexamer at the origin. In this study, we assessed the importance of the CTD of human papillomavirus 11 (HPV11) E1 in vivo, using a cell-based DNA replication assay. Our results indicate that combined deletion of the AR and C-tail drastically reduces DNA replication, by 85%, and that further truncation into the alpha-helical region compromises the structural integrity of the E1 helicase domain and its interaction with E2. Surprisingly, removal of the C-tail alone or mutation of highly conserved residues within the domain still allows significant levels of DNA replication (55%). This is in contrast to the absolute requirement for the C-tail reported for BPV1 E1 in vitro and confirmed here in vivo. Characterization of chimeric proteins in which the AR and C-tail from HPV11 E1 were replaced by those of BPV1 indicated that while the function of the AR is transferable, that of the C-tail is not. Collectively, these findings define the contribution of the three CTD subdomains to the DNA replication activity of E1 in vivo and suggest that the function of the C-tail has evolved in a PV type-specific manner. IMPORTANCE While much is known about hexameric DNA helicases from superfamily 3, the papillomavirus E1 helicase contains a unique C-terminal domain (CTD) adjacent to its ATP-binding site. We show here that this CTD is important for the DNA replication activity of HPV11 E1 in vivo and that it can be divided into three functional subdomains that roughly correspond to the three conserved regions of the CTD: an alpha helix, needed

  19. DNA-conjugated gold nanoparticles based colorimetric assay to assess helicase activity: a novel route to screen potential helicase inhibitors

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    Deka, Jashmini; Mojumdar, Aditya; Parisse, Pietro; Onesti, Silvia; Casalis, Loredana

    2017-03-01

    Helicase are essential enzymes which are widespread in all life-forms. Due to their central role in nucleic acid metabolism, they are emerging as important targets for anti-viral, antibacterial and anti-cancer drugs. The development of easy, cheap, fast and robust biochemical assays to measure helicase activity, overcoming the limitations of the current methods, is a pre-requisite for the discovery of helicase inhibitors through high-throughput screenings. We have developed a method which exploits the optical properties of DNA-conjugated gold nanoparticles (AuNP) and meets the required criteria. The method was tested with the catalytic domain of the human RecQ4 helicase and compared with a conventional FRET-based assay. The AuNP-based assay produced similar results but is simpler, more robust and cheaper than FRET. Therefore, our nanotechnology-based platform shows the potential to provide a useful alternative to the existing conventional methods for following helicase activity and to screen small-molecule libraries as potential helicase inhibitors.

  20. Crystal structure of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus helicase.

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    Wei Hao

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV remains a threat to public health worldwide; however, effective vaccine or drug against CoVs remains unavailable. CoV helicase is one of the three evolutionary most conserved proteins in nidoviruses, thus making it an important target for drug development. We report here the first structure of full-length coronavirus helicase, MERS-CoV nsp13. MERS-CoV helicase has multiple domains, including an N-terminal Cys/His rich domain (CH with three zinc atoms, a beta-barrel domain and a C-terminal SF1 helicase core with two RecA-like subdomains. Our structural analyses show that while the domain organization of nsp13 is conserved throughout nidoviruses, the individual domains of nsp13 are closely related to the equivalent eukaryotic domains of Upf1 helicases. The most distinctive feature differentiating CoV helicases from eukaryotic Upf1 helicases is the interaction between CH domain and helicase core.

  1. Helicase-dependent amplification of nucleic acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Yun; Kim, Hyun-Jin; Li, Ying; Kong, Huimin; Lemieux, Bertrand

    2013-10-11

    Helicase-dependent amplification (HDA) is a novel method for the isothermal in vitro amplification of nucleic acids. The HDA reaction selectively amplifies a target sequence by extension of two oligonucleotide primers. Unlike the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), HDA uses a helicase enzyme to separate the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) strands, rather than heat denaturation. This allows DNA amplification without the need for thermal cycling. The helicase used in HDA is a helicase super family II protein obtained from a thermophilic organism, Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis (TteUvrD). This thermostable helicase is capable of unwinding blunt-end nucleic acid substrates at elevated temperatures (60° to 65°C). The HDA reaction can also be coupled with reverse transcription for ribonucleic acid (RNA) amplification. The products of this reaction can be detected during the reaction using fluorescent probes when incubations are conducted in a fluorimeter. Alternatively, products can be detected after amplification using a disposable amplicon containment device that contains an embedded lateral flow strip. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  2. Velocity and processivity of helicase unwinding of double-stranded nucleic acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Betterton, M D; Juelicher, F

    2005-01-01

    Helicases are molecular motors which unwind double-stranded nucleic acids (dsNA) in cells. Many helicases move with directional bias on single-stranded (ss) nucleic acids, and couple their directional translocation to strand separation. A model of the coupling between translocation and unwinding uses an interaction potential to represent passive and active helicase mechanisms. A passive helicase must wait for thermal fluctuations to open dsNA base pairs before it can advance and inhibit NA closing. An active helicase directly destabilizes dsNA base pairs, accelerating the opening rate. Here we extend this model to include helicase unbinding from the nucleic-acid strand. The helicase processivity depends on the form of the interaction potential. A passive helicase has a mean attachment time which does not change between ss translocation and ds unwinding, while an active helicase in general shows a decrease in attachment time during unwinding relative to ss translocation. In addition, we describe how helicase unwinding velocity and processivity vary if the base-pair binding free energy is changed

  3. Purification and crystallization of Kokobera virus helicase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Colibus, Luigi; Speroni, Silvia; Coutard, Bruno; Forrester, Naomi L.; Gould, Ernest; Canard, Bruno; Mattevi, Andrea

    2007-01-01

    Kokobera virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus belonging, like West Nile virus, to the Japanese encephalitis virus serocomplex. Crystals of the Kokobera virus helicase domain were obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method and exhibit a diffraction limit of 2.3 Å. Kokobera virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus belonging, like West Nile virus, to the Japanese encephalitis virus serocomplex. The flavivirus genus is characterized by a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome. The unique open reading frame of the viral RNA is transcribed and translated as a single polyprotein which is post-translationally cleaved to yield three structural and seven nonstructural proteins, one of which is the NS3 gene that encodes a C-terminal helicase domain consisting of 431 amino acids. Helicase inhibitors are potential antiviral drugs as the helicase is essential to viral replication. Crystals of the Kokobera virus helicase domain were obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belong to space group P3 1 21 (or P3 2 21), with unit-cell parameters a = 88.6, c = 138.6 Å, and exhibit a diffraction limit of 2.3 Å

  4. Purification and crystallization of Kokobera virus helicase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Colibus, Luigi; Speroni, Silvia [Department of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia (Italy); Coutard, Bruno [Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 6098 CNRS et Université Aix-Marseille I et II, ESIL, Campus de Luminy, 13288 Marseille CEDEX 09 (France); Forrester, Naomi L.; Gould, Ernest [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (formerly Institute of Virology), Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR (United Kingdom); Canard, Bruno [Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 6098 CNRS et Université Aix-Marseille I et II, ESIL, Campus de Luminy, 13288 Marseille CEDEX 09 (France); Mattevi, Andrea, E-mail: mattevi@ipvgen.unipv.it [Department of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia (Italy)

    2007-03-01

    Kokobera virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus belonging, like West Nile virus, to the Japanese encephalitis virus serocomplex. Crystals of the Kokobera virus helicase domain were obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method and exhibit a diffraction limit of 2.3 Å. Kokobera virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus belonging, like West Nile virus, to the Japanese encephalitis virus serocomplex. The flavivirus genus is characterized by a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome. The unique open reading frame of the viral RNA is transcribed and translated as a single polyprotein which is post-translationally cleaved to yield three structural and seven nonstructural proteins, one of which is the NS3 gene that encodes a C-terminal helicase domain consisting of 431 amino acids. Helicase inhibitors are potential antiviral drugs as the helicase is essential to viral replication. Crystals of the Kokobera virus helicase domain were obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belong to space group P3{sub 1}21 (or P3{sub 2}21), with unit-cell parameters a = 88.6, c = 138.6 Å, and exhibit a diffraction limit of 2.3 Å.

  5. Multivalent Fcγ-receptor engagement by a hexameric Fc-fusion protein triggers Fcγ-receptor internalisation and modulation of Fcγ-receptor functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qureshi, O S; Rowley, T F; Junker, F; Peters, S J; Crilly, S; Compson, J; Eddleston, A; Björkelund, H; Greenslade, K; Parkinson, M; Davies, N L; Griffin, R; Pither, T L; Cain, K; Christodoulou, L; Staelens, L; Ward, E; Tibbitts, J; Kiessling, A; Smith, B; Brennan, F R; Malmqvist, M; Fallah-Arani, F; Humphreys, D P

    2017-12-06

    Engagement of Fcγ-receptors triggers a range of downstream signalling events resulting in a diverse array of immune functions. As a result, blockade of Fc-mediated function is an important strategy for the control of several autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. We have generated a hexameric-Fc fusion protein (hexameric-Fc) and tested the consequences of multi-valent Fcγ-receptor engagement in in vitro and in vivo systems. In vitro engagement of hexameric-Fc with FcγRs showed complex binding interactions that altered with receptor density and triggered the internalisation and degradation of Fcγ-receptors. This caused a disruption of Fc-binding and phagocytosis. In vivo, in a mouse ITP model we observed a short half-life of hexameric-Fc but were nevertheless able to observe inhibition of platelet phagocytosis several days after hexameric-Fc dosing. In cynomolgus monkeys, we again observed a short half-life, but were able to demonstrate effective FcγR blockade. These findings demonstrate the ability of multi-valent Fc-based therapeutics to interfere with FcγR function and a potential mechanism through which they could have a sustained effect; the internalisation and degradation of FcγRs.

  6. Crystal Structure of a Monomeric Form of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Endonuclease Nsp15 Suggests a Role for Hexamerization As An Allosteric Switch

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Joseph, J.S.; Saikatendu, K.S.; Subramanian, V.; Neuman, B.W.; Buchmeier, M.J.; Stevens, R.C.; Kuhn, P.; /Scripps Res. Inst.

    2007-07-09

    Mature nonstructural protein-15 (nsp15) from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) contains a novel uridylate-specific Mn{sup 2+}-dependent endoribonuclease (NendoU). Structure studies of the full-length form of the obligate hexameric enzyme from two CoVs, SARS-CoV and murine hepatitis virus, and its monomeric homologue, XendoU from Xenopus laevis, combined with mutagenesis studies have implicated several residues in enzymatic activity and the N-terminal domain as the major determinant of hexamerization. However, the tight link between hexamerization and enzyme activity in NendoUs has remained an enigma. Here, we report the structure of a trimmed, monomeric form of SARS-CoV nsp15 (residues 28 to 335) determined to a resolution of 2.9 Angstroms. The catalytic loop (residues 234 to 249) with its two reactive histidines (His 234 and His 249) is dramatically flipped by {approx}120 degrees into the active site cleft. Furthermore, the catalytic nucleophile Lys 289 points in a diametrically opposite direction, a consequence of an outward displacement of the supporting loop (residues 276 to 295). In the full-length hexameric forms, these two loops are packed against each other and are stabilized by intimate intersubunit interactions. Our results support the hypothesis that absence of an adjacent monomer due to deletion of the hexamerization domain is the most likely cause for disruption of the active site, offering a structural basis for why only the hexameric form of this enzyme is active.

  7. Structural basis of Zika virus helicase in recognizing its substrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongliang Tian

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The recent explosive outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV infection has been reported in South and Central America and the Caribbean. Neonatal microcephaly associated with ZIKV infection has already caused a public health emergency of international concern. No specific vaccines or drugs are currently available to treat ZIKV infection. The ZIKV helicase, which plays a pivotal role in viral RNA replication, is an attractive target for therapy. We determined the crystal structures of ZIKV helicase-ATP-Mn2+ and ZIKV helicase-RNA. This is the first structure of any flavivirus helicase bound to ATP. Comparisons with related flavivirus helicases have shown that although the critical P-loop in the active site has variable conformations among different species, it adopts an identical mode to recognize ATP/Mn2+. The structure of ZIKV helicase-RNA has revealed that upon RNA binding, rotations of the motor domains can cause significant conformational changes. Strikingly, although ZIKV and dengue virus (DENV apo-helicases share conserved residues for RNA binding, their different manners of motor domain rotations result in distinct individual modes for RNA recognition. It suggests that flavivirus helicases could have evolved a conserved engine to convert chemical energy from nucleoside triphosphate to mechanical energy for RNA unwinding, but different motor domain rotations result in variable RNA recognition modes to adapt to individual viral replication.

  8. The crystal structure of the hexameric purine nucleoside phosphorylase from Bacillus subtilis in complex with adenosine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giuseppe, P.O.; Meza, A.N.; Martins, N.H.; Santos, C.R.; Murakami, M.T. [Laboratorio Nacional de Luz Sincrotron (LNLS), Campinas, SP (Brazil)

    2012-07-01

    Full text: Purine nucleoside phosphorylases (PNPs) play a key role in the purine-salvage pathway in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Its ribosyltransferase activity is of great biotechnological interest due to potential application in the synthesis of nucleoside analogues used in the treatment of antiviral infections and in anticancer chemotherapy. Trimeric PNPs are found mainly in vertebrates and are specific for 6-oxo-purines whereas hexameric PNPs are prevalent in prokaryotes and exhibit a broad range of substrates including 6-oxo and 6-amino purines. BsPNP233, the hexameric PNP from B. subtilis, is able to catalyze the bioconversion of ribavirin, an anti-viral drug, and is relatively thermostable, being a good target for industrial use. Here we report the crystal structures of BsPNP233 in the apo form and in complex with adenosine solved at 2.65 and 1.91 resolution, respectively. The apo and ligand-bound BsPNP233 subunits superposed with an overall r.m.s. deviation of 0.31 for all C{alpha} atoms, which suggests that no major conformational changes occur upon substrate binding. Based on the crystal structure of BsPNP233 in complex with adenosine we have defined the active site residues implicated in binding the ribose (H4{sup *}, R43{sup *}, M64, R87, E178, M179, E180) and the nitrogenous base (S90, C91, G92, S202, V177, F159). These residues are highly conserved among the bacterial hexameric PNPs, suggesting they share the same mode of interaction with the substrates. This work will probably contribute to a better understanding of the molecular basis for the broad substrate specificity of hexameric PNPs and to projects aiming the rational design of PNPs for industrial purposes. (author)

  9. Structural basis for the function of DEAH helicases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    He, Yangzi; Andersen, Gregers Rom; Nielsen, Klaus Hvid

    2010-01-01

    DEAH helicases participate in pre‐messenger RNA splicing and ribosome biogenesis. The structure of yeast Prp43p‐ADP reveals the homology of DEAH helicases to DNA helicases and the presence of an oligonucleotide‐binding motif. A β‐hairpin from the second RecA domain is wedged between two carboxy......‐terminal domains and blocks access to the occluded RNA binding site formed by the RecA domains and a C‐terminal domain. ATP binding and hydrolysis are likely to induce conformational changes in the hairpin that are important for RNA unwinding or ribonucleoprotein remodelling. The structure of Prp43p provides...

  10. Preliminary crystallographic characterization of an RNA helicase from Kunjin virus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mastrangelo, Eloise; Bollati, Michela; Milani, Mario; Brisbarre, Nadège; Lamballerie, Xavier de; Coutard, Bruno; Canard, Bruno; Khromykh, Alexander; Bolognesi, Martino

    2006-01-01

    The C-terminal 440 amino acids of the NS3 protein from Kunjin virus (Flaviviridae) code for a helicase. The protein has been overexpressed and crystallized. Characterization of the isolated monoclinic crystal form and diffraction data (at 3.0 Å resolution) are presented, together with a preliminary molecular-replacement solution. Kunjin virus is a member of the Flavivirus genus and is an Australian variant of West Nile virus. The C-terminal domain of the Kunjin virus NS3 protein displays helicase activity. The protein is thought to separate daughter and template RNA strands, assisting the initiation of replication by unwinding RNA secondary structure in the 3′ nontranslated region. Expression, purification and preliminary crystallographic characterization of the NS3 helicase domain are reported. It is shown that Kunjin virus helicase may adopt a dimeric assembly in absence of nucleic acids, oligomerization being a means to provide the helicases with multiple nucleic acid-binding capability, facilitating translocation along the RNA strands. Kunjin virus NS3 helicase domain is an attractive model for studying the molecular mechanisms of flavivirus replication, while simultaneously providing a new basis for the rational development of anti-flaviviral compounds

  11. [RTEL1 (regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1), a DNA helicase essential for genome stability].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Guen, Tangui; Jullien, Laurent; Schertzer, Mike; Lefebvre, Axelle; Kermasson, Laetitia; de Villartay, Jean-Pierre; Londoño-Vallejo, Arturo; Revy, Patrick

    2013-12-01

    RTEL1 (regulator of telomere length helicase 1) is a DNA helicase that has been identified more than 10 years ago. Many works since, mainly in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the mouse, have highlighted its role in chromosomal stability, maintenance of telomere length, and DNA repair. Recently, four laboratories have characterized RTEL1 mutations in patients with dyskeratosis congenita (DC) and Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson (HH) syndrome, a rare and severe variant of DC. We here summarize the current knowledge on RTEL1 and discuss the possible other functions that RTEL1 could play. © 2013 médecine/sciences – Inserm.

  12. Genome-wide identification of SF1 and SF2 helicases from archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamieh, Hala; Ibrahim, Hiba; Kozah, Juliana

    2016-01-15

    Archaea microorganisms have long been used as model organisms for the study of protein molecular machines. Archaeal proteins are particularly appealing to study since archaea, even though prokaryotic, possess eukaryotic-like cellular processes. Super Family I (SF1) and Super Family II (SF2) helicase families have been studied in many model organisms, little is known about their presence and distribution in archaea. We performed an exhaustive search of homologs of SF1 and SF2 helicase proteins in 95 complete archaeal genomes. In the present study, we identified the complete sets of SF1 and SF2 helicases in archaea. Comparative analysis between archaea, human and the bacteria E. coli SF1 and SF2 helicases, resulted in the identification of seven helicase families conserved among representatives of the domains of life. This analysis suggests that these helicase families are highly conserved throughout evolution. We highlight the conserved motifs of each family and characteristic domains of the detected families. Distribution of SF1/SF2 families show that Ski2-like, Lhr, Sfth and Rad3-like helicases are ubiquitous among archaeal genomes while the other families are specific to certain archaeal groups. We also report the presence of a novel SF2 helicase specific to archaea domain named Archaea Specific Helicase (ASH). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that ASH has evolved in Euryarchaeota and is evolutionary related to the Ski2-like family with specific characteristic domains. Our study provides the first exhaustive analysis of SF1 and SF2 helicases from archaea. It expands the variety of SF1 and SF2 archaeal helicases known to exist to date and provides a starting point for new biochemical and genetic studies needed to validate their biological functions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Structure of a hexameric form of RadA recombinase from Methanococcus voltae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du, Liqin; Luo, Yu

    2012-01-01

    Hexameric rings of RadA recombinase from M. voltae have been crystallized. Structural comparisons suggest that homologues of RadA tend to form double-ringed assemblies. Archaeal RadA proteins are close homologues of eukaryal Rad51 and DMC1 proteins and are remote homologues of bacterial RecA proteins. For the repair of double-stranded breaks in DNA, these recombinases promote a pivotal strand-exchange reaction between homologous single-stranded and double-stranded DNA substrates. This DNA-repair function also plays a key role in the resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and in the resistance of bacterial cells to antibiotics. A hexameric form of a truncated Methanococcus voltae RadA protein devoid of its small N-terminal domain has been crystallized. The RadA hexamers further assemble into two-ringed assemblies. Similar assemblies can be observed in the crystals of Pyrococcus furiosus RadA and Homo sapiens DMC1. In all of these two-ringed assemblies the DNA-interacting L1 region of each protomer points inward towards the centre, creating a highly positively charged locus. The electrostatic characteristics of the central channels can be utilized in the design of novel recombinase inhibitors

  14. Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a hexameric β-glucosidase from wheat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sue, Masayuki; Yamazaki, Kana; Kouyama, Jun-ichi; Sasaki, Yasuyuki; Ohsawa, Kanju; Miyamoto, Toru; Iwamura, Hajime; Yajima, Shunsuke

    2005-01-01

    Recombinant β-glucosidase from wheat seedlings complexed with a substrate aglycone has been crystallized in a hexameric active form. A diffraction data set has been collected at 1.7 Å. The wheat β-glucosidase TaGlu1b, which is only active in a hexameric form, was tagged with 6×His at the N-terminus, overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified in two steps. The protein complexed with a substrate aglycone was crystallized at 293 K from a solution containing 10 mM HEPES pH 7.2, 1 M LiSO 4 and 150 mM NaCl using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. Diffraction data were collected to 1.7 Å at the Photon Factory. The crystal belongs to space group P4 1 32, with unit-cell parameters a = b = c = 194.65 Å, α = β = γ = 90°. The asymmetric unit was confirmed by molecular-replacement solution to contain one monomer, giving a solvent content of 72.1%

  15. Close encounters for the first time: Helicase interactions with DNA damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Irfan; Sommers, Joshua A; Brosh, Robert M

    2015-09-01

    DNA helicases are molecular motors that harness the energy of nucleoside triphosphate hydrolysis to unwinding structured DNA molecules that must be resolved during cellular replication, DNA repair, recombination, and transcription. In vivo, DNA helicases are expected to encounter a wide spectrum of covalent DNA modifications to the sugar phosphate backbone or the nitrogenous bases; these modifications can be induced by endogenous biochemical processes or exposure to environmental agents. The frequency of lesion abundance can vary depending on the lesion type. Certain adducts such as oxidative base modifications can be quite numerous, and their effects can be helix-distorting or subtle perturbations to DNA structure. Helicase encounters with specific DNA lesions and more novel forms of DNA damage will be discussed. We will also review the battery of assays that have been used to characterize helicase-catalyzed unwinding of damaged DNA substrates. Characterization of the effects of specific DNA adducts on unwinding by various DNA repair and replication helicases has proven to be insightful for understanding mechanistic and biological aspects of helicase function in cellular DNA metabolism. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Overcoming natural replication barriers: differential helicase requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anand, Ranjith P; Shah, Kartik A; Niu, Hengyao; Sung, Patrick; Mirkin, Sergei M; Freudenreich, Catherine H

    2012-02-01

    DNA sequences that form secondary structures or bind protein complexes are known barriers to replication and potential inducers of genome instability. In order to determine which helicases facilitate DNA replication across these barriers, we analyzed fork progression through them in wild-type and mutant yeast cells, using 2-dimensional gel-electrophoretic analysis of the replication intermediates. We show that the Srs2 protein facilitates replication of hairpin-forming CGG/CCG repeats and prevents chromosome fragility at the repeat, whereas it does not affect replication of G-quadruplex forming sequences or a protein-bound repeat. Srs2 helicase activity is required for hairpin unwinding and fork progression. Also, the PCNA binding domain of Srs2 is required for its in vivo role of replication through hairpins. In contrast, the absence of Sgs1 or Pif1 helicases did not inhibit replication through structural barriers, though Pif1 did facilitate replication of a telomeric protein barrier. Interestingly, replication through a protein barrier but not a DNA structure barrier was modulated by nucleotide pool levels, illuminating a different mechanism by which cells can regulate fork progression through protein-mediated stall sites. Our analyses reveal fundamental differences in the replication of DNA structural versus protein barriers, with Srs2 helicase activity exclusively required for fork progression through hairpin structures.

  17. RecQ Helicases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Nicolai Balle; Hickson, Ian D

    2013-01-01

    The RecQ family of DNA helicases is highly conserved throughout -evolution, and is important for the maintenance of genome stability. In humans, five RecQ family members have been identified: BLM, WRN, RECQ4, RECQ1 and RECQ5. Defects in three of these give rise to Bloom's syndrome (BLM), Werner...

  18. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hrq1 requires a long 3'-tailed DNA substrate for helicase activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Sung-Hun; Choi, Do-Hee; Lee, Rina; Bae, Sung-Ho

    2012-10-26

    RecQ helicases are well conserved proteins from bacteria to human and function in various DNA metabolism for maintenance of genome stability. Five RecQ helicases are found in humans, whereas only one RecQ helicase has been described in lower eukaryotes. However, recent studies predicted the presence of a second RecQ helicase, Hrq1, in fungal genomes and verified it as a functional gene in fission yeast. Here we show that 3'-5' helicase activity is intrinsically associated with Hrq1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We also determined several biochemical properties of Hrq1 helicase distinguishable from those of other RecQ helicase members. Hrq1 is able to unwind relatively long duplex DNA up to 120-bp and is significantly stimulated by a preexisting fork structure. Further, the most striking feature of Hrq1 is its absolute requirement for a long 3'-tail (⩾70-nt) for efficient unwinding of duplex DNA. We also found that Hrq1 has potent DNA strand annealing activity. Our results indicate that Hrq1 has vigorous helicase activity that deserves further characterization to expand our understanding of RecQ helicases. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hrq1 requires a long 3′-tailed DNA substrate for helicase activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kwon, Sung-Hun; Choi, Do-Hee; Lee, Rina; Bae, Sung-Ho

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Hrq1 has intrinsic 3′–5′ helicase and DNA strand annealing activities. ► Hrq1 requires a long 3′-tail for efficient DNA unwinding. ► Helicase activity of Hrq1 is stimulated by a fork structure. ► Hrq1 is a moderately processive helicase. -- Abstract: RecQ helicases are well conserved proteins from bacteria to human and function in various DNA metabolism for maintenance of genome stability. Five RecQ helicases are found in humans, whereas only one RecQ helicase has been described in lower eukaryotes. However, recent studies predicted the presence of a second RecQ helicase, Hrq1, in fungal genomes and verified it as a functional gene in fission yeast. Here we show that 3′–5′ helicase activity is intrinsically associated with Hrq1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We also determined several biochemical properties of Hrq1 helicase distinguishable from those of other RecQ helicase members. Hrq1 is able to unwind relatively long duplex DNA up to 120-bp and is significantly stimulated by a preexisting fork structure. Further, the most striking feature of Hrq1 is its absolute requirement for a long 3′-tail (⩾70-nt) for efficient unwinding of duplex DNA. We also found that Hrq1 has potent DNA strand annealing activity. Our results indicate that Hrq1 has vigorous helicase activity that deserves further characterization to expand our understanding of RecQ helicases.

  20. Uncoupling of Protease trans-Cleavage and Helicase Activities in Pestivirus NS3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Fengwei; Lu, Guoliang; Li, Ling; Gong, Peng; Pan, Zishu

    2017-11-01

    The nonstructural protein NS3 from the Flaviviridae family is a multifunctional protein that contains an N-terminal protease and a C-terminal helicase, playing essential roles in viral polyprotein processing and genome replication. Here we report a full-length crystal structure of the classical swine fever virus (CSFV) NS3 in complex with its NS4A protease cofactor segment (PCS) at a 2.35-Å resolution. The structure reveals a previously unidentified ∼2,200-Å 2 intramolecular protease-helicase interface comprising three clusters of interactions, representing a "closed" global conformation related to the NS3-NS4A cis -cleavage event. Although this conformation is incompatible with protease trans -cleavage, it appears to be functionally important and beneficial to the helicase activity, as the mutations designed to perturb this conformation impaired both the helicase activities in vitro and virus production in vivo Our work reveals important features of protease-helicase coordination in pestivirus NS3 and provides a key basis for how different conformational states may explicitly contribute to certain functions of this natural protease-helicase fusion protein. IMPORTANCE Many RNA viruses encode helicases to aid their RNA genome replication and transcription by unwinding structured RNA. Being naturally fused to a protease participating in viral polyprotein processing, the NS3 helicases encoded by the Flaviviridae family viruses are unique. Therefore, how these two enzyme modules coordinate in a single polypeptide is of particular interest. Here we report a previously unidentified conformation of pestivirus NS3 in complex with its NS4A protease cofactor segment (PCS). This conformational state is related to the protease cis -cleavage event and is optimal for the function of helicase. This work provides an important basis to understand how different enzymatic activities of NS3 may be achieved by the coordination between the protease and helicase through different

  1. Identification of Hydroxyanthraquinones as Novel Inhibitors of Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Helicase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furuta, Atsushi; Tsubuki, Masayoshi; Endoh, Miduki; Miyamoto, Tatsuki; Tanaka, Junichi; Abdus Salam, Kazi; Akimitsu, Nobuyoshi; Tani, Hidenori; Yamashita, Atsuya; Moriishi, Kohji; Nakakoshi, Masamichi; Sekiguchi, Yuji; Tsuneda, Satoshi; Noda, Naohiro

    2015-01-01

    Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important etiological agent of severe liver diseases, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The HCV genome encodes nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) helicase, which is a potential anti-HCV drug target because its enzymatic activity is essential for viral replication. Some anthracyclines are known to be NS3 helicase inhibitors and have a hydroxyanthraquinone moiety in their structures; mitoxantrone, a hydroxyanthraquinone analogue, is also known to inhibit NS3 helicase. Therefore, we hypothesized that the hydroxyanthraquinone moiety alone could also inhibit NS3 helicase. Here, we performed a structure–activity relationship study on a series of hydroxyanthraquinones by using a fluorescence-based helicase assay. Hydroxyanthraquinones inhibited NS3 helicase with IC50 values in the micromolar range. The inhibitory activity varied depending on the number and position of the phenolic hydroxyl groups, and among different hydroxyanthraquinones examined, 1,4,5,8-tetrahydroxyanthraquinone strongly inhibited NS3 helicase with an IC50 value of 6 µM. Furthermore, hypericin and sennidin A, which both have two hydroxyanthraquinone-like moieties, were found to exert even stronger inhibition with IC50 values of 3 and 0.8 µM, respectively. These results indicate that the hydroxyanthraquinone moiety can inhibit NS3 helicase and suggest that several key chemical structures are important for the inhibition. PMID:26262613

  2. Identification of Hydroxyanthraquinones as Novel Inhibitors of Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Helicase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atsushi Furuta

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Hepatitis C virus (HCV is an important etiological agent of severe liver diseases, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The HCV genome encodes nonstructural protein 3 (NS3 helicase, which is a potential anti-HCV drug target because its enzymatic activity is essential for viral replication. Some anthracyclines are known to be NS3 helicase inhibitors and have a hydroxyanthraquinone moiety in their structures; mitoxantrone, a hydroxyanthraquinone analogue, is also known to inhibit NS3 helicase. Therefore, we hypothesized that the hydroxyanthraquinone moiety alone could also inhibit NS3 helicase. Here, we performed a structure–activity relationship study on a series of hydroxyanthraquinones by using a fluorescence-based helicase assay. Hydroxyanthraquinones inhibited NS3 helicase with IC50 values in the micromolar range. The inhibitory activity varied depending on the number and position of the phenolic hydroxyl groups, and among different hydroxyanthraquinones examined, 1,4,5,8-tetrahydroxyanthraquinone strongly inhibited NS3 helicase with an IC50 value of 6 µM. Furthermore, hypericin and sennidin A, which both have two hydroxyanthraquinone-like moieties, were found to exert even stronger inhibition with IC50 values of 3 and 0.8 µM, respectively. These results indicate that the hydroxyanthraquinone moiety can inhibit NS3 helicase and suggest that several key chemical structures are important for the inhibition.

  3. Genome-Wide Analysis of the RNA Helicase Gene Family in Gossypium raimondii

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jie Chen

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The RNA helicases, which help to unwind stable RNA duplexes, and have important roles in RNA metabolism, belong to a class of motor proteins that play important roles in plant development and responses to stress. Although this family of genes has been the subject of systematic investigation in Arabidopsis, rice, and tomato, it has not yet been characterized in cotton. In this study, we identified 161 putative RNA helicase genes in the genome of the diploid cotton species Gossypium raimondii. We classified these genes into three subfamilies, based on the presence of either a DEAD-box (51 genes, DEAH-box (52 genes, or DExD/H-box (58 genes in their coding regions. Chromosome location analysis showed that the genes that encode RNA helicases are distributed across all 13 chromosomes of G. raimondii. Syntenic analysis revealed that 62 of the 161 G. raimondii helicase genes (38.5% are within the identified syntenic blocks. Sixty-six (40.99% helicase genes from G. raimondii have one or several putative orthologs in tomato. Additionally, GrDEADs have more conserved gene structures and more simple domains than GrDEAHs and GrDExD/Hs. Transcriptome sequencing data demonstrated that many of these helicases, especially GrDEADs, are highly expressed at the fiber initiation stage and in mature leaves. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a genome-wide analysis of the RNA helicase gene family in cotton.

  4. A Brownian motor mechanism of translocation and strand separation by hepatitis C virus helicase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levin, Mikhail K; Gurjar, Madhura; Patel, Smita S

    2005-05-01

    Helicases translocate along their nucleic acid substrates using the energy of ATP hydrolysis and by changing conformations of their nucleic acid-binding sites. Our goal is to characterize the conformational changes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) helicase at different stages of ATPase cycle and to determine how they lead to translocation. We have reported that ATP binding reduces HCV helicase affinity for nucleic acid. Now we identify the stage of the ATPase cycle responsible for translocation and unwinding. We show that a rapid directional movement occurs upon helicase binding to DNA in the absence of ATP, resulting in opening of several base pairs. We propose that HCV helicase translocates as a Brownian motor with a simple two-stroke cycle. The directional movement step is fueled by single-stranded DNA binding energy while ATP binding allows for a brief period of random movement that prepares the helicase for the next cycle.

  5. Structure-Based Mutational Analysis of the Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Helicase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tai, Chun-Ling; Pan, Wen-Ching; Liaw, Shwu-Huey; Yang, Ueng-Cheng; Hwang, Lih-Hwa; Chen, Ding-Shinn

    2001-01-01

    The carboxyl terminus of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) possesses ATP-dependent RNA helicase activity. Based on the conserved sequence motifs and the crystal structures of the helicase domain, 17 mutants of the HCV NS3 helicase were generated. The ATP hydrolysis, RNA binding, and RNA unwinding activities of the mutant proteins were examined in vitro to determine the functional role of the mutated residues. The data revealed that Lys-210 in the Walker A motif and Asp-290, Glu-291, and His-293 in the Walker B motif were crucial to ATPase activity and that Thr-322 and Thr-324 in motif III and Arg-461 in motif VI significantly influenced ATPase activity. When the pairing between His-293 and Gln-460, referred to as gatekeepers, was replaced with the Asp-293/His-460 pair, which makes the NS3 helicase more like the DEAD helicase subgroup, ATPase activity was not restored. It thus indicated that the whole microenvironment surrounding the gatekeepers, rather than the residues per se, was important to the enzymatic activities. Arg-461 and Trp-501 are important residues for RNA binding, while Val-432 may only play a coadjutant role. The data demonstrated that RNA helicase activity was possibly abolished by the loss of ATPase activity or by reduced RNA binding activity. Nevertheless, a low threshold level of ATPase activity was found sufficient for helicase activity. Results in this study provide a valuable reference for efforts under way to develop anti-HCV therapeutic drugs targeting NS3. PMID:11483774

  6. Distinct functions of human RecQ helicases during DNA replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urban, Vaclav; Dobrovolna, Jana; Janscak, Pavel

    2017-06-01

    DNA replication is the most vulnerable process of DNA metabolism in proliferating cells and therefore it is tightly controlled and coordinated with processes that maintain genomic stability. Human RecQ helicases are among the most important factors involved in the maintenance of replication fork integrity, especially under conditions of replication stress. RecQ helicases promote recovery of replication forks being stalled due to different replication roadblocks of either exogenous or endogenous source. They prevent generation of aberrant replication fork structures and replication fork collapse, and are involved in proper checkpoint signaling. The essential role of human RecQ helicases in the genome maintenance during DNA replication is underlined by association of defects in their function with cancer predisposition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. GINS complex protein Sld5 recruits SIK1 to activate MCM helicase during DNA replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Kiranmai; Shah, Varun Jayeshkumar; Maddika, Subbareddy

    2016-12-01

    In eukaryotes, proper loading and activation of MCM helicase at chromosomal origins plays a central role in DNA replication. Activation of MCM helicase requires its association with CDC45-GINS complex, but the mechanism of how this complex activates MCM helicase is poorly understood. Here we identified SIK1 (salt-inducible kinase 1), an AMPK related protein kinase, as a molecular link that connects GINS complex with MCM helicase activity. We demonstrated that Sld5 a component of GINS complex interacts with SIK1 and recruits it to the sites of DNA replication at the onset of S phase. Depletion of SIK1 leads to defective DNA replication. Further, we showed that SIK1 phosphorylates MCM2 at five conserved residues at its N-terminus, which is essential for the activation of MCM helicase. Collectively, our results suggest SIK1 as a novel integral component of CMG replicative helicase during eukaryotic DNA replication. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Inhibition of RNA Helicases of ssRNA+ Virus Belonging to Flaviviridae, Coronaviridae and Picornaviridae Families

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irene Briguglio

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Many viral pathogens encode the motor proteins named RNA helicases which display various functions in genome replication. General strategies to design specific and selective drugs targeting helicase for the treatment of viral infections could act via one or more of the following mechanisms: inhibition of the NTPase activity, by interferences with ATP binding and therefore by limiting the energy required for the unwinding and translocation, or by allosteric mechanism and therefore by stabilizing the conformation of the enzyme in low helicase activity state; inhibition of nucleic acids binding to the helicase; inhibition of coupling of ATP hydrolysis to unwinding; inhibition of unwinding by sterically blocking helicase translocation. Recently, by in vitro screening studies, it has been reported that several benzotriazole, imidazole, imidazodiazepine, phenothiazine, quinoline, anthracycline, triphenylmethane, tropolone, pyrrole, acridone, small peptide, and Bananin derivatives are endowed with helicase inhibition of pathogen viruses belonging to Flaviviridae, Coronaviridae, and Picornaviridae families.

  9. Physical and functional interactions of Caenorhabditis elegans WRN-1 helicase with RPA-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hyun, Moonjung; Park, Sojin; Kim, Eunsun; Kim, Do-Hyung; Lee, Se-Jin; Koo, Hyeon-Sook; Seo, Yeon-Soo; Ahn, Byungchan

    2012-02-21

    The Caenorhabditis elegans Werner syndrome protein, WRN-1, a member of the RecQ helicase family, has a 3'-5' DNA helicase activity. Worms with defective wrn-1 exhibit premature aging phenotypes and an increased level of genome instability. In response to DNA damage, WRN-1 participates in the initial stages of checkpoint activation in concert with C. elegans replication protein A (RPA-1). WRN-1 helicase is stimulated by RPA-1 on long DNA duplex substrates. However, the mechanism by which RPA-1 stimulates DNA unwinding and the function of the WRN-1-RPA-1 interaction are not clearly understood. We have found that WRN-1 physically interacts with two RPA-1 subunits, CeRPA73 and CeRPA32; however, full-length WRN-1 helicase activity is stimulated by only the CeRPA73 subunit, while the WRN-1(162-1056) fragment that harbors the helicase activity requires both the CeRPA73 and CeRPA32 subunits for the stimulation. We also found that the CeRPA73(1-464) fragment can stimulate WRN-1 helicase activity and that residues 335-464 of CeRPA73 are important for physical interaction with WRN-1. Because CeRPA73 and the CeRPA73(1-464) fragment are able to bind single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), the stimulation of WRN-1 helicase by RPA-1 is most likely due to the ssDNA binding activity of CeRPA73 and the direct interaction of WRN-1 and CeRPA73.

  10. MCM Paradox: Abundance of Eukaryotic Replicative Helicases and Genomic Integrity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Mitali; Singh, Sunita; Pradhan, Satyajit; Narayan, Gopeshwar

    2014-01-01

    As a crucial component of DNA replication licensing system, minichromosome maintenance (MCM) 2-7 complex acts as the eukaryotic DNA replicative helicase. The six related MCM proteins form a heterohexamer and bind with ORC, CDC6, and Cdt1 to form the prereplication complex. Although the MCMs are well known as replicative helicases, their overabundance and distribution patterns on chromatin present a paradox called the "MCM paradox." Several approaches had been taken to solve the MCM paradox and describe the purpose of excess MCMs distributed beyond the replication origins. Alternative functions of these MCMs rather than a helicase had also been proposed. This review focuses on several models and concepts generated to solve the MCM paradox coinciding with their helicase function and provides insight into the concept that excess MCMs are meant for licensing dormant origins as a backup during replication stress. Finally, we extend our view towards the effect of alteration of MCM level. Though an excess MCM constituent is needed for normal cells to withstand stress, there must be a delineation of the threshold level in normal and malignant cells. This review also outlooks the future prospects to better understand the MCM biology.

  11. Unzippers, Resolvers and Sensors: A Structural and Functional Biochemistry Tale of RNA Helicases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Lúcia Leitão

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The centrality of RNA within the biological world is an irrefutable fact that currently attracts increasing attention from the scientific community. The panoply of functional RNAs requires the existence of specific biological caretakers, RNA helicases, devoted to maintain the proper folding of those molecules, resolving unstable structures. However, evolution has taken advantage of the specific position and characteristics of RNA helicases to develop new functions for these proteins, which are at the interface of the basic processes for transference of information from DNA to proteins. RNA helicases are involved in many biologically relevant processes, not only as RNA chaperones, but also as signal transducers, scaffolds of molecular complexes, and regulatory elements. Structural biology studies during the last decade, founded in X-ray crystallography, have characterized in detail several RNA-helicases. This comprehensive review summarizes the structural knowledge accumulated in the last two decades within this family of proteins, with special emphasis on the structure-function relationships of the most widely-studied families of RNA helicases: the DEAD-box, RIG-I-like and viral NS3 classes.

  12. Helicase and Polymerase Move Together Close to the Fork Junction and Copy DNA in One-Nucleotide Steps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manjula Pandey

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available By simultaneously measuring DNA synthesis and dNTP hydrolysis, we show that T7 DNA polymerase and T7 gp4 helicase move in sync during leading-strand synthesis, taking one-nucleotide steps and hydrolyzing one dNTP per base-pair unwound/copied. The cooperative catalysis enables the helicase and polymerase to move at a uniformly fast rate without guanine:cytosine (GC dependency or idling with futile NTP hydrolysis. We show that the helicase and polymerase are located close to the replication fork junction. This architecture enables the polymerase to use its strand-displacement synthesis to increase the unwinding rate, whereas the helicase aids this process by translocating along single-stranded DNA and trapping the unwound bases. Thus, in contrast to the helicase-only unwinding model, our results suggest a model in which the helicase and polymerase are moving in one-nucleotide steps, DNA synthesis drives fork unwinding, and a role of the helicase is to trap the unwound bases and prevent DNA reannealing.

  13. RecQ helicases and cellular responses to DNA damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Leonard; Hickson, Ian D.

    2002-01-01

    The faithful replication of the genome is essential for the survival of all organisms. It is not surprising therefore that numerous mechanisms have evolved to ensure that duplication of the genome occurs with only minimal risk of mutation induction. One mechanism of genome destabilization is replication fork demise, which can occur when a translocating fork meets a lesion or adduct in the template. Indeed, the collapse of replication forks has been suggested to occur in every replicative cell cycle making this a potentially significant problem for all proliferating cells. The RecQ helicases, which are essential for the maintenance of genome stability, are thought to function during DNA replication. In particular, RecQ helicase mutants display replication defects and have phenotypes consistent with an inability to efficiently reinitiate replication following replication fork demise. Here, we review some current models for how replication fork repair might be effected, and discuss potential roles for RecQ helicases in this process

  14. A role for the fission yeast Rqh1 helicase in chromosome segregation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Win, Thein Z; Mankouri, Hocine W; Hickson, Ian D

    2005-01-01

    Schizosaccharomyces pombe Rqh1 protein is a member of the RecQ DNA helicase family. Members of this protein family are mutated in several human genome instability syndromes, including Bloom, Werner and Rothmund-Thomson syndromes. RecQ helicases participate in recombination repair of stalled...

  15. XPD Helicase Structures and Activities: Insights into the Cancer and Aging Phenotypes from XPD Mutations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tainer, John; Fan, Li; Fuss, Jill O.; Cheng, Quen J.; Arvai, Andrew S.; Hammel, Michal; Roberts, Victoria A.; Cooper, Priscilla K.; Tainer, John A.

    2008-06-02

    Mutations in XPD helicase, required for nucleotide excision repair (NER) as part of the transcription/repair complex TFIIH, cause three distinct phenotypes: cancer-prone xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), or aging disorders Cockayne syndrome (CS), and trichothiodystrophy (TTD). To clarify molecular differences underlying these diseases, we determined crystal structures of the XPD catalytic core from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and measured mutant enzyme activities. Substrate-binding grooves separate adjacent Rad51/RecA-like helicase domains (HD1, HD2) and an arch formed by 4FeS and Arch domains. XP mutations map along the HD1 ATP-binding edge and HD2 DNA-binding channel and impair helicase activity essential for NER. XP/CS mutations both impair helicase activity and likely affect HD2 functional movement. TTD mutants lose or retain helicase activity but map to sites in all four domains expected to cause framework defects impacting TFIIH integrity. These results provide a foundation for understanding disease consequences of mutations in XPD and related 4Fe-4S helicases including FancJ.

  16. XPD Helicase Structures And Activities: Insights Into the Cancer And Aging Phenotypes From XPD Mutations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fan, L.; Fuss, J.O.; Cheng, Q.J.; Arvai, A.S.; Hammel, M.; Roberts, V.A.; Cooper, P.K.; Tainer, J.A.

    2009-05-18

    Mutations in XPD helicase, required for nucleotide excision repair (NER) as part of the transcription/repair complex TFIIH, cause three distinct phenotypes: cancer-prone xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), or aging disorders Cockayne syndrome (CS), and trichothiodystrophy (TTD). To clarify molecular differences underlying these diseases, we determined crystal structures of the XPD catalytic core from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and measured mutant enzyme activities. Substrate-binding grooves separate adjacent Rad51/RecA-like helicase domains (HD1, HD2) and an arch formed by 4FeS and Arch domains. XP mutations map along the HD1 ATP-binding edge and HD2 DNA-binding channel and impair helicase activity essential for NER. XP/CS mutations both impair helicase activity and likely affect HD2 functional movement. TTD mutants lose or retain helicase activity but map to sites in all four domains expected to cause framework defects impacting TFIIH integrity. These results provide a foundation for understanding disease consequences of mutations in XPD and related 4Fe-4S helicases including FancJ.

  17. Crystal structures of the methyltransferase and helicase from the ZIKA 1947 MR766 Uganda strain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bukrejewska, Malgorzata; Derewenda, Urszula; Radwanska, Malwina; Engel, Daniel A.; Derewenda, Zygmunt S.

    2017-08-15

    Two nonstructural proteins encoded byZika virusstrain MR766 RNA, a methyltransferase and a helicase, were crystallized and their structures were solved and refined at 2.10 and 2.01 Å resolution, respectively. The NS5 methyltransferase contains a boundS-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) co-substrate. The NS3 helicase is in the apo form. Comparison with published crystal structures of the helicase in the apo, nucleotide-bound and single-stranded RNA (ssRNA)-bound states suggests that binding of ssRNA to the helicase may occur through conformational selection rather than induced fit.

  18. Structure of synaptophysin: a hexameric MARVEL-domain channel protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arthur, Christopher P; Stowell, Michael H B

    2007-06-01

    Synaptophysin I (SypI) is an archetypal member of the MARVEL-domain family of integral membrane proteins and one of the first synaptic vesicle proteins to be identified and cloned. Most all MARVEL-domain proteins are involved in membrane apposition and vesicle-trafficking events, but their precise role in these processes is unclear. We have purified mammalian SypI and determined its three-dimensional (3D) structure by using electron microscopy and single-particle 3D reconstruction. The hexameric structure resembles an open basket with a large pore and tenuous interactions within the cytosolic domain. The structure suggests a model for Synaptophysin's role in fusion and recycling that is regulated by known interactions with the SNARE machinery. This 3D structure of a MARVEL-domain protein provides a structural foundation for understanding the role of these important proteins in a variety of biological processes.

  19. ARCPHdb: A comprehensive protein database for SF1 and SF2 helicase from archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moukhtar, Mirna; Chaar, Wafi; Abdel-Razzak, Ziad; Khalil, Mohamad; Taha, Samir; Chamieh, Hala

    2017-01-01

    Superfamily 1 and Superfamily 2 helicases, two of the largest helicase protein families, play vital roles in many biological processes including replication, transcription and translation. Study of helicase proteins in the model microorganisms of archaea have largely contributed to the understanding of their function, architecture and assembly. Based on a large phylogenomics approach, we have identified and classified all SF1 and SF2 protein families in ninety five sequenced archaea genomes. Here we developed an online webserver linked to a specialized protein database named ARCPHdb to provide access for SF1 and SF2 helicase families from archaea. ARCPHdb was implemented using MySQL relational database. Web interfaces were developed using Netbeans. Data were stored according to UniProt accession numbers, NCBI Ref Seq ID, PDB IDs and Entrez Databases. A user-friendly interactive web interface has been developed to browse, search and download archaeal helicase protein sequences, their available 3D structure models, and related documentation available in the literature provided by ARCPHdb. The database provides direct links to matching external databases. The ARCPHdb is the first online database to compile all protein information on SF1 and SF2 helicase from archaea in one platform. This database provides essential resource information for all researchers interested in the field. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Targeting Dengue Virus NS-3 Helicase by Ligand based Pharmacophore Modeling and Structure based Virtual Screening

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halim, Sobia A.; Khan, Shanza; Khan, Ajmal; Wadood, Abdul; Mabood, Fazal; Hussain, Javid; Al-Harrasi, Ahmed

    2017-10-01

    Dengue fever is an emerging public health concern, with several million viral infections occur annually, for which no effective therapy currently exist. Non-structural protein 3 (NS-3) Helicase encoded by the dengue virus (DENV) is considered as a potential drug target to design new and effective drugs against dengue. Helicase is involved in unwinding of dengue RNA. This study was conducted to design new NS-3 Helicase inhibitor by in silico ligand- and structure based approaches. Initially ligand-based pharmacophore model was generated that was used to screen a set of 1201474 compounds collected from ZINC Database. The compounds matched with the pharmacophore model were docked into the active site of NS-3 helicase. Based on docking scores and binding interactions, twenty five compounds are suggested to be potential inhibitors of NS3 Helicase. The pharmacokinetic properties of these hits were predicted. The selected hits revealed acceptable ADMET properties. This study identified potential inhibitors of NS-3 Helicase in silico, and can be helpful in the treatment of Dengue.

  1. EM structure of a helicase-loader complex depicting a 6:2 binding sub-stoichiometry from Geobacillus kaustophilus HTA426

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, Yen-Chen; Naveen, Vankadari; Hsiao, Chwan-Deng

    2016-01-01

    During DNA replication, bacterial helicase is recruited as a complex in association with loader proteins to unwind the parental duplex. Previous structural studies have reported saturated 6:6 helicase-loader complexes with different conformations. However, structural information on the sub-stoichiometric conformations of these previously-documented helicase-loader complexes remains elusive. Here, with the aid of single particle electron-microscopy (EM) image reconstruction, we present the Geobacillus kaustophilus HTA426 helicase-loader (DnaC-DnaI) complex with a 6:2 binding stoichiometry in the presence of ATPγS. In the 19 Å resolution EM map, the undistorted and unopened helicase ring holds a robust loader density above the C-terminal RecA-like domain. Meanwhile, the path of the central DNA binding channel appears to be obstructed by the reconstructed loader density, implying its potential role as a checkpoint conformation to prevent the loading of immature complex onto DNA. Our data also reveals that the bound nucleotides and the consequently induced conformational changes in the helicase hexamer are essential for active association with loader proteins. These observations provide fundamental insights into the formation of the helicase-loader complex in bacteria that regulates the DNA replication process. - Highlights: • Helicase-loader complex structure with 6:2 sub-stoichiometry is resolved by EM. • Helicase hexamer in 6:2 sub-stoichiometry is constricted and un-opened. • 6:2 binding ratio of helicase-loader complex could act as a DNA loading checkpoint. • Nucleotides stabilize helicase-loader complex at low protein concentrations.

  2. EM structure of a helicase-loader complex depicting a 6:2 binding sub-stoichiometry from Geobacillus kaustophilus HTA426

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Yen-Chen [Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan (China); Naveen, Vankadari [Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan (China); Molecular Cell Biology, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, and Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Hsiao, Chwan-Deng, E-mail: hsiao@gate.sinica.edu.tw [Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan (China); Molecular Cell Biology, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, and Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

    2016-04-22

    During DNA replication, bacterial helicase is recruited as a complex in association with loader proteins to unwind the parental duplex. Previous structural studies have reported saturated 6:6 helicase-loader complexes with different conformations. However, structural information on the sub-stoichiometric conformations of these previously-documented helicase-loader complexes remains elusive. Here, with the aid of single particle electron-microscopy (EM) image reconstruction, we present the Geobacillus kaustophilus HTA426 helicase-loader (DnaC-DnaI) complex with a 6:2 binding stoichiometry in the presence of ATPγS. In the 19 Å resolution EM map, the undistorted and unopened helicase ring holds a robust loader density above the C-terminal RecA-like domain. Meanwhile, the path of the central DNA binding channel appears to be obstructed by the reconstructed loader density, implying its potential role as a checkpoint conformation to prevent the loading of immature complex onto DNA. Our data also reveals that the bound nucleotides and the consequently induced conformational changes in the helicase hexamer are essential for active association with loader proteins. These observations provide fundamental insights into the formation of the helicase-loader complex in bacteria that regulates the DNA replication process. - Highlights: • Helicase-loader complex structure with 6:2 sub-stoichiometry is resolved by EM. • Helicase hexamer in 6:2 sub-stoichiometry is constricted and un-opened. • 6:2 binding ratio of helicase-loader complex could act as a DNA loading checkpoint. • Nucleotides stabilize helicase-loader complex at low protein concentrations.

  3. Demonstration of helicase activity in the nonstructural protein, NSs, of the negative-sense RNA virus, groundnut bud necrosis virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhushan, Lokesh; Abraham, Ambily; Choudhury, Nirupam Roy; Rana, Vipin Singh; Mukherjee, Sunil Kumar; Savithri, Handanahal Subbarao

    2015-04-01

    The nonstructural protein NSs, encoded by the S RNA of groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV) (genus Tospovirus, family Bunyaviridae) has earlier been shown to possess nucleic-acid-stimulated NTPase and 5' α phosphatase activity. ATP hydrolysis is an essential function of a true helicase. Therefore, NSs was tested for DNA helicase activity. The results demonstrated that GBNV NSs possesses bidirectional DNA helicase activity. An alanine mutation in the Walker A motif (K189A rNSs) decreased DNA helicase activity substantially, whereas a mutation in the Walker B motif resulted in a marginal decrease in this activity. The parallel loss of the helicase and ATPase activity in the K189A mutant confirms that NSs acts as a non-canonical DNA helicase. Furthermore, both the wild-type and K189A NSs could function as RNA silencing suppressors, demonstrating that the suppressor activity of NSs is independent of its helicase or ATPase activity. This is the first report of a true helicase from a negative-sense RNA virus.

  4. High-throughput screening assay of hepatitis C virus helicase inhibitors using fluorescence-quenching phenomenon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tani, Hidenori; Akimitsu, Nobuyoshi; Fujita, Osamu; Matsuda, Yasuyoshi; Miyata, Ryo; Tsuneda, Satoshi; Igarashi, Masayuki; Sekiguchi, Yuji; Noda, Naohiro

    2009-01-01

    We have developed a novel high-throughput screening assay of hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) helicase inhibitors using the fluorescence-quenching phenomenon via photoinduced electron transfer between fluorescent dyes and guanine bases. We prepared double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) with a 5'-fluorescent-dye (BODIPY FL)-labeled strand hybridized with a complementary strand, the 3'-end of which has guanine bases. When dsDNA is unwound by helicase, the dye emits fluorescence owing to its release from the guanine bases. Our results demonstrate that this assay is suitable for quantitative assay of HCV NS3 helicase activity and useful for high-throughput screening for inhibitors. Furthermore, we applied this assay to the screening for NS3 helicase inhibitors from cell extracts of microorganisms, and found several cell extracts containing potential inhibitors.

  5. An Arginine Finger Regulates the Sequential Action of Asymmetrical Hexameric ATPase in the Double-Stranded DNA Translocation Motor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Zhengyi; De-Donatis, Gian Marco; Schwartz, Chad; Fang, Huaming; Li, Jingyuan; Guo, Peixuan

    2016-10-01

    Biological motors are ubiquitous in living systems. Currently, how the motor components coordinate the unidirectional motion is elusive in most cases. Here, we report that the sequential action of the ATPase ring in the DNA packaging motor of bacteriophage ϕ29 is regulated by an arginine finger that extends from one ATPase subunit to the adjacent unit to promote noncovalent dimer formation. Mutation of the arginine finger resulted in the interruption of ATPase oligomerization, ATP binding/hydrolysis, and DNA translocation. Dimer formation reappeared when arginine mutants were mixed with other ATPase subunits that can offer the arginine to promote their interaction. Ultracentrifugation and virion assembly assays indicated that the ATPase was presenting as monomers and dimer mixtures. The isolated dimer alone was inactive in DNA translocation, but the addition of monomer could restore the activity, suggesting that the hexameric ATPase ring contained both dimer and monomers. Moreover, ATP binding or hydrolysis resulted in conformation and entropy changes of the ATPase with high or low DNA affinity. Taking these observations together, we concluded that the arginine finger regulates sequential action of the motor ATPase subunit by promoting the formation of the dimer inside the hexamer. The finding of asymmetrical hexameric organization is supported by structural evidence of many other ATPase systems showing the presence of one noncovalent dimer and four monomer subunits. All of these provide clues for why the asymmetrical hexameric ATPase gp16 of ϕ29 was previously reported as a pentameric configuration by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) since the contact by the arginine finger renders two adjacent ATPase subunits closer than other subunits. Thus, the asymmetrical hexamer would appear as a pentamer by cryo-EM, a technology that acquires the average of many images. Copyright © 2016 Zhao et al.

  6. Emerging Importance of Helicases in Plant Stress Tolerance: Characterization of Oryza sativa Repair Helicase XPB2 Promoter and Its Functional Validation in Tobacco under Multiple Stresses

    OpenAIRE

    Raikwar, Shailendra; Srivastava, Vineet K.; Gill, Sarvajeet S.; Tuteja, Renu; Tuteja, Narendra

    2015-01-01

    Genetic material always remains at the risk of spontaneous or induced damage which challenges the normal functioning of DNA molecule, thus, DNA repair is vital to protect the organisms against genetic damage. Helicases, the unique molecular motors, are emerged as prospective molecules to engineer stress tolerance in plants and are involved in nucleic acid metabolism including DNA repair. The repair helicase, XPB is an evolutionary conserved protein present in different organisms, including pl...

  7. A mechanical mechanism for translocation of ring-shaped helicases on DNA and its demonstration in a macroscopic simulation system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, Y. C.

    2018-04-01

    The asymmetry in the two-layered ring structure of helicases and the random thermal fluctuations of the helicase and DNA molecules are considered as the bases for the generation of the force required for translocation of the ring-shaped helicase on DNA. The helicase comprises a channel at its center with two unequal ends, through which strands of DNA can pass. The random collisions between the portion of the DNA strand in the central channel and the wall of the channel generate an impulsive force toward the small end. This impulsive force is the starting point for the helicase to translocate along the DNA with the small end in front. Such a physical mechanism may serve as a complementary for the chemomechanical mechanism of the translocation of helicase on DNA. When the helicase arrives at the junction of ssDNA and dsDNA (a fork), the collision between the helicase and the closest base pair may produce a sufficient impulsive force to break the weak hydrogen bond of the base pair. Thus, the helicase may advance and repeat the process of unwinding the dsDNA strand. This mechanism was tested in a macroscopic simulation system where the helicase was simulated using a truncated-cone structure and DNA was simulated with bead chains. Many features of translocation and unwinding such as translocation on ssDNA and dsDNA, unwinding of dsDNA, rewinding, strand switching, and Holliday junction resolution were reproduced.

  8. Emerging importance of helicases in plant stress tolerance: characterization of Oryza sativa repair helicase XPB2 promoter and its functional validation in tobacco under multiple stresses

    OpenAIRE

    Shailendra eRaikwar; Vineet Kumar Shrivastava; Sarvajeet Singh Gill; Renu eTuteja; Narendra eTuteja; Narendra eTuteja

    2015-01-01

    Genetic material always remains at the risk of spontaneous or induced damage which challenges the normal functioning of DNA molecule, thus, DNA repair is vital to protect the organisms against genetic damage. DNA hHelicases, the unique molecular motors, are emerged as potentialprospective molecules to engineer stress tolerance in plants and are involved in a variety of DNA nucleic acid metabolismc processes including DNA repair. The DNA repair helicase, OsXPB2 is an evolutionary conserved pr...

  9. Enzymatic activities and DNA substrate specificity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA helicase XPB.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balasingham, Seetha V; Zegeye, Ephrem Debebe; Homberset, Håvard; Rossi, Marie L; Laerdahl, Jon K; Bohr, Vilhelm A; Tønjum, Tone

    2012-01-01

    XPB, also known as ERCC3 and RAD25, is a 3' → 5' DNA repair helicase belonging to the superfamily 2 of helicases. XPB is an essential core subunit of the eukaryotic basal transcription factor complex TFIIH. It has two well-established functions: in the context of damaged DNA, XPB facilitates nucleotide excision repair by unwinding double stranded DNA (dsDNA) surrounding a DNA lesion; while in the context of actively transcribing genes, XPB facilitates initiation of RNA polymerase II transcription at gene promoters. Human and other eukaryotic XPB homologs are relatively well characterized compared to conserved homologs found in mycobacteria and archaea. However, more insight into the function of bacterial helicases is central to understanding the mechanism of DNA metabolism and pathogenesis in general. Here, we characterized Mycobacterium tuberculosis XPB (Mtb XPB), a 3'→5' DNA helicase with DNA-dependent ATPase activity. Mtb XPB efficiently catalyzed DNA unwinding in the presence of significant excess of enzyme. The unwinding activity was fueled by ATP or dATP in the presence of Mg(2+)/Mn(2+). Consistent with the 3'→5' polarity of this bacterial XPB helicase, the enzyme required a DNA substrate with a 3' overhang of 15 nucleotides or more. Although Mtb XPB efficiently unwound DNA model substrates with a 3' DNA tail, it was not active on substrates containing a 3' RNA tail. We also found that Mtb XPB efficiently catalyzed ATP-independent annealing of complementary DNA strands. These observations significantly enhance our understanding of the biological roles of Mtb XPB.

  10. Enzymatic activities and DNA substrate specificity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA helicase XPB.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seetha V Balasingham

    Full Text Available XPB, also known as ERCC3 and RAD25, is a 3' → 5' DNA repair helicase belonging to the superfamily 2 of helicases. XPB is an essential core subunit of the eukaryotic basal transcription factor complex TFIIH. It has two well-established functions: in the context of damaged DNA, XPB facilitates nucleotide excision repair by unwinding double stranded DNA (dsDNA surrounding a DNA lesion; while in the context of actively transcribing genes, XPB facilitates initiation of RNA polymerase II transcription at gene promoters. Human and other eukaryotic XPB homologs are relatively well characterized compared to conserved homologs found in mycobacteria and archaea. However, more insight into the function of bacterial helicases is central to understanding the mechanism of DNA metabolism and pathogenesis in general. Here, we characterized Mycobacterium tuberculosis XPB (Mtb XPB, a 3'→5' DNA helicase with DNA-dependent ATPase activity. Mtb XPB efficiently catalyzed DNA unwinding in the presence of significant excess of enzyme. The unwinding activity was fueled by ATP or dATP in the presence of Mg(2+/Mn(2+. Consistent with the 3'→5' polarity of this bacterial XPB helicase, the enzyme required a DNA substrate with a 3' overhang of 15 nucleotides or more. Although Mtb XPB efficiently unwound DNA model substrates with a 3' DNA tail, it was not active on substrates containing a 3' RNA tail. We also found that Mtb XPB efficiently catalyzed ATP-independent annealing of complementary DNA strands. These observations significantly enhance our understanding of the biological roles of Mtb XPB.

  11. ATPase activity measurement of DNA replicative helicase from Bacillus stearothermophilus by malachite green method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Mu; Wang, Ganggang

    2016-09-15

    The DnaB helicase from Bacillus stearothermophilus (DnaBBst) was a model protein for studying the bacterial DNA replication. In this work, a non-radioactive method for measuring ATPase activity of DnaBBst helicase was described. The working parameters and conditions were optimized. Furthermore, this method was applied to investigate effects of DnaG primase, ssDNA and helicase loader protein (DnaI) on ATPase activity of DnaBBst. Our results showed this method was sensitive and efficient. Moreover, it is suitable for the investigation of functional interaction between DnaB and related factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Helicase properties of the Escherichia coli UvrAb protein complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, E.Y.; Grossman, L.

    1987-01-01

    The Escherichia coli UvrA protein has an associated ATPase activity with a turnover number affected by the presence of UvrB protein as well as by DNA. Specifically, the structure of DNA significantly influences the turnover rate of the UvrAB ATPase activity. Double-stranded DNA maximally activates the turnover rate 10-fold whereas single-stranded DNA maximally activates the turnover rate 20-fold, suggesting that the mode of interaction of UvrAB protein with different DNAs is distinctive. We have previously shown that the UvrAB protein complex, driven by the binding energy of ATP, can locally unwind supercoiled DNA. The nature of the DNA unwinding activity and single-stranded DNA activation of ATPase activity suggest potential helicase activity. In the presence of a number of helicase substrates, the UvrAB complex, indeed, manifests a strand-displacement activity-unwinding short duplexes and D-loop DNA, thereby generating component DNA structures. The energy for the activity is derived from ATP or dATP hydrolysis. Unlike the E. coli DnaB, the UvrAB helicase is sensitive to UV-induced photoproducts

  13. In TFIIH, XPD helicase is exclusively devoted to DNA repair.

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    Jochen Kuper

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The eukaryotic XPD helicase is an essential subunit of TFIIH involved in both transcription and nucleotide excision repair (NER. Mutations in human XPD are associated with several inherited diseases such as xeroderma pigmentosum, Cockayne syndrome, and trichothiodystrophy. We performed a comparative analysis of XPD from Homo sapiens and Chaetomium thermophilum (a closely related thermostable fungal orthologue to decipher the different molecular prerequisites necessary for either transcription or DNA repair. In vitro and in vivo assays demonstrate that mutations in the 4Fe4S cluster domain of XPD abrogate the NER function of TFIIH and do not affect its transcriptional activity. We show that the p44-dependent activation of XPD is promoted by the stimulation of its ATPase activity. Furthermore, we clearly demonstrate that XPD requires DNA binding, ATPase, and helicase activity to function in NER. In contrast, these enzymatic properties are dispensable for transcription initiation. XPD helicase is thus exclusively devoted to NER and merely acts as a structural scaffold to maintain TFIIH integrity during transcription.

  14. RNA helicase HEL-1 promotes longevity by specifically activating DAF-16/FOXO transcription factor signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Mihwa; Seo, Keunhee; Hwang, Wooseon; Koo, Hee Jung; Hahm, Jeong-Hoon; Yang, Jae-Seong; Han, Seong Kyu; Hwang, Daehee; Kim, Sanguk; Jang, Sung Key; Lee, Yoontae; Nam, Hong Gil; Lee, Seung-Jae V.

    2015-01-01

    The homeostatic maintenance of the genomic DNA is crucial for regulating aging processes. However, the role of RNA homeostasis in aging processes remains unknown. RNA helicases are a large family of enzymes that regulate the biogenesis and homeostasis of RNA. However, the functional significance of RNA helicases in aging has not been explored. Here, we report that a large fraction of RNA helicases regulate the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans. In particular, we show that a DEAD-box RNA helicase, helicase 1 (HEL-1), promotes longevity by specifically activating the DAF-16/forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factor signaling pathway. We find that HEL-1 is required for the longevity conferred by reduced insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling (IIS) and is sufficient for extending lifespan. We further show that the expression of HEL-1 in the intestine and neurons contributes to longevity. HEL-1 enhances the induction of a large fraction of DAF-16 target genes. Thus, the RNA helicase HEL-1 appears to promote longevity in response to decreased IIS as a transcription coregulator of DAF-16. Because HEL-1 and IIS are evolutionarily well conserved, a similar mechanism for longevity regulation via an RNA helicase-dependent regulation of FOXO signaling may operate in mammals, including humans. PMID:26195740

  15. MOV10 RNA helicase is a potent inhibitor of retrotransposition in cells.

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    John L Goodier

    Full Text Available MOV10 protein, a putative RNA helicase and component of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC, inhibits retrovirus replication. We show that MOV10 also severely restricts human LINE1 (L1, Alu, and SVA retrotransposons. MOV10 associates with the L1 ribonucleoprotein particle, along with other RNA helicases including DDX5, DHX9, DDX17, DDX21, and DDX39A. However, unlike MOV10, these other helicases do not strongly inhibit retrotransposition, an activity dependent upon intact helicase domains. MOV10 association with retrotransposons is further supported by its colocalization with L1 ORF1 protein in stress granules, by cytoplasmic structures associated with RNA silencing, and by the ability of MOV10 to reduce endogenous and ectopic L1 expression. The majority of the human genome is repetitive DNA, most of which is the detritus of millions of years of accumulated retrotransposition. Retrotransposons remain active mutagens, and their insertion can disrupt gene function. Therefore, the host has evolved defense mechanisms to protect against retrotransposition, an arsenal we are only beginning to understand. With homologs in other vertebrates, insects, and plants, MOV10 may represent an ancient and innate form of immunity against both infective viruses and endogenous retroelements.

  16. PBDE: Structure-Activity Studies for the Inhibition of Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Helicase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazi Abdus Salam

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The helicase portion of the hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 3 (NS3 is considered one of the most validated targets for developing direct acting antiviral agents. We isolated polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE 1 from a marine sponge as an NS3 helicase inhibitor. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of PBDE (1 on the essential activities of NS3 protein such as RNA helicase, ATPase, and RNA binding activities. The structure-activity relationship analysis of PBDE (1 against the HCV ATPase revealed that the biphenyl ring, bromine, and phenolic hydroxyl group on the benzene backbone might be a basic scaffold for the inhibitory potency.

  17. Ebselen inhibits hepatitis C virus NS3 helicase binding to nucleic acid and prevents viral replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, Sourav; Weiner, Warren S; Schroeder, Chad E; Simpson, Denise S; Hanson, Alicia M; Sweeney, Noreena L; Marvin, Rachel K; Ndjomou, Jean; Kolli, Rajesh; Isailovic, Dragan; Schoenen, Frank J; Frick, David N

    2014-10-17

    The hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) is both a protease, which cleaves viral and host proteins, and a helicase that separates nucleic acid strands, using ATP hydrolysis to fuel the reaction. Many antiviral drugs, and compounds in clinical trials, target the NS3 protease, but few helicase inhibitors that function as antivirals have been reported. This study focuses on the analysis of the mechanism by which ebselen (2-phenyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3-one), a compound previously shown to be a HCV antiviral agent, inhibits the NS3 helicase. Ebselen inhibited the abilities of NS3 to unwind nucleic acids, to bind nucleic acids, and to hydrolyze ATP, and about 1 μM ebselen was sufficient to inhibit each of these activities by 50%. However, ebselen had no effect on the activity of the NS3 protease, even at 100 times higher ebselen concentrations. At concentrations below 10 μM, the ability of ebselen to inhibit HCV helicase was reversible, but prolonged incubation of HCV helicase with higher ebselen concentrations led to irreversible inhibition and the formation of covalent adducts between ebselen and all 14 cysteines present in HCV helicase. Ebselen analogues with sulfur replacing the selenium were just as potent HCV helicase inhibitors as ebselen, but the length of the linker between the phenyl and benzisoselenazol rings was critical. Modifications of the phenyl ring also affected compound potency over 30-fold, and ebselen was a far more potent helicase inhibitor than other, structurally unrelated, thiol-modifying agents. Ebselen analogues were also more effective antiviral agents, and they were less toxic to hepatocytes than ebselen. Although the above structure-activity relationship studies suggest that ebselen targets a specific site on NS3, we were unable to confirm binding to either the NS3 ATP binding site or nucleic acid binding cleft by examining the effects of ebselen on NS3 proteins lacking key cysteines.

  18. MCM: one ring to rule them all.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deegan, Tom D; Diffley, John F X

    2016-04-01

    Precise replication of the eukaryotic genome is achieved primarily through strict regulation of the enzyme responsible for DNA unwinding, the replicative helicase. The motor of this helicase is a hexameric AAA+ ATPase called MCM. The loading of MCM onto DNA and its subsequent activation and disassembly are each restricted to separate cell cycle phases; this ensures that a functional replisome is only built once at any replication origin. In recent years, biochemical and structural studies have shown that distinct conformational changes in MCM, each requiring post-translational modifications and/or the activity of other replication proteins, define the various stages of the chromosome replication cycle. Here, we review recent progress in this area. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  19. The helicase domain of Polθ counteracts RPA to promote alt-NHEJ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mateos-Gomez, Pedro A; Kent, Tatiana; Deng, Sarah K; McDevitt, Shane; Kashkina, Ekaterina; Hoang, Trung M; Pomerantz, Richard T; Sfeir, Agnel

    2017-12-01

    Mammalian polymerase theta (Polθ) is a multifunctional enzyme that promotes error-prone DNA repair by alternative nonhomologous end joining (alt-NHEJ). Here we present structure-function analyses that reveal that, in addition to the polymerase domain, Polθ-helicase activity plays a central role during double-strand break (DSB) repair. Our results show that the helicase domain promotes chromosomal translocations by alt-NHEJ in mouse embryonic stem cells and also suppresses CRISPR-Cas9- mediated gene targeting by homologous recombination (HR). In vitro assays demonstrate that Polθ-helicase activity facilitates the removal of RPA from resected DSBs to allow their annealing and subsequent joining by alt-NHEJ. Consistent with an antagonistic role for RPA during alt-NHEJ, inhibition of RPA1 enhances end joining and suppresses recombination. Taken together, our results reveal that the balance between HR and alt-NHEJ is controlled by opposing activities of Polθ and RPA, providing further insight into the regulation of repair-pathway choice in mammalian cells.

  20. Crystal structure of the FeS cluster-containing nucleotide excision repair helicase XPD.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefanie C Wolski

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available DNA damage recognition by the nucleotide excision repair pathway requires an initial step identifying helical distortions in the DNA and a proofreading step verifying the presence of a lesion. This proofreading step is accomplished in eukaryotes by the TFIIH complex. The critical damage recognition component of TFIIH is the XPD protein, a DNA helicase that unwinds DNA and identifies the damage. Here, we describe the crystal structure of an archaeal XPD protein with high sequence identity to the human XPD protein that reveals how the structural helicase framework is combined with additional elements for strand separation and DNA scanning. Two RecA-like helicase domains are complemented by a 4Fe4S cluster domain, which has been implicated in damage recognition, and an alpha-helical domain. The first helicase domain together with the helical and 4Fe4S-cluster-containing domains form a central hole with a diameter sufficient in size to allow passage of a single stranded DNA. Based on our results, we suggest a model of how DNA is bound to the XPD protein, and can rationalize several of the mutations in the human XPD gene that lead to one of three severe diseases, xeroderma pigmentosum, Cockayne syndrome, and trichothiodystrophy.

  1. DNA binding and unwinding by Hel308 helicase requires dual functions of a winged helix domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Northall, Sarah J; Buckley, Ryan; Jones, Nathan; Penedo, J Carlos; Soultanas, Panos; Bolt, Edward L

    2017-09-01

    Hel308 helicases promote genome stability linked to DNA replication in archaea, and have homologues in metazoans. In the crystal structure of archaeal Hel308 bound to a tailed DNA duplex, core helicase domains encircle single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in a "ratchet" for directional translocation. A winged helix domain (WHD) is also present, but its function is mysterious. We investigated the WHD in full-length Hel308, identifying that mutations in a solvent exposed α-helix resulted in reduced DNA binding and unwinding activities. When isolated from the rest of Hel308, the WHD protein alone bound to duplex DNA but not ssDNA, and DNA binding by WHD protein was abolished by the same mutations as were analyzed in full-length Hel308. Isolated WHD from a human Hel308 homologue (HelQ) also bound to duplex DNA. By disrupting the interface between the Hel308 WHD and a RecA-like domain, a topology typical of Ski2 helicases, we show that this is crucial for ATPase and helicase activities. The data suggest a model in which the WHD promotes activity of Hel308 directly, through binding to duplex DNA that is distinct from ssDNA binding by core helicase, and indirectly through interaction with the RecA-like domain. We propose how the WHD may contribute to ssDNA translocation, resulting in DNA helicase activity or in removal of other DNA bound proteins by "reeling" ssDNA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Structural mechanisms of human RecQ helicases WRN and BLM

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    Ken eKitano

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The RecQ family DNA helicases WRN (Werner syndrome protein and BLM (Bloom syndrome protein play a key role in protecting the genome against deleterious changes. In humans, mutations in these proteins lead to rare genetic diseases associated with cancer predisposition and accelerated aging. WRN and BLM are distinguished from other helicases by possessing signature tandem domains toward the C terminus, referred to as the RecQ C-terminal (RQC and helicase-and-ribonuclease D-C-terminal (HRDC domains. Although the precise function of the HRDC domain remains unclear, the previous crystal structure of a WRN RQC-DNA complex visualized a central role for the RQC domain in recognizing, binding and unwinding DNA at branch points. In particular, a prominent hairpin structure (the β-wing within the RQC winged-helix motif acts as a scalpel to induce the unpairing of a Watson-Crick base pair at the DNA duplex terminus. A similar RQC-DNA interaction was also observed in the recent crystal structure of a BLM-DNA complex. I review the latest structures of WRN and BLM, and then provide a docking simulation of BLM with a Holliday junction. The model offers an explanation for the efficient branch migration activity of the RecQ family toward recombination and repair intermediates.

  3. The C-terminal domain of the Bloom syndrome DNA helicase is essential for genomic stability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noonan James P

    2001-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bloom syndrome is a rare cancer-prone disorder in which the cells of affected persons have a high frequency of somatic mutation and genomic instability. Bloom syndrome cells have a distinctive high frequency of sister chromatid exchange and quadriradial formation. BLM, the protein altered in BS, is a member of the RecQ DNA helicase family, whose members share an average of 40% identity in the helicase domain and have divergent N-terminal and C-terminal flanking regions of variable lengths. The BLM DNA helicase has been shown to localize to the ND10 (nuclear domain 10 or PML (promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies, where it associates with TOPIIIα, and to the nucleolus. Results This report demonstrates that the N-terminal domain of BLM is responsible for localization of the protein to the nuclear bodies, while the C-terminal domain directs the protein to the nucleolus. Deletions of the N-terminal domain of BLM have little effect on sister chromatid exchange frequency and chromosome stability as compared to helicase and C-terminal mutations which can increase SCE frequency and chromosome abnormalities. Conclusion The helicase activity and the C-terminal domain of BLM are critical for maintaining genomic stability as measured by the sister chromatid exchange assay. The localization of BLM into the nucleolus by the C-terminal domain appears to be more important to genomic stability than localization in the nuclear bodies.

  4. Interplay of cis- and trans-regulatory mechanisms in the spliceosomal RNA helicase Brr2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Absmeier, Eva; Becke, Christian; Wollenhaupt, Jan; Santos, Karine F; Wahl, Markus C

    2017-01-02

    RNA helicase Brr2 is implicated in multiple phases of pre-mRNA splicing and thus requires tight regulation. Brr2 can be auto-inhibited via a large N-terminal region folding back onto its helicase core and auto-activated by a catalytically inactive C-terminal helicase cassette. Furthermore, it can be regulated in trans by the Jab1 domain of the Prp8 protein, which can inhibit Brr2 by intermittently inserting a C-terminal tail in the enzyme's RNA-binding tunnel or activate the helicase after removal of this tail. Presently it is unclear, whether these regulatory mechanisms functionally interact and to which extent they are evolutionarily conserved. Here, we report crystal structures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Chaetomium thermophilum Brr2-Jab1 complexes, demonstrating that Jab1-based inhibition of Brr2 presumably takes effect in all eukaryotes but is implemented via organism-specific molecular contacts. Moreover, the structures show that Brr2 auto-inhibition can act in concert with Jab1-mediated inhibition, and suggest that the N-terminal region influences how the Jab1 C-terminal tail interacts at the RNA-binding tunnel. Systematic RNA binding and unwinding studies revealed that the N-terminal region and the Jab1 C-terminal tail specifically interfere with accommodation of double-stranded and single-stranded regions of an RNA substrate, respectively, mutually reinforcing each other. Additionally, such analyses show that regulation based on the N-terminal region requires the presence of the inactive C-terminal helicase cassette. Together, our results outline an intricate system of regulatory mechanisms, which control Brr2 activities during snRNP assembly and splicing.

  5. DNA secondary structure of the released strand stimulates WRN helicase action on forked duplexes without coordinate action of WRN exonuclease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahn, Byungchan, E-mail: bbccahn@mail.ulsan.ac.kr [Department of Life Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of); Bohr, Vilhelm A. [Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, Biomedical Research Center, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD (United States)

    2011-08-12

    Highlights: {yields} In this study, we investigated the effect of a DNA secondary structure on the two WRN activities. {yields} We found that a DNA secondary structure of the displaced strand during unwinding stimulates WRN helicase without coordinate action of WRN exonuclease. {yields} These results imply that WRN helicase and exonuclease activities can act independently. -- Abstract: Werner syndrome (WS) is an autosomal recessive premature aging disorder characterized by aging-related phenotypes and genomic instability. WS is caused by mutations in a gene encoding a nuclear protein, Werner syndrome protein (WRN), a member of the RecQ helicase family, that interestingly possesses both helicase and exonuclease activities. Previous studies have shown that the two activities act in concert on a single substrate. We investigated the effect of a DNA secondary structure on the two WRN activities and found that a DNA secondary structure of the displaced strand during unwinding stimulates WRN helicase without coordinate action of WRN exonuclease. These results imply that WRN helicase and exonuclease activities can act independently, and we propose that the uncoordinated action may be relevant to the in vivo activity of WRN.

  6. A holistic evolutionary and structural study of flaviviridae provides insights into the function and inhibition of HCV helicase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimitrios Vlachakis

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Viral RNA helicases are involved in duplex unwinding during the RNA replication of the virus. It is suggested that these helicases represent very promising antiviral targets. Viruses of the flaviviridae family are the causative agents of many common and devastating diseases, including hepatitis, yellow fever and dengue fever. As there is currently no available anti-Flaviviridae therapy, there is urgent need for the development of efficient anti-viral pharmaceutical strategies. Herein, we report the complete phylogenetic analysis across flaviviridae alongside a more in-depth evolutionary study that revealed a series of conserved and invariant amino acids that are predicted to be key to the function of the helicase. Structural molecular modelling analysis revealed the strategic significance of these residues based on their relative positioning on the 3D structures of the helicase enzymes, which may be used as pharmacological targets. We previously reported a novel series of highly potent HCV helicase inhibitors, and we now re-assess their antiviral potential using the 3D structural model of the invariant helicase residues. It was found that the most active compound of the series, compound C4, exhibited an IC50 in the submicromolar range, whereas its stereoisomer (compound C12 was completely inactive. Useful insights were obtained from molecular modelling and conformational search studies via molecular dynamics simulations. C12 tends to bend and lock in an almost “U” shape conformation, failing to establish vital interactions with the active site of HCV. On the contrary, C4 spends most of its conformational time in a straight, more rigid formation that allows it to successfully block the passage of the oligonucleotide in the ssRNA channel of the HCV helicase. This study paves the way and provides the necessary framework for the in-depth analysis required to enable the future design of new and potent anti-viral agents.

  7. Single molecule measurements of DNA helicase activity with magnetic tweezers and t-test based step-finding analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seol, Yeonee; Strub, Marie-Paule; Neuman, Keir C.

    2016-01-01

    Magnetic tweezers is a versatile and easy to implement single-molecule technique that has become increasingly prevalent in the study of nucleic acid based molecular motors. Here, we provide a description of the magnetic tweezers instrument and guidelines for measuring and analyzing DNA helicase activity. Along with experimental methods, we describe a robust method of single-molecule trajectory analysis based on the Student’s t-test that accommodates continuous transitions in addition to the discrete transitions assumed in most widely employed analysis routines. To illustrate the single-molecule unwinding assay and the analysis routine, we provide DNA unwinding measurements of Escherichia coli RecQ helicase under a variety of conditions (Na+, ATP, temperature, and DNA substrate geometry). These examples reveal that DNA unwinding measurements under various conditions can aid in elucidating the unwinding mechanism of DNA helicase but also emphasize that environmental effects on DNA helicase activity must be considered in relation to in vivo activity and mechanism. PMID:27131595

  8. Interactive Roles of DNA Helicases and Translocases with the Single-Stranded DNA Binding Protein RPA in Nucleic Acid Metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awate, Sanket; Brosh, Robert M

    2017-06-08

    Helicases and translocases use the energy of nucleoside triphosphate binding and hydrolysis to unwind/resolve structured nucleic acids or move along a single-stranded or double-stranded polynucleotide chain, respectively. These molecular motors facilitate a variety of transactions including replication, DNA repair, recombination, and transcription. A key partner of eukaryotic DNA helicases/translocases is the single-stranded DNA binding protein Replication Protein A (RPA). Biochemical, genetic, and cell biological assays have demonstrated that RPA interacts with these human molecular motors physically and functionally, and their association is enriched in cells undergoing replication stress. The roles of DNA helicases/translocases are orchestrated with RPA in pathways of nucleic acid metabolism. RPA stimulates helicase-catalyzed DNA unwinding, enlists translocases to sites of action, and modulates their activities in DNA repair, fork remodeling, checkpoint activation, and telomere maintenance. The dynamic interplay between DNA helicases/translocases and RPA is just beginning to be understood at the molecular and cellular levels, and there is still much to be learned, which may inform potential therapeutic strategies.

  9. Human Enterovirus Nonstructural Protein 2CATPase Functions as Both an RNA Helicase and ATP-Independent RNA Chaperone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Hongjie; Wang, Peipei; Wang, Guang-Chuan; Yang, Jie; Sun, Xianlin; Wu, Wenzhe; Qiu, Yang; Shu, Ting; Zhao, Xiaolu; Yin, Lei; Qin, Cheng-Feng; Hu, Yuanyang; Zhou, Xi

    2015-01-01

    RNA helicases and chaperones are the two major classes of RNA remodeling proteins, which function to remodel RNA structures and/or RNA-protein interactions, and are required for all aspects of RNA metabolism. Although some virus-encoded RNA helicases/chaperones have been predicted or identified, their RNA remodeling activities in vitro and functions in the viral life cycle remain largely elusive. Enteroviruses are a large group of positive-stranded RNA viruses in the Picornaviridae family, which includes numerous important human pathogens. Herein, we report that the nonstructural protein 2CATPase of enterovirus 71 (EV71), which is the major causative pathogen of hand-foot-and-mouth disease and has been regarded as the most important neurotropic enterovirus after poliovirus eradication, functions not only as an RNA helicase that 3′-to-5′ unwinds RNA helices in an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent manner, but also as an RNA chaperone that destabilizes helices bidirectionally and facilitates strand annealing and complex RNA structure formation independently of ATP. We also determined that the helicase activity is based on the EV71 2CATPase middle domain, whereas the C-terminus is indispensable for its RNA chaperoning activity. By promoting RNA template recycling, 2CATPase facilitated EV71 RNA synthesis in vitro; when 2CATPase helicase activity was impaired, EV71 RNA replication and virion production were mostly abolished in cells, indicating that 2CATPase-mediated RNA remodeling plays a critical role in the enteroviral life cycle. Furthermore, the RNA helicase and chaperoning activities of 2CATPase are also conserved in coxsackie A virus 16 (CAV16), another important enterovirus. Altogether, our findings are the first to demonstrate the RNA helicase and chaperoning activities associated with enterovirus 2CATPase, and our study provides both in vitro and cellular evidence for their potential roles during viral RNA replication. These findings increase our

  10. Spontaneous non-canonical assembly of CcmK hexameric components from β-carboxysome shells of cyanobacteria.

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    Luis F Garcia-Alles

    Full Text Available CcmK proteins are major constituents of icosahedral shells of β-carboxysomes, a bacterial microcompartment that plays a key role for CO2 fixation in nature. Supported by the characterization of bidimensional (2D layers of packed CcmK hexamers in crystal and electron microscopy structures, CcmK are assumed to be the major components of icosahedral flat facets. Here, we reassessed the validity of this model by studying CcmK isoforms from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. Native mass spectrometry studies confirmed that CcmK are hexamers in solution. Interestingly, potential pre-assembled intermediates were also detected with CcmK2. Atomic-force microscopy (AFM imaging under quasi-physiological conditions confirmed the formation of canonical flat sheets with CcmK4. Conversely, CcmK2 formed both canonical and striped-patterned patches, while CcmK1 assembled into remarkable supra-hexameric curved honeycomb-like mosaics. Mutational studies ascribed the propensity of CcmK1 to form round assemblies to a combination of two features shared by at least one CcmK isoform in most β-cyanobacteria: a displacement of an α helical portion towards the hexamer edge, where a potential phosphate binding funnel forms between packed hexamers, and the presence of a short C-terminal extension in CcmK1. All-atom molecular dynamics supported a contribution of phosphate molecules sandwiched between hexamers to bend CcmK1 assemblies. Formation of supra-hexameric curved structures could be reproduced in coarse-grained simulations, provided that adhesion forces to the support were weak. Apart from uncovering unprecedented CcmK self-assembly features, our data suggest the possibility that transitions between curved and flat assemblies, following cargo maturation, could be important for the biogenesis of β-carboxysomes, possibly also of other BMC.

  11. A Co-Opted DEAD-Box RNA helicase enhances tombusvirus plus-strand synthesis.

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    Nikolay Kovalev

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Replication of plus-strand RNA viruses depends on recruited host factors that aid several critical steps during replication. In this paper, we show that an essential translation factor, Ded1p DEAD-box RNA helicase of yeast, directly affects replication of Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV. To separate the role of Ded1p in viral protein translation from its putative replication function, we utilized a cell-free TBSV replication assay and recombinant Ded1p. The in vitro data show that Ded1p plays a role in enhancing plus-strand synthesis by the viral replicase. We also find that Ded1p is a component of the tombusvirus replicase complex and Ded1p binds to the 3'-end of the viral minus-stranded RNA. The data obtained with wt and ATPase deficient Ded1p mutants support the model that Ded1p unwinds local structures at the 3'-end of the TBSV (-RNA, rendering the RNA compatible for initiation of (+-strand synthesis. Interestingly, we find that Ded1p and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, which is another host factor for TBSV, play non-overlapping functions to enhance (+-strand synthesis. Altogether, the two host factors enhance TBSV replication synergistically by interacting with the viral (-RNA and the replication proteins. In addition, we have developed an in vitro assay for Flock house virus (FHV, a small RNA virus of insects, that also demonstrated positive effect on FHV replicase activity by the added Ded1p helicase. Thus, two small RNA viruses, which do not code for their own helicases, seems to recruit a host RNA helicase to aid their replication in infected cells.

  12. Conserved helicase domain of human RecQ4 is required for strand annealing-independent DNA unwinding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rossi, Marie L; Ghosh, Avik K; Kulikowicz, Tomasz

    2010-01-01

    Humans have five members of the well conserved RecQ helicase family: RecQ1, Bloom syndrome protein (BLM), Werner syndrome protein (WRN), RecQ4, and RecQ5, which are all known for their roles in maintaining genome stability. BLM, WRN, and RecQ4 are associated with premature aging and cancer...... provide the first evidence that human RecQ4's unwinding is independent of strand annealing, and that it does not require the presence of excess ssDNA. Moreover, we demonstrate that a point mutation of the conserved lysine in the Walker A motif abolished helicase activity, implying that not the N...... activities and protein partners of RecQ4 are conserved with those of the other RecQ helicases....

  13. Archaeal orthologs of Cdc45 and GINS form a stable complex that stimulates the helicase activity of MCM.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yuli; Gristwood, Tamzin; Hodgson, Ben; Trinidad, Jonathan C; Albers, Sonja-Verena; Bell, Stephen D

    2016-11-22

    The regulated recruitment of Cdc45 and GINS is key to activating the eukaryotic MCM(2-7) replicative helicase. We demonstrate that the homohexameric archaeal MCM helicase associates with orthologs of GINS and Cdc45 in vivo and in vitro. Association of these factors with MCM robustly stimulates the MCM helicase activity. In contrast to the situation in eukaryotes, archaeal Cdc45 and GINS form an extremely stable complex before binding MCM. Further, the archaeal GINS•Cdc45 complex contains two copies of Cdc45. Our analyses give insight into the function and evolution of the conserved core of the archaeal/eukaryotic replisome.

  14. The Helicase Activity of Hyperthermophilic Archaeal MCM is Enhanced at High Temperatures by Lysine Methylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Yisui; Niu, Yanling; Cui, Jiamin; Fu, Yang; Chen, Xiaojiang S; Lou, Huiqiang; Cao, Qinhong

    2015-01-01

    Lysine methylation and methyltransferases are widespread in the third domain of life, archaea. Nevertheless, the effects of methylation on archaeal proteins wait to be defined. Here, we report that recombinant sisMCM, an archaeal homolog of Mcm2-7 eukaryotic replicative helicase, is methylated by aKMT4 in vitro. Mono-methylation of these lysine residues occurs coincidently in the endogenous sisMCM protein purified from the hyperthermophilic Sulfolobus islandicus cells as indicated by mass spectra. The helicase activity of mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM) is stimulated by methylation, particularly at temperatures over 70°C. The methylated MCM shows optimal DNA unwinding activity after heat-treatment between 76 and 82°C, which correlates well with the typical growth temperatures of hyperthermophilic Sulfolobus. After methylation, the half life of MCM helicase is dramatically extended at 80°C. The methylated sites are located on the accessible protein surface, which might modulate the intra- and inter- molecular interactions through changing the hydrophobicity and surface charge. Furthermore, the methylation-mimic mutants of MCM show heat resistance helicase activity comparable to the methylated MCM. These data provide the biochemical evidence that posttranslational modifications such as methylation may enhance kinetic stability of proteins under the elevated growth temperatures of hyperthermophilic archaea.

  15. Mechanism of Archaeal MCM Helicase Recruitment to DNA Replication Origins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samson, Rachel Y.; Abeyrathne, Priyanka D.; Bell, Stephen D.

    2015-01-01

    Summary Cellular DNA replication origins direct the recruitment of replicative helicases via the action of initiator proteins belonging to the AAA+ superfamily of ATPases. Archaea have a simplified subset of the eukaryotic DNA replication machinery proteins and possess initiators that appear ancestral to both eukaryotic Orc1 and Cdc6. We have reconstituted origin-dependent recruitment of the homohexameric archaeal MCM in vitro with purified recombinant proteins. Using this system, we reveal that archaeal Orc1-1 fulfills both Orc1 and Cdc6 functions by binding to a replication origin and directly recruiting MCM helicase. We identify the interaction interface between these proteins and reveal how ATP binding by Orc1-1 modulates recruitment of MCM. Additionally, we provide evidence that an open-ring form of the archaeal MCM homohexamer is loaded at origins. PMID:26725007

  16. DNA binding polarity, dimerization, and ATPase ring remodeling in the CMG helicase of the eukaryotic replisome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Alessandro; Renault, Ludovic; Swuec, Paolo; Petojevic, Tatjana; Pesavento, James J; Ilves, Ivar; MacLellan-Gibson, Kirsty; Fleck, Roland A; Botchan, Michael R; Berger, James M

    2014-01-01

    The Cdc45/Mcm2-7/GINS (CMG) helicase separates DNA strands during replication in eukaryotes. How the CMG is assembled and engages DNA substrates remains unclear. Using electron microscopy, we have determined the structure of the CMG in the presence of ATPγS and a DNA duplex bearing a 3′ single-stranded tail. The structure shows that the MCM subunits of the CMG bind preferentially to single-stranded DNA, establishes the polarity by which DNA enters into the Mcm2-7 pore, and explains how Cdc45 helps prevent DNA from dissociating from the helicase. The Mcm2-7 subcomplex forms a cracked-ring, right-handed spiral when DNA and nucleotide are bound, revealing unexpected congruencies between the CMG and both bacterial DnaB helicases and the AAA+ motor of the eukaryotic proteasome. The existence of a subpopulation of dimeric CMGs establishes the subunit register of Mcm2-7 double hexamers and together with the spiral form highlights how Mcm2-7 transitions through different conformational and assembly states as it matures into a functional helicase. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03273.001 PMID:25117490

  17. The Q Motif Is Involved in DNA Binding but Not ATP Binding in ChlR1 Helicase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao Ding

    Full Text Available Helicases are molecular motors that couple the energy of ATP hydrolysis to the unwinding of structured DNA or RNA and chromatin remodeling. The conversion of energy derived from ATP hydrolysis into unwinding and remodeling is coordinated by seven sequence motifs (I, Ia, II, III, IV, V, and VI. The Q motif, consisting of nine amino acids (GFXXPXPIQ with an invariant glutamine (Q residue, has been identified in some, but not all helicases. Compared to the seven well-recognized conserved helicase motifs, the role of the Q motif is less acknowledged. Mutations in the human ChlR1 (DDX11 gene are associated with a unique genetic disorder known as Warsaw Breakage Syndrome, which is characterized by cellular defects in genome maintenance. To examine the roles of the Q motif in ChlR1 helicase, we performed site directed mutagenesis of glutamine to alanine at residue 23 in the Q motif of ChlR1. ChlR1 recombinant protein was overexpressed and purified from HEK293T cells. ChlR1-Q23A mutant abolished the helicase activity of ChlR1 and displayed reduced DNA binding ability. The mutant showed impaired ATPase activity but normal ATP binding. A thermal shift assay revealed that ChlR1-Q23A has a melting point value similar to ChlR1-WT. Partial proteolysis mapping demonstrated that ChlR1-WT and Q23A have a similar globular structure, although some subtle conformational differences in these two proteins are evident. Finally, we found ChlR1 exists and functions as a monomer in solution, which is different from FANCJ, in which the Q motif is involved in protein dimerization. Taken together, our results suggest that the Q motif is involved in DNA binding but not ATP binding in ChlR1 helicase.

  18. Polyoxometalates paneling through {Mo2O2S2} coordination: cation-directed conformations and chemistry of a supramolecular hexameric scaffold.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marrot, Jérôme; Pilette, Marie Anne; Haouas, Mohamed; Floquet, Sébastien; Taulelle, Francis; López, Xavier; Poblet, Josep M; Cadot, Emmanuel

    2012-01-25

    The chemical system based on the [Mo(2)O(2)S(2)(OH(2))(6)](2+) aqua cation (noted L) and the trivacant [AsW(9)O(33)](9-) polyoxometalate (noted POM) has been investigated. Depending upon the ionic strength and the nature of the alkali cations, these complementary components assemble to yield three different architectures derived as hexamer (1), tetramer (2), and dimer (3). This series of clusters displays the same stoichiometry {POM(6)L(9)}(36-), {POM(4)L(6)}(24-), and {POM(2)L(3)}(12-) for 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and their conditions of formation differ mainly by the nature and the concentration of the alkali cation (from Li to Cs). Structural characterizations of 1 reveal a large hexameric supramolecular scaffold (about 25 Å in diameter), which encloses a large internal hole (about 200 Å(3)) filled by water molecules and alkali cations (Na(+) or K(+)). The hexameric scaffold 1 exhibits a rare flexibility property evidenced in the solid state by two distinct conformations, either eclipsed (1a) or staggered-off (1b). Both conformations appear clearly separated by a large twist angle (~40°) and depend mainly on the composition of the internal hole. Structure of anion 2 shows a tetrahedral arrangement where the four POM units and the six connecting {Mo(2)O(2)S(2)} linkers are located at the corners and at the edges, respectively. The structure of anion 3 corresponds to the simplest arrangement, described as a dimeric association of two POM units linked by three {Mo(2)S(2)O(2)} pillars. Stability of the hexameric scaffold has been investigated in solution by (183)W and (39)K NMR and by UV-vis, showing that stability of 1 depends strongly on the proportion of potassium ions, which interfere through host-guest exchange. Density functional methodology (DFT) has been applied to compute the geometries and energies of dimer (3), tetramer (2) and hexamer (1) based on {AsW(9)O(33)} (POM) and {Mo(2)O(2)S(2)} (L) units. Calculations tend to show that internal cations act

  19. Genome-wide comparative in silico analysis of the RNA helicase gene family in Zea mays and Glycine max: a comparison with Arabidopsis and Oryza sativa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Ruirui; Zhang, Shizhong; Huang, Jinguang; Zheng, Chengchao

    2013-01-01

    RNA helicases are enzymes that are thought to unwind double-stranded RNA molecules in an energy-dependent fashion through the hydrolysis of NTP. RNA helicases are associated with all processes involving RNA molecules, including nuclear transcription, editing, splicing, ribosome biogenesis, RNA export, and organelle gene expression. The involvement of RNA helicase in response to stress and in plant growth and development has been reported previously. While their importance in Arabidopsis and Oryza sativa has been partially studied, the function of RNA helicase proteins is poorly understood in Zea mays and Glycine max. In this study, we identified a total of RNA helicase genes in Arabidopsis and other crop species genome by genome-wide comparative in silico analysis. We classified the RNA helicase genes into three subfamilies according to the structural features of the motif II region, such as DEAD-box, DEAH-box and DExD/H-box, and different species showed different patterns of alternative splicing. Secondly, chromosome location analysis showed that the RNA helicase protein genes were distributed across all chromosomes with different densities in the four species. Thirdly, phylogenetic tree analyses identified the relevant homologs of DEAD-box, DEAH-box and DExD/H-box RNA helicase proteins in each of the four species. Fourthly, microarray expression data showed that many of these predicted RNA helicase genes were expressed in different developmental stages and different tissues under normal growth conditions. Finally, real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of 10 genes in Arabidopsis and 13 genes in Zea mays were in close agreement with the microarray expression data. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a comparative genome-wide analysis of the RNA helicase gene family in Arabidopsis, Oryza sativa, Zea mays and Glycine max. This study provides valuable information for understanding the classification and putative functions of

  20. Cooperation of DNA-PKcs and WRN helicase in the maintenance of telomeric D-loops

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kusumoto-Matsuo, Rika; Opresko, Patricia L; Ramsden, Dale

    2010-01-01

    Werner syndrome is an inherited human progeriod syndrome caused by mutations in the gene encoding the Werner Syndrome protein, WRN. It has both 3'-5' DNA helicase and exonuclease activities, and is suggested to have roles in many aspects of DNA metabolism, including DNA repair and telomere...... D-loop model substrate. In addition, the length of telomeric G-tails decreases in DNA-PKcs knockdown cells, and this phenotype is reversed by overexpression of WRN helicase. These results suggest that WRN and DNA-PKcs may cooperatively prevent G-tail shortening in vivo....

  1. Non-B DNA Secondary Structures and Their Resolution by RecQ Helicases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sudha Sharma

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In addition to the canonical B-form structure first described by Watson and Crick, DNA can adopt a number of alternative structures. These non-B-form DNA secondary structures form spontaneously on tracts of repeat sequences that are abundant in genomes. In addition, structured forms of DNA with intrastrand pairing may arise on single-stranded DNA produced transiently during various cellular processes. Such secondary structures have a range of biological functions but also induce genetic instability. Increasing evidence suggests that genomic instabilities induced by non-B DNA secondary structures result in predisposition to diseases. Secondary DNA structures also represent a new class of molecular targets for DNA-interactive compounds that might be useful for targeting telomeres and transcriptional control. The equilibrium between the duplex DNA and formation of multistranded non-B-form structures is partly dependent upon the helicases that unwind (resolve these alternate DNA structures. With special focus on tetraplex, triplex, and cruciform, this paper summarizes the incidence of non-B DNA structures and their association with genomic instability and emphasizes the roles of RecQ-like DNA helicases in genome maintenance by resolution of DNA secondary structures. In future, RecQ helicases are anticipated to be additional molecular targets for cancer chemotherapeutics.

  2. Structural view of the helicase reveals that Zika virus uses a conserved mechanism for unwinding RNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Lei; Wang, Jin; Jia, Zhihui; Shaw, Neil

    2018-04-01

    Recent studies suggest a link between infection by Zika virus (ZIKV) and the development of neurological complications. The lack of ZIKV-specific therapeutics has alarmed healthcare professionals worldwide. Here, crystal structures of apo and AMPPNP- and Mn 2+ -bound forms of the essential helicase of ZIKV refined to 1.78 and 1.3 Å resolution, respectively, are reported. The structures reveal a conserved trimodular topology of the helicase. ATP and Mn 2+ are tethered between two RecA-like domains by conserved hydrogen-bonding interactions. The binding of ligands induces the movement of backbone Cα and side-chain atoms. Numerous solvent molecules are observed in the vicinity of the AMPPNP, suggesting a role in catalysis. These high-resolution structures could be useful for the design of inhibitors targeting the helicase of ZIKV for the treatment of infections caused by ZIKV.

  3. Comparative structural analysis of human DEAD-box RNA helicases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schütz, Patrick; Karlberg, Tobias; van den Berg, Susanne; Collins, Ruairi; Lehtiö, Lari; Högbom, Martin; Holmberg-Schiavone, Lovisa; Tempel, Wolfram; Park, Hee-Won; Hammarström, Martin; Moche, Martin; Thorsell, Ann-Gerd; Schüler, Herwig

    2010-09-30

    DEAD-box RNA helicases play various, often critical, roles in all processes where RNAs are involved. Members of this family of proteins are linked to human disease, including cancer and viral infections. DEAD-box proteins contain two conserved domains that both contribute to RNA and ATP binding. Despite recent advances the molecular details of how these enzymes convert chemical energy into RNA remodeling is unknown. We present crystal structures of the isolated DEAD-domains of human DDX2A/eIF4A1, DDX2B/eIF4A2, DDX5, DDX10/DBP4, DDX18/myc-regulated DEAD-box protein, DDX20, DDX47, DDX52/ROK1, and DDX53/CAGE, and of the helicase domains of DDX25 and DDX41. Together with prior knowledge this enables a family-wide comparative structural analysis. We propose a general mechanism for opening of the RNA binding site. This analysis also provides insights into the diversity of DExD/H- proteins, with implications for understanding the functions of individual family members.

  4. Comparative structural analysis of human DEAD-box RNA helicases.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrick Schütz

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available DEAD-box RNA helicases play various, often critical, roles in all processes where RNAs are involved. Members of this family of proteins are linked to human disease, including cancer and viral infections. DEAD-box proteins contain two conserved domains that both contribute to RNA and ATP binding. Despite recent advances the molecular details of how these enzymes convert chemical energy into RNA remodeling is unknown. We present crystal structures of the isolated DEAD-domains of human DDX2A/eIF4A1, DDX2B/eIF4A2, DDX5, DDX10/DBP4, DDX18/myc-regulated DEAD-box protein, DDX20, DDX47, DDX52/ROK1, and DDX53/CAGE, and of the helicase domains of DDX25 and DDX41. Together with prior knowledge this enables a family-wide comparative structural analysis. We propose a general mechanism for opening of the RNA binding site. This analysis also provides insights into the diversity of DExD/H- proteins, with implications for understanding the functions of individual family members.

  5. Circadian clock protein KaiC forms ATP-dependent hexameric rings and binds DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mori, Tetsuya; Saveliev, Sergei V; Xu, Yao; Stafford, Walter F; Cox, Michael M; Inman, Ross B; Johnson, Carl H

    2002-12-24

    KaiC from Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 (KaiC) is an essential circadian clock protein in cyanobacteria. Previous sequence analyses suggested its inclusion in the RecADnaB superfamily. A characteristic of the proteins of this superfamily is that they form homohexameric complexes that bind DNA. We show here that KaiC also forms ring complexes with a central pore that can be visualized by electron microscopy. A combination of analytical ultracentrifugation and chromatographic analyses demonstrates that these complexes are hexameric. The association of KaiC molecules into hexamers depends on the presence of ATP. The KaiC sequence does not include the obvious DNA-binding motifs found in RecA or DnaB. Nevertheless, KaiC binds forked DNA substrates. These data support the inclusion of KaiC into the RecADnaB superfamily and have important implications for enzymatic activity of KaiC in the circadian clock mechanism that regulates global changes in gene expression patterns.

  6. The eIF4AIII RNA helicase is a critical determinant of human cytomegalovirus replication

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ziehr, Ben; Lenarcic, Erik; Cecil, Chad; Moorman, Nathaniel J., E-mail: nmoorman@med.unc.edu

    2016-02-15

    Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was recently shown to encode a large number of spliced mRNAs. While the nuclear export of unspliced viral transcripts has been extensively studied, the role of host mRNA export factors in HCMV mRNA trafficking remains poorly defined. We found that the eIF4AIII RNA helicase, a component of the exon junction complex, was necessary for efficient virus replication. Depletion of eIF4AIII limited viral DNA accumulation, export of viral mRNAs from the nucleus, and the production of progeny virus. However eIF4AIII was dispensable for the association of viral transcripts with ribosomes. We found that pateamine A, a natural compound that inhibits both eIF4AI/II and eIF4AIII, has potent antiviral activity and inhibits HCMV replication throughout the virus lytic cycle. Our results demonstrate that eIF4AIII is required for efficient HCMV replication, and suggest that eIF4A family helicases may be a new class of targets for the development of host-directed antiviral therapeutics. - Highlights: • The host eIF4AIII RNA helicase is required for efficient HCMV replication. • Depleting eIF4AIII inhibited the nuclear export of HCMV mRNAs. • HCMV mRNAs did not require eIF4AIII to associate with polyribosomes. • The eIF4A family helicases may be new targets for host-directed antiviral drugs.

  7. The eIF4AIII RNA helicase is a critical determinant of human cytomegalovirus replication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ziehr, Ben; Lenarcic, Erik; Cecil, Chad; Moorman, Nathaniel J.

    2016-01-01

    Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was recently shown to encode a large number of spliced mRNAs. While the nuclear export of unspliced viral transcripts has been extensively studied, the role of host mRNA export factors in HCMV mRNA trafficking remains poorly defined. We found that the eIF4AIII RNA helicase, a component of the exon junction complex, was necessary for efficient virus replication. Depletion of eIF4AIII limited viral DNA accumulation, export of viral mRNAs from the nucleus, and the production of progeny virus. However eIF4AIII was dispensable for the association of viral transcripts with ribosomes. We found that pateamine A, a natural compound that inhibits both eIF4AI/II and eIF4AIII, has potent antiviral activity and inhibits HCMV replication throughout the virus lytic cycle. Our results demonstrate that eIF4AIII is required for efficient HCMV replication, and suggest that eIF4A family helicases may be a new class of targets for the development of host-directed antiviral therapeutics. - Highlights: • The host eIF4AIII RNA helicase is required for efficient HCMV replication. • Depleting eIF4AIII inhibited the nuclear export of HCMV mRNAs. • HCMV mRNAs did not require eIF4AIII to associate with polyribosomes. • The eIF4A family helicases may be new targets for host-directed antiviral drugs.

  8. Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus 2C Is a Hexameric AAA+ Protein with a Coordinated ATP Hydrolysis Mechanism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sweeney, Trevor; Cisnetto, Valentina; Bose, Daniel

    2010-01-01

    Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), a positive sense, single-stranded RNA virus, causes a highly contagious disease in cloven-hoofed livestock. Like other picornaviruses, FMDV has a conserved 2C protein assigned to the superfamily 3 helicases a group of AAA+ ATPases that has a predicted N-termin...

  9. BLM helicase suppresses recombination at G-quadruplex motifs in transcribed genes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Wietmarschen, Niek; Merzouk, Sarra; Halsema, Nancy; Spierings, Diana C J; Guryev, Victor; Lansdorp, Peter M

    2018-01-01

    Bloom syndrome is a cancer predisposition disorder caused by mutations in the BLM helicase gene. Cells from persons with Bloom syndrome exhibit striking genomic instability characterized by excessive sister chromatid exchange events (SCEs). We applied single-cell DNA template strand sequencing

  10. Identification and Biochemical Characterization of Halisulfate 3 and Suvanine as Novel Inhibitors of Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Helicase from a Marine Sponge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atsushi Furuta

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Hepatitis C virus (HCV is an important etiological agent that is responsible for the development of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV nonstructural protein 3 (NS3 helicase is a possible target for novel drug development due to its essential role in viral replication. In this study, we identified halisulfate 3 (hal3 and suvanine as novel NS3 helicase inhibitors, with IC50 values of 4 and 3 µM, respectively, from a marine sponge by screening extracts of marine organisms. Both hal3 and suvanine inhibited the ATPase, RNA binding, and serine protease activities of NS3 helicase with IC50 values of 8, 8, and 14 µM, and 7, 3, and 34 µM, respectively. However, the dengue virus (DENV NS3 helicase, which shares a catalytic core (consisting mainly of ATPase and RNA binding sites with HCV NS3 helicase, was not inhibited by hal3 and suvanine, even at concentrations of 100 µM. Therefore, we conclude that hal3 and suvanine specifically inhibit HCV NS3 helicase via an interaction with an allosteric site in NS3 rather than binding to the catalytic core. This led to the inhibition of all NS3 activities, presumably by inducing conformational changes.

  11. A new role for FBP21 as regulator of Brr2 helicase activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henning, Lisa M; Santos, Karine F; Sticht, Jana; Jehle, Stefanie; Lee, Chung-Tien; Wittwer, Malte; Urlaub, Henning; Stelzl, Ulrich; Wahl, Markus C; Freund, Christian

    2017-07-27

    Splicing of eukaryotic pre-mRNA is carried out by the spliceosome, which assembles stepwise on each splicing substrate. This requires the concerted action of snRNPs and non-snRNP accessory proteins, the functions of which are often not well understood. Of special interest are B complex factors that enter the spliceosome prior to catalytic activation and may alter splicing kinetics and splice site selection. One of these proteins is FBP21, for which we identified several spliceosomal binding partners in a yeast-two-hybrid screen, among them the RNA helicase Brr2. Biochemical and biophysical analyses revealed that an intrinsically disordered region of FBP21 binds to an extended surface of the C-terminal Sec63 unit of Brr2. Additional contacts in the C-terminal helicase cassette are required for allosteric inhibition of Brr2 helicase activity. Furthermore, the direct interaction between FBP21 and the U4/U6 di-snRNA was found to reduce the pool of unwound U4/U6 di-snRNA. Our results suggest FBP21 as a novel key player in the regulation of Brr2. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  12. Ufd1-Npl4 Recruit Cdc48 for Disassembly of Ubiquitylated CMG Helicase at the End of Chromosome Replication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marija Maric

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Disassembly of the Cdc45-MCM-GINS (CMG DNA helicase is the key regulated step during DNA replication termination in eukaryotes, involving ubiquitylation of the Mcm7 helicase subunit, leading to a disassembly process that requires the Cdc48 “segregase”. Here, we employ a screen to identify partners of budding yeast Cdc48 that are important for disassembly of ubiquitylated CMG helicase at the end of chromosome replication. We demonstrate that the ubiquitin-binding Ufd1-Npl4 complex recruits Cdc48 to ubiquitylated CMG. Ubiquitylation of CMG in yeast cell extracts is dependent upon lysine 29 of Mcm7, which is the only detectable site of ubiquitylation both in vitro and in vivo (though in vivo other sites can be modified when K29 is mutated. Mutation of K29 abrogates in vitro recruitment of Ufd1-Npl4-Cdc48 to the CMG helicase, supporting a model whereby Ufd1-Npl4 recruits Cdc48 to ubiquitylated CMG at the end of chromosome replication, thereby driving the disassembly reaction.

  13. Ebselen Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Helicase Binding to Nucleic Acid and Prevents Viral Replication

    OpenAIRE

    Mukherjee, Sourav; Weiner, Warren S.; Schroeder, Chad E.; Simpson, Denise S.; Hanson, Alicia M.; Sweeney, Noreena L.; Marvin, Rachel K.; Ndjomou, Jean; Kolli, Rajesh; Isailovic, Dragan; Schoenen, Frank J.; Frick, David N.

    2014-01-01

    The hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) is both a protease, which cleaves viral and host proteins, and a helicase that separates nucleic acid strands, using ATP hydrolysis to fuel the reaction. Many antiviral drugs, and compounds in clinical trials, target the NS3 protease, but few helicase inhibitors that function as antivirals have been reported. This study focuses on the analysis of the mechanism by which ebselen (2-phenyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3-one), a compound previousl...

  14. Mycobacterium smegmatis SftH exemplifies a distinctive clade of superfamily II DNA-dependent ATPases with 3′ to 5′ translocase and helicase activities

    OpenAIRE

    Yakovleva, Lyudmila; Shuman, Stewart

    2012-01-01

    Bacterial DNA helicases are nucleic acid-dependent NTPases that play important roles in DNA replication, recombination and repair. We are interested in the DNA helicases of Mycobacteria, a genus of the phylum Actinobacteria, which includes the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its avirulent relative Mycobacterium smegmatis. Here, we identify and characterize M. smegmatis SftH, a superfamily II helicase with a distinctive domain structure, comprising an N-terminal NTPase domain and...

  15. Dna2 nuclease-helicase structure, mechanism and regulation by Rpa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Chun; Pourmal, Sergei; Pavletich, Nikola P

    2015-11-02

    The Dna2 nuclease-helicase maintains genomic integrity by processing DNA double-strand breaks, Okazaki fragments and stalled replication forks. Dna2 requires ssDNA ends, and is dependent on the ssDNA-binding protein Rpa, which controls cleavage polarity. Here we present the 2.3 Å structure of intact mouse Dna2 bound to a 15-nucleotide ssDNA. The nuclease active site is embedded in a long, narrow tunnel through which the DNA has to thread. The helicase domain is required for DNA binding but not threading. We also present the structure of a flexibly-tethered Dna2-Rpa interaction that recruits Dna2 to Rpa-coated DNA. We establish that a second Dna2-Rpa interaction is mutually exclusive with Rpa-DNA interactions and mediates the displacement of Rpa from ssDNA. This interaction occurs at the nuclease tunnel entrance and the 5' end of the Rpa-DNA complex. Hence, it only displaces Rpa from the 5' but not 3' end, explaining how Rpa regulates cleavage polarity.

  16. Novel benzoxazole inhibitor of dengue virus replication that targets the NS3 helicase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrd, Chelsea M; Grosenbach, Douglas W; Berhanu, Aklile; Dai, Dongcheng; Jones, Kevin F; Cardwell, Kara B; Schneider, Christine; Yang, Guang; Tyavanagimatt, Shanthakumar; Harver, Chris; Wineinger, Kristin A; Page, Jessica; Stavale, Eric; Stone, Melialani A; Fuller, Kathleen P; Lovejoy, Candace; Leeds, Janet M; Hruby, Dennis E; Jordan, Robert

    2013-04-01

    Dengue virus (DENV) is the predominant mosquito-borne viral pathogen that infects humans with an estimated 50 to 100 million infections per year worldwide. Over the past 50 years, the incidence of dengue disease has increased dramatically and the virus is now endemic in more than 100 countries. Moreover, multiple serotypes of DENV are now found in the same geographic region, increasing the likelihood of more severe forms of disease. Despite extensive research, there are still no approved vaccines or therapeutics commercially available to treat DENV infection. Here we report the results of a high-throughput screen of a chemical compound library using a whole-virus assay that identified a novel small-molecule inhibitor of DENV, ST-610, that potently and selectively inhibits all four serotypes of DENV replication in vitro. Sequence analysis of drug-resistant virus isolates has identified a single point mutation, A263T, in the NS3 helicase domain that confers resistance to this compound. ST-610 inhibits DENV NS3 helicase RNA unwinding activity in a molecular-beacon-based helicase assay but does not inhibit nucleoside triphosphatase activity based on a malachite green ATPase assay. ST-610 is nonmutagenic, is well tolerated (nontoxic) in mice, and has shown efficacy in a sublethal murine model of DENV infection with the ability to significantly reduce viremia and viral load compared to vehicle controls.

  17. Escherichia coli and Neisseria gonorrhoeae UvrD helicase unwinds G4 DNA structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shukla, Kaustubh; Thakur, Roshan Singh; Ganguli, Debayan; Rao, Desirazu Narasimha; Nagaraju, Ganesh

    2017-10-18

    G-quadruplex (G4) secondary structures have been implicated in various biological processes, including gene expression, DNA replication and telomere maintenance. However, unresolved G4 structures impede replication progression which can lead to the generation of DNA double-strand breaks and genome instability. Helicases have been shown to resolve G4 structures to facilitate faithful duplication of the genome. Escherichia coli UvrD (EcUvrD) helicase plays a crucial role in nucleotide excision repair, mismatch repair and in the regulation of homologous recombination. Here, we demonstrate a novel role of E. coli and Neisseria gonorrhoeae UvrD in resolving G4 tetraplexes. EcUvrD and N gonorrhoeae UvrD were proficient in unwinding previously characterized tetramolecular G4 structures. Notably, EcUvrD was equally efficient in resolving tetramolecular and bimolecular G4 DNA that were derived from the potential G4-forming sequences from the genome of E. coli Interestingly, in addition to resolving intermolecular G4 structures, EcUvrD was robust in unwinding intramolecular G4 structures. These data for the first time provide evidence for the role of UvrD in the resolution of G4 structures, which has implications for the in vivo role of UvrD helicase in G4 DNA resolution and genome maintenance. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  18. Human RecQL4 helicase plays critical roles in prostate carcinogenesis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Su, Yanrong; Meador, Jarah A; Calaf, Gloria M

    2010-01-01

    Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-associated deaths among men in the western countries. Here, we report that human RecQL4 helicase, which is implicated in the pathogenesis of a subset of cancer-prone Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, is highly elevated in metastatic prostate cancer c...

  19. Structural Studies of RNA Helicases Involved in Eukaryotic Pre-mRNA Splicing, Ribosome Biogenesis, and Translation Initiation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    He, Yangzi

    and ligates the neighbouring exons to generate mature mRNAs. Prp43 is an RNA helicase of the DEAH/RHA family. In yeast, once mRNAs are released, Prp43 catalyzes the disassembly of spliceosomes. The 18S, 5.8S and 25S rRNAs are transcribed as a single polycistronic transcript—the 35S pre......-rRNA. It is nucleolytically cleaved and chemically modified to generate mature rRNAs, which assemble with ribosomal proteins to form the ribosome. Prp43 is required for the processing of the 18S rRNA. Using X-ray crystallography, I determined a high resolution structure of Prp43 bound to ADP, the first structure of a DEAH....../RHA helicase. It defined the conserved structural features of all DEAH/RHA helicases, and unveiled a novel nucleotide binding site. Additionally a preliminary low resolution structure of a ternary complex comprising Prp43, a non-hydrolyzable ATP analogue, and a single-stranded RNA, was obtained. The ribosome...

  20. Solid-state NMR chemical-shift perturbations indicate domain reorientation of the DnaG primase in the primosome of Helicobacter pylori

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gardiennet, Carole [Université de Lorraine, CNRS, CRM2, UMR 7036 (France); Wiegand, Thomas [ETH Zurich, Physical Chemistry (Switzerland); Bazin, Alexandre [Université de Lyon 1, Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Labex Ecofect, UMR 5086 CNRS (France); Cadalbert, Riccardo [ETH Zurich, Physical Chemistry (Switzerland); Kunert, Britta; Lacabanne, Denis [Université de Lyon 1, Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Labex Ecofect, UMR 5086 CNRS (France); Gutsche, Irina [Université Grenoble Alpes, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), CNRS, IBS, CEA, IBS (France); Terradot, Laurent, E-mail: l.terradot@ibcp.fr [Université de Lyon 1, Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Labex Ecofect, UMR 5086 CNRS (France); Meier, Beat H., E-mail: beme@ethz.ch [ETH Zurich, Physical Chemistry (Switzerland); Böckmann, Anja, E-mail: a.bockmann@ibcp.fr [Université de Lyon 1, Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Labex Ecofect, UMR 5086 CNRS (France)

    2016-03-15

    We here investigate the interactions between the DnaB helicase and the C-terminal domain of the corresponding DnaG primase of Helicobacter pylori using solid-state NMR. The difficult crystallization of this 387 kDa complex, where the two proteins interact in a six to three ratio, is circumvented by simple co-sedimentation of the two proteins directly into the MAS-NMR rotor. While the amount of information that can be extracted from such a large protein is still limited, we can assign a number of amino-acid residues experiencing significant chemical-shift perturbations upon helicase-primase complex formation. The location of these residues is used as a guide to model the interaction interface between the two proteins in the complex. Chemical-shift perturbations also reveal changes at the interaction interfaces of the hexameric HpDnaB assembly on HpDnaG binding. A structural model of the complex that explains the experimental findings is obtained.

  1. The MCM Helicase Motor of the Eukaryotic Replisome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abid Ali, Ferdos; Costa, Alessandro

    2016-05-08

    The MCM motor of the CMG helicase powers ahead of the eukaryotic replication machinery to unwind DNA, in a process that requires ATP hydrolysis. The reconstitution of DNA replication in vitro has established the succession of events that lead to replication origin activation by the MCM and recent studies have started to elucidate the structural basis of duplex DNA unwinding. Despite the exciting progress, how the MCM translocates on DNA remains a matter of debate. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. Mycobacterium smegmatis SftH exemplifies a distinctive clade of superfamily II DNA-dependent ATPases with 3' to 5' translocase and helicase activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yakovleva, Lyudmila; Shuman, Stewart

    2012-08-01

    Bacterial DNA helicases are nucleic acid-dependent NTPases that play important roles in DNA replication, recombination and repair. We are interested in the DNA helicases of Mycobacteria, a genus of the phylum Actinobacteria, which includes the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its avirulent relative Mycobacterium smegmatis. Here, we identify and characterize M. smegmatis SftH, a superfamily II helicase with a distinctive domain structure, comprising an N-terminal NTPase domain and a C-terminal DUF1998 domain (containing a putative tetracysteine metal-binding motif). We show that SftH is a monomeric DNA-dependent ATPase/dATPase that translocates 3' to 5' on single-stranded DNA and has 3' to 5' helicase activity. SftH homologs are found in bacteria representing 12 different phyla, being especially prevalent in Actinobacteria (including M. tuberculosis). SftH homologs are evident in more than 30 genera of Archaea. Among eukarya, SftH homologs are present in plants and fungi.

  3. Molecular Dynamics of the ZIKA Virus NS3 Helicase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raubenolt, Bryan; Rick, Steven; The Rick Group Team

    The recent outbreaks of the ZIKA virus (ZIKV) and its connection to microcephaly in newborns has raised its awareness as a global threat and many scientific research efforts are currently underway in attempt to create a vaccine. Molecular Dynamics is a powerful method of investigating the physical behavior of protein complexes. ZIKV is comprised of 3 structural and 7 nonstructural proteins. The NS3 helicase protein appears to play a significant role in the replication complex and its inhibition could be a crucial source of antiviral drug design. This research primarily focuses on studying the structural dynamics, over the course of few hundred nanoseconds, of NS3 helicase in the free state, as well as in complex form with human ssRNA, ATP, and an analogue of GTP. RMSD and RMSF plots of each simulation will provide details on the forces involved in the overall stability of the active and inactive states. Furthermore, free energy calculations on a per residue level will reveal the most interactive residues between states and ultimately the primary driving force behind these interactions. Together these analyses will provide highly relevant information on the binding surface chemistry and thus serve as the basis for potential drug design.

  4. Molecular determinants of nucleolar translocation of RNA helicase A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Zhe; Kenworthy, Rachael; Green, Christopher; Tang, Hengli

    2007-01-01

    RNA helicase A (RHA) is a member of the DEAH-box family of DNA/RNA helicases involved in multiple cellular processes and the life cycles of many viruses. The subcellular localization of RHA is dynamic despite its steady-state concentration in the nucleoplasm. We have previously shown that it shuttles rapidly between the nucleus and the cytoplasm by virtue of a bidirectional nuclear transport domain (NTD) located in its carboxyl terminus. Here, we investigate the molecular determinants for its translocation within the nucleus and, more specifically, its redistribution from the nucleoplasm to nucleolus or the perinucleolar region. We found that low temperature treatment, transcription inhibition or replication of hepatitis C virus caused the intranuclear redistribution of the protein, suggesting that RHA shuttles between the nucleolus and nucleoplasm and becomes trapped in the nucleolus or the perinucleolar region upon blockade of transport to the nucleoplasm. Both the NTD and ATPase activity were essential for RHA's transport to the nucleolus or perinucleolar region. One of the double-stranded RNA binding domains (dsRBD II) was also required for this nucleolar translocation (NoT) phenotype. RNA interference studies revealed that RHA is essential for survival of cultured hepatoma cells and the ATPase activity appears to be important for this critical role

  5. Distinct functions of human RecQ helicases during DNA replication

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Urban, Václav; Dobrovolná, Jana; Janščák, Pavel

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 225, červen (2017), s. 20-26 ISSN 0301-4622 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-05743S; GA MŠk LH14037 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : DNA replication * Replication stress * RecQ helicases * Genomic instability * Cancer Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Biochemistry and molecular biology Impact factor: 2.402, year: 2016

  6. Human SUV3 helicase regulates growth rate of the HeLa cells and can localize in the nucleoli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szewczyk, Maciej; Fedoryszak-Kuśka, Natalia; Tkaczuk, Katarzyna; Dobrucki, Jurek; Waligórska, Agnieszka; Stępień, Piotr P

    2017-01-01

    The human SUV3 helicase (SUV3, hSUV3, SUPV3L1) is a DNA/RNA unwinding enzyme belonging to the class of DexH-box helicases. It localizes predominantly in the mitochondria, where it forms an RNA-degrading complex called mitochondrial degradosome with exonuclease PNP (polynucleotide phosphorylase). Association of this complex with the polyA polymerase can modulate mitochondrial polyA tails. Silencing of the SUV3 gene was shown to inhibit the cell cycle and to induce apoptosis in human cell lines. However, since small amounts of the SUV3 helicase were found in the cell nuclei, it was not clear whether the observed phenotypes of SUV3 depletion were of mitochondrial or nuclear origin. In order to answer this question we have designed gene constructs able to inhibit the SUV3 activity exclusively in the cell nuclei. The results indicate that the observed growth rate impairment upon SUV3 depletion is due to its nuclear function(s). Unexpectedly, overexpression of the nuclear-targeted wild-type copies of the SUV3 gene resulted in a higher growth rate. In addition, we demonstrate that the SUV3 helicase can be found in the HeLa cell nucleoli, but it is not detectable in the DNA-repair foci. Our results indicate that the nucleolar-associated human SUV3 protein is an important factor in regulation of the cell cycle.

  7. The helicase and ATPase activities of RECQL4 are compromised by mutations reported in three human patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Martin Borch; Dunn, Christopher A; Keijzers, Guido

    2012-01-01

    RECQL4 is one of five members of the human RecQ helicase family, and is implicated in three syndromes displaying accelerating aging, developmental abnormalities and a predisposition to cancer. In this study, we purified three variants of RECQL4 carrying previously reported patient mutations....... These three mutant proteins were analyzed for the known biochemical activities of RECQL4: DNA binding, unwinding of duplex DNA, ATP hydrolysis and annealing of simplex DNA. Further, the mutant proteins were evaluated for stability and recruitment to sites of laser-induced DNA damage. One mutant was helicase...

  8. Evolution of the DEAD box helicase family in chicken: chickens have no DHX9 ortholog.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Haruko; Oshiumi, Hiroyuki; Takaki, Hiromi; Hikono, Hirokazu; Seya, Tsukasa

    2015-10-01

    Viral RNA represents a pattern molecule that can be recognized by RNA sensors in innate immunity. Humans and mice possess cytoplasmic DNA/RNA sensors for detecting viral replication. There are a number of DEAD (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp; DExD/H) box-type helicases in mammals, among which retinoic acid-inducible gene 1 (RIG-I) and melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA50) are indispensable for RNA sensing; however, they are functionally supported by a number of sensors that directly bind viral RNA or replicative RNA intermediates to convey signals to RIG-I and MDA5. Some DEAD box helicase members recognize DNA irrespective of the origin. These sensors transmit IFN-inducing signals through adaptors, including mitochondrial antiviral signaling. Viral double-stranded RNAs are reportedly sensed by the helicases DDX1, DDX21, DHX36, DHX9, DDX3, DDX41, LGP2 and DDX60, in addition to RIG-I and MDA5, and induce type I IFNs, thereby blocking viral replication. Humans and mice have all nucleic acid sensors listed here. In the RNA sensing system in chicken, it was found in the present study that most DEAD box helicases are conserved; however, DHX9 is genetically deficient in addition to reported RIG-I. Based on the current genome databases, similar DHX9 deficiency was observed in ducks and several other bird species. Because chicken, but not duck, was found to be deficient in RIG-I, the RNA-sensing system of chicken lacks RIG-I and DHX9 and is thus more fragile than that of duck or mammal. DHX9 may generally compensate for the function of RIG-I and deficiency of DHX9 possibly participates in exacerbations of viral infection such as influenza in chickens. © 2015 The Societies and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  9. Characterization of the Caenorhabditis elegans HIM-6/BLM helicase: unwinding recombination intermediates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Hana; Lee, Jin A; Choi, Seoyoon; Lee, Hyunwoo; Ahn, Byungchan

    2014-01-01

    Mutations in three human RecQ genes are implicated in heritable human syndromes. Mutations in BLM, a RecQ gene, cause Bloom syndrome (BS), which is characterized by short stature, cancer predisposition, and sensitivity to sunlight. BLM is a RecQ DNA helicase that, with interacting proteins, is able to dissolve various DNA structures including double Holliday junctions. A BLM ortholog, him-6, has been identified in Caenorhabditis elegans, but little is known about its enzymatic activities or its in vivo roles. By purifying recombinant HIM-6 and performing biochemical assays, we determined that the HIM-6 has DNA-dependent ATPase activity HIM-6 and helicase activity that proceeds in the 3'-5' direction and needs at least five 3' overhanging nucleotides. HIM-6 is also able to unwind DNA structures including D-loops and Holliday junctions. Worms with him-6 mutations were defective in recovering the cell cycle arrest after HU treatment. These activities strongly support in vivo roles for HIM-6 in processing recombination intermediates.

  10. X-ray structure of the pestivirus NS3 helicase and its conformation in solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tortorici, M Alejandra; Duquerroy, Stéphane; Kwok, Jane; Vonrhein, Clemens; Perez, Javier; Lamp, Benjamin; Bricogne, Gerard; Rümenapf, Till; Vachette, Patrice; Rey, Félix A

    2015-04-01

    Pestiviruses form a genus in the Flaviviridae family of small enveloped viruses with a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome. Viral replication in this family requires the activity of a superfamily 2 RNA helicase contained in the C-terminal domain of nonstructural protein 3 (NS3). NS3 features two conserved RecA-like domains (D1 and D2) with ATPase activity, plus a third domain (D3) that is important for unwinding nucleic acid duplexes. We report here the X-ray structure of the pestivirus NS3 helicase domain (pNS3h) at a 2.5-Å resolution. The structure deviates significantly from that of NS3 of other genera in the Flaviviridae family in D3, as it contains two important insertions that result in a narrower nucleic acid binding groove. We also show that mutations in pNS3h that rescue viruses from which the core protein is deleted map to D3, suggesting that this domain may be involved in interactions that facilitate particle assembly. Finally, structural comparisons of the enzyme in different crystalline environments, together with the findings of small-angle X-ray-scattering studies in solution, show that D2 is mobile with respect to the rest of the enzyme, oscillating between closed and open conformations. Binding of a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog locks pNS3h in a conformation that is more compact than the closest apo-form in our crystals. Together, our results provide new insight and bring up new questions about pNS3h function during pestivirus replication. Although pestivirus infections impose an important toll on the livestock industry worldwide, little information is available about the nonstructural proteins essential for viral replication, such as the NS3 helicase. We provide here a comparative structural and functional analysis of pNS3h with respect to its orthologs in other viruses of the same family, the flaviviruses and hepatitis C virus. Our studies reveal differences in the nucleic acid binding groove that could have implications for understanding the

  11. Mycobacterium smegmatis HelY Is an RNA-Activated ATPase/dATPase and 3'-to-5' Helicase That Unwinds 3'-Tailed RNA Duplexes and RNA:DNA Hybrids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uson, Maria Loressa; Ordonez, Heather; Shuman, Stewart

    2015-10-01

    Mycobacteria have a large and distinctive ensemble of DNA helicases that function in DNA replication, repair, and recombination. Little is known about the roster of RNA helicases in mycobacteria or their roles in RNA transactions. The 912-amino-acid Mycobacterium smegmatis HelY (MSMEG_3885) protein is a bacterial homolog of the Mtr4 and Ski2 helicases that regulate RNA 3' processing and turnover by the eukaryal exosome. Here we characterize HelY as an RNA-stimulated ATPase/dATPase and an ATP/dATP-dependent 3'-to-5' helicase. HelY requires a 3' single-strand RNA tail (a loading RNA strand) to displace the complementary strand of a tailed RNA:RNA or RNA:DNA duplex. The findings that HelY ATPase is unresponsive to a DNA polynucleotide cofactor and that HelY is unable to unwind a 3'-tailed duplex in which the loading strand is DNA distinguish HelY from other mycobacterial nucleoside triphosphatases/helicases characterized previously. The biochemical properties of HelY, which resemble those of Mtr4/Ski2, hint at a role for HelY in mycobacterial RNA catabolism. RNA helicases play crucial roles in transcription, RNA processing, and translation by virtue of their ability to alter RNA secondary structure or remodel RNA-protein interactions. In eukarya, the RNA helicases Mtr4 and Ski2 regulate RNA 3' resection by the exosome. Mycobacterium smegmatis HelY, a bacterial homolog of Mtr4/Ski2, is characterized here as a unidirectional helicase, powered by RNA-dependent ATP/dATP hydrolysis, that tracks 3' to 5' along a loading RNA strand to displace the complementary strand of a tailed RNA:RNA or RNA:DNA duplex. The biochemical properties of HelY suggest a role in bacterial RNA transactions. HelY homologs are present in pathogenic mycobacteria (e.g., M. tuberculosis and M. leprae) and are widely prevalent in Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria but occur sporadically elsewhere in the bacterial domain. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  12. In vivo mapping of the functional regions of the DEAD-box helicase Vasa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehrnoush Dehghani

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The maternally expressed Drosophila melanogaster DEAD-box helicase Vasa (Vas is necessary for many cellular and developmental processes, including specification of primordial germ cells (pole cells, posterior patterning of the embryo, piRNA-mediated repression of transposon-encoded mRNAs, translational activation of gurken (grk mRNA, and completion of oogenesis itself. Vas protein accumulates in the perinuclear nuage in nurse cells soon after their specification, and then at stage 10 Vas translocates to the posterior pole plasm of the oocyte. We produced a series of transgenic constructs encoding eGFP-Vas proteins carrying mutations affecting different regions of the protein, and analyzed in vivo which Vas functions each could support. We identified novel domains in the N- and C-terminal regions of the protein that are essential for localization, transposon repression, posterior patterning, and pole cell specification. One such functional region, the most C-terminal seven amino acids, is specific to Vas orthologues and is thus critical to distinguishing Vas from other closely related DEAD-box helicases. Surprisingly, we also found that many eGFP-Vas proteins carrying mutations that would be expected to abrogate DEAD-box helicase function localized to the nuage and posterior pole, and retained the capacity to support oogenesis, although they did not function in embryonic patterning, pole cell specification, grk activation, or transposon repression. We conclude from these experiments that Vas, a multifunctional protein, uses different domains and different molecular associations to carry out its various cellular and developmental roles.

  13. Structural and functional analysis of the human spliceosomal DEAD-box helicase Prp28

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Möhlmann, Sina [Georg-August-University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen (Germany); Mathew, Rebecca [Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg, 37077 Göttingen (Germany); Neumann, Piotr; Schmitt, Andreas [Georg-August-University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen (Germany); Lührmann, Reinhard [Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg, 37077 Göttingen (Germany); Ficner, Ralf, E-mail: rficner@uni-goettingen.de [Georg-August-University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen (Germany)

    2014-06-01

    The crystal structure of the helicase domain of the human spliceosomal DEAD-box protein Prp28 was solved by SAD. The binding of ADP and ATP by Prp28 was studied biochemically and analysed with regard to the crystal structure. The DEAD-box protein Prp28 is essential for pre-mRNA splicing as it plays a key role in the formation of an active spliceosome. Prp28 participates in the release of the U1 snRNP from the 5′-splice site during association of the U5·U4/U6 tri-snRNP, which is a crucial step in the transition from a pre-catalytic spliceosome to an activated spliceosome. Here, it is demonstrated that the purified helicase domain of human Prp28 (hPrp28ΔN) binds ADP, whereas binding of ATP and ATPase activity could not be detected. ATP binding could not be observed for purified full-length hPrp28 either, but within an assembled spliceosomal complex hPrp28 gains ATP-binding activity. In order to understand the structural basis for the ATP-binding deficiency of isolated hPrp28, the crystal structure of hPrp28ΔN was determined at 2.0 Å resolution. In the crystal the helicase domain adopts a wide-open conformation, as the two RecA-like domains are extraordinarily displaced from the productive ATPase conformation. Binding of ATP is hindered by a closed conformation of the P-loop, which occupies the space required for the γ-phosphate of ATP.

  14. The Drosophila Helicase MLE Targets Hairpin Structures in Genomic Transcripts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simona Cugusi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available RNA hairpins are a common type of secondary structures that play a role in every aspect of RNA biochemistry including RNA editing, mRNA stability, localization and translation of transcripts, and in the activation of the RNA interference (RNAi and microRNA (miRNA pathways. Participation in these functions often requires restructuring the RNA molecules by the association of single-strand (ss RNA-binding proteins or by the action of helicases. The Drosophila MLE helicase has long been identified as a member of the MSL complex responsible for dosage compensation. The complex includes one of two long non-coding RNAs and MLE was shown to remodel the roX RNA hairpin structures in order to initiate assembly of the complex. Here we report that this function of MLE may apply to the hairpins present in the primary RNA transcripts that generate the small molecules responsible for RNA interference. Using stocks from the Transgenic RNAi Project and the Vienna Drosophila Research Center, we show that MLE specifically targets hairpin RNAs at their site of transcription. The association of MLE at these sites is independent of sequence and chromosome location. We use two functional assays to test the biological relevance of this association and determine that MLE participates in the RNAi pathway.

  15. MRE11 complex links RECQ5 helicase to sites of DNA damage

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zheng, L.; Kanagaraj, R.; Mihaljevic, B.; Schwendener, S.; Sartori, A.A.; Gerrits, B.; Shevelev, Igor; Janščák, Pavel

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 37, č. 8 (2009), s. 2645-2657 ISSN 0305-1048 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA204/09/0565 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : homologous recombination, * RECQ5 helicase * MRE11 * DNA repair Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 7.479, year: 2009

  16. Isolation and Characterization of Pepper Genes Interacting with the CMV-P1 Helicase Domain.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoomi Choi

    Full Text Available Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV is a destructive pathogen affecting Capsicum annuum (pepper production. The pepper Cmr1 gene confers resistance to most CMV strains, but is overcome by CMV-P1 in a process dependent on the CMV-P1 RNA1 helicase domain (P1 helicase. Here, to identify host factors involved in CMV-P1 infection in pepper, a yeast two-hybrid library derived from a C. annuum 'Bukang' cDNA library was screened, producing a total of 76 potential clones interacting with the P1 helicase. Beta-galactosidase filter lift assay, PCR screening, and sequencing analysis narrowed the candidates to 10 genes putatively involved in virus infection. The candidate host genes were silenced in Nicotiana benthamiana plants that were then inoculated with CMV-P1 tagged with the green fluorescent protein (GFP. Plants silenced for seven of the genes showed development comparable to N. benthamiana wild type, whereas plants silenced for the other three genes showed developmental defects including stunting and severe distortion. Silencing formate dehydrogenase and calreticulin-3 precursor led to reduced virus accumulation. Formate dehydrogenase-silenced plants showed local infection in inoculated leaves, but not in upper (systemic leaves. In the calreticulin-3 precursor-silenced plants, infection was not observed in either the inoculated or the upper leaves. Our results demonstrate that formate dehydrogenase and calreticulin-3 precursor are required for CMV-P1 infection.

  17. A conserved helicase processivity factor is needed for conjugation and replication of an integrative and conjugative element.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacob Thomas

    Full Text Available Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs are agents of horizontal gene transfer and have major roles in evolution and acquisition of new traits, including antibiotic resistances. ICEs are found integrated in a host chromosome and can excise and transfer to recipient bacteria via conjugation. Conjugation involves nicking of the ICE origin of transfer (oriT by the ICE-encoded relaxase and transfer of the nicked single strand of ICE DNA. For ICEBs1 of Bacillus subtilis, nicking of oriT by the ICEBs1 relaxase NicK also initiates rolling circle replication. This autonomous replication of ICEBs1 is critical for stability of the excised element in growing cells. We found a conserved and previously uncharacterized ICE gene that is required for conjugation and replication of ICEBs1. Our results indicate that this gene, helP (formerly ydcP, encodes a helicase processivity factor that enables the host-encoded helicase PcrA to unwind the double-stranded ICEBs1 DNA. HelP was required for both conjugation and replication of ICEBs1, and HelP and NicK were the only ICEBs1 proteins needed for replication from ICEBs1 oriT. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we measured association of HelP, NicK, PcrA, and the host-encoded single-strand DNA binding protein Ssb with ICEBs1. We found that NicK was required for association of HelP and PcrA with ICEBs1 DNA. HelP was required for association of PcrA and Ssb with ICEBs1 regions distal, but not proximal, to oriT, indicating that PcrA needs HelP to progress beyond nicked oriT and unwind ICEBs1. In vitro, HelP directly stimulated the helicase activity of the PcrA homologue UvrD. Our findings demonstrate that HelP is a helicase processivity factor needed for efficient unwinding of ICEBs1 for conjugation and replication. Homologues of HelP and PcrA-type helicases are encoded on many known and putative ICEs. We propose that these factors are essential for ICE conjugation, replication, and genetic stability.

  18. Functional interaction between Smad, CREB binding protein, and p68 RNA helicase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Warner, Dennis R.; Bhattacherjee, Vasker; Yin, Xiaolong; Singh, Saurabh; Mukhopadhyay, Partha; Pisano, M. Michele; Greene, Robert M.

    2004-01-01

    The transforming growth factors β control a diversity of biological processes including cellular proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix production, and are critical effectors of embryonic patterning and development, including that of the orofacial region. TGFβ superfamily members signal through specific cell surface receptors that phosphorylate the cytoplasmic Smad proteins, resulting in their translocation to the nucleus and interaction with promoters of TGFβ-responsive genes. Subsequent alterations in transcription are cell type-specific and dependent on recruitment to the Smad/transcription factor complex of coactivators, such as CBP and p300, or corepressors, such as c-ski and SnoN. Since the affinity of Smads for DNA is generally low, additional accessory proteins that facilitate Smad/DNA binding are required, and are often cell- and tissue-specific. In order to identify novel Smad 3 binding proteins in developing orofacial tissue, a yeast two hybrid assay was employed in which the MH2 domain of Smad 3 was used to screen an expression library derived from mouse embryonic orofacial tissue. The RNA helicase, p68, was identified as a unique Smad binding protein, and the specificity of the interaction was confirmed through various in vitro and in vivo assays. Co-expression of Smad 3 and a CBP-Gal4 DNA binding domain fusion protein in a Gal4-luciferase reporter assay resulted in increased TGFβ-stimulated reporter gene transcription. Moreover, co-expression of p68 RNA helicase along with Smad 3 and CBP-Gal4 resulted in synergistic activation of Gal4-luciferase reporter expression. Collectively, these data indicate that the RNA helicase, p68, can directly interact with Smad 3 resulting in formation of a transcriptionally active ternary complex containing Smad 3, p68, and CBP. This offers a means of enhancing TGFβ-mediated cellular responses in developing orofacial tissue

  19. The nuclear import of RNA helicase A is mediated by importin-α3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aratani, Satoko; Oishi, Takayuki; Fujita, Hidetoshi; Nakazawa, Minako; Fujii, Ryouji; Imamoto, Naoko; Yoneda, Yoshihiro; Fukamizu, Akiyoshi; Nakajima, Toshihiro

    2006-01-01

    RNA helicase A (RHA), an ATPase/helicase, regulates the gene expression at various steps including transcriptional activation and RNA processing. RHA is known to shuttle between the nucleus and cytoplasm. We identified the nuclear localization signal (NLS) of RHA and analyzed the nuclear import mechanisms. The NLS of RHA (RHA-NLS) consisting of 19 amino acid residues is highly conserved through species and does not have the consensus classical NLS. In vitro nuclear import assays revealed that the nuclear import of RHA was Ran-dependent and mediated with the classical importin-α/β-dependent pathway. The binding assay indicated that the basic residues in RHA-NLS were used for interaction with importin-α. Furthermore, the nuclear import of RHA-NLS was supported by importin-α1 and preferentially importin-α3. Our results indicate that the nuclear import of RHA is mediated by the importin-α3/importin-β-dependent pathway and suggest that the specificity for importin may regulate the functions of cargo proteins

  20. Robust translocation along a molecular monorail: the NS3 helicase from hepatitis C virus traverses unusually large disruptions in its track.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beran, Rudolf K F; Bruno, Michael M; Bowers, Heath A; Jankowsky, Eckhard; Pyle, Anna Marie

    2006-05-12

    The NS3 helicase is essential for replication of the hepatitis C virus. This multifunctional Superfamily 2 helicase protein unwinds nucleic acid duplexes in a stepwise, ATP-dependent manner. Although kinetic features of its mechanism are beginning to emerge, little is known about the physical determinants for NS3 translocation along a strand of nucleic acid. For example, it is not known whether NS3 can traverse covalent or physical discontinuities on the tracking strand. Here we provide evidence that NS3 translocates with a mechanism that is different from its well-studied relative, the Vaccinia helicase NPH-II. Like NPH-II, NS3 translocates along the loading strand (the strand bearing the 3'-overhang) and it fails to unwind substrates that contain nicks, or covalent discontinuities in the loading strand. However, unlike NPH-II, NS3 readily unwinds RNA duplexes that contain long stretches of polyglycol, which are moieties that bear no resemblance to nucleic acid. Whether located on the tracking strand, the top strand, or both, long polyglycol regions fail to disrupt the function of NS3. This suggests that NS3 does not require the continuous formation of specific contacts with the ribose-phosphate backbone as it translocates along an RNA duplex, which is an observation consistent with the large NS3 kinetic step size (18 base-pairs). Rather, once NS3 loads onto a substrate, the helicase can translocate along the loading strand of an RNA duplex like a monorail train following a track. Bumps in the track do not significantly disturb NS3 unwinding, but a break in the track de-rails the helicase.

  1. BLM helicase measures DNA unwound before switching strands and hRPA promotes unwinding reinitiation

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Yodh, J.G.; Stevens, B.C.; Kanagaraj, R.; Janščák, Pavel; Ha, T.

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 28, č. 4 (2009), s. 405-416 ISSN 0261-4189 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : Bloom syndrome * FRET * helicase * hRPA * single molecule Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 8.993, year: 2009

  2. Unique Helicase Determinants in the Essential Conjugative TraI Factor from Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Plasmid pCU1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McLaughlin, Krystle J.; Nash, Rebekah P.; Redinbo, Mathew R. (UNC)

    2014-06-16

    The widespread development of multidrug-resistant bacteria is a major health emergency. Conjugative DNA plasmids, which harbor a wide range of antibiotic resistance genes, also encode the protein factors necessary to orchestrate the propagation of plasmid DNA between bacterial cells through conjugative transfer. Successful conjugative DNA transfer depends on key catalytic components to nick one strand of the duplex DNA plasmid and separate the DNA strands while cell-to-cell transfer occurs. The TraI protein from the conjugative Salmonella plasmid pCU1 fulfills these key catalytic roles, as it contains both single-stranded DNA-nicking relaxase and ATP-dependent helicase domains within a single, 1,078-residue polypeptide. In this work, we unraveled the helicase determinants of Salmonella pCU1 TraI through DNA binding, ATPase, and DNA strand separation assays. TraI binds DNA substrates with high affinity in a manner influenced by nucleic acid length and the presence of a DNA hairpin structure adjacent to the nick site. TraI selectively hydrolyzes ATP, and mutations in conserved helicase motifs eliminate ATPase activity. Surprisingly, the absence of a relatively short (144-residue) domain at the extreme C terminus of the protein severely diminishes ATP-dependent strand separation. Collectively, these data define the helicase motifs of the conjugative factor TraI from Salmonella pCU1 and reveal a previously uncharacterized C-terminal functional domain that uncouples ATP hydrolysis from strand separation activity.

  3. Mycobacterium tuberculosis DinG is a structure-specific helicase that unwinds G4 DNA: implications for targeting G4 DNA as a novel therapeutic approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thakur, Roshan Singh; Desingu, Ambika; Basavaraju, Shivakumar; Subramanya, Shreelakshmi; Rao, Desirazu N; Nagaraju, Ganesh

    2014-09-05

    The significance of G-quadruplexes and the helicases that resolve G4 structures in prokaryotes is poorly understood. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome is GC-rich and contains >10,000 sequences that have the potential to form G4 structures. In Escherichia coli, RecQ helicase unwinds G4 structures. However, RecQ is absent in M. tuberculosis, and the helicase that participates in G4 resolution in M. tuberculosis is obscure. Here, we show that M. tuberculosis DinG (MtDinG) exhibits high affinity for ssDNA and ssDNA translocation with a 5' → 3' polarity. Interestingly, MtDinG unwinds overhangs, flap structures, and forked duplexes but fails to unwind linear duplex DNA. Our data with DNase I footprinting provide mechanistic insights and suggest that MtDinG is a 5' → 3' polarity helicase. Notably, in contrast to E. coli DinG, MtDinG catalyzes unwinding of replication fork and Holliday junction structures. Strikingly, we find that MtDinG resolves intermolecular G4 structures. These data suggest that MtDinG is a multifunctional structure-specific helicase that unwinds model structures of DNA replication, repair, and recombination as well as G4 structures. We finally demonstrate that promoter sequences of M. tuberculosis PE_PGRS2, mce1R, and moeB1 genes contain G4 structures, implying that G4 structures may regulate gene expression in M. tuberculosis. We discuss these data and implicate targeting G4 structures and DinG helicase in M. tuberculosis could be a novel therapeutic strategy for culminating the infection with this pathogen. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  4. DEAD-box RNA helicase is dispensable for mitochondrial translation in Trypanosoma brucei

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Richterová, Lenka; Vávrová, Zuzana; Lukeš, Julius

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 127, č. 1 (2011), 300-303 ISSN 0014-4894 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA204/09/1667; GA MŠk LC07032; GA MŠk 2B06129 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : Trypanosoma * Mitochondrial translation * RNA helicase * Cytochrome c oxidase * Mitochondrion Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.122, year: 2011

  5. Human regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1) is required for the nuclear and cytoplasmic trafficking of pre-U2 RNA

    OpenAIRE

    Schertzer , Michael; Jouravleva , Karina; Perderiset , Mylène; Dingli , Florent; Loew , Damarys; Le Guen , Tangui; Bardoni , Barbara; De Villartay , Jean-Pierre; Revy , Patrick; Londono-Vallejo , Arturo

    2015-01-01

    International audience; Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS) is a severe form of Dyskeratosis congenita characterized by developmental defects, bone marrow failure and im-munodeficiency and has been associated with telom-ere dysfunction. Recently, mutations in Regulator of Telomere ELongation helicase 1 (RTEL1), a helicase first identified in Mus musculus as being responsible for the maintenance of long telomeres, have been identified in several HHS patients. Here we show that RTEL1 is require...

  6. Structural and Functional Basis for an EBNA1 Hexameric Ring in Epstein-Barr Virus Episome Maintenance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deakyne, Julianna S; Malecka, Kimberly A; Messick, Troy E; Lieberman, Paul M

    2017-10-01

    Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) establishes a stable latent infection that can persist for the life of the host. EBNA1 is required for the replication, maintenance, and segregation of the latent episome, but the structural features of EBNA1 that confer each of these functions are not completely understood. Here, we have solved the X-ray crystal structure of an EBNA1 DNA-binding domain (DBD) and discovered a novel hexameric ring oligomeric form. The oligomeric interface pivoted around residue T585 as a joint that links and stabilizes higher-order EBNA1 complexes. Substitution mutations around the interface destabilized higher-order complex formation and altered the cooperative DNA-binding properties of EBNA1. Mutations had both positive and negative effects on EBNA1-dependent DNA replication and episome maintenance with OriP. We found that one naturally occurring polymorphism in the oligomer interface (T585P) had greater cooperative DNA binding in vitro , minor defects in DNA replication, and pronounced defects in episome maintenance. The T585P mutant was compromised for binding to OriP in vivo as well as for assembling the origin recognition complex subunit 2 (ORC2) and trimethylated histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) at OriP. The T585P mutant was also compromised for forming stable subnuclear foci in living cells. These findings reveal a novel oligomeric structure of EBNA1 with an interface subject to naturally occurring polymorphisms that modulate EBNA1 functional properties. We propose that EBNA1 dimers can assemble into higher-order oligomeric structures important for diverse functions of EBNA1. IMPORTANCE Epstein-Barr virus is a human gammaherpesvirus that is causally associated with various cancers. Carcinogenic properties are linked to the ability of the virus to persist in the latent form for the lifetime of the host. EBNA1 is a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein that is consistently expressed in EBV tumors and is the only viral protein required to maintain the viral

  7. A Small Molecule Inhibitor of the BLM Helicase Modulates Chromosome Stability in Human Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nguyen, Giang Huong; Dexheimer, Thomas S; Rosenthal, Andrew S

    2013-01-01

    The Bloom's syndrome protein, BLM, is a member of the conserved RecQ helicase family. Although cell lines lacking BLM exist, these exhibit progressive genomic instability that makes distinguishing primary from secondary effects of BLM loss problematic. In order to be able to acutely disable BLM f...

  8. Interaction between the helicases genetically linked to Fanconi anemia group J and Bloom's syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Suhasini, Avvaru N; Rawtani, Nina A; Wu, Yuliang

    2011-01-01

    Bloom's syndrome (BS) and Fanconi anemia (FA) are autosomal recessive disorders characterized by cancer and chromosomal instability. BS and FA group J arise from mutations in the BLM and FANCJ genes, respectively, which encode DNA helicases. In this work, FANCJ and BLM were found to interact...

  9. TFIIH with inactive XPD helicase functions in transcription initiation but is defective in DNA repair

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    G.S. Winkler (Sebastiaan); U. Fiedler; W. Vermeulen (Wim); F. Coin (Frédéric); R.D. Wood (Richard); H.T.M. Timmers (Marc); G. Weeda (Geert); J.H.J. Hoeijmakers (Jan); S.J. Araú jo; J-M. Egly (Jean-Marc)

    2000-01-01

    textabstractTFIIH is a multisubunit protein complex involved in RNA polymerase II transcription and nucleotide excision repair, which removes a wide variety of DNA lesions including UV-induced photoproducts. Mutations in the DNA-dependent ATPase/helicase subunits of TFIIH, XPB and

  10. Nucleolin inhibits G4 oligonucleotide unwinding by Werner helicase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fred E Indig

    Full Text Available The Werner protein (WRNp, a member of the RecQ helicase family, is strongly associated with the nucleolus, as is nucleolin (NCL, an important nucleolar constituent protein. Both WRNp and NCL respond to the effects of DNA damaging agents. Therefore, we have investigated if these nuclear proteins interact and if this interaction has a possible functional significance in DNA damage repair.Here we report that WRNp interacts with the RNA-binding protein, NCL, based on immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescent co-localization in live and fixed cells, and direct binding of purified WRNp to nucleolin. We also map the binding region to the C-terminal domains of both proteins. Furthermore, treatment of U2OS cells with 15 µM of the Topoisomerase I inhibitor, camptothecin, causes the dissociation of the nucleolin-Werner complex in the nucleolus, followed by partial re-association in the nucleoplasm. Other DNA damaging agents, such as hydroxyurea, Mitomycin C, and aphidicolin do not have these effects. Nucleolin or its C-terminal fragment affected the helicase, but not the exonuclease activity of WRNp, by inhibiting WRN unwinding of G4 tetraplex DNA structures, as seen in activity assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA.These data suggest that nucleolin may regulate G4 DNA unwinding by WRNp, possibly in response to certain DNA damaging agents. We postulate that the NCL-WRNp complex may contain an inactive form of WRNp, which is released from the nucleolus upon DNA damage. Then, when required, WRNp is released from inhibition and can participate in the DNA repair processes.

  11. Nanomechanical microcantilever operated in vibration modes with use of RNA aptamer as receptor molecules for label-free detection of HCV helicase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Kyo Seon; Lee, Sang-Myung; Eom, Kilho; Lee, Jeong Hoon; Lee, Yoon-Sik; Park, Jung Ho; Yoon, Dae Sung; Kim, Tae Song

    2007-11-30

    We report the nanomechanical microcantilevers operated in vibration modes (oscillation) with use of RNA aptamers as receptor molecules for label-free detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) helicase. The nanomechanical detection principle is that the ligand-receptor binding on the microcantilever surface induces the dynamic response change of microcantilevers. We implemented the label-free detection of HCV helicase in the low concentration as much as 100 pg/ml from measuring the dynamic response change of microcantilevers. Moreover, from the recent studies showing that the ligand-receptor binding generates the surface stress on the microcantilever, we estimate the surface stress, on the oscillating microcantilevers, induced by ligand-receptor binding, i.e. binding between HCV helicase and RNA aptamer. In this article, it is suggested that the oscillating microcantilevers with use of RNA aptamers as receptor molecules may enable one to implement the sensitive label-free detection of very small amount of small-scale proteins.

  12. Mycobacterium smegmatis Lhr Is a DNA-dependent ATPase and a 3'-to-5' DNA translocase and helicase that prefers to unwind 3'-tailed RNA:DNA hybrids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ordonez, Heather; Shuman, Stewart

    2013-05-17

    We are interested in the distinctive roster of helicases of Mycobacterium, a genus of the phylum Actinobacteria that includes the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its avirulent relative Mycobacterium smegmatis. Here, we identify and characterize M. smegmatis Lhr as the exemplar of a novel clade of superfamily II helicases, by virtue of its biochemical specificities and signature domain organization. Lhr is a 1507-amino acid monomeric nucleic acid-dependent ATPase that uses the energy of ATP hydrolysis to drive unidirectional 3'-to-5' translocation along single strand DNA and to unwind duplexes en route. The ATPase is more active in the presence of calcium than magnesium. ATP hydrolysis is triggered by either single strand DNA or single strand RNA, yet the apparent affinity for a DNA activator is 11-fold higher than for an RNA strand of identical size and nucleobase sequence. Lhr is 8-fold better at unwinding an RNA:DNA hybrid than it is at displacing a DNA:DNA duplex of identical nucleobase sequence. The truncated derivative Lhr-(1-856) is an autonomous ATPase, 3'-to-5' translocase, and RNA:DNA helicase. Lhr-(1-856) is 100-fold better RNA:DNA helicase than DNA:DNA helicase. Lhr homologs are found in bacteria representing eight different phyla, being especially prevalent in Actinobacteria (including M. tuberculosis) and Proteobacteria (including Escherichia coli).

  13. Mutations in the putative zinc-binding motif of UL52 demonstrate a complex interdependence between the UL5 and UL52 subunits of the human herpes simplex virus type 1 helicase/primase complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yan; Carrington-Lawrence, Stacy D; Bai, Ping; Weller, Sandra K

    2005-07-01

    Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) encodes a heterotrimeric helicase-primase (UL5/8/52) complex. UL5 contains seven motifs found in helicase superfamily 1, and UL52 contains conserved motifs found in primases. The contributions of each subunit to the biochemical activities of the complex, however, remain unclear. We have previously demonstrated that a mutation in the putative zinc finger at UL52 C terminus abrogates not only primase but also ATPase, helicase, and DNA-binding activities of a UL5/UL52 subcomplex, indicating a complex interdependence between the two subunits. To test this hypothesis and to further investigate the role of the zinc finger in the enzymatic activities of the helicase-primase, a series of mutations were constructed in this motif. They differed in their ability to complement a UL52 null virus: totally defective, partial complementation, and potentiating. In this study, four of these mutants were studied biochemically after expression and purification from insect cells infected with recombinant baculoviruses. All mutants show greatly reduced primase activity. Complementation-defective mutants exhibited severe defects in ATPase, helicase, and DNA-binding activities. Partially complementing mutants displayed intermediate levels of these activities, except that one showed a wild-type level of helicase activity. These data suggest that the UL52 zinc finger motif plays an important role in the activities of the helicase-primase complex. The observation that mutations in UL52 affected helicase, ATPase, and DNA-binding activities indicates that UL52 binding to DNA via the zinc finger may be necessary for loading UL5. Alternatively, UL5 and UL52 may share a DNA-binding interface.

  14. Essential and distinct roles of the F-box and helicase domains of Fbh1 in DNA damage repair

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shinagawa Hideo

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs are induced by exogenous insults such as ionizing radiation and chemical exposure, and they can also arise as a consequence of stalled or collapsed DNA replication forks. Failure to repair DSBs can lead to genomic instability or cell death and cancer in higher eukaryotes. The Schizosaccharomyces pombe fbh1 gene encodes an F-box DNA helicase previously described to play a role in the Rhp51 (an orthologue of S. cerevisiae RAD51-dependent recombinational repair of DSBs. Fbh1 fused to GFP localizes to discrete nuclear foci following DNA damage. Results To determine the functional roles of the highly conserved F-box and helicase domains, we have characterized fbh1 mutants carrying specific mutations in these domains. We show that the F-box mutation fbh1-fb disturbs the nuclear localization of Fbh1, conferring an fbh1 null-like phenotype. Moreover, nuclear foci do not form in fbh1-fb cells with DNA damage even if Fbh1-fb is targeted to the nucleus by fusion to a nuclear localization signal sequence. In contrast, the helicase mutation fbh1-hl causes the accumulation of Fbh1 foci irrespective of the presence of DNA damage and confers damage sensitivity greater than that conferred by the null allele. Additional mutation of the F-box alleviates the hypermorphic phenotype of the fbh1-hl mutant. Conclusion These results suggest that the F-box and DNA helicase domains play indispensable but distinct roles in Fbh1 function. Assembly of the SCFFbh1 complex is required for both the nuclear localization and DNA damage-induced focus formation of Fbh1 and is therefore prerequisite for the Fbh1 recombination function.

  15. The ATPase of the phi29 DNA packaging motor is a member of the hexameric AAA+ superfamily.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartz, Chad; De Donatis, Gian Marco; Fang, Huaming; Guo, Peixuan

    2013-08-15

    The AAA+ superfamily of proteins is a class of motor ATPases performing a wide range of functions that typically exist as hexamers. The ATPase of phi29 DNA packaging motor has long been a subject of debate in terms of stoichiometry and mechanism of action. Here, we confirmed the stoichiometry of phi29 motor ATPase to be a hexamer and provide data suggesting that the phi29 motor ATPase is a member of the classical hexameric AAA+ superfamily. Native PAGE, EMSA, capillary electrophoresis, ATP titration, and binomial distribution assay show that the ATPase is a hexamer. Mutations in the known Walker motifs of the ATPase validated our previous assumptions that the protein exists as another member of this AAA+ superfamily. Our data also supports the finding that the phi29 DNA packaging motor uses a revolution mechanism without rotation or coiling (Schwartz et al., this issue). Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. The Arabidopsis thaliana homolog of the helicase RTEL1 plays multiple roles in preserving genome stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Recker, Julia; Knoll, Alexander; Puchta, Holger

    2014-12-01

    In humans, mutations in the DNA helicase Regulator of Telomere Elongation Helicase1 (RTEL1) lead to Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome, a severe, multisystem disorder. Here, we demonstrate that the RTEL1 homolog in Arabidopsis thaliana plays multiple roles in preserving genome stability. RTEL1 suppresses homologous recombination in a pathway parallel to that of the DNA translocase FANCM. Cytological analyses of root meristems indicate that RTEL1 is involved in processing DNA replication intermediates independently from FANCM and the nuclease MUS81. Moreover, RTEL1 is involved in interstrand and intrastrand DNA cross-link repair independently from FANCM and (in intrastrand cross-link repair) parallel to MUS81. RTEL1 contributes to telomere homeostasis; the concurrent loss of RTEL1 and the telomerase TERT leads to rapid, severe telomere shortening, which occurs much more rapidly than it does in the single-mutant line tert, resulting in developmental arrest after four generations. The double mutant rtel1-1 recq4A-4 exhibits massive growth defects, indicating that this RecQ family helicase, which is also involved in the suppression of homologous recombination and the repair of DNA lesions, can partially replace RTEL1 in the processing of DNA intermediates. The requirement for RTEL1 in multiple pathways to preserve genome stability in plants can be explained by its putative role in the destabilization of DNA loop structures, such as D-loops and T-loops. © 2014 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

  17. Zebrafish P54 RNA helicases are cytoplasmic granule residents that are required for development and stress resilience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cecilia Zampedri

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Stress granules are cytoplasmic foci that directly respond to the protein synthesis status of the cell. Various environmental insults, such as oxidative stress or extreme heat, block protein synthesis; consequently, mRNA will stall in translation, and stress granules will immediately form and become enriched with mRNAs. P54 DEAD box RNA helicases are components of RNA granules such as P-bodies and stress granules. We studied the expression, in cytoplasmic foci, of both zebrafish P54 RNA helicases (P54a and P54b during development and found that they are expressed in cytoplasmic granules under both normal conditions and stress conditions. In zebrafish embryos exposed to heat shock, some proportion of P54a and P54b helicases move to larger granules that exhibit the properties of genuine stress granules. Knockdown of P54a and/or P54b in zebrafish embryos produces developmental abnormalities restricted to the posterior trunk; further, these embryos do not form stress granules, and their survival upon exposure to heat-shock conditions is compromised. Our observations fit the model that cells lacking stress granules have no resilience or ability to recover once the stress has ended, indicating that stress granules play an essential role in the way organisms adapt to a changing environment.

  18. Mycobacterium smegmatis RqlH defines a novel clade of bacterial RecQ-like DNA helicases with ATP-dependent 3'-5' translocase and duplex unwinding activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ordonez, Heather; Unciuleac, Mihaela; Shuman, Stewart

    2012-05-01

    The Escherichia coli RecQ DNA helicase participates in a pathway of DNA repair that operates in parallel to the recombination pathway driven by the multisubunit helicase-nuclease machine RecBCD. The model mycobacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis executes homologous recombination in the absence of its helicase-nuclease machine AdnAB, though it lacks a homolog of E. coli RecQ. Here, we identify and characterize M. smegmatis RqlH, a RecQ-like helicase with a distinctive domain structure. The 691-amino acid RqlH polypeptide consists of a RecQ-like ATPase domain (amino acids 1-346) and tetracysteine zinc-binding domain (amino acids 435-499), separated by an RqlH-specific linker. RqlH lacks the C-terminal HRDC domain found in E. coli RecQ. Rather, the RqlH C-domain resembles bacterial ComF proteins and includes a phosphoribosyltransferase-like module. We show that RqlH is a DNA-dependent ATPase/dATPase that translocates 3'-5' on single-stranded DNA and has 3'-5' helicase activity. These functions inhere to RqlH-(1-505), a monomeric motor unit comprising the ATPase, linker and zinc-binding domains. RqlH homologs are distributed widely among bacterial taxa. The mycobacteria that encode RqlH lack a classical RecQ, though many other Actinobacteria have both RqlH and RecQ. Whereas E. coli K12 encodes RecQ but lacks a homolog of RqlH, other strains of E. coli have both RqlH and RecQ.

  19. Real-time electrochemical monitoring of isothermal helicase-dependent amplification of nucleic acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kivlehan, Francine; Mavré, François; Talini, Luc; Limoges, Benoît; Marchal, Damien

    2011-09-21

    We described an electrochemical method to monitor in real-time the isothermal helicase-dependent amplification of nucleic acids. The principle of detection is simple and well-adapted to the development of portable, easy-to-use and inexpensive nucleic acids detection technologies. It consists of monitoring a decrease in the electrochemical current response of a reporter DNA intercalating redox probe during the isothermal DNA amplification. The method offers the possibility to quantitatively analyze target nucleic acids in less than one hour at a single constant temperature, and to perform at the end of the isothermal amplification a DNA melt curve analysis for differentiating between specific and non-specific amplifications. To illustrate the potentialities of this approach for the development of a simple, robust and low-cost instrument with high throughput capability, the method was validated with an electrochemical system capable of monitoring up to 48 real-time isothermal HDA reactions simultaneously in a disposable microplate consisting of 48-electrochemical microwells. Results obtained with this approach are comparable to that obtained with a well-established but more sophisticated and expensive fluorescence-based method. This makes for a promising alternative detection method not only for real-time isothermal helicase-dependent amplification of nucleic acid, but also for other isothermal DNA amplification strategies.

  20. Mcm10 regulates DNA replication elongation by stimulating the CMG replicative helicase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lõoke, Marko; Maloney, Michael F; Bell, Stephen P

    2017-02-01

    Activation of the Mcm2-7 replicative DNA helicase is the committed step in eukaryotic DNA replication initiation. Although Mcm2-7 activation requires binding of the helicase-activating proteins Cdc45 and GINS (forming the CMG complex), an additional protein, Mcm10, drives initial origin DNA unwinding by an unknown mechanism. We show that Mcm10 binds a conserved motif located between the oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide fold (OB-fold) and A subdomain of Mcm2. Although buried in the interface between these domains in Mcm2-7 structures, mutations predicted to separate the domains and expose this motif restore growth to conditional-lethal MCM10 mutant cells. We found that, in addition to stimulating initial DNA unwinding, Mcm10 stabilizes Cdc45 and GINS association with Mcm2-7 and stimulates replication elongation in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we identified a lethal allele of MCM10 that stimulates initial DNA unwinding but is defective in replication elongation and CMG binding. Our findings expand the roles of Mcm10 during DNA replication and suggest a new model for Mcm10 function as an activator of the CMG complex throughout DNA replication. © 2017 Lõoke et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  1. Bloom syndrome helicase in meiosis: Pro-crossover functions of an anti-crossover protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatkevich, Talia; Sekelsky, Jeff

    2017-09-01

    The functions of the Bloom syndrome helicase (BLM) and its orthologs are well characterized in mitotic DNA damage repair, but their roles within the context of meiotic recombination are less clear. In meiotic recombination, multiple repair pathways are used to repair meiotic DSBs, and current studies suggest that BLM may regulate the use of these pathways. Based on literature from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Arabidopsis thaliana, Mus musculus, Drosophila melanogaster, and Caenorhabditis elegans, we present a unified model for a critical meiotic role of BLM and its orthologs. In this model, BLM and its orthologs utilize helicase activity to regulate the use of various pathways in meiotic recombination by continuously disassembling recombination intermediates. This unwinding activity provides the meiotic program with a steady pool of early recombination substrates, increasing the probability for a DSB to be processed by the appropriate pathway. As a result of BLM activity, crossovers are properly placed throughout the genome, promoting proper chromosomal disjunction at the end of meiosis. This unified model can be used to further refine the complex role of BLM and its orthologs in meiotic recombination. © 2017 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

  2. RTEL1: functions of a disease-associated helicase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vannier, Jean-Baptiste; Sarek, Grzegorz; Boulton, Simon J

    2014-07-01

    DNA secondary structures that arise during DNA replication, repair, and recombination (3R) must be processed correctly to prevent genetic instability. Regulator of telomere length 1 (RTEL1) is an essential DNA helicase that disassembles a variety of DNA secondary structures to facilitate 3R processes and to maintain telomere integrity. The past few years have witnessed the emergence of RTEL1 variants that confer increased susceptibility to high-grade glioma, astrocytomas, and glioblastomas. Mutations in RTEL1 have also been implicated in Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome, a severe form of the bone-marrow failure and cancer predisposition disorder, dyskeratosis congenita. We review these recent findings and highlight its crucial link between DNA secondary-structure metabolism and human disease. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. RecQL5 promotes genome stabilization through two parallel mechanisms--interacting with RNA polymerase II and acting as a helicase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Islam, M Nurul; Fox, David; Guo, Rong; Enomoto, Takemi; Wang, Weidong

    2010-05-01

    The RecQL5 helicase is essential for maintaining genome stability and reducing cancer risk. To elucidate its mechanism of action, we purified a RecQL5-associated complex and identified its major component as RNA polymerase II (Pol II). Bioinformatics and structural modeling-guided mutagenesis revealed two conserved regions in RecQL5 as KIX and SRI domains, already known in transcriptional regulators for Pol II. The RecQL5-KIX domain binds both initiation (Pol IIa) and elongation (Pol IIo) forms of the polymerase, whereas the RecQL5-SRI domain interacts only with the elongation form. Fully functional RecQL5 requires both helicase activity and associations with the initiation polymerase, because mutants lacking either activity are partially defective in the suppression of sister chromatid exchange and resistance to camptothecin-induced DNA damage, and mutants lacking both activities are completely defective. We propose that RecQL5 promotes genome stabilization through two parallel mechanisms: by participation in homologous recombination-dependent DNA repair as a RecQ helicase and by regulating the initiation of Pol II to reduce transcription-associated replication impairment and recombination.

  4. The DEAD-Box RNA Helicase DDX3 Interacts with m6A RNA Demethylase ALKBH5

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdullah Shah

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available DDX3 is a member of the family of DEAD-box RNA helicases. DDX3 is a multifaceted helicase and plays essential roles in key biological processes such as cell cycle, stress response, apoptosis, and RNA metabolism. In this study, we found that DDX3 interacted with ALKBH5, an m6A RNA demethylase. The ATP domain of DDX3 and DSBH domain of ALKBH5 were indispensable to their interaction with each other. Furthermore, DDX3 could modulate the demethylation of mRNAs. We also showed that DDX3 regulated the methylation status of microRNAs and there was an interaction between DDX3 and AGO2. The dynamics of m6A RNA modification is still a field demanding further investigation, and here, we add a link by showing that RNA demethylation can be regulated by proteins such as DDX3.

  5. Physical interaction of RECQ5 helicase with RAD51 facilitates its anti-recombinase activity

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Schwendener, S.; Raynard, S.; Paliwal, S.; Cheng, A.; Kanagaraj, R.; Shevelev, Igor; Stark, J.M.; Sung, P.; Janscak, P.

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 285, č. 21 (2010), s. 15739-15745 ISSN 0021-9258 Grant - others:NIH(US) R01CA120954; NIH(US) ES015632; SNSF(CH) 3100A0-116008 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : DNA helicase * double-strand breaks * homologous recombination Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 5.328, year: 2010

  6. Relocalization of nuclear DNA helicase II during the growth period of bovine oocytes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Baran, V.; Kovářová, Hana; Klíma, Jiří; Hozák, Pavel; Motlík, Jan

    2006-01-01

    Roč. 125, 1-2 (2006), s. 155-164 ISSN 0948-6143 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA523/03/0857 Grant - others:Slovenská Akademie věd(SK) VEGA 2/3065/23 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50450515; CEZ:AV0Z50390512 Keywords : DNA helicase II * fibroblasts * oocytes Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor : 3.220, year: 2006

  7. New roles of the human Suv3 helicase in genome maintenance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Venø, Susanne Trillingsgaard

    During her PhD studies, Susanne Trillingsgaard Venø carried out research into the role of the human Suv3 protein in stabilising the human genome – DNA. Suv3 is a helicase that separates the two strands of the DNA’s double helix. Throughout our lives, the DNA in our cells is constantly exposed...... maintenance. Based on these new research results, the Suv3 protein could be a valuable model for genome stability as an important factor in our understanding of why we get old....

  8. Acute inactivation of the replicative helicase in human cells triggers MCM8-9-dependent DNA synthesis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Natsume, Toyoaki; Nishimura, Kohei; Minocherhomji, Sheroy

    2017-01-01

    stemming from replisome dissociation during DNA replication perturbation, we used a degron-based system for inducible proteolysis of a subunit of the replicative helicase. We show that MCM2-depleted cells activate a DNA damage response pathway and generate replication-associated DNA double-strand breaks...

  9. A temperature-sensitive allele of a putative mRNA splicing helicase down-regulates many cell wall genes and causes radial swelling in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howles, Paul A; Gebbie, Leigh K; Collings, David A; Varsani, Arvind; Broad, Ronan C; Ohms, Stephen; Birch, Rosemary J; Cork, Ann H; Arioli, Tony; Williamson, Richard E

    2016-05-01

    The putative RNA helicase encoded by the Arabidopsis gene At1g32490 is a homolog of the yeast splicing RNA helicases Prp2 and Prp22. We isolated a temperature-sensitive allele (rsw12) of the gene in a screen for root radial swelling mutants. Plants containing this allele grown at the restrictive temperature showed weak radial swelling, were stunted with reduced root elongation, and contained reduced levels of cellulose. The role of the protein was further explored by microarray analysis. By using both fold change cutoffs and a weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) to investigate coexpression of genes, we found that the radial swelling phenotype was not linked to genes usually associated with primary cell wall biosynthesis. Instead, the mutation has strong effects on expression of secondary cell wall related genes. Many genes potentially associated with secondary walls were present in the most significant WGCNA module, as were genes coding for arabinogalactans and proteins with GPI anchors. The proportion of up-regulated genes that possess introns in rsw12 was above that expected if splicing was unrelated to the activity of the RNA helicase, suggesting that the helicase does indeed play a role in splicing in Arabidopsis. The phenotype may be due to a change in the expression of one or more genes coding for cell wall proteins.

  10. G-quadruplexes Significantly Stimulate Pif1 Helicase-catalyzed Duplex DNA Unwinding*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Xiao-Lei; Liu, Na-Nv; Yang, Yan-Tao; Li, Hai-Hong; Li, Ming; Dou, Shuo-Xing; Xi, Xu-Guang

    2015-01-01

    The evolutionarily conserved G-quadruplexes (G4s) are faithfully inherited and serve a variety of cellular functions such as telomere maintenance, gene regulation, DNA replication initiation, and epigenetic regulation. Different from the Watson-Crick base-pairing found in duplex DNA, G4s are formed via Hoogsteen base pairing and are very stable and compact DNA structures. Failure of untangling them in the cell impedes DNA-based transactions and leads to genome instability. Cells have evolved highly specific helicases to resolve G4 structures. We used a recombinant nuclear form of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pif1 to characterize Pif1-mediated DNA unwinding with a substrate mimicking an ongoing lagging strand synthesis stalled by G4s, which resembles a replication origin and a G4-structured flap in Okazaki fragment maturation. We find that the presence of G4 may greatly stimulate the Pif1 helicase to unwind duplex DNA. Further studies reveal that this stimulation results from G4-enhanced Pif1 dimerization, which is required for duplex DNA unwinding. This finding provides new insights into the properties and functions of G4s. We discuss the observed activation phenomenon in relation to the possible regulatory role of G4s in the rapid rescue of the stalled lagging strand synthesis by helping the replicator recognize and activate the replication origin as well as by quickly removing the G4-structured flap during Okazaki fragment maturation. PMID:25627683

  11. Heteroduplex DNA position defines the roles of the Sgs1, Srs2, and Mph1 helicases in promoting distinct recombination outcomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katrina Mitchel

    Full Text Available The contributions of the Sgs1, Mph1, and Srs2 DNA helicases during mitotic double-strand break (DSB repair in yeast were investigated using a gap-repair assay. A diverged chromosomal substrate was used as a repair template for the gapped plasmid, allowing mismatch-containing heteroduplex DNA (hDNA formed during recombination to be monitored. Overall DSB repair efficiencies and the proportions of crossovers (COs versus noncrossovers (NCOs were determined in wild-type and helicase-defective strains, allowing the efficiency of CO and NCO production in each background to be calculated. In addition, the products of individual NCO events were sequenced to determine the location of hDNA. Because hDNA position is expected to differ depending on whether a NCO is produced by synthesis-dependent-strand-annealing (SDSA or through a Holliday junction (HJ-containing intermediate, its position allows the underlying molecular mechanism to be inferred. Results demonstrate that each helicase reduces the proportion of CO recombinants, but that each does so in a fundamentally different way. Mph1 does not affect the overall efficiency of gap repair, and its loss alters the CO-NCO by promoting SDSA at the expense of HJ-containing intermediates. By contrast, Sgs1 and Srs2 are each required for efficient gap repair, strongly promoting NCO formation and having little effect on CO efficiency. hDNA analyses suggest that all three helicases promote SDSA, and that Sgs1 and Srs2 additionally dismantle HJ-containing intermediates. The hDNA data are consistent with the proposed role of Sgs1 in the dissolution of double HJs, and we propose that Srs2 dismantles nicked HJs.

  12. FBH1 Helicase Disrupts RAD51 Filaments in Vitro and Modulates Homologous Recombination in Mammalian Cells

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Šimandlová, Jitka; Zagelbaum, J.; Payne, M.J.; Chu, W.K.; Shevelev, Igor; Hanada, K.; Chatterjee, S.; Reid, D.A.; Liu, Y.; Janščák, Pavel; Rothenberg, E.; Hickson, I.D.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 288, č. 47 (2013), s. 34168-34180 ISSN 0021-9258 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP305/10/0281 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : DNA damage * DNA helicase * DNA recombination * DNA repair * DNA replication Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.600, year: 2013

  13. Regulation of gene expression by the BLM helicase correlates with the presence of G-quadruplex DNA motifs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nguyen, Giang Huong; Tang, Weiliang; Robles, Ana I

    2014-01-01

    Bloom syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by genetic instability and cancer predisposition, and caused by mutations in the gene encoding the Bloom syndrome, RecQ helicase-like (BLM) protein. To determine whether altered gene expression might be responsible for pathologic...

  14. hSSB1 associates with and promotes stability of the BLM helicase

    OpenAIRE

    O'BYRNE, KEN

    2017-01-01

    Background Maintenance of genome stability is critical in human cells. Mutations in or loss of genome stability pathways can lead to a number of pathologies including cancer. hSSB1 is a critical DNA repair protein functioning in the repair and signalling of stalled DNA replication forks, double strand DNA breaks and oxidised DNA lesions. The BLM helicase is central to the repair of both collapsed DNA replication forks and double strand DNA breaks by homologous recombination. Results In this s...

  15. The Arabidopsis thaliana Homolog of the Helicase RTEL1 Plays Multiple Roles in Preserving Genome Stability[C][W

    Science.gov (United States)

    Recker, Julia; Knoll, Alexander; Puchta, Holger

    2014-01-01

    In humans, mutations in the DNA helicase Regulator of Telomere Elongation Helicase1 (RTEL1) lead to Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome, a severe, multisystem disorder. Here, we demonstrate that the RTEL1 homolog in Arabidopsis thaliana plays multiple roles in preserving genome stability. RTEL1 suppresses homologous recombination in a pathway parallel to that of the DNA translocase FANCM. Cytological analyses of root meristems indicate that RTEL1 is involved in processing DNA replication intermediates independently from FANCM and the nuclease MUS81. Moreover, RTEL1 is involved in interstrand and intrastrand DNA cross-link repair independently from FANCM and (in intrastrand cross-link repair) parallel to MUS81. RTEL1 contributes to telomere homeostasis; the concurrent loss of RTEL1 and the telomerase TERT leads to rapid, severe telomere shortening, which occurs much more rapidly than it does in the single-mutant line tert, resulting in developmental arrest after four generations. The double mutant rtel1-1 recq4A-4 exhibits massive growth defects, indicating that this RecQ family helicase, which is also involved in the suppression of homologous recombination and the repair of DNA lesions, can partially replace RTEL1 in the processing of DNA intermediates. The requirement for RTEL1 in multiple pathways to preserve genome stability in plants can be explained by its putative role in the destabilization of DNA loop structures, such as D-loops and T-loops. PMID:25516598

  16. The human RecQ helicases BLM and RECQL4 cooperate to preserve genome stability

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Singh, D.K.; Popuri, V.; Kulikowicz, T.; Shevelev, Igor; Ghosh, A.K.; Ramamoorthy, M.; Rossi, M.L.; Janščák, Pavel; Croteau, D.L.; Bohr, V.A.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 40, č. 14 (2012), s. 6632-6648 ISSN 0305-1048 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP305/10/0281 Grant - others:NIH(US) Z01-AG000726-17 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : RecQ helicase * genome stability * BLM * RECQL4 Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 8.278, year: 2012

  17. Substrate-assisted mechanism of RNP disruption by the spliceosomal Brr2 RNA helicase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Theuser, Matthias; Höbartner, Claudia; Wahl, Markus C.; Santos, Karine F.

    2016-01-01

    The Brr2 RNA helicase disrupts the U4/U6 di-small nuclear RNA–protein complex (di-snRNP) during spliceosome activation via ATP-driven translocation on the U4 snRNA strand. However, it is unclear how bound proteins influence U4/U6 unwinding, which regions of the U4/U6 duplex the helicase actively unwinds, and whether U4/U6 components are released as individual molecules or as subcomplexes. Here, we set up a recombinant Brr2-mediated U4/U6 di-snRNP disruption system, showing that sequential addition of the U4/U6 proteins small nuclear ribonucleoprotein-associated protein 1 (Snu13), pre-mRNA processing factor 31 (Prp31), and Prp3 to U4/U6 di-snRNA leads to a stepwise decrease of Brr2-mediated U4/U6 unwinding, but that unwinding is largely restored by a Brr2 cofactor, the C-terminal Jab1/MPN domain of the Prp8 protein. Brr2-mediated U4/U6 unwinding was strongly inhibited by mutations in U4/U6 di-snRNAs that diminish the ability of U6 snRNA to adopt an alternative conformation but leave the number and kind of U4/U6 base pairs unchanged. Irrespective of the presence of the cofactor, the helicase segregated a Prp3-Prp31-Snu13-U4/U6 RNP into an intact Prp31-Snu13-U4 snRNA particle, free Prp3, and free U6 snRNA. Together, these observations suggest that Brr2 translocates only a limited distance on the U4 snRNA strand and does not actively release RNA-bound proteins. Unwinding is then completed by the partially displaced U6 snRNA adopting an alternative conformation, which leads to dismantling of the Prp3-binding site on U4/U6 di-snRNA but leaves the Prp31- and Snu13-binding sites on U4 snRNA unaffected. In this fashion, Brr2 can activate the spliceosome by stripping U6 snRNA of all precatalytic binding partners, while minimizing logistic requirements for U4/U6 di-snRNP reassembly after splicing. PMID:27354531

  18. Dissection of the functional domains of an archaeal holliday junction helicase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hong, Ye; Chu, Mingzhu; Li, Yansheng

    2012-01-01

    Helicases and nucleases form complexes that play very important roles in DNA repair pathways some of which interact with each other at Holliday junctions. In this study, we present in vitro and in vivo analysis of Hjm and its interaction with Hjc in Sulfolobus. In vitro studies employed Hjm from...... conformation change of the enzyme. Furthermore, StoHjm is able to prevent the formation of Hjc/HJ high complex, suggesting a regulation mechanism of Hjm to the activity of Hjc. We show that Hjm is essential for cell viability using recently developed genetic system and mutant propagation assay, suggesting...

  19. Yeast as a model system to study RecQ helicase function

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ashton, Thomas M; Hickson, Ian David

    2010-01-01

    Mutations in the highly conserved RecQ helicase, BLM, cause the rare cancer predisposition disorder, Bloom's syndrome. The orthologues of BLM in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe are SGS1 and rqh1(+), respectively. Studies in these yeast species have revealed a plethora...... of roles for the Sgs1 and Rqh1 proteins in repair of double strand breaks, restart of stalled replication forks, processing of aberrant intermediates that arise during meiotic recombination, and maintenance of telomeres. In this review, we focus on the known roles of Sgs1 and Rqh1 and how studies in yeast...

  20. RNA helicase DDX3 is a regulatory subunit of casein kinase 1 in Wnt-beta-catenin signaling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cruciat, C.M.; Dolde, C.; de Groot, R.E.; Ohkawara, B.; Reinhard, C.; Korswagen, H.C.; Niehrs, C.

    2013-01-01

    Casein kinase 1 (CK1) members play key roles in numerous biological processes. They are considered "rogue" kinases, because their enzymatic activity appears unregulated. Contrary to this notion, we have identified the DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX3 as a regulator of the Wnt-beta-catenin network, where

  1. Unwinding after high salinity stress: Pea DNA helicase 45 over- expression in tobacco confers high salinity tolerance without affecting yield (abstract)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tuteja, N.

    2005-01-01

    Soil salinity is an increasing threat for agriculture and is a major factor in reducing plant productivity; therefore, it is necessary to obtain salinity-tolerant varieties. A typical characteristic of soil salinity is the induction of multiple stress- inducible genes. Some of the genes encoding osmolytes, ion channels or enzymes are able to confer salinity-tolerant phenotypes when transferred to sensitive plants. As salinity stress affects the cellular gene-expression machinery, it is evident that molecules involved in nucleic acid processing including helicases, are likely to be affected as well. DNA helicases unwind duplex DNA and are involved in replication, repair, recombination and transcription while RNA helicases unfold the secondary structures in RNA and are involved in transcription, ribosome biogenesis and translation initiation. We have earlier reported the isolation of a pea DNA helicase 45 (PDH45) that exhibits striking homology with eIF-4A (Plant J. 24:219-230,2000). Here we report that PDH45 mRNA is induced in pea seedlings in response to high salt and its over- expression driven by a constitutive CAMV-355-promoter in tobacco plants confers salinity tolerance, thus suggesting a new pathway for manipulating stress tolerance in crop plants. The T0 transgenic plants showed high-levels of PDH45 protein in normal and stress conditions, as compared to wild type (WT) plants. The T0 transgenics also showed tolerance to high salinity as tested by a leaf disc senescence assay. The T1 transgenics were able to grow to maturity and set normal viable seeds under continuous salinity stress, without any reduction in plant yield, in terms of seed weight. Measurement of Na/sup +/ ions in different parts of the plant showed higher accumulation in the old leaves and negligible in seeds of T1 transgenic lines as compared with the WT plants. The possible mechanism of salinity tolerance will be discussed. Over-expression of PDH45 provides a possible example of the

  2. The RNA helicase Rm62 cooperates with SU(VAR3-9 to re-silence active transcription in Drosophila melanogaster.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joern Boeke

    Full Text Available Gene expression is highly dynamic and many genes show a wide range in expression over several orders of magnitude. This regulation is often mediated by sequence specific transcription factors. In addition, the tight packaging of DNA into chromatin can provide an additional layer of control resulting in a dynamic range of gene expression covering several orders of magnitude. During transcriptional activation, chromatin barriers have to be eliminated to allow an efficient progression of the RNA polymerase. This repressive chromatin structure has to be re-established quickly after it has been activated in order to tightly regulate gene activity. We show that the DExD/H box containing RNA helicase Rm62 is targeted to a site of rapid induction of transcription where it is responsible for an increased degree of methylation at H3K9 at the heat shock locus after removal of the heat shock stimulus. The RNA helicase interacts with the well-characterized histone methyltransferase SU(VAR3-9 via its N-terminus, which provides a potential mechanism for the targeting of H3K9 methylation to highly regulated genes. The recruitment of SU(VAR3-9 through interaction with a RNA helicase to a site of active transcription might be a general mechanism that allows an efficient silencing of highly regulated genes thereby enabling a cell to fine tune its gene activity over a wide range.

  3. CMG helicase and DNA polymerase ε form a functional 15-subunit holoenzyme for eukaryotic leading-strand DNA replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langston, Lance D; Zhang, Dan; Yurieva, Olga; Georgescu, Roxana E; Finkelstein, Jeff; Yao, Nina Y; Indiani, Chiara; O'Donnell, Mike E

    2014-10-28

    DNA replication in eukaryotes is asymmetric, with separate DNA polymerases (Pol) dedicated to bulk synthesis of the leading and lagging strands. Pol α/primase initiates primers on both strands that are extended by Pol ε on the leading strand and by Pol δ on the lagging strand. The CMG (Cdc45-MCM-GINS) helicase surrounds the leading strand and is proposed to recruit Pol ε for leading-strand synthesis, but to date a direct interaction between CMG and Pol ε has not been demonstrated. While purifying CMG helicase overexpressed in yeast, we detected a functional complex between CMG and native Pol ε. Using pure CMG and Pol ε, we reconstituted a stable 15-subunit CMG-Pol ε complex and showed that it is a functional polymerase-helicase on a model replication fork in vitro. On its own, the Pol2 catalytic subunit of Pol ε is inefficient in CMG-dependent replication, but addition of the Dpb2 protein subunit of Pol ε, known to bind the Psf1 protein subunit of CMG, allows stable synthesis with CMG. Dpb2 does not affect Pol δ function with CMG, and thus we propose that the connection between Dpb2 and CMG helps to stabilize Pol ε on the leading strand as part of a 15-subunit leading-strand holoenzyme we refer to as CMGE. Direct binding between Pol ε and CMG provides an explanation for specific targeting of Pol ε to the leading strand and provides clear mechanistic evidence for how strand asymmetry is maintained in eukaryotes.

  4. The adnAB Locus, Encoding a Putative Helicase-Nuclease Activity, Is Essential in Streptomyces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lingli; Nguyen, Hoang Chuong; Chipot, Ludovic; Piotrowski, Emilie; Bertrand, Claire

    2014-01-01

    Homologous recombination is a crucial mechanism that repairs a wide range of DNA lesions, including the most deleterious ones, double-strand breaks (DSBs). This multistep process is initiated by the resection of the broken DNA ends by a multisubunit helicase-nuclease complex exemplified by Escherichia coli RecBCD, Bacillus subtilis AddAB, and newly discovered Mycobacterium tuberculosis AdnAB. Here we show that in Streptomyces, neither recBCD nor addAB homologues could be detected. The only putative helicase-nuclease-encoding genes identified were homologous to M. tuberculosis adnAB genes. These genes are conserved as a single copy in all sequenced genomes of Streptomyces. The disruption of adnAB in Streptomyces ambofaciens and Streptomyces coelicolor could not be achieved unless an ectopic copy was provided, indicating that adnAB is essential for growth. Both adnA and adnB genes were shown to be inducible in response to DNA damage (mitomycin C) and to be independently transcribed. Introduction of S. ambofaciens adnAB genes in an E. coli recB mutant restored viability and resistance to UV light, suggesting that Streptomyces AdnAB could be a functional homologue of RecBCD and be involved in DNA damage resistance. PMID:24837284

  5. Cloning and expression of NS3 helicase fragment of hepatitis C virus and the study of its immunoreactivity in HCV infected patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahrou Sadri

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective(s: Hepatitis C is a major cause of liver failure worldwide. Current therapies applied for this disease are not fully effective and produce side effects in most cases. Non-structural protein 3 helicase (NS3 of HCV is one of the key enzymes in viral replication and infection. Therefore, this region is a promising target to design new drugs and therapies against HCV infection. The aim of this study was cloning and expression of HCV NS3 helicase fragment in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3 using pET102/D-TOPO expression vector and studying immunoreactivity of the expressed antigen in Iranian infected with hepatitis C. Materials and Methods: The viral RNA was extracted from the serum of HCV infected patient. The NS3 helicase region was amplified by RT-PCR. The PCR product was directionally cloned into the expression vector pET102/D-TOPO and transformed into the BL21 strain of E. coli (DE3. The transformed bacteria were then induced by adding 1mM isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG into the culture medium to enhance the protein expression. SDS-PAGE and western blotting were carried out to identify the protein under investigation, and finally purified recombinant fusion protein was used as the antigen for ELISA method. Results: Theinsertion of theDNA fragment of the NS3 regioninto the expression vectorwas further confirmed by PCR and sequencing. SDS-PAGE analysis showed the successful expression of the recombinant protein of interest. Furthermore, immunoreactivity of fusion NS3 helicase was confirmed by ELISA and western blotting. Conclusion: It seems that this recombinant protein could be a useful source of antigen for future studies on HCV diagnosis and therapy.

  6. DEAD-Box RNA Helicases are among the Constituents of the Tobacco Pollen mRNA Storing Bodies

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hafidh, Said; Potěšil, D.; Zdráhal, Z.; Honys, David

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 1, č. 3 (2013) ISSN 2329-9029 R&D Projects: GA ČR GPP501/11/P321; GA ČR(CZ) GAP501/11/1462; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0068; GA MŠk(CZ) LD13049 Institutional support: RVO:61389030 Keywords : Translation * mRNA storage * RNA helicase Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology

  7. Emerging Importance of Helicases in Plant Stress Tolerance: Characterization of Oryza sativa Repair Helicase XPB2 Promoter and Its Functional Validation in Tobacco under Multiple Stresses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raikwar, Shailendra; Srivastava, Vineet K; Gill, Sarvajeet S; Tuteja, Renu; Tuteja, Narendra

    2015-01-01

    Genetic material always remains at the risk of spontaneous or induced damage which challenges the normal functioning of DNA molecule, thus, DNA repair is vital to protect the organisms against genetic damage. Helicases, the unique molecular motors, are emerged as prospective molecules to engineer stress tolerance in plants and are involved in nucleic acid metabolism including DNA repair. The repair helicase, XPB is an evolutionary conserved protein present in different organisms, including plants. Availability of few efficient promoters for gene expression in plants provoked us to study the promoter of XPB for better understanding of gene regulation under stress conditions. Here, we report the in silico analysis of novel stress inducible promoter of Oryza sativa XPB2 (OsXPB2). The in vivo validation of functionality/activity of OsXPB2 promoter under abiotic and hormonal stress conditions was performed by Agrobacterium-mediated transient assay in tobacco leaves using OsXPB2::GUS chimeric construct. The present research revealed that OsXPB2 promoter contains cis-elements accounting for various abiotic stresses (salt, dehydration, or cold) and hormone (Auxin, ABA, or MeJA) induced GUS expression/activity in the promoter-reporter assay. The promoter region of OsXPB2 contains CACG, GTAACG, CACGTG, CGTCA CCGCCGCGCT cis acting-elements which are reported to be salt, dehydration, cold, MeJA, or ABA responsive, respectively. Functional analysis was done by Agrobacterium-mediated transient assay using agroinfiltration in tobacco leaves, followed by GUS staining and fluorescence quantitative analyses. The results revealed high induction of GUS activity under multiple abiotic stresses as compared to mock treated control. The present findings suggest that OsXPB2 promoter is a multi-stress inducible promoter and has potential applications in sustainable crop production under abiotic stresses by regulating desirable pattern of gene expression.

  8. RTEL1: an essential helicase for telomere maintenance and the regulation of homologous recombination

    OpenAIRE

    Uringa, Evert-Jan; Youds, Jillian L.; Lisaingo, Kathleen; Lansdorp, Peter M.; Boulton, Simon J.

    2010-01-01

    Telomere maintenance and DNA repair are crucial processes that protect the genome against instability. RTEL1, an essential iron–sulfur cluster-containing helicase, is a dominant factor that controls telomere length in mice and is required for telomere integrity. In addition, RTEL1 promotes synthesis-dependent strand annealing to direct DNA double-strand breaks into non-crossover outcomes during mitotic repair and in meiosis. Here, we review the role of RTEL1 in telomere maintenance and homolo...

  9. The N-terminal domain of human DNA helicase Rtel1 contains a redox active iron-sulfur cluster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landry, Aaron P; Ding, Huangen

    2014-01-01

    Human telomere length regulator Rtel1 is a superfamily II DNA helicase and is essential for maintaining proper length of telomeres in chromosomes. Here we report that the N-terminal domain of human Rtel1 (RtelN) expressed in Escherichia coli cells produces a protein that contains a redox active iron-sulfur cluster with the redox midpoint potential of -248 ± 10 mV (pH 8.0). The iron-sulfur cluster in RtelN is sensitive to hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide, indicating that reactive oxygen/nitrogen species may modulate the DNA helicase activity of Rtel1 via modification of its iron-sulfur cluster. Purified RtelN retains a weak binding affinity for the single-stranded (ss) and double-stranded (ds) DNA in vitro. However, modification of the iron-sulfur cluster by hydrogen peroxide or nitric oxide does not significantly affect the DNA binding activity of RtelN, suggesting that the iron-sulfur cluster is not directly involved in the DNA interaction in the N-terminal domain of Rtel1.

  10. The N-Terminal Domain of Human DNA Helicase Rtel1 Contains a Redox Active Iron-Sulfur Cluster

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aaron P. Landry

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Human telomere length regulator Rtel1 is a superfamily II DNA helicase and is essential for maintaining proper length of telomeres in chromosomes. Here we report that the N-terminal domain of human Rtel1 (RtelN expressed in Escherichia coli cells produces a protein that contains a redox active iron-sulfur cluster with the redox midpoint potential of −248 ± 10 mV (pH 8.0. The iron-sulfur cluster in RtelN is sensitive to hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide, indicating that reactive oxygen/nitrogen species may modulate the DNA helicase activity of Rtel1 via modification of its iron-sulfur cluster. Purified RtelN retains a weak binding affinity for the single-stranded (ss and double-stranded (ds DNA in vitro. However, modification of the iron-sulfur cluster by hydrogen peroxide or nitric oxide does not significantly affect the DNA binding activity of RtelN, suggesting that the iron-sulfur cluster is not directly involved in the DNA interaction in the N-terminal domain of Rtel1.

  11. The 1.8-Å crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of an archaeal MCM as a right-handed filament.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Yang; Slaymaker, Ian M; Wang, Junfeng; Wang, Ganggang; Chen, Xiaojiang S

    2014-04-03

    Mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins are the replicative helicase necessary for DNA replication in both eukarya and archaea. Most of archaea only have one MCM gene. Here, we report a 1.8-Å crystal structure of the N-terminal MCM from the archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum (tapMCM). In the structure, the MCM N-terminus forms a right-handed filament that contains six subunits in each turn, with a diameter of 25Å of the central channel opening. The inner surface is highly positively charged, indicating DNA binding. This filament structure with six subunits per turn may also suggests a potential role for an open-ring structure for hexameric MCM and dynamic conformational changes in initiation and elongation stages of DNA replication. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. An ATR-dependent function for the Ddx19 RNA helicase in nuclear R-loop metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodroj, Dana; Recolin, Bénédicte; Serhal, Kamar; Martinez, Susan; Tsanov, Nikolay; Abou Merhi, Raghida; Maiorano, Domenico

    2017-05-02

    Coordination between transcription and replication is crucial in the maintenance of genome integrity. Disturbance of these processes leads to accumulation of aberrant DNA:RNA hybrids (R-loops) that, if unresolved, generate DNA damage and genomic instability. Here we report a novel, unexpected role for the nucleopore-associated mRNA export factor Ddx19 in removing nuclear R-loops formed upon replication stress or DNA damage. We show, in live cells, that Ddx19 transiently relocalizes from the nucleopore to the nucleus upon DNA damage, in an ATR/Chk1-dependent manner, and that Ddx19 nuclear relocalization is required to clear R-loops. Ddx19 depletion induces R-loop accumulation, proliferation-dependent DNA damage and defects in replication fork progression. Further, we show that Ddx19 resolves R-loops in vitro via its helicase activity. Furthermore, mutation of a residue phosphorylated by Chk1 in Ddx19 disrupts its interaction with Nup214 and allows its nuclear relocalization. Finally, we show that Ddx19 operates in resolving R-loops independently of the RNA helicase senataxin. Altogether these observations put forward a novel, ATR-dependent function for Ddx19 in R-loop metabolism to preserve genome integrity in mammalian cells. © 2017 The Authors.

  13. microRNAs targeting DEAD-box helicases are involved in salinity stress response in rice (Oryza sativa L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Macovei Anca

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Rice (Oryza sativa L., one of the most important food crop in the world, is considered to be a salt-sensitive crop. Excess levels of salt adversely affect all the major metabolic activities, including cell wall damage, cytoplasmic lysis and genomic stability. In order to cope with salt stress, plants have evolved high degrees of developmental plasticity, including adaptation via cascades of molecular networks and changes in gene expression profiles. Posttranscriptional regulation, through the activity of microRNAs, also plays an important role in the plant response to salinity conditions. MicroRNAs are small endogenous RNAs that modulate gene expression and are involved in the most essential physiological processes, including plant development and adaptation to environmental changes. Results In the present study, we investigated the expression profiles of osa-MIR414, osa-MIR408 and osa-MIR164e along with their targeted genes, under salinity stress conditions in wild type and transgenic rice plants ectopically expressing the PDH45 (Pea DNA Helicase gene. The present miRNAs were predicted to target the OsABP (ATP-Binding Protein, OsDSHCT (DOB1/SK12/helY-like DEAD-box Helicase and OsDBH (DEAD-Box Helicase genes, included in the DEAD-box helicase family. An in silico characterization of the proteins was performed and the miRNAs predicted targets were validated by RLM-5′RACE. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that the OsABP, OsDBH and OsDSHCT genes were up-regulated in response to 100 and 200 mM NaCl treatments. The present study also highlighted an increased accumulation of the gene transcripts in wild type plants, with the exception of the OsABP mRNA which showed the highest level (15.1-fold change compared to control in the transgenic plants treated with 200 mM NaCl. Salinity treatments also affected the expression of osa-MIR414, osa-MIR164e and osa-MIR408, found to be significantly down-regulated, although the changes in mi

  14. Mutations of the RTEL1 Helicase in a Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson Syndrome Patient Highlight the Importance of the ARCH Domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jullien, Laurent; Kannengiesser, Caroline; Kermasson, Laetitia; Cormier-Daire, Valérie; Leblanc, Thierry; Soulier, Jean; Londono-Vallejo, Arturo; de Villartay, Jean-Pierre; Callebaut, Isabelle; Revy, Patrick

    2016-05-01

    The DNA helicase RTEL1 participates in telomere maintenance and genome stability. Biallelic mutations in the RTEL1 gene account for the severe telomere biology disorder characteristic of the Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HH). Here, we report a HH patient (P4) carrying two novel compound heterozygous mutations in RTEL1: a premature stop codon (c.949A>T, p.Lys317*) and an intronic deletion leading to an exon skipping and an in-frame deletion of 25 amino-acids (p.Ile398_Lys422). P4's cells exhibit short and dysfunctional telomeres similarly to other RTEL1-deficient patients. 3D structure predictions indicated that the p.Ile398_Lys422 deletion affects a part of the helicase ARCH domain, which lines the pore formed with the core HD and the iron-sulfur cluster domains and is highly specific of sequences from the eukaryotic XPD family members. © 2016 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

  15. SAD-3, a Putative Helicase Required for Meiotic Silencing by Unpaired DNA, Interacts with Other Components of the Silencing Machinery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammond, Thomas M.; Xiao, Hua; Boone, Erin C.; Perdue, Tony D.; Pukkila, Patricia J.; Shiu, Patrick K. T.

    2011-01-01

    In Neurospora crassa, genes lacking a pairing partner during meiosis are suppressed by a process known as meiotic silencing by unpaired DNA (MSUD). To identify novel MSUD components, we have developed a high-throughput reverse-genetic screen for use with the N. crassa knockout library. Here we describe the screening method and the characterization of a gene (sad-3) subsequently discovered. SAD-3 is a putative helicase required for MSUD and sexual spore production. It exists in a complex with other known MSUD proteins in the perinuclear region, a center for meiotic silencing activity. Orthologs of SAD-3 include Schizosaccharomyces pombe Hrr1, a helicase required for RNAi-induced heterochromatin formation. Both SAD-3 and Hrr1 interact with an RNA-directed RNA polymerase and an Argonaute, suggesting that certain aspects of silencing complex formation may be conserved between the two fungal species. PMID:22384347

  16. Insights into the Structure of Dimeric RNA Helicase CsdA and Indispensable Role of Its C-Terminal Regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Ling; Wang, Lijun; Peng, Junhui; Li, Fudong; Wu, Lijie; Zhang, Beibei; Lv, Mengqi; Zhang, Jiahai; Gong, Qingguo; Zhang, Rongguang; Zuo, Xiaobing; Zhang, Zhiyong; Wu, Jihui; Tang, Yajun; Shi, Yunyu

    2017-12-05

    CsdA has been proposed to be essential for the biogenesis of ribosome and gene regulation after cold shock. However, the structure of CsdA and the function of its long C-terminal regions are still unclear. Here, we solved all of the domain structures of CsdA and found two previously uncharacterized auxiliary domains: a dimerization domain (DD) and an RNA-binding domain (RBD). Small-angle X-ray scattering experiments helped to track the conformational flexibilities of the helicase core domains and C-terminal regions. Biochemical assays revealed that DD is indispensable for stabilizing the CsdA dimeric structure. We also demonstrate for the first time that CsdA functions as a stable dimer at low temperature. The C-terminal regions are critical for RNA binding and efficient enzymatic activities. CsdA_RBD could specifically bind to the regions with a preference for single-stranded G-rich RNA, which may help to bring the helicase core to unwind the adjacent duplex. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. RNases and Helicases in Gram-Positive Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durand, Sylvain; Condon, Ciaran

    2018-04-01

    RNases are key enzymes involved in RNA maturation and degradation. Although they play a crucial role in all domains of life, bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes have evolved with their own sets of RNases and proteins modulating their activities. In bacteria, these enzymes allow modulation of gene expression to adapt to rapidly changing environments. Today, >20 RNases have been identified in both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis , the paradigms of the Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. However, only a handful of these enzymes are common to these two organisms and some of them are essential to only one. Moreover, although sets of RNases can be very similar in closely related bacteria such as the Firmicutes Staphylococcus aureus and B. subtilis , the relative importance of individual enzymes in posttranscriptional regulation in these organisms varies. In this review, we detail the role of the main RNases involved in RNA maturation and degradation in Gram-positive bacteria, with an emphasis on the roles of RNase J1, RNase III, and RNase Y. We also discuss how other proteins such as helicases can modulate the RNA-degradation activities of these enzymes.

  18. Subtype C gp140 Vaccine Boosts Immune Responses Primed by the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative DNA-C2 and MVA-C HIV Vaccines after More than a 2-Year Gap.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Glenda E; Mayer, Kenneth H; Elizaga, Marnie L; Bekker, Linda-Gail; Allen, Mary; Morris, Lynn; Montefiori, David; De Rosa, Stephen C; Sato, Alicia; Gu, Niya; Tomaras, Georgia D; Tucker, Timothy; Barnett, Susan W; Mkhize, Nonhlanhla N; Shen, Xiaoying; Downing, Katrina; Williamson, Carolyn; Pensiero, Michael; Corey, Lawrence; Williamson, Anna-Lise

    2016-06-01

    A phase I safety and immunogenicity study investigated South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI) HIV-1 subtype C (HIV-1C) DNA vaccine encoding Gag-RT-Tat-Nef and gp150, boosted with modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) expressing matched antigens. Following the finding of partial protective efficacy in the RV144 HIV vaccine efficacy trial, a protein boost with HIV-1 subtype C V2-deleted gp140 with MF59 was added to the regimen. A total of 48 participants (12 U.S. participants and 36 Republic of South Africa [RSA] participants) were randomized to receive 3 intramuscular (i.m.) doses of SAAVI DNA-C2 of 4 mg (months 0, 1, and 2) and 2 i.m. doses of SAAVI MVA-C of 1.45 × 10(9) PFU (months 4 and 5) (n = 40) or of a placebo (n = 8). Approximately 2 years after vaccination, 27 participants were rerandomized to receive gp140/MF59 at 100 μg or placebo, as 2 i.m. injections, 3 months apart. The vaccine regimen was safe and well tolerated. After the DNA-MVA regimen, CD4(+) T-cell and CD8(+) T-cell responses occurred in 74% and 32% of the participants, respectively. The protein boost increased CD4(+) T-cell responses to 87% of the subjects. All participants developed tier 1 HIV-1C neutralizing antibody responses as well as durable Env binding antibodies that recognized linear V3 and C5 peptides. The HIV-1 subtype C DNA-MVA vaccine regimen showed promising cellular immunogenicity. Boosting with gp140/MF59 enhanced levels of binding and neutralizing antibodies as well as CD4(+) T-cell responses to HIV-1 envelope. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT00574600 and NCT01423825.). Copyright © 2016 Gray et al.

  19. The Smc5/6 complex regulates the yeast Mph1 helicase at RNA-DNA hybrid-mediated DNA damage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lafuente-Barquero, Juan; Luke-Glaser, Sarah; Graf, Marco

    2017-01-01

    of Fanconi anemia protein M (FANCM), is required for cell viability in the absence of RNase H enzymes. The integrity of the Mph1 helicase domain is crucial to prevent the accumulation of RNA-DNA hybrids and RNA-DNA hybrid-dependent DNA damage, as determined by Rad52 foci. Mph1 forms foci when RNA-DNA hybrids...

  20. Dissociation from DNA of Type III Restriction–Modification enzymes during helicase-dependent motion and following endonuclease activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tóth, Júlia; van Aelst, Kara; Salmons, Hannah; Szczelkun, Mark D.

    2012-01-01

    DNA cleavage by the Type III Restriction–Modification (RM) enzymes requires the binding of a pair of RM enzymes at two distant, inversely orientated recognition sequences followed by helicase-catalysed ATP hydrolysis and long-range communication. Here we addressed the dissociation from DNA of these enzymes at two stages: during long-range communication and following DNA cleavage. First, we demonstrated that a communicating species can be trapped in a DNA domain without a recognition site, with a non-specific DNA association lifetime of ∼200 s. If free DNA ends were present the lifetime became too short to measure, confirming that ends accelerate dissociation. Secondly, we observed that Type III RM enzymes can dissociate upon DNA cleavage and go on to cleave further DNA molecules (they can ‘turnover’, albeit inefficiently). The relationship between the observed cleavage rate and enzyme concentration indicated independent binding of each site and a requirement for simultaneous interaction of at least two enzymes per DNA to achieve cleavage. In light of various mechanisms for helicase-driven motion on DNA, we suggest these results are most consistent with a thermally driven random 1D search model (i.e. ‘DNA sliding’). PMID:22523084

  1. Human RECQ5 helicase promotes repair of DNA double-strand breaks by synthesis-dependent strand annealing

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Paliwal, S.; Kanagaraj, R.; Sturzenegger, A.; Burdová, Kamila; Janščák, Pavel

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 42, č. 4 (2014), s. 2380-2390 ISSN 0305-1048 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA204/09/0565; GA ČR GAP305/10/0281 Grant - others:Swiss National Science Foundation(CH) 31003A-129747; Swiss National Science Foundation(CH) 31003A_146206 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : Human RECQ5 helicase * DNA double-strand breaks * mitotic homologous recombination Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 9.112, year: 2014

  2. Senataxin, the ortholog of a yeast RNA helicase, is mutant in ataxia-ocular apraxia 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreira, Maria-Céu; Klur, Sandra; Watanabe, Mitsunori; Németh, Andrea H; Le Ber, Isabelle; Moniz, José-Carlos; Tranchant, Christine; Aubourg, Patrick; Tazir, Meriem; Schöls, Lüdger; Pandolfo, Massimo; Schulz, Jörg B; Pouget, Jean; Calvas, Patrick; Shizuka-Ikeda, Masami; Shoji, Mikio; Tanaka, Makoto; Izatt, Louise; Shaw, Christopher E; M'Zahem, Abderrahim; Dunne, Eimear; Bomont, Pascale; Benhassine, Traki; Bouslam, Naïma; Stevanin, Giovanni; Brice, Alexis; Guimarães, João; Mendonça, Pedro; Barbot, Clara; Coutinho, Paula; Sequeiros, Jorge; Dürr, Alexandra; Warter, Jean-Marie; Koenig, Michel

    2004-03-01

    Ataxia-ocular apraxia 2 (AOA2) was recently identified as a new autosomal recessive ataxia. We have now identified causative mutations in 15 families, which allows us to clinically define this entity by onset between 10 and 22 years, cerebellar atrophy, axonal sensorimotor neuropathy, oculomotor apraxia and elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Ten of the fifteen mutations cause premature termination of a large DEAxQ-box helicase, the human ortholog of yeast Sen1p, involved in RNA maturation and termination.

  3. Emerging importance of helicases in plant stress tolerance: characterization of Oryza sativa repair helicase XPB2 promoter and its functional validation in tobacco under multiple stresses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shailendra eRaikwar

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Genetic material always remains at the risk of spontaneous or induced damage which challenges the normal functioning of DNA molecule, thus, DNA repair is vital to protect the organisms against genetic damage. DNA hHelicases, the unique molecular motors, are emerged as potentialprospective molecules to engineer stress tolerance in plants and are involved in a variety of DNA nucleic acid metabolismc processes including DNA repair. The DNA repair helicase, OsXPB2 is an evolutionary conserved protein present in different organisms, including plants. Availability of few efficient promoters for gene expression in plants provoked us to study the promoter of XPB for better understanding of gene regulation under stress The analysis of promoter sequence from plant genome is important in understanding the gene regulation. Hereconditions. Here, we report the in silico analysis of novel stress inducible promoter of rice Oryza sativa OsXPB2 (OsXPB2. gene is reported. The in vivo validation of functionality/activity of novel stress inducible promoter of rice OsXPB2 gene promoter under abiotic and hormonal stress conditions was performed by Agrobacterium-mediated transient assay in tobacco leaves using OsXPB2::GUS chimeric construct. Our resultsThe present research revealed that OsXPB2 promoter contains cis-elements accounting for various abiotic stresses (salt, dehydration or cold and hormone (Auxin, ABA or MeJA induced GUS expression/activity in the promoter-reporter assay. The promoter region of OsXPB2 contains CACG, GTAACG, CACGTG, CGTCA CCGCCGCGCT cis acting-elements which are reported to be salt, dehydration, cold, MeJA or ABA responsive, respectively. Functional analysis was done by Agrobacterium-transient assays using agroinfiltration in tobacco leaves, followed by GUS staining and fluorescence quantitative analyses. The results revealed high induction of GUS activity under multiple abiotic stresses as compared to mock treated control. The present

  4. Biophysical Characterization of G-Quadruplex Recognition in the PITX1 mRNA by the Specificity Domain of the Helicase RHAU.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emmanuel O Ariyo

    Full Text Available Nucleic acids rich in guanine are able to fold into unique structures known as G-quadruplexes. G-quadruplexes consist of four tracts of guanylates arranged in parallel or antiparallel strands that are aligned in stacked G-quartet planes. The structure is further stabilized by Hoogsteen hydrogen bonds and monovalent cations centered between the planes. RHAU (RNA helicase associated with AU-rich element is a member of the ATP-dependent DExH/D family of RNA helicases and can bind and resolve G-quadruplexes. RHAU contains a core helicase domain with an N-terminal extension that enables recognition and full binding affinity to RNA and DNA G-quadruplexes. PITX1, a member of the bicoid class of homeobox proteins, is a transcriptional activator active during development of vertebrates, chiefly in the anterior pituitary gland and several other organs. We have previously demonstrated that RHAU regulates PITX1 levels through interaction with G-quadruplexes at the 3'-end of the PITX1 mRNA. To understand the structural basis of G-quadruplex recognition by RHAU, we characterize a purified minimal PITX1 G-quadruplex using a variety of biophysical techniques including electrophoretic mobility shift assays, UV-VIS spectroscopy, circular dichroism, dynamic light scattering, small angle X-ray scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Our biophysical analysis provides evidence that the RNA G-quadruplex, but not its DNA counterpart, can adopt a parallel orientation, and that only the RNA can interact with N-terminal domain of RHAU via the tetrad face of the G-quadruplex. This work extends our insight into how the N-terminal region of RHAU recognizes parallel G-quadruplexes.

  5. The helicase and RNaseIIIa domains of Arabidopsis Dicer-Like1 modulate catalytic parameters during MicroRNA biogenesis

    KAUST Repository

    Liu, Chenggang

    2012-04-03

    Dicer-Like1 (DCL1), an RNaseIII endonuclease, and Hyponastic Leaves1 (HYL1), a double-stranded RNA-binding protein, are core components of the plant microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis machinery. hyl1 mutants accumulate low levels of miRNAs and display pleiotropic developmental phenotypes. We report the identification of five new hyl1 suppressor mutants, all of which are alleles of DCL1. These new alleles affect either the helicase or the RNaseIIIa domains of DCL1, highlighting the critical functions of these domains. Biochemical analysis of the DCL1 suppressor variants reveals that they process the primary transcript (pri-miRNA) more efficiently than wild-type DCL1, with both higher Kcat and lower Km values. The DCL1 variants largely rescue wild-type miRNA accumulation levels in vivo, but do not rescue the MIRNA processing precision defects of the hyl1 mutant. In vitro, the helicase domain confers ATP dependence on DCL1-catalyzed MIRNA processing, attenuates DCL1 cleavage activity, and is required for precise MIRNA processing of some substrates. © 2012 American Society of Plant Biologists.

  6. Cas3 is a single-stranded DNA nuclease and ATP-dependent helicase in the CRISPR/Cas immune system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinkunas, Tomas; Gasiunas, Giedrius; Fremaux, Christophe; Barrangou, Rodolphe; Horvath, Philippe; Siksnys, Virginijus

    2011-04-06

    Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) is a recently discovered adaptive prokaryotic immune system that provides acquired immunity against foreign nucleic acids by utilizing small guide crRNAs (CRISPR RNAs) to interfere with invading viruses and plasmids. In Escherichia coli, Cas3 is essential for crRNA-guided interference with virus proliferation. Cas3 contains N-terminal HD phosphohydrolase and C-terminal Superfamily 2 (SF2) helicase domains. Here, we provide the first report of the cloning, expression, purification and in vitro functional analysis of the Cas3 protein of the Streptococcus thermophilus CRISPR4 (Ecoli subtype) system. Cas3 possesses a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-stimulated ATPase activity, which is coupled to unwinding of DNA/DNA and RNA/DNA duplexes. Cas3 also shows ATP-independent nuclease activity located in the HD domain with a preference for ssDNA substrates. To dissect the contribution of individual domains, Cas3 separation-of-function mutants (ATPase(+)/nuclease(-) and ATPase(-)/nuclease(+)) were obtained by site-directed mutagenesis. We propose that the Cas3 ATPase/helicase domain acts as a motor protein, which assists delivery of the nuclease activity to Cascade-crRNA complex targeting foreign DNA.

  7. Germline mutations of regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1, RTEL1, in Dyskeratosis congenita.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballew, Bari J; Yeager, Meredith; Jacobs, Kevin; Giri, Neelam; Boland, Joseph; Burdett, Laurie; Alter, Blanche P; Savage, Sharon A

    2013-04-01

    Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition syndrome caused by aberrant telomere biology. The classic triad of dysplastic nails, abnormal skin pigmentation, and oral leukoplakia is diagnostic of DC, but substantial clinical heterogeneity exists; the clinically severe variant Hoyeraal Hreidarsson syndrome (HH) also includes cerebellar hypoplasia, severe immunodeficiency, enteropathy, and intrauterine growth retardation. Germline mutations in telomere biology genes account for approximately one-half of known DC families. Using exome sequencing, we identified mutations in RTEL1, a helicase with critical telomeric functions, in two families with HH. In the first family, two siblings with HH and very short telomeres inherited a premature stop codon from their mother who has short telomeres. The proband from the second family has HH and inherited a premature stop codon in RTEL1 from his father and a missense mutation from his mother, who also has short telomeres. In addition, inheritance of only the missense mutation led to very short telomeres in the proband's brother. Targeted sequencing identified a different RTEL1 missense mutation in one additional DC proband who has bone marrow failure and short telomeres. Both missense mutations affect the helicase domain of RTEL1, and three in silico prediction algorithms suggest that they are likely deleterious. The nonsense mutations both cause truncation of the RTEL1 protein, resulting in loss of the PIP box; this may abrogate an important protein-protein interaction. These findings implicate a new telomere biology gene, RTEL1, in the etiology of DC.

  8. RTEL1: an essential helicase for telomere maintenance and the regulation of homologous recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uringa, Evert-Jan; Youds, Jillian L; Lisaingo, Kathleen; Lansdorp, Peter M; Boulton, Simon J

    2011-03-01

    Telomere maintenance and DNA repair are crucial processes that protect the genome against instability. RTEL1, an essential iron-sulfur cluster-containing helicase, is a dominant factor that controls telomere length in mice and is required for telomere integrity. In addition, RTEL1 promotes synthesis-dependent strand annealing to direct DNA double-strand breaks into non-crossover outcomes during mitotic repair and in meiosis. Here, we review the role of RTEL1 in telomere maintenance and homologous recombination and discuss models linking RTEL1's enzymatic activity to its function in telomere maintenance and DNA repair.

  9. Identification of unique interactions between the flexible linker and the RecA-like domains of DEAD-box helicase Mss116

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yuan; Palla, Mirkó; Liao, Jung-Chi; Sun, Andrew

    2013-01-01

    DEAD-box RNA helicases are ATP-dependent proteins implicated in nearly all aspects of RNA metabolism. The yeast DEAD-box helicase Mss116 is unique in its functions of splicing group I and group II introns and activating mRNA translation, but the structural understanding of why it performs these unique functions remains unclear. Here we used sequence analysis and molecular dynamics simulation to identify residues in the flexible linker specific for yeast Mss116, potentially associated with its unique functions. We first identified residues that are 100% conserved in Mss116 of different species of the Saccharomycetaceae family. The amino acids of these conserved residues were then compared with the amino acids of the corresponding residue positions of other RNA helicases to identify residues that have distinct amino acids from other DEAD-box proteins. Four residues in the flexible linker, i.e. N334, E335, P336 and H339, are conserved and Mss116-specific. Molecular dynamics simulation was conducted for the wild-type Mss116 structure and mutant models to examine mutational effects of the linker on the conformational equilibrium. Relatively short MD simulation runs (within 20 ns) were enough for us to observe mutational effects, suggesting serious structural perturbations by these mutations. The mutation of E335 depletes the interactions between E335 and K95 in domain 1. The interactions between N334/P336 and N496/I497 of domain 2 are also abolished by mutation. Our results suggest that tight interactions between the Mss116-specific flexible linker and the two RecA-like domains may be mechanically required to crimp RNA for the unique RNA processes of yeast Mss116. (paper)

  10. Identification of unique interactions between the flexible linker and the RecA-like domains of DEAD-box helicase Mss116

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yuan; Palla, Mirkó; Sun, Andrew; Liao, Jung-Chi

    2013-09-01

    DEAD-box RNA helicases are ATP-dependent proteins implicated in nearly all aspects of RNA metabolism. The yeast DEAD-box helicase Mss116 is unique in its functions of splicing group I and group II introns and activating mRNA translation, but the structural understanding of why it performs these unique functions remains unclear. Here we used sequence analysis and molecular dynamics simulation to identify residues in the flexible linker specific for yeast Mss116, potentially associated with its unique functions. We first identified residues that are 100% conserved in Mss116 of different species of the Saccharomycetaceae family. The amino acids of these conserved residues were then compared with the amino acids of the corresponding residue positions of other RNA helicases to identify residues that have distinct amino acids from other DEAD-box proteins. Four residues in the flexible linker, i.e. N334, E335, P336 and H339, are conserved and Mss116-specific. Molecular dynamics simulation was conducted for the wild-type Mss116 structure and mutant models to examine mutational effects of the linker on the conformational equilibrium. Relatively short MD simulation runs (within 20 ns) were enough for us to observe mutational effects, suggesting serious structural perturbations by these mutations. The mutation of E335 depletes the interactions between E335 and K95 in domain 1. The interactions between N334/P336 and N496/I497 of domain 2 are also abolished by mutation. Our results suggest that tight interactions between the Mss116-specific flexible linker and the two RecA-like domains may be mechanically required to crimp RNA for the unique RNA processes of yeast Mss116.

  11. NS3 from Hepatitis C Virus Strain JFH-1 Is an Unusually Robust Helicase That Is Primed To Bind and Unwind Viral RNA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Ting; Ren, Xiaoming; Adams, Rebecca L.; Pyle, Anna Marie; Ou, J. -H. James

    2017-10-25

    Hepatitis C viruses (HCV) encode a helicase enzyme that is essential for viral replication and assembly (nonstructural protein 3 [NS3]). This helicase has become the focus of extensive basic research on the general helicase mechanism, and it is also of interest as a novel drug target. Despite the importance of this protein, mechanistic work on NS3 has been conducted almost exclusively on variants from HCV genotype 1. Our understanding of NS3 from the highly active HCV strains that are used to study HCV genetics and mechanism in cell culture (such as JFH-1) is lacking. We therefore set out to determine whether NS3 from the replicatively efficient genotype 2a strain JFH-1 displays novel functional or structural properties. Using biochemical assays for RNA binding and duplex unwinding, we show that JFH-1 NS3 binds RNA much more rapidly than the previously studied NS3 variants from genotype 1b. Unlike NS3 variants from other genotypes, JFH-1 NS3 binds RNA with high affinity in a functionally active form that is capable of immediately unwinding RNA duplexes without undergoing rate-limiting conformational changes that precede activation. Unlike other superfamily 2 (SF2) helicases, JFH-1 NS3 does not require long 3' overhangs, and it unwinds duplexes that are flanked by only a few nucleotides, as in the folded HCV genome. To understand the physical basis for this, we solved the crystal structure of JFH-1 NS3, revealing a novel conformation that contains an open, positively charged RNA binding cleft that is primed for productive interaction with RNA targets, potentially explaining robust replication by HCV JFH-1.

    IMPORTANCEGenotypes of HCV are as divergent as different types of flavivirus, and yet mechanistic features of HCV variants are presumed to be held in common. One of the most well-studied components of the HCV replication complex is a helicase known as nonstructural protein 3 (NS3). We set out to determine whether this important

  12. Zn2+ chelation by serum albumin improves hexameric Zn2+-insulin dissociation into monomers after exocytosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José A G Pertusa

    Full Text Available β-cells release hexameric Zn2+-insulin into the extracellular space, but monomeric Zn2+-free insulin appears to be the only biologically active form. The mechanisms implicated in dissociation of the hexamer remain unclear, but they seem to be Zn2+ concentration-dependent. In this study, we investigate the influence of albumin binding to Zn2+ on Zn2+-insulin dissociation into Zn2+-free insulin and its physiological, methodological and therapeutic relevance. Glucose and K+-induced insulin release were analyzed in isolated mouse islets by static incubation and perifusion experiments in the presence and absence of albumin and Zn2+ chelators. Insulin tolerance tests were performed in rats using different insulin solutions with and without Zn2+ and/or albumin. Albumin-free buffer does not alter quantification by RIA of Zn2+-free insulin but strongly affects RIA measurements of Zn2+-insulin. In contrast, accurate determination of Zn2+-insulin was obtained only when bovine serum albumin or Zn2+ chelators were present in the assay buffer solution. Albumin and Zn2+ chelators do not modify insulin release but do affect insulin determination. Preincubation with albumin or Zn2+ chelators promotes the conversion of "slow" Zn2+-insulin into "fast" insulin. Consequently, insulin diffusion from large islets is ameliorated in the presence of Zn2+ chelators. These observations support the notion that the Zn2+-binding properties of albumin improve the dissociation of Zn2+-insulin into subunits after exocytosis, which may be useful in insulin determination, insulin pharmacokinetic assays and islet transplantation.

  13. Helicase-dependent isothermal amplification: a novel tool in the development of molecular-based analytical systems for rapid pathogen detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barreda-García, Susana; Miranda-Castro, Rebeca; de-Los-Santos-Álvarez, Noemí; Miranda-Ordieres, Arturo J; Lobo-Castañón, María Jesús

    2018-01-01

    Highly sensitive testing of nucleic acids is essential to improve the detection of pathogens, which pose a major threat for public health worldwide. Currently available molecular assays, mainly based on PCR, have a limited utility in point-of-need control or resource-limited settings. Consequently, there is a strong interest in developing cost-effective, robust, and portable platforms for early detection of these harmful microorganisms. Since its description in 2004, isothermal helicase-dependent amplification (HDA) has been successfully applied in the development of novel molecular-based technologies for rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of viruses and bacteria. In this review, we highlight relevant analytical systems using this simple nucleic acid amplification methodology that takes place at a constant temperature and that is readily compatible with microfluidic technologies. Different strategies for monitoring HDA amplification products are described. In addition, we present technological advances for integrating sample preparation, HDA amplification, and detection. Future perspectives and challenges toward point-of-need use not only for clinical diagnosis but also in food safety testing and environmental monitoring are also discussed. Graphical Abstract Expanding the analytical toolbox for the detection of DNA sequences specific of pathogens with isothermal helicase dependent amplification (HDA).

  14. Structural insights into RISC assembly facilitated by dsRNA-binding domains of human RNA helicase A (DHX9).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Qinqin; Yuan, Y Adam

    2013-03-01

    Intensive research interest has focused on small RNA-processing machinery and the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), key cellular machines in RNAi pathways. However, the structural mechanism regarding RISC assembly, the primary step linking small RNA processing and RNA-mediated gene silencing, is largely unknown. Human RNA helicase A (DHX9) was reported to function as an RISC-loading factor, and such function is mediated mainly by its dsRNA-binding domains (dsRBDs). Here, we report the crystal structures of human RNA helicase A (RHA) dsRBD1 and dsRBD2 domains in complex with dsRNAs, respectively. Structural analysis not only reveals higher siRNA duplex-binding affinity displayed by dsRBD1, but also identifies a crystallographic dsRBD1 pair of physiological significance in cooperatively recognizing dsRNAs. Structural observations are further validated by isothermal titration calorimetric (ITC) assay. Moreover, co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) assay coupled with mutagenesis demonstrated that both dsRBDs are required for RISC association, and such association is mediated by dsRNA. Hence, our structural and functional efforts have revealed a potential working model for siRNA recognition by RHA tandem dsRBDs, and together they provide direct structural insights into RISC assembly facilitated by RHA.

  15. RECQ5 helicase associates with the C-terminal repeat domain of RNA polymerase II during productive elongation phase of transcription

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kanagaraj, R.; Huehn, D.; Mackellar, A.; Menigatti, M.; Zheng, L.; Urban, Václav; Shevelev, Igor; Greenleaf, A.L.; Janščák, Pavel

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 38, č. 22 (2010), s. 8131-8140 ISSN 0305-1048 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA204/09/0565 Grant - others:SNSF(CH) 3100A0-116008; NIH(US) GM040505 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : RECQ5 DNA helicase * transcription * genome stability Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 7.836, year: 2010

  16. TbPIF5 is a Trypanosoma brucei mitochondrial DNA helicase involved in processing of minicircle Okazaki fragments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beiyu Liu

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Trypanosoma brucei's mitochondrial genome, kinetoplast DNA (kDNA, is a giant network of catenated DNA rings. The network consists of a few thousand 1 kb minicircles and several dozen 23 kb maxicircles. Here we report that TbPIF5, one of T. brucei's six mitochondrial proteins related to Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondrial DNA helicase ScPIF1, is involved in minicircle lagging strand synthesis. Like its yeast homolog, TbPIF5 is a 5' to 3' DNA helicase. Together with other enzymes thought to be involved in Okazaki fragment processing, TbPIF5 localizes in vivo to the antipodal sites flanking the kDNA. Minicircles in wild type cells replicate unidirectionally as theta-structures and are unusual in that Okazaki fragments are not joined until after the progeny minicircles have segregated. We now report that overexpression of TbPIF5 causes premature removal of RNA primers and joining of Okazaki fragments on theta structures. Further elongation of the lagging strand is blocked, but the leading strand is completed and the minicircle progeny, one with a truncated H strand (ranging from 0.1 to 1 kb, are segregated. The minicircles with a truncated H strand electrophorese on an agarose gel as a smear. This replication defect is associated with kinetoplast shrinkage and eventual slowing of cell growth. We propose that TbPIF5 unwinds RNA primers after lagging strand synthesis, thus facilitating processing of Okazaki fragments.

  17. A Listeria monocytogenes RNA helicase essential for growth and ribosomal maturation at low temperatures uses its C terminus for appropriate interaction with the ribosome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Netterling, Sakura; Vaitkevicius, Karolis; Nord, Stefan; Johansson, Jörgen

    2012-08-01

    Listeria monocytogenes, a Gram-positive food-borne human pathogen, is able to grow at temperatures close to 0°C and is thus of great concern for the food industry. In this work, we investigated the physiological role of one DExD-box RNA helicase in Listeria monocytogenes. The RNA helicase Lmo1722 was required for optimal growth at low temperatures, whereas it was dispensable at 37°C. A Δlmo1722 strain was less motile due to downregulation of the major subunit of the flagellum, FlaA, caused by decreased flaA expression. By ribosomal fractionation experiments, it was observed that Lmo1722 was mainly associated with the 50S subunit of the ribosome. Absence of Lmo1722 decreased the fraction of 50S ribosomal subunits and mature 70S ribosomes and affected the processing of the 23S precursor rRNA. The ribosomal profile could be restored to wild-type levels in a Δlmo1722 strain expressing Lmo1722. Interestingly, the C-terminal part of Lmo1722 was redundant for low-temperature growth, motility, 23S rRNA processing, and appropriate ribosomal maturation. However, Lmo1722 lacking the C terminus showed a reduced affinity for the 50S and 70S fractions, suggesting that the C terminus is important for proper guidance of Lmo1722 to the 50S subunit. Taken together, our results show that the Listeria RNA helicase Lmo1722 is essential for growth at low temperatures, motility, and rRNA processing and is important for ribosomal maturation, being associated mainly with the 50S subunit of the ribosome.

  18. Arabidopsis RecQsim, a plant-specific member of the RecQ helicase family, can suppress the MMS hypersensitivity of the yeast sgs1 mutant

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bagherieh-Najjar, MB; de Vries, OMH; Kroon, JTM; Wright, EL; Elborough, KM; Hille, J; Dijkwel, PP

    The Arabidopsis genome contains seven genes that belong to the RecQ family of ATP-dependent DNA helicases. RecQ members in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SGS1) and man (WRN, BLM and RecQL4) are involved in DNA recombination, repair and genome stability maintenance, but little is known about the function

  19. Open-ringed structure of the Cdt1-Mcm2-7 complex as a precursor of the MCM double hexamer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, Yuanliang; Cheng, Erchao; Wu, Hao; Li, Ningning; Yung, Philip Yuk Kwong; Gao, Ning; Tye, Bik-Kwoon

    2017-03-01

    The minichromosome maintenance complex (MCM) hexameric complex (Mcm2-7) forms the core of the eukaryotic replicative helicase. During G1 phase, two Cdt1-Mcm2-7 heptamers are loaded onto each replication origin by the origin-recognition complex (ORC) and Cdc6 to form an inactive MCM double hexamer (DH), but the detailed loading mechanism remains unclear. Here we examine the structures of the yeast MCM hexamer and Cdt1-MCM heptamer from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Both complexes form left-handed coil structures with a 10-15-Å gap between Mcm5 and Mcm2, and a central channel that is occluded by the C-terminal domain winged-helix motif of Mcm5. Cdt1 wraps around the N-terminal regions of Mcm2, Mcm6 and Mcm4 to stabilize the whole complex. The intrinsic coiled structures of the precursors provide insights into the DH formation, and suggest a spring-action model for the MCM during the initial origin melting and the subsequent DNA unwinding.

  20. Binding and Translocation of Termination Factor Rho Studied at the Single-Molecule Level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koslover, Daniel J.; Fazal, Furqan M.; Mooney, Rachel A.; Landick, Robert; Block, Steven M.

    2012-01-01

    Rho termination factor is an essential hexameric helicase responsible for terminating 20–50% of all mRNA synthesis in E. coli. We used single- molecule force spectroscopy to investigate Rho-RNA binding interactions at the Rho- utilization (rut) site of the ? tR1 terminator. Our results are consistent with Rho complexes adopting two states, one that binds 57 ±2 nucleotides of RNA across all six of the Rho primary binding sites, and another that binds 85 ±2 nucleotides at the six primary sites plus a single secondary site situated at the center of the hexamer. The single-molecule data serve to establish that Rho translocates 5′-to-3′ towards RNA polymerase (RNAP) by a tethered-tracking mechanism, looping out the intervening RNA between the rut site and RNAP. These findings lead to a general model for Rho binding and translocation, and establish a novel experimental approach that should facilitate additional single- molecule studies of RNA-binding proteins. PMID:22885804

  1. Structure and Function of a Novel ATPase that Interacts with Holliday Junction Resolvase Hjc and Promotes Branch Migration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, Binyuan; DuPrez, Kevin; Doukov, Tzanko I; Li, Huan; Huang, Mengting; Shang, Guijun; Ni, Jinfeng; Gu, Lichuan; Shen, Yulong; Fan, Li

    2017-04-07

    Holliday junction (HJ) is a hallmark intermediate in DNA recombination and must be processed by dissolution (for double HJ) or resolution to ensure genome stability. Although HJ resolvases have been identified in all domains of life, there is a long-standing effort to search in prokaryotes and eukarya for proteins promoting HJ migration. Here, we report the structural and functional characterization of a novel ATPase, Sulfolobus islandicusPilT N-terminal-domain-containing ATPase (SisPINA), encoded by the gene adjacent to the resolvase Hjc coding gene. PINA is conserved in archaea and vital for S. islandicus viability. Purified SisPINA forms hexameric rings in the crystalline state and in solution, similar to the HJ migration helicase RuvB in Gram-negative bacteria. Structural analysis suggests that ATP binding and hydrolysis cause conformational changes in SisPINA to drive branch migration. Further studies reveal that SisPINA interacts with SisHjc and coordinates HJ migration and cleavage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Regulated eukaryotic DNA replication origin firing with purified proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeeles, Joseph T P; Deegan, Tom D; Janska, Agnieszka; Early, Anne; Diffley, John F X

    2015-03-26

    Eukaryotic cells initiate DNA replication from multiple origins, which must be tightly regulated to promote precise genome duplication in every cell cycle. To accomplish this, initiation is partitioned into two temporally discrete steps: a double hexameric minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex is first loaded at replication origins during G1 phase, and then converted to the active CMG (Cdc45-MCM-GINS) helicase during S phase. Here we describe the reconstitution of budding yeast DNA replication initiation with 16 purified replication factors, made from 42 polypeptides. Origin-dependent initiation recapitulates regulation seen in vivo. Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibits MCM loading by phosphorylating the origin recognition complex (ORC) and promotes CMG formation by phosphorylating Sld2 and Sld3. Dbf4-dependent kinase (DDK) promotes replication by phosphorylating MCM, and can act either before or after CDK. These experiments define the minimum complement of proteins, protein kinase substrates and co-factors required for regulated eukaryotic DNA replication.

  3. Formation of a Trimeric Xpo1-Ran[GTP]-Ded1 Exportin Complex Modulates ATPase and Helicase Activities of Ded1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Glenn Hauk

    Full Text Available The DEAD-box RNA helicase Ded1, which is essential in yeast and known as DDX3 in humans, shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm and takes part in several basic processes including RNA processing and translation. A key interacting partner of Ded1 is the exportin Xpo1, which together with the GTP-bound state of the small GTPase Ran, facilitates unidirectional transport of Ded1 out of the nucleus. Here we demonstrate that Xpo1 and Ran[GTP] together reduce the RNA-stimulated ATPase and helicase activities of Ded1. Binding and inhibition of Ded1 by Xpo1 depend on the affinity of the Ded1 nuclear export sequence (NES for Xpo1 and the presence of Ran[GTP]. Association with Xpo1/Ran[GTP] reduces RNA-stimulated ATPase activity of Ded1 by increasing the apparent KM for the RNA substrate. Despite the increased KM, the Ded1:Xpo1:Ran[GTP] ternary complex retains the ability to bind single stranded RNA, suggesting that Xpo1/Ran[GTP] may modulate the substrate specificity of Ded1. These results demonstrate that, in addition to transport, exportins such as Xpo1 also have the capability to alter enzymatic activities of their cargo.

  4. Chl1 DNA helicase regulates Scc2 deposition specifically during DNA-replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soumya Rudra

    Full Text Available The conserved family of cohesin proteins that mediate sister chromatid cohesion requires Scc2, Scc4 for chromatin-association and Eco1/Ctf7 for conversion to a tethering competent state. A popular model, based on the notion that cohesins form huge ring-like structures, is that Scc2, Scc4 function is essential only during G1 such that sister chromatid cohesion results simply from DNA replisome passage through pre-loaded cohesin rings. In such a scenario, cohesin deposition during G1 is temporally uncoupled from Eco1-dependent establishment reactions that occur during S-phase. Chl1 DNA helicase (homolog of human ChlR1/DDX11 and BACH1/BRIP1/FANCJ helicases implicated in Fanconi anemia, breast and ovarian cancer and Warsaw Breakage Syndrome plays a critical role in sister chromatid cohesion, however, the mechanism through which Chl1 promotes cohesion remains poorly understood. Here, we report that Chl1 promotes Scc2 loading unto DNA such that both Scc2 and cohesin enrichment to chromatin are defective in chl1 mutant cells. The results further show that both Chl1 expression and chromatin-recruitment are tightly regulated through the cell cycle, peaking during S-phase. Importantly, kinetic ChIP studies reveals that Chl1 is required for Scc2 chromatin-association specifically during S-phase, but not during G1. Despite normal chromatin enrichment of both Scc2 and cohesin during G1, chl1 mutant cells exhibit severe chromosome segregation and cohesion defects--revealing that G1-loaded cohesins is insufficient to promote cohesion. Based on these findings, we propose a new model wherein S-phase cohesin loading occurs during DNA replication and in concert with both cohesion establishment and chromatin assembly reactions--challenging the notion that DNA replication fork navigates through or around pre-loaded cohesin rings.

  5. Mycobacterial UvrD1 is a Ku-dependent DNA helicase that plays a role in multiple DNA repair events, including double-strand break repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Krishna Murari; Stephanou, Nicolas C; Gao, Feng; Glickman, Michael S; Shuman, Stewart

    2007-05-18

    Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other bacterial pathogens have a Ku-dependent nonhomologous end joining pathway of DNA double-strand break repair. Here we identify mycobacterial UvrD1 as a novel interaction partner for Ku in a genome-wide yeast two-hybrid screen. UvrD1 per se is a vigorous DNA-dependent ATPase but a feeble DNA helicase. Ku stimulates UvrD1 to catalyze ATP-dependent unwinding of 3'-tailed DNAs. UvrD1, Ku, and DNA form a stable ternary complex in the absence of ATP. The Ku binding determinants are located in the distinctive C-terminal segment of UvrD1. A second mycobacterial paralog, UvrD2, is a vigorous Ku-independent DNA helicase. Ablation of UvrD1 sensitizes Mycobacterium smegmatis to killing by ultraviolet and ionizing radiation and to a single chromosomal break generated by I-SceI endonuclease. The physical and functional interactions of bacterial Ku and UvrD1 highlight the potential for cross-talk between components of nonhomologous end joining and nucleotide excision repair pathways.

  6. Cyclosporin A associated helicase-like protein facilitates the association of hepatitis C virus RNA polymerase with its cellular cyclophilin B.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kengo Morohashi

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cyclosporin A (CsA is well known as an immunosuppressive drug useful for allogeneic transplantation. It has been reported that CsA inhibits hepatitis C virus (HCV genome replication, which indicates that cellular targets of CsA regulate the viral replication. However, the regulation mechanisms of HCV replication governed by CsA target proteins have not been fully understood. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we show a chemical biology approach that elucidates a novel mechanism of HCV replication. We developed a phage display screening to investigate compound-peptide interaction and identified a novel cellular target molecule of CsA. This protein, named CsA associated helicase-like protein (CAHL, possessed RNA-dependent ATPase activity that was negated by treatment with CsA. The downregulation of CAHL in the cells resulted in a decrease of HCV genome replication. CAHL formed a complex with HCV-derived RNA polymerase NS5B and host-derived cyclophilin B (CyPB, known as a cellular cofactor for HCV replication, to regulate NS5B-CyPB interaction. CONCLUSIONS: We found a cellular factor, CAHL, as CsA associated helicase-like protein, which would form trimer complex with CyPB and NS5B of HCV. The strategy using a chemical compound and identifying its target molecule by our phage display analysis is useful to reveal a novel mechanism underlying cellular and viral physiology.

  7. Cyclosporin A associated helicase-like protein facilitates the association of hepatitis C virus RNA polymerase with its cellular cyclophilin B.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morohashi, Kengo; Sahara, Hiroeki; Watashi, Koichi; Iwabata, Kazuki; Sunoki, Takashi; Kuramochi, Kouji; Takakusagi, Kaori; Miyashita, Hiroki; Sato, Noriyuki; Tanabe, Atsushi; Shimotohno, Kunitada; Kobayashi, Susumu; Sakaguchi, Kengo; Sugawara, Fumio

    2011-04-29

    Cyclosporin A (CsA) is well known as an immunosuppressive drug useful for allogeneic transplantation. It has been reported that CsA inhibits hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome replication, which indicates that cellular targets of CsA regulate the viral replication. However, the regulation mechanisms of HCV replication governed by CsA target proteins have not been fully understood. Here we show a chemical biology approach that elucidates a novel mechanism of HCV replication. We developed a phage display screening to investigate compound-peptide interaction and identified a novel cellular target molecule of CsA. This protein, named CsA associated helicase-like protein (CAHL), possessed RNA-dependent ATPase activity that was negated by treatment with CsA. The downregulation of CAHL in the cells resulted in a decrease of HCV genome replication. CAHL formed a complex with HCV-derived RNA polymerase NS5B and host-derived cyclophilin B (CyPB), known as a cellular cofactor for HCV replication, to regulate NS5B-CyPB interaction. We found a cellular factor, CAHL, as CsA associated helicase-like protein, which would form trimer complex with CyPB and NS5B of HCV. The strategy using a chemical compound and identifying its target molecule by our phage display analysis is useful to reveal a novel mechanism underlying cellular and viral physiology.

  8. DndEi Exhibits Helicase Activity Essential for DNA Phosphorothioate Modification and ATPase Activity Strongly Stimulated by DNA Substrate with a GAAC/GTTC Motif.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Tao; Jiang, Pan; Cao, Bo; Cheng, Qiuxiang; Kong, Lingxin; Zheng, Xiaoqing; Hu, Qinghai; You, Delin

    2016-01-15

    Phosphorothioate (PT) modification of DNA, in which the non-bridging oxygen of the backbone phosphate group is replaced by sulfur, is governed by the DndA-E proteins in prokaryotes. To better understand the biochemical mechanism of PT modification, functional analysis of the recently found PT-modifying enzyme DndEi, which has an additional domain compared with canonical DndE, from Riemerella anatipestifer is performed in this study. The additional domain is identified as a DNA helicase, and functional deletion of this domain in vivo leads to PT modification deficiency, indicating an essential role of helicase activity in PT modification. Subsequent analysis reveals that the additional domain has an ATPase activity. Intriguingly, the ATPase activity is strongly stimulated by DNA substrate containing a GAAC/GTTC motif (i.e. the motif at which PT modifications occur in R. anatipestifer) when the additional domain and the other domain (homologous to canonical DndE) are co-expressed as a full-length DndEi. These results reveal that PT modification is a biochemical process with DNA strand separation and intense ATP hydrolysis. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  9. Cdc45 (cell division cycle protein 45) guards the gate of the Eukaryote Replisome helicase stabilizing leading strand engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petojevic, Tatjana; Pesavento, James J.; Costa, Alessandro; Liang, Jingdan; Wang, Zhijun; Berger, James M.; Botchan, Michael R.

    2015-01-01

    DNA replication licensing is now understood to be the pathway that leads to the assembly of double hexamers of minichromosome maintenance (Mcm2–7) at origin sites. Cell division control protein 45 (Cdc45) and GINS proteins activate the latent Mcm2–7 helicase by inducing allosteric changes through binding, forming a Cdc45/Mcm2-7/GINS (CMG) complex that is competent to unwind duplex DNA. The CMG has an active gate between subunits Mcm2 and Mcm5 that opens and closes in response to nucleotide binding. The consequences of inappropriate Mcm2/5 gate actuation and the role of a side channel formed between GINS/Cdc45 and the outer edge of the Mcm2–7 ring for unwinding have remained unexplored. Here we uncover a novel function for Cdc45. Cross-linking studies trace the path of the DNA with the CMG complex at a fork junction between duplex and single strands with the bound CMG in an open or closed gate conformation. In the closed state, the lagging strand does not pass through the side channel, but in the open state, the leading strand surprisingly interacts with Cdc45. Mutations in the recombination protein J fold of Cdc45 that ablate this interaction diminish helicase activity. These data indicate that Cdc45 serves as a shield to guard against occasional slippage of the leading strand from the core channel. PMID:25561522

  10. Retinitis Pigmentosa Mutations in Bad Response to Refrigeration 2 (Brr2) Impair ATPase and Helicase Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ledoux, Sarah; Guthrie, Christine

    2016-06-03

    Brr2 is an RNA-dependent ATPase required to unwind the U4/U6 snRNA duplex during spliceosome assembly. Mutations within the ratchet helix of the Brr2 RNA binding channel result in a form of degenerative human blindness known as retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The biochemical consequences of these mutations on Brr2's RNA binding, helicase, and ATPase activity have not yet been characterized. Therefore, we identified the largest construct of Brr2 that is soluble in vitro, which truncates the first 247 amino acids of the N terminus (Δ247-Brr2), to characterize the effects of the RP mutations on Brr2 activity. The Δ247-Brr2 RP mutants exhibit a gradient of severity of weakened RNA binding, reduced helicase activity, and reduced ATPase activity compared with wild type Δ247-Brr2. The globular C-terminal Jab1/Mpn1-like domain of Prp8 increases the ability of Δ247-Brr2 to bind the U4/U6 snRNA duplex at high pH and increases Δ247-Brr2's RNA-dependent ATPase activity and the extent of RNA unwinding. However, this domain of Prp8 does not differentially affect the Δ247-Brr2 RP mutants compared with the wild type Δ247-Brr2. When stimulated by Prp8, wild type Δ247-Brr2 is able to unwind long stable duplexes in vitro, and even the RP mutants capable of binding RNA with tight affinity are incapable of fully unwinding short duplex RNAs. Our data suggest that the RP mutations within the ratchet helix impair Brr2 translocation through RNA helices. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  11. RECQ5 Helicase Cooperates with MUS81 Endonuclease in Processing Stalled Replication Forks at Common Fragile Sites during Mitosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Di Marco, Stefano; Hasanova, Zdenka; Kanagaraj, Radhakrishnan

    2017-01-01

    The MUS81-EME1 endonuclease cleaves late replication intermediates at common fragile sites (CFSs) during early mitosis to trigger DNA-repair synthesis that ensures faithful chromosome segregation. Here, we show that these DNA transactions are promoted by RECQ5 DNA helicase in a manner dependent...... on its Ser727 phosphorylation by CDK1. Upon replication stress, RECQ5 associates with CFSs in early mitosis through its physical interaction with MUS81 and promotes MUS81-dependent mitotic DNA synthesis. RECQ5 depletion or mutational inactivation of its ATP-binding site, RAD51-interacting domain...

  12. RECQ HELICASE RECQL4 PARTICIPATES IN NON-HOMOLOGOUS END JOINING AND INTERACTS WITH THE KU COMPLEX

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shamanna, Raghavendra A; Singh, Dharmendra Kumar; Lu, Huiming

    2014-01-01

    -irradiation and resulted in accumulation of 53BP1 foci after irradiation, indicating defects in the processing of DSB. We find that RECQL4 interacts with the Ku70/Ku80 heterodimer, part of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) complex, via its N-terminal domain. Further, RECQL4 stimulates higher order DNA binding...... of Ku70/Ku80 to a blunt end DNA substrate. Taken together, these results implicate that RECQL4 participates in the NHEJ pathway of DSB repair via a functional interaction with the Ku70/Ku80 complex. This is the first study to provide both in vitro and in vivo evidence for a role of a RecQ helicase...

  13. The rem mutations in the ATP-binding groove of the Rad3/XPD helicase lead to Xeroderma pigmentosum-Cockayne syndrome-like phenotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrera-Moyano, Emilia; Moriel-Carretero, María; Montelone, Beth A; Aguilera, Andrés

    2014-12-01

    The eukaryotic TFIIH complex is involved in Nucleotide Excision Repair and transcription initiation. We analyzed three yeast mutations of the Rad3/XPD helicase of TFIIH known as rem (recombination and mutation phenotypes). We found that, in these mutants, incomplete NER reactions lead to replication fork breaking and the subsequent engagement of the homologous recombination machinery to restore them. Nevertheless, the penetrance varies among mutants, giving rise to a phenotype gradient. Interestingly, the mutations analyzed reside at the ATP-binding groove of Rad3 and in vivo experiments reveal a gain of DNA affinity upon damage of the mutant Rad3 proteins. Since mutations at the ATP-binding groove of XPD in humans are present in the Xeroderma pigmentosum-Cockayne Syndrome (XP-CS), we recreated rem mutations in human cells, and found that these are XP-CS-like. We propose that the balance between the loss of helicase activity and the gain of DNA affinity controls the capacity of TFIIH to open DNA during NER, and its persistence at both DNA lesions and promoters. This conditions NER efficiency and transcription resumption after damage, which in human cells would explain the XP-CS phenotype, opening new perspectives to understand the molecular basis of the role of XPD in human disease.

  14. Synthesis and SAR studies of 5-(pyridin-4-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine derivatives as potent inhibitors of Bloom helicase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rosenthal, Andrew S; Dexheimer, Thomas S; Gileadi, Opher

    2013-01-01

    complementary strands of duplex DNA as well as atypical DNA structures such as Holliday junctions. Mutations of the BLM gene can result in Bloom syndrome, an autosomal recessive disorder associated with cancer predisposition. BLM-deficient cells exhibit increased sensitivity to DNA damaging agents indicating...... and related analogs, which possess potent BLM inhibition and exhibit selectivity over related helicases. Moreover, these compounds demonstrated cellular activity by inducing sister chromatid exchanges, a hallmark of Bloom syndrome....

  15. DNA structure modulates the oligomerization properties of the AAV initiator protein Rep68.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Mansilla-Soto

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Rep68 is a multifunctional protein of the adeno-associated virus (AAV, a parvovirus that is mostly known for its promise as a gene therapy vector. In addition to its role as initiator in viral DNA replication, Rep68 is essential for site-specific integration of the AAV genome into human chromosome 19. Rep68 is a member of the superfamily 3 (SF3 helicases, along with the well-studied initiator proteins simian virus 40 large T antigen (SV40-LTag and bovine papillomavirus (BPV E1. Structurally, SF3 helicases share two domains, a DNA origin interaction domain (OID and an AAA(+ motor domain. The AAA(+ motor domain is also a structural feature of cellular initiators and it functions as a platform for initiator oligomerization. Here, we studied Rep68 oligomerization in vitro in the presence of different DNA substrates using a variety of biophysical techniques and cryo-EM. We found that a dsDNA region of the AAV origin promotes the formation of a complex containing five Rep68 subunits. Interestingly, non-specific ssDNA promotes the formation of a double-ring Rep68, a known structure formed by the LTag and E1 initiator proteins. The Rep68 ring symmetry is 8-fold, thus differing from the hexameric rings formed by the other SF3 helicases. However, similiar to LTag and E1, Rep68 rings are oriented head-to-head, suggesting that DNA unwinding by the complex proceeds bidirectionally. This novel Rep68 quaternary structure requires both the DNA binding and AAA(+ domains, indicating cooperativity between these regions during oligomerization in vitro. Our study clearly demonstrates that Rep68 can oligomerize through two distinct oligomerization pathways, which depend on both the DNA structure and cooperativity of Rep68 domains. These findings provide insight into the dynamics and oligomeric adaptability of Rep68 and serve as a step towards understanding the role of this multifunctional protein during AAV DNA replication and site-specific integration.

  16. The UL5 and UL52 subunits of the herpes simplex virus type 1 helicase-primase subcomplex exhibit a complex interdependence for DNA binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biswas, N; Weller, S K

    2001-05-18

    Herpes simplex virus type 1 encodes a heterotrimeric helicase-primase complex composed of the products of the UL5, UL52, and UL8 genes. The UL5 protein contains seven motifs found in all members of helicase Superfamily 1 (SF1), and the UL52 protein contains several conserved motifs found in primases; however, the contributions of each subunit to the biochemical activities of the subcomplex are not clear. In this work, the DNA binding properties of wild type and mutant subcomplexes were examined using single-stranded, duplex, and forked substrates. A gel mobility shift assay indicated that the UL5-UL52 subcomplex binds more efficiently to the forked substrate than to either single strand or duplex DNA. Although nucleotides are not absolutely required for DNA binding, ADP stimulated the binding of UL5-UL52 to single strand DNA whereas ATP, ADP, and adenosine 5'-O-(thiotriphosphate) stimulated the binding to a forked substrate. We have previously shown that both subunits contact single-stranded DNA in a photocross-linking assay (Biswas, N., and Weller, S. K. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 8068-8076). In this study, photocross-linking assays with forked substrates indicate that the UL5 and UL52 subunits contact the forked substrates at different positions, UL52 at the single-stranded DNA tail and UL5 near the junction between single-stranded and double-stranded DNA. Neither subunit was able to cross-link a forked substrate when 5-iododeoxyuridine was located within the duplex portion. Photocross-linking experiments with subcomplexes containing mutant versions of UL5 and wild type UL52 indicated that the integrity of the ATP binding region is important for DNA binding of both subunits. These results support our previous proposal that UL5 and UL52 exhibit a complex interdependence for DNA binding (Biswas, N., and Weller, S. K. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 8068-8076) and indicate that the UL52 subunit may play a more active role in helicase activity than had previously been

  17. Antiviral drug resistance and helicase-primase inhibitors of herpes simplex virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Field, Hugh J; Biswas, Subhajit

    2011-02-01

    A new class of chemical inhibitors has been discovered that interferes with the process of herpesvirus DNA replication. To date, the majority of useful herpesvirus antivirals are nucleoside analogues that block herpesvirus DNA replication by targeting the DNA polymerase. The new helicase-primase inhibitors (HPI) target a different enzyme complex that is also essential for herpesvirus DNA replication. This review will place the HPI in the context of previous work on the nucleoside analogues. Several promising highly potent HPI will be described with a particular focus on the identification of drug-resistance mutations. Several HPI have good pharmacological profiles and are now at the outset of phase II clinical trials. Provided there are no safety issues to stop their progress, this new class of compound will be a major advance in the herpesvirus antiviral field. Furthermore, HPI are likely to have a major impact on the therapy and prevention of herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients alone or in combination with current nucleoside analogues. The possibility of acquired drug-resistance to HPI will then become an issue of great practical importance. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. RTEL1 is a replisome-associated helicase that promotes telomere and genome-wide replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vannier, Jean-Baptiste; Sandhu, Sumit; Petalcorin, Mark I R; Wu, Xiaoli; Nabi, Zinnatun; Ding, Hao; Boulton, Simon J

    2013-10-11

    Regulator of telomere length 1 (RTEL1) is an essential DNA helicase that disassembles telomere loops (T loops) and suppresses telomere fragility to maintain the integrity of chromosome ends. We established that RTEL1 also associates with the replisome through binding to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Mouse cells disrupted for the RTEL1-PCNA interaction (PIP mutant) exhibited accelerated senescence, replication fork instability, reduced replication fork extension rates, and increased origin usage. Although T-loop disassembly at telomeres was unaffected in the mutant cells, telomere replication was compromised, leading to fragile sites at telomeres. RTEL1-PIP mutant mice were viable, but loss of the RTEL1-PCNA interaction accelerated the onset of tumorigenesis in p53-deficient mice. We propose that RTEL1 plays a critical role in both telomere and genome-wide replication, which is crucial for genetic stability and tumor avoidance.

  19. Enterovirus Exposure Uniquely Discriminates Type 1 Diabetes Patients with a Homozygous from a Heterozygous Melanoma Differentiation-Associated Protein 5/Interferon Induced with Helicase C Domain 1 A946T Genotype

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schulte, B.M.; Gielen, P.R.; Kers-Rebel, E.D.; Prosser, A.C.; Lind, K.; Flodstrom-Tullberg, M.; Tack, C.J.J.; Elving, L.D.; Adema, G.J.

    2016-01-01

    In children at risk for type 1 diabetes, innate immune activity is detected before seroconversion. Enterovirus infections have been linked to diabetes development, and a polymorphism (A946T) in the innate immune sensor recognizing enterovirus RNA, interferon-induced with helicase C domain 1/melanoma

  20. A Novel Rrm3 Function in Restricting DNA Replication via an Orc5-Binding Domain Is Genetically Separable from Rrm3 Function as an ATPase/Helicase in Facilitating Fork Progression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Syed, Salahuddin; Madsen, Claus Desler; Rasmussen, Lene J.

    2016-01-01

    hydroxyurea. This novel Rrm3 function is independent of its established role as an ATPase/helicase in facilitating replication fork progression through polymerase blocking obstacles. Using quantitative mass spectrometry and genetic analyses, we find that the homologous recombination factor Rdh54 and Rad5...

  1. DNA2 cooperates with the WRN and BLM RecQ helicases to mediate long-range DNA end resection in human cells

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Sturzenegger, A.; Burdová, Kamila; Kanagaraj, R.; Levikova, M.; Pinto, C.; Cejka, P.; Janščák, Pavel

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 289, č. 39 (2014), s. 27314-27326 ISSN 0021-9258 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP305/10/0281 Grant - others:Swiss National Science Foundation(CH) 31003A-129747; Swiss National Science Foundation(CH) 31003A_146206; Swiss National Science Foundation(CH) PP00P3 133636; University of Zurich(CH) FK-13-098 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : DNA Damage * DNA Helicase * DNA Recombination * DNA Repair * Genomic Instability * RecQ Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.573, year: 2014

  2. Helicase Dependent Isothermal Amplification of DNA and RNA using Self-Avoiding Molecular Recognition Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zunyi; McLendon, Chris; Hutter, Daniel; Bradley, Kevin M.; Hoshika, Shuichi; Frye, Carole; Benner, Steven A.

    2015-01-01

    Assays that target DNA or RNA (xNA) are highly sensitive, as small amounts of xNA can be amplified by PCR. Unfortunately, PCR is inconvenient in low resource environments, requiring equipment and power that may not be available in these environments. However, isothermal procedures that avoid thermal cycling are often confounded by primer dimers, off-target priming, and other artifacts. Here, we show how a “self avoiding molecular recognition system” (SAMRS) eliminates these artifacts to give clean amplicons in a helicase-dependent isothermal amplification (SAMRS-HDA). We also show that incorporating SAMRS into the 3′-ends of primers facilitates the design and screening of primers for HDA assays. Finally, we show that SAMRS-HDA can be twofold multiplexed, something difficult to achieve with HDA using standard primers. This shows that SAMRS-HDA is a more versatile approach than standard HDA with a broader applicability for xNA-targeted diagnostics and research. PMID:25953623

  3. Helicase-primase inhibitor amenamevir for herpesvirus infection: Towards practical application for treating herpes zoster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiraki, K

    2017-11-01

    Valacyclovir and famciclovir enabled successful systemic therapy for treating herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection by their phosphorylation with viral thymidine kinase. Helicase-primase inhibitors (HPIs) inhibit the progression of the replication fork, an initial step in DNA synthesis to separate the double strand into two single strands. The HPIs amenamevir and pritelivir have a novel mechanism of action, once-daily administration with nonrenal excretory characteristics, and clinical efficacy for genital herpes. Amenamevir exhibits anti-VZV and anti-HSV activity while pritelivir only has anti-HSV activity. A clinical trial of amenamevir for herpes zoster has been completed, and amenamevir has been licensed and successfully used in 20,000 patients with herpes zoster so far in Japan. We have characterized the features of the antiviral action of amenamevir and, unlike acyclovir, the drug's antiviral activity is not influenced by the viral replication cycle. Amenamevir is opening a new era of antiherpes therapy. Copyright 2017 Clarivate Analytics.

  4. Association between regulator of telomere elongation helicase1 (RTEL1) gene and HAPE risk

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rong, Hao; He, Xue; Zhu, Linhao; Zhu, Xikai; Kang, Longli; Wang, Li; He, Yongjun; Yuan, Dongya; Jin, Tianbo

    2017-01-01

    Abstract High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a paradigm of pulmonary edema. Mutations in regulator of telomere elongation helicase1 (RTEL1) represent an important contributor to risk for pulmonary fibrosis. However, little information is found about the association between RTEL1 and HAPE risk. The present study was undertaken to tentatively explore the potential relation between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in RTEL1 and HAPE risk in Chinese Han population. A total of 265 HAPE patients and 303 healthy controls were included in our case-control study. Four SNPs in RTEL1 were selected and genotyped using the Sequenom MassARRAY method. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated by unconditional logistic regression with adjustment for gender and age. All P values were Bonferroni corrected, and statistical significance was set at P RTEL1 and a decreased risk HAPE in the Chinese population. The results need further confirmation. PMID:28953687

  5. RNA helicase A is not required for RISC activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Xue-Hai; Crooke, Stanley T

    2013-10-01

    It has been shown that siRNAs can compete with each other or with endogenous miRNAs for RISC components. This competition may complicate the interpretations of phenotypes observed through siRNA-mediated knockdown of genes, especially those genes implicated in the RISC pathway. In this study, we re-examined the function of RNA helicase A (RHA), which has been previously proposed to function in RISC loading based on siRNA-mediated knockdown studies. Here we show that reduced RISC activity or loading of siRNAs was observed only in cells depleted of RHA using siRNA, but not using RNaseH-dependent antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), suggesting that the impaired RISC function stems from the competition between pre-existing and newly transfected siRNAs, but not from reduction of the RHA protein. This view is further supported by the findings that cells depleted of a control protein, NCL1, using siRNA, but not ASO, exhibited similar defects on the loading and activity of a subsequently transfected siRNA. Transfection of RHA or NCL1 siRNAs, but not ASOs, reduced the levels of endogenous miRNAs, suggesting a competition mechanism. As a positive control, we showed that reduction of MOV10 by either siRNA or ASO decreased siRNA activity, confirming its role in RISC function. Together, our results indicate that RHA is not required for RISC activity or loading, and suggest that proper controls are required when using siRNAs to functionalize genes to avoid competition effects. © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Disintegration of cruciform and G-quadruplex structures during the course of helicase-dependent amplification (HDA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Dawei; Lv, Bei; Zhang, Hao; Lee, Jasmine Yiqin; Li, Tianhu

    2015-04-15

    Unlike chemical damages on DNA, physical alterations of B-form of DNA occur commonly in organisms that serve as signals for specified cellular events. Although the modes of action for repairing of chemically damaged DNA have been well studied nowadays, the repairing mechanisms for physically altered DNA structures have not yet been understood. Our current in vitro studies show that both breakdown of stable non-B DNA structures and resumption of canonical B-conformation of DNA can take place during the courses of isothermal helicase-dependent amplification (HDA). The pathway that makes the non-B DNA structures repairable is presumably the relieving of the accumulated torsional stress that was caused by the positive supercoiling. Our new findings suggest that living organisms might have evolved this distinct and economical pathway for repairing their physically altered DNA structures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Human regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1) is required for the nuclear and cytoplasmic trafficking of pre-U2 RNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schertzer, Michael; Jouravleva, Karina; Perderiset, Mylene; Dingli, Florent; Loew, Damarys; Le Guen, Tangui; Bardoni, Barbara; de Villartay, Jean-Pierre; Revy, Patrick; Londoño-Vallejo, Arturo

    2015-02-18

    Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS) is a severe form of Dyskeratosis congenita characterized by developmental defects, bone marrow failure and immunodeficiency and has been associated with telomere dysfunction. Recently, mutations in Regulator of Telomere ELongation helicase 1 (RTEL1), a helicase first identified in Mus musculus as being responsible for the maintenance of long telomeres, have been identified in several HHS patients. Here we show that RTEL1 is required for the export and the correct cytoplasmic trafficking of the small nuclear (sn) RNA pre-U2, a component of the major spliceosome complex. RTEL1-HHS cells show abnormal subcellular partitioning of pre-U2, defects in the recycling of ribonucleotide proteins (RNP) in the cytoplasm and splicing defects. While most of these phenotypes can be suppressed by re-expressing the wild-type protein in RTEL1-HHS cells, expression of RTEL1 mutated variants in immortalized cells provokes cytoplasmic mislocalizations of pre-U2 and other RNP components, as well as splicing defects, thus phenocopying RTEL1-HHS cellular defects. Strikingly, expression of a cytoplasmic form of RTEL1 is sufficient to correct RNP mislocalizations both in RTEL1-HHS cells and in cells expressing nuclear mutated forms of RTEL1. This work unravels completely unanticipated roles for RTEL1 in RNP trafficking and strongly suggests that defects in RNP biogenesis pathways contribute to the pathology of HHS. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  8. Single-cell multiple gene expression analysis based on single-molecule-detection microarray assay for multi-DNA determination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Lu [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Wang, Xianwei [School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Zhang, Xiaoli [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Wang, Jinxing [School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Jin, Wenrui, E-mail: jwr@sdu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China)

    2015-01-07

    Highlights: • A single-molecule-detection (SMD) microarray for 10 samples is fabricated. • The based-SMD microarray assay (SMA) can determine 8 DNAs for each sample. • The limit of detection of SMA is as low as 1.3 × 10{sup −16} mol L{sup −1}. • The SMA can be applied in single-cell multiple gene expression analysis. - Abstract: We report a novel ultra-sensitive and high-selective single-molecule-detection microarray assay (SMA) for multiple DNA determination. In the SMA, a capture DNA (DNAc) microarray consisting of 10 subarrays with 9 spots for each subarray is fabricated on a silanized glass coverslip as the substrate. On the subarrays, the spot-to-spot spacing is 500 μm and each spot has a diameter of ∼300 μm. The sequence of the DNAcs on the 9 spots of a subarray is different, to determine 8 types of target DNAs (DNAts). Thus, 8 types of DNAts are captured to their complementary DNAcs at 8 spots of a subarray, respectively, and then labeled with quantum dots (QDs) attached to 8 types of detection DNAs (DNAds) with different sequences. The ninth spot is used to detect the blank value. In order to determine the same 8 types of DNAts in 10 samples, the 10 DNAc-modified subarrays on the microarray are identical. Fluorescence single-molecule images of the QD-labeled DNAts on each spot of the subarray are acquired using a home-made single-molecule microarray reader. The amounts of the DNAts are quantified by counting the bright dots from the QDs. For a microarray, 8 types of DNAts in 10 samples can be quantified in parallel. The limit of detection of the SMA for DNA determination is as low as 1.3 × 10{sup −16} mol L{sup −1}. The SMA for multi-DNA determination can also be applied in single-cell multiple gene expression analysis through quantification of complementary DNAs (cDNAs) corresponding to multiple messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in single cells. To do so, total RNA in single cells is extracted and reversely transcribed into their cDNAs. Three

  9. Structure of a Novel DNA-binding Domain of Helicase-like Transcription Factor (HLTF) and Its Functional Implication in DNA Damage Tolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hishiki, Asami; Hara, Kodai; Ikegaya, Yuzu; Yokoyama, Hideshi; Shimizu, Toshiyuki; Sato, Mamoru; Hashimoto, Hiroshi

    2015-05-22

    HLTF (helicase-like transcription factor) is a yeast RAD5 homolog found in mammals. HLTF has E3 ubiquitin ligase and DNA helicase activities, and plays a pivotal role in the template-switching pathway of DNA damage tolerance. HLTF has an N-terminal domain that has been designated the HIRAN (HIP116 and RAD5 N-terminal) domain. The HIRAN domain has been hypothesized to play a role in DNA binding; however, the structural basis of, and functional evidence for, the HIRAN domain in DNA binding has remained unclear. Here we show for the first time the crystal structure of the HIRAN domain of human HLTF in complex with DNA. The HIRAN domain is composed of six β-strands and two α-helices, forming an OB-fold structure frequently found in ssDNA-binding proteins, including in replication factor A (RPA). Interestingly, this study reveals that the HIRAN domain interacts with not only with a single-stranded DNA but also with a duplex DNA. Furthermore, the structure unexpectedly clarifies that the HIRAN domain specifically recognizes the 3'-end of DNA. These results suggest that the HIRAN domain functions as a sensor to the 3'-end of the primer strand at the stalled replication fork and that the domain facilitates fork regression. HLTF is recruited to a damaged site through the HIRAN domain at the stalled replication fork. Furthermore, our results have implications for the mechanism of template switching. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  10. MCM-BP regulates unloading of the MCM2–7 helicase in late S phase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishiyama, Atsuya; Frappier, Lori; Méchali, Marcel

    2011-01-01

    Origins of DNA replication are licensed by recruiting MCM2–7 to assemble the prereplicative complex (pre-RC). How MCM2–7 is inactivated or removed from chromatin at the end of S phase is still unclear. Here, we show that MCM-BP can disassemble the MCM2–7 complex and might function as an unloader of MCM2–7 from chromatin. In Xenopus egg extracts, MCM-BP exists in a stable complex with MCM7, but is not associated with the MCM2–7 hexameric complex. MCM-BP accumulates in nuclei in late S phase, well after the loading of MCM2–7 onto chromatin. MCM-BP immunodepletion in Xenopus egg extracts inhibits replication-dependent MCM dissociation without affecting pre-RC formation and DNA replication. When excess MCM-BP is incubated with Xenopus egg extracts or immunopurified MCM2–7, it binds to MCM proteins and promotes disassembly of the MCM2–7 complex. Recombinant MCM-BP also releases MCM2–7 from isolated late-S-phase chromatin, but this activity is abolished when DNA replication is blocked. MCM-BP silencing in human cells also delays MCM dissociation in late S phase. We propose that MCM-BP plays a key role in the mechanism by which pre-RC is cleared from replicated DNA in vertebrate cells. PMID:21196493

  11. Helicase-Dependent Isothermal Amplification of DNA and RNA by Using Self-Avoiding Molecular Recognition Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zunyi; McLendon, Chris; Hutter, Daniel; Bradley, Kevin M; Hoshika, Shuichi; Frye, Carole B; Benner, Steven A

    2015-06-15

    Assays that detect DNA or RNA (xNA) are highly sensitive, as small amounts of xNA can be amplified by PCR. Unfortunately, PCR is inconvenient in low-resource environments, and requires equipment and power that might not be available in these environments. Isothermal procedures, which avoid thermal cycling, are often confounded by primer dimers, off-target priming, and other artifacts. Here, we show how a "self avoiding molecular recognition system" (SAMRS) eliminates these artifacts and gives clean amplicons in a helicase-dependent isothermal amplification (SAMRS-HDA). We also show that incorporating SAMRS into the 3'-ends of primers facilitates the design and screening of primers for HDA assays. Finally, we show that SAMRS-HDA can be twofold multiplexed, difficult to achieve with HDA using standard primers. Thus, SAMRS-HDA is a more versatile approach than standard HDA, with a broader applicability for xNA-targeted diagnostics and research. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Pea p68, a DEAD-box helicase, provides salinity stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco by reducing oxidative stress and improving photosynthesis machinery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuteja, Narendra; Banu, Mst Sufara Akhter; Huda, Kazi Md Kamrul; Gill, Sarvajeet Singh; Jain, Parul; Pham, Xuan Hoi; Tuteja, Renu

    2014-01-01

    The DEAD-box helicases are required mostly in all aspects of RNA and DNA metabolism and they play a significant role in various abiotic stresses, including salinity. The p68 is an important member of the DEAD-box proteins family and, in animal system, it is involved in RNA metabolism including pre-RNA processing and splicing. In plant system, it has not been well characterized. Here we report the cloning and characterization of p68 from pea (Pisum sativum) and its novel function in salinity stress tolerance in plant. The pea p68 protein self-interacts and is localized in the cytosol as well as the surrounding of cell nucleus. The transcript of pea p68 is upregulated in response to high salinity stress in pea. Overexpression of p68 driven by constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus-35S promoter in tobacco transgenic plants confers enhanced tolerances to salinity stress by improving the growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant machinery. Under stress treatment, pea p68 overexpressing tobacco accumulated higher K+ and lower Na+ level than the wild-type plants. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation was remarkably regulated by the overexpression of pea p68 under salinity stress conditions, as shown from TBARS content, electrolyte leakage, hydrogen peroxide accumulation and 8-OHdG content and antioxidant enzyme activities. To the best of our knowledge this is the first direct report, which provides the novel function of pea p68 helicase in salinity stress tolerance. The results suggest that p68 can also be exploited for engineering abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants of economic importance.

  13. FBH1 helicase disrupts RAD51 filaments in vitro and modulates homologous recombination in mammalian cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simandlova, Jitka; Zagelbaum, Jennifer; Payne, Miranda J

    2013-01-01

    Efficient repair of DNA double strand breaks and interstrand cross-links requires the homologous recombination (HR) pathway, a potentially error-free process that utilizes a homologous sequence as a repair template. A key player in HR is RAD51, the eukaryotic ortholog of bacterial RecA protein. RAD......51 can polymerize on DNA to form a nucleoprotein filament that facilitates both the search for the homologous DNA sequences and the subsequent DNA strand invasion required to initiate HR. Because of its pivotal role in HR, RAD51 is subject to numerous positive and negative regulatory influences...... filaments on DNA through its ssDNA translocase function. Consistent with this, a mutant mouse embryonic stem cell line with a deletion in the FBH1 helicase domain fails to limit RAD51 chromatin association and shows hyper-recombination. Our data are consistent with FBH1 restraining RAD51 DNA binding under...

  14. Mycobacterium tuberculosis UvrB Is a Robust DNA-Stimulated ATPase That Also Possesses Structure-Specific ATP-Dependent DNA Helicase Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thakur, Manoj; Kumar, Mohan B J; Muniyappa, K

    2016-10-18

    Much is known about the Escherichia coli nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway; however, very little is understood about the proteins involved and the molecular mechanism of NER in mycobacteria. In this study, we show that Mycobacterium tuberculosis UvrB (MtUvrB), which exists in solution as a monomer, binds to DNA in a structure-dependent manner. A systematic examination of MtUvrB substrate specificity reveals that it associates preferentially with single-stranded DNA, duplexes with 3' or 5' overhangs, and linear duplex DNA with splayed arms. Whereas E. coli UvrB (EcUvrB) binds weakly to undamaged DNA and has no ATPase activity, MtUvrB possesses intrinsic ATPase activity that is greatly stimulated by both single- and double-stranded DNA. Strikingly, we found that MtUvrB, but not EcUvrB, possesses the DNA unwinding activity characteristic of an ATP-dependent DNA helicase. The helicase activity of MtUvrB proceeds in the 3' to 5' direction and is strongly modulated by a nontranslocating 5' single-stranded tail, indicating that in addition to the translocating strand it also interacts with the 5' end of the substrate. The fraction of DNA unwound by MtUvrB decreases significantly as the length of the duplex increases: it fails to unwind duplexes longer than 70 bp. These results, on one hand, reveal significant mechanistic differences between MtUvrB and EcUvrB and, on the other, support an alternative role for UvrB in the processing of key DNA replication intermediates. Altogether, our findings provide insights into the catalytic functions of UvrB and lay the foundation for further understanding of the NER pathway in M. tuberculosis.

  15. The AAA-ATPase NVL2 is a component of pre-ribosomal particles that interacts with the DExD/H-box RNA helicase DOB1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagahama, Masami; Yamazoe, Takeshi; Hara, Yoshimitsu; Tani, Katsuko; Tsuji, Akihiko; Tagaya, Mitsuo

    2006-01-01

    Nuclear VCP/p97-like protein 2 (NVL2) is a member of the chaperone-like AAA-ATPase family with two conserved ATP-binding modules. Our previous studies have shown that NVL2 is localized to the nucleolus by interacting with ribosomal protein L5 and may participate in ribosome synthesis, a process involving various non-ribosomal factors including chaperones and RNA helicases. Here, we show that NVL2 is associated with pre-ribosomal particles in the nucleus. Moreover, we used yeast two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation assays to identify an NVL2-interacting protein that could yield insights into NVL2 function in ribosome biogenesis. We found that NVL2 interacts with DOB1, a DExD/H-box RNA helicase, whose yeast homologue functions in a late stage of the 60S subunit synthesis. DOB1 can interact with a second ATP-binding module mutant of NVL2, which shows a dominant negative effect on ribosome synthesis. In contrast, it cannot interact with a first ATP-binding module mutant, which does not show the dominant negative effect. When the dominant negative mutant of NVL2 was overexpressed in cells, DOB1 appeared to remain associated with nuclear pre-ribosomal particles. Such accumulation was not observed upon overexpression of wild-type NVL2 or a nondominant-negative mutant. Taken together, our results suggest that NVL2 might regulate the association/dissociation reaction of DOB1 with pre-ribosomal particles by acting as a molecular chaperone

  16. DEAD-box helicase DDX27 regulates 3′ end formation of ribosomal 47S RNA and stably associates with the PeBoW-complex

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kellner, Markus; Rohrmoser, Michaela [Department of Molecular Epigenetics, Helmholtz Center Munich, Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Marchioninistr. 25, Munich 81377 (Germany); Forné, Ignasi [Adolf Butenandt Institute, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Schillerstr. 44, Munich 80336 (Germany); Voss, Kirsten; Burger, Kaspar; Mühl, Bastian; Gruber-Eber, Anita [Department of Molecular Epigenetics, Helmholtz Center Munich, Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Marchioninistr. 25, Munich 81377 (Germany); Kremmer, Elisabeth [Institute of Molecular Immunology, Helmholtz Center Munich, Marchioninistr. 25, Munich 81377 (Germany); Imhof, Axel [Adolf Butenandt Institute, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Schillerstr. 44, Munich 80336 (Germany); Eick, Dirk, E-mail: eick@helmholtz-muenchen.de [Department of Molecular Epigenetics, Helmholtz Center Munich, Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Marchioninistr. 25, Munich 81377 (Germany)

    2015-05-15

    PeBoW, a trimeric complex consisting of pescadillo (Pes1), block of proliferation (Bop1), and the WD repeat protein 12 (WDR12), is essential for processing and maturation of mammalian 5.8S and 28S ribosomal RNAs. Applying a mass spectrometric analysis, we identified the DEAD-box helicase DDX27 as stably associated factor of the PeBoW-complex. DDX27 interacts with the PeBoW-complex via an evolutionary conserved F×F motif in the N-terminal domain and is recruited to the nucleolus via its basic C-terminal domain. This recruitment is RNA-dependent and occurs independently of the PeBoW-complex. Interestingly, knockdown of DDX27, but not of Pes1, induces the accumulation of an extended form of the primary 47S rRNA. We conclude that DDX27 can interact specifically with the Pes1 and Bop1 but fulfils critical function(s) for proper 3′ end formation of 47S rRNA independently of the PeBoW-complex. - Highlights: • DEAD-box helicase DDX27 is a new constituent of the PeBoW-complex. • The N-terminal F×F motif of DDX27 interacts with the PeBoW components Pes1 and Bop1. • Nucleolar anchoring of DDX27 via its basic C-terminal domain is RNA dependent. • Knockdown of DDX27 induces a specific defect in 3′ end formation of 47S rRNA.

  17. Pea p68, a DEAD-box helicase, provides salinity stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco by reducing oxidative stress and improving photosynthesis machinery.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Narendra Tuteja

    Full Text Available The DEAD-box helicases are required mostly in all aspects of RNA and DNA metabolism and they play a significant role in various abiotic stresses, including salinity. The p68 is an important member of the DEAD-box proteins family and, in animal system, it is involved in RNA metabolism including pre-RNA processing and splicing. In plant system, it has not been well characterized. Here we report the cloning and characterization of p68 from pea (Pisum sativum and its novel function in salinity stress tolerance in plant.The pea p68 protein self-interacts and is localized in the cytosol as well as the surrounding of cell nucleus. The transcript of pea p68 is upregulated in response to high salinity stress in pea. Overexpression of p68 driven by constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus-35S promoter in tobacco transgenic plants confers enhanced tolerances to salinity stress by improving the growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant machinery. Under stress treatment, pea p68 overexpressing tobacco accumulated higher K+ and lower Na+ level than the wild-type plants. Reactive oxygen species (ROS accumulation was remarkably regulated by the overexpression of pea p68 under salinity stress conditions, as shown from TBARS content, electrolyte leakage, hydrogen peroxide accumulation and 8-OHdG content and antioxidant enzyme activities.To the best of our knowledge this is the first direct report, which provides the novel function of pea p68 helicase in salinity stress tolerance. The results suggest that p68 can also be exploited for engineering abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants of economic importance.

  18. HTLV-1 Tax plugs and freezes UPF1 helicase leading to nonsense-mediated mRNA decay inhibition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiorini, Francesca; Robin, Jean-Philippe; Kanaan, Joanne; Borowiak, Malgorzata; Croquette, Vincent; Le Hir, Hervé; Jalinot, Pierre; Mocquet, Vincent

    2018-01-30

    Up-Frameshift Suppressor 1 Homolog (UPF1) is a key factor for nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), a cellular process that can actively degrade mRNAs. Here, we study NMD inhibition during infection by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1) and characterise the influence of the retroviral Tax factor on UPF1 activity. Tax interacts with the central helicase core domain of UPF1 and might plug the RNA channel of UPF1, reducing its affinity for nucleic acids. Furthermore, using a single-molecule approach, we show that the sequential interaction of Tax with a RNA-bound UPF1 freezes UPF1: this latter is less sensitive to the presence of ATP and shows translocation defects, highlighting the importance of this feature for NMD. These mechanistic insights reveal how HTLV-1 hijacks the central component of NMD to ensure expression of its own genome.

  19. A Rad53 independent function of Rad9 becomes crucial for genome maintenance in the absence of the Recq helicase Sgs1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ida Nielsen

    Full Text Available The conserved family of RecQ DNA helicases consists of caretaker tumour suppressors, that defend genome integrity by acting on several pathways of DNA repair that maintain genome stability. In budding yeast, Sgs1 is the sole RecQ helicase and it has been implicated in checkpoint responses, replisome stability and dissolution of double Holliday junctions during homologous recombination. In this study we investigate a possible genetic interaction between SGS1 and RAD9 in the cellular response to methyl methane sulphonate (MMS induced damage and compare this with the genetic interaction between SGS1 and RAD24. The Rad9 protein, an adaptor for effector kinase activation, plays well-characterized roles in the DNA damage checkpoint response, whereas Rad24 is characterized as a sensor protein also in the DNA damage checkpoint response. Here we unveil novel insights into the cellular response to MMS-induced damage. Specifically, we show a strong synergistic functionality between SGS1 and RAD9 for recovery from MMS induced damage and for suppression of gross chromosomal rearrangements, which is not the case for SGS1 and RAD24. Intriguingly, it is a Rad53 independent function of Rad9, which becomes crucial for genome maintenance in the absence of Sgs1. Despite this, our dissection of the MMS checkpoint response reveals parallel, but unequal pathways for Rad53 activation and highlights significant differences between MMS- and hydroxyurea (HU-induced checkpoint responses with relation to the requirement of the Sgs1 interacting partner Topoisomerase III (Top3. Thus, whereas earlier studies have documented a Top3-independent role of Sgs1 for an HU-induced checkpoint response, we show here that upon MMS treatment, Sgs1 and Top3 together define a minor but parallel pathway to that of Rad9.

  20. Phosphopeptide binding by Sld3 links Dbf4-dependent kinase to MCM replicative helicase activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deegan, Tom D; Yeeles, Joseph Tp; Diffley, John Fx

    2016-05-02

    The initiation of eukaryotic DNA replication requires the assembly of active CMG (Cdc45-MCM-GINS) helicases at replication origins by a set of conserved and essential firing factors. This process is controlled during the cell cycle by cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) and Dbf4-dependent kinase (DDK), and in response to DNA damage by the checkpoint kinase Rad53/Chk1. Here we show that Sld3, previously shown to be an essential CDK and Rad53 substrate, is recruited to the inactive MCM double hexamer in a DDK-dependent manner. Sld3 binds specifically to DDK-phosphorylated peptides from two MCM subunits (Mcm4, 6) and then recruits Cdc45. MCM mutants that cannot bind Sld3 or Sld3 mutants that cannot bind phospho-MCM or Cdc45 do not support replication. Moreover, phosphomimicking mutants in Mcm4 and Mcm6 bind Sld3 without DDK and facilitate DDK-independent replication. Thus, Sld3 is an essential "reader" of DDK phosphorylation, integrating signals from three distinct protein kinase pathways to coordinate DNA replication during S phase. © 2016 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

  1. Association between regulator of telomere elongation helicase1 (RTEL1) gene and HAPE risk: A case-control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rong, Hao; He, Xue; Zhu, Linhao; Zhu, Xikai; Kang, Longli; Wang, Li; He, Yongjun; Yuan, Dongya; Jin, Tianbo

    2017-09-01

    High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a paradigm of pulmonary edema. Mutations in regulator of telomere elongation helicase1 (RTEL1) represent an important contributor to risk for pulmonary fibrosis. However, little information is found about the association between RTEL1 and HAPE risk. The present study was undertaken to tentatively explore the potential relation between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in RTEL1 and HAPE risk in Chinese Han population. A total of 265 HAPE patients and 303 healthy controls were included in our case-control study. Four SNPs in RTEL1 were selected and genotyped using the Sequenom MassARRAY method. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated by unconditional logistic regression with adjustment for gender and age. All P values were Bonferroni corrected, and statistical significance was set at P RTEL1 and a decreased risk HAPE in the Chinese population. The results need further confirmation.

  2. Structure of the SPRY domain of the human RNA helicase DDX1, a putative interaction platform within a DEAD-box protein

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kellner, Julian N.; Meinhart, Anton, E-mail: anton.meinhart@mpimf-heidelberg.mpg.de [Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany)

    2015-08-25

    The structure of the SPRY domain of the human RNA helicase DDX1 was determined at 2.0 Å resolution. The SPRY domain provides a putative protein–protein interaction platform within DDX1 that differs from other SPRY domains in its structure and conserved regions. The human RNA helicase DDX1 in the DEAD-box family plays an important role in RNA processing and has been associated with HIV-1 replication and tumour progression. Whereas previously described DEAD-box proteins have a structurally conserved core, DDX1 shows a unique structural feature: a large SPRY-domain insertion in its RecA-like consensus fold. SPRY domains are known to function as protein–protein interaction platforms. Here, the crystal structure of the SPRY domain of human DDX1 (hDSPRY) is reported at 2.0 Å resolution. The structure reveals two layers of concave, antiparallel β-sheets that stack onto each other and a third β-sheet beneath the β-sandwich. A comparison with SPRY-domain structures from other eukaryotic proteins showed that the general β-sandwich fold is conserved; however, differences were detected in the loop regions, which were identified in other SPRY domains to be essential for interaction with cognate partners. In contrast, in hDSPRY these loop regions are not strictly conserved across species. Interestingly, though, a conserved patch of positive surface charge is found that may replace the connecting loops as a protein–protein interaction surface. The data presented here comprise the first structural information on DDX1 and provide insights into the unique domain architecture of this DEAD-box protein. By providing the structure of a putative interaction domain of DDX1, this work will serve as a basis for further studies of the interaction network within the hetero-oligomeric complexes of DDX1 and of its recruitment to the HIV-1 Rev protein as a viral replication factor.

  3. Development of Reverse Transcription Thermostable Helicase-Dependent DNA Amplification for the Detection of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xinghai; Chen, Chanfa; Xiao, Xizhi; Deng, Ming Jun

    2016-11-01

    A protocol for the reverse transcription-helicase-dependent amplification (RT-HDA) of isothermal DNA was developed for the detection of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). Specific primers, which were based on the highly conserved region of the N gene sequence in TSWV, were used for the amplification of virus's RNA. The LOD of RT-HDA, reverse transcriptase-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays were conducted using 10-fold serial dilution of RNA eluates. TSWV sensitivity in RT-HDA and RT-LAMP was 4 pg RNA compared with 40 pg RNA in RT-PCR. The specificity of RT-HDA for TSWV was high, showing no cross-reactivity with other tomato and Tospovirus viruses including cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), tomato black ring virus (TBRV), tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), or impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV). The RT-HDA method is effective for the detection of TSWV in plant samples and is a potential tool for early and rapid detection of TSWV.

  4. Characterization of papillomavirus E1 helicase mutants defective for interaction with the SUMO-conjugating enzyme Ubc9

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fradet-Turcotte, Amelie; Brault, Karine; Titolo, Steve; Howley, Peter M.; Archambault, Jacques

    2009-01-01

    The E1 helicase from BPV and HPV16 interacts with Ubc9 to facilitate viral genome replication. We report that HPV11 E1 also interacts with Ubc9 in vitro and in the yeast two-hybrid system. Residues in E1 involved in oligomerization (353-435) were sufficient for binding to Ubc9 in vitro, but the origin-binding and ATPase domains were additionally required in yeast. Nuclear accumulation of BPV E1 was shown previously to depend on its interaction with Ubc9 and sumoylation on lysine 514. In contrast, HPV11 and HPV16 E1 mutants defective for Ubc9 binding remained nuclear even when the SUMO pathway was inhibited. Furthermore, we found that K514 in BPV E1 and the analogous K559 in HPV11 E1 are not essential for nuclear accumulation of E1. These results suggest that the interaction of E1 with Ubc9 is not essential for its nuclear accumulation but, rather, depends on its oligomerization and binding to DNA and ATP.

  5. Mcm3 replicative helicase mutation impairs neuroblast proliferation and memory in Drosophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blumröder, R; Glunz, A; Dunkelberger, B S; Serway, C N; Berger, C; Mentzel, B; de Belle, J S; Raabe, T

    2016-09-01

    In the developing Drosophila brain, a small number of neural progenitor cells (neuroblasts) generate in a co-ordinated manner a high variety of neuronal cells by integration of temporal, spatial and cell-intrinsic information. In this study, we performed the molecular and phenotypic characterization of a structural brain mutant called small mushroom bodies (smu), which was isolated in a screen for mutants with altered brain structure. Focusing on the mushroom body neuroblast lineages we show that failure of neuroblasts to generate the normal number of mushroom body neurons (Kenyon cells) is the major cause of the smu phenotype. In particular, the premature loss of mushroom body neuroblasts caused a pronounced effect on the number of late-born Kenyon cells. Neuroblasts showed no obvious defects in processes controlling asymmetric cell division, but generated less ganglion mother cells. Cloning of smu uncovered a single amino acid substitution in an evolutionarily conserved protein interaction domain of the Minichromosome maintenance 3 (Mcm3) protein. Mcm3 is part of the multimeric Cdc45/Mcm/GINS (CMG) complex, which functions as a helicase during DNA replication. We propose that at least in the case of mushroom body neuroblasts, timely replication is not only required for continuous proliferation but also for their survival. The absence of Kenyon cells in smu reduced learning and early phases of conditioned olfactory memory. Corresponding to the absence of late-born Kenyon cells projecting to α'/β' and α/β lobes, smu is profoundly defective in later phases of persistent memory. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

  6. Relationship between osteosarcoma and ionizing radiation hypersensitive human B lymphocyte cells lacking RecQL4 helicase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kohzaki, Masaoki; Moritake, Takashi; Okazaki, Ryuji; Ootsuyama, Akira

    2015-01-01

    Japanese society is now facing a transition period from aging society to super aging society. Concomitant with this situation, it is estimated that number of cancer patients and the requirement of less invasive Radiation Therapy (RT) for cancers will increase. Therefore, understanding of mechanisms without delay on second cancers caused by RT is indispensable. Osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone tumor frequently occurring 5% of cancers in young adult and children, increase statistically after RT for cancers. Although, mutation in p53, Rb and RecQL4 genes statistically relate with osteosarcoma incidence, precise mechanisms of osteosarcoma development by ionizing Radiation (IR) remain to be elucidated. Genome instability is one of the tumor promoting factors and we focused on RecQL4 in RecQ helicase family, which is involved in aging and cancer. We established RecQL4 knock-in human B lymphocyte Nalm-6 cells and found their hypersensitivity to IR, replication fork stall/collapses after IR. In this review, we summarize recently published studies on genetic cancer-predisposing syndrome and possible origins of bone cancers induced by IR. Then, we discuss what and how we address molecular mechanisms on osteosarcoma induced by IR in the future. (author)

  7. The RTR Complex Partner RMI2 and the DNA Helicase RTEL1 Are Both Independently Involved in Preserving the Stability of 45S rDNA Repeats in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Röhrig

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The stability of repetitive sequences in complex eukaryotic genomes is safeguarded by factors suppressing homologues recombination. Prominent in this is the role of the RTR complex. In plants, it consists of the RecQ helicase RECQ4A, the topoisomerase TOP3α and RMI1. Like mammals, but not yeast, plants harbor an additional complex partner, RMI2. Here, we demonstrate that, in Arabidopsis thaliana, RMI2 is involved in the repair of aberrant replication intermediates in root meristems as well as in intrastrand crosslink repair. In both instances, RMI2 is involved independently of the DNA helicase RTEL1. Surprisingly, simultaneous loss of RMI2 and RTEL1 leads to loss of male fertility. As both the RTR complex and RTEL1 are involved in suppression of homologous recombination (HR, we tested the efficiency of HR in the double mutant rmi2-2 rtel1-1 and found a synergistic enhancement (80-fold. Searching for natural target sequences we found that RTEL1 is required for stabilizing 45S rDNA repeats. In the double mutant with rmi2-2 the number of 45S rDNA repeats is further decreased sustaining independent roles of both factors in this process. Thus, loss of suppression of HR does not only lead to a destabilization of rDNA repeats but might be especially deleterious for tissues undergoing multiple cell divisions such as the male germline.

  8. The RTR Complex Partner RMI2 and the DNA Helicase RTEL1 Are Both Independently Involved in Preserving the Stability of 45S rDNA Repeats in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Röhrig, Sarah; Schröpfer, Susan; Knoll, Alexander; Puchta, Holger

    2016-10-01

    The stability of repetitive sequences in complex eukaryotic genomes is safeguarded by factors suppressing homologues recombination. Prominent in this is the role of the RTR complex. In plants, it consists of the RecQ helicase RECQ4A, the topoisomerase TOP3α and RMI1. Like mammals, but not yeast, plants harbor an additional complex partner, RMI2. Here, we demonstrate that, in Arabidopsis thaliana, RMI2 is involved in the repair of aberrant replication intermediates in root meristems as well as in intrastrand crosslink repair. In both instances, RMI2 is involved independently of the DNA helicase RTEL1. Surprisingly, simultaneous loss of RMI2 and RTEL1 leads to loss of male fertility. As both the RTR complex and RTEL1 are involved in suppression of homologous recombination (HR), we tested the efficiency of HR in the double mutant rmi2-2 rtel1-1 and found a synergistic enhancement (80-fold). Searching for natural target sequences we found that RTEL1 is required for stabilizing 45S rDNA repeats. In the double mutant with rmi2-2 the number of 45S rDNA repeats is further decreased sustaining independent roles of both factors in this process. Thus, loss of suppression of HR does not only lead to a destabilization of rDNA repeats but might be especially deleterious for tissues undergoing multiple cell divisions such as the male germline.

  9. The roles of WRN and BLM RecQ helicases in the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendez-Bermudez, Aaron; Hidalgo-Bravo, Alberto; Cotton, Victoria E; Gravani, Athanasia; Jeyapalan, Jennie N; Royle, Nicola J

    2012-11-01

    Approximately 10% of all cancers, but a higher proportion of sarcomas, use the recombination-based alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) to maintain telomeres. Two RecQ helicase genes, BLM and WRN, play important roles in homologous recombination repair and they have been implicated in telomeric recombination activity, but their precise roles in ALT are unclear. Using analysis of sequence variation present in human telomeres, we found that a WRN- ALT+ cell line lacks the class of complex telomere mutations attributed to inter-telomeric recombination in other ALT+ cell lines. This suggests that WRN facilitates inter-telomeric recombination when there are sequence differences between the donor and recipient molecules or that sister-telomere interactions are suppressed in the presence of WRN and this promotes inter-telomeric recombination. Depleting BLM in the WRN- ALT+ cell line increased the mutation frequency at telomeres and at the MS32 minisatellite, which is a marker of ALT. The absence of complex telomere mutations persisted in BLM-depleted clones, and there was a clear increase in sequence homogenization across the telomere and MS32 repeat arrays. These data indicate that BLM suppresses unequal sister chromatid interactions that result in excessive homogenization at MS32 and at telomeres in ALT+ cells.

  10. DNA replication restart and cellular dynamics of Hef helicase/nuclease protein in Haloferax volcanii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lestini, Roxane; Delpech, Floriane; Myllykallio, Hannu

    2015-11-01

    Understanding how frequently spontaneous replication arrests occur and how archaea deal with these arrests are very interesting and challenging research topics. Here we will described how genetic and imaging studies have revealed the central role of the archaeal helicase/nuclease Hef belonging to the XPF/MUS81/FANCM family of endonucleases in repair of arrested replication forks. Special focus will be on description of a recently developed combination of genetic and imaging tools to study the dynamic localization of a functional Hef::GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) fusion protein in the living cells of halophilic archaea Haloferax volcanii. As Archaea provide an excellent and unique model for understanding how DNA replication is regulated to allow replication of a circular DNA molecule either from single or multiple replication origins, we will also summarize recent studies that have revealed peculiar features regarding DNA replication, particularly in halophilic archaea. We strongly believe that fundamental knowledge of our on-going studies will shed light on the evolutionary history of the DNA replication machinery and will help to establish general rules concerning replication restart and the key role of recombination proteins not only in bacteria, yeast and higher eukaryotes but also in archaea. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

  11. AAA-ATPase FIDGETIN-LIKE 1 and Helicase FANCM Antagonize Meiotic Crossovers by Distinct Mechanisms.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chloe Girard

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Meiotic crossovers (COs generate genetic diversity and are critical for the correct completion of meiosis in most species. Their occurrence is tightly constrained but the mechanisms underlying this limitation remain poorly understood. Here we identified the conserved AAA-ATPase FIDGETIN-LIKE-1 (FIGL1 as a negative regulator of meiotic CO formation. We show that Arabidopsis FIGL1 limits CO formation genome-wide, that FIGL1 controls dynamics of the two conserved recombinases DMC1 and RAD51 and that FIGL1 hinders the interaction between homologous chromosomes, suggesting that FIGL1 counteracts DMC1/RAD51-mediated inter-homologue strand invasion to limit CO formation. Further, depleting both FIGL1 and the previously identified anti-CO helicase FANCM synergistically increases crossover frequency. Additionally, we showed that the effect of mutating FANCM on recombination is much lower in F1 hybrids contrasting from the phenotype of inbred lines, while figl1 mutation equally increases crossovers in both contexts. This shows that the modes of action of FIGL1 and FANCM are differently affected by genomic contexts. We propose that FIGL1 and FANCM represent two successive barriers to CO formation, one limiting strand invasion, the other disassembling D-loops to promote SDSA, which when both lifted, leads to a large increase of crossovers, without impairing meiotic progression.

  12. Yeast Srs2 Helicase Promotes Redistribution of Single-Stranded DNA-Bound RPA and Rad52 in Homologous Recombination Regulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luisina De Tullio

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Srs2 is a super-family 1 helicase that promotes genome stability by dismantling toxic DNA recombination intermediates. However, the mechanisms by which Srs2 remodels or resolves recombination intermediates remain poorly understood. Here, single-molecule imaging is used to visualize Srs2 in real time as it acts on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA bound by protein factors that function in recombination. We demonstrate that Srs2 is highly processive and translocates rapidly (∼170 nt per second in the 3′→5′ direction along ssDNA saturated with replication protein A (RPA. We show that RPA is evicted from DNA during the passage of Srs2. Remarkably, Srs2 also readily removes the recombination mediator Rad52 from RPA-ssDNA and, in doing so, promotes rapid redistribution of both Rad52 and RPA. These findings have important mechanistic implications for understanding how Srs2 and related nucleic acid motor proteins resolve potentially pathogenic nucleoprotein intermediates.

  13. State of insulin self-association does not affect its absorption from the pulmonary route.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Alamdar; Ahsan, Fakhrul

    2005-06-01

    This study is designed to compare and contrast the pulmonary absorption profiles of monomeric and hexameric insulin in the presence or absence of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) or n-tetradecyl-beta-d-maltoside (TDM). The pulmonary absorption of two forms of insulin was studied by monitoring the changes in plasma insulin and glucose levels after intratracheal administration of monomeric or hexameric insulin into anesthetized rodents. EDTA or TDM was added to the formulation in order to evaluate if either of these agents has effects on the rate and extent of pulmonary absorption of monomeric and hexameric insulin. The biochemical changes that may occur after acute administration of TDM-based formulation have also been investigated by estimating lung injury markers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. A dose-dependent increase in the plasma insulin and decrease in plasma glucose levels was observed when increasing concentrations of hexameric or monomeric insulin were administered via the pulmonary route. Pulmonary administration of monomeric and hexameric insulin produced comparable absorption profiles in the presence or absence of EDTA or TDM. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis did not show differences in the levels of injury markers produced in TDM-treated rats and that produced in saline-treated rats, indicating no evidence for adverse effects of TDM in these short-term studies. Overall, in terms of rapidity of action and efficacy to reduce blood sugar, monomeric insulin did not provide advantages over hexameric insulin when administered via the pulmonary route.

  14. The Crystal Structure of the Drosophila Germline Inducer Oskar Identifies Two Domains with Distinct Vasa Helicase- and RNA-Binding Activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mandy Jeske

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available In many animals, the germ plasm segregates germline from soma during early development. Oskar protein is known for its ability to induce germ plasm formation and germ cells in Drosophila. However, the molecular basis of germ plasm formation remains unclear. Here, we show that Oskar is an RNA-binding protein in vivo, crosslinking to nanos, polar granule component, and germ cell-less mRNAs, each of which has a role in germline formation. Furthermore, we present high-resolution crystal structures of the two Oskar domains. RNA-binding maps in vitro to the C-terminal domain, which shows structural similarity to SGNH hydrolases. The highly conserved N-terminal LOTUS domain forms dimers and mediates Oskar interaction with the germline-specific RNA helicase Vasa in vitro. Our findings suggest a dual function of Oskar in RNA and Vasa binding, providing molecular clues to its germ plasm function.

  15. Toxicity of the bacteriophage λ cII gene product to Escherichia coli arises from inhibition of host cell DNA replication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kedzierska, Barbara; Glinkowska, Monika; Iwanicki, Adam; Obuchowski, Michal; Sojka, Piotr; Thomas, Mark S.; Wegrzyn, Grzegorz

    2003-01-01

    The bacteriophage λ cII gene codes for a transcriptional activator protein which is a crucial regulator at the stage of the 'lysis-versus-lysogeny' decision during phage development. The CII protein is highly toxic to the host, Escherichia coli, when overproduced. However, the molecular mechanism of this toxicity is not known. Here we demonstrate that DNA synthesis, but not total RNA synthesis, is strongly inhibited in cII-overexpressing E. coli cells. The toxicity was also observed when the transcriptional stimulator activity of CII was abolished either by a point mutation in the cII gene or by a point mutation, rpoA341, in the gene coding for the RNA polymerase α subunit. Moreover, inhibition of cell growth, caused by both wild-type and mutant CII proteins in either rpoA + or rpoA341 hosts, could be relieved by overexpression of the E. coli dnaB and dnaC genes. In vitro replication of an oriC-based plasmid DNA was somewhat impaired by the presence of the CII, and several CII-resistant E. coli strains contain mutations near dnaC. We conclude that the DNA replication machinery may be a target for the toxic activity of CII

  16. Impaired CD40L signaling is a cause of defective IL-12 and TNF-alpha production in Sézary syndrome: circumvention by hexameric soluble CD40L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    French, Lars E; Huard, Bertrand; Wysocka, Maria; Shane, Ryan; Contassot, Emmanuel; Arrighi, Jean-François; Piguet, Vincent; Calderara, Silvio; Rook, Alain H

    2005-01-01

    Sézary syndrome (SzS) is an advanced form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma characterized by peripheral blood involvement, impaired cell-mediated immunity, and T-helper 1 (TH1) cytokine production. To understand the mechanism of these defects, we studied the expression and function of CD40L in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with SzS. We found that PBMCs of patients with SzS have a defect in interleukin-12 (IL-12) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production upon anti-CD3 stimulation and that tumor CD4+ T lymphocytes have a specific defect in CD40L induction after anti-CD3 ligation in vitro. This defect may explain the poor IL-12 production, because IL-12 production by anti-CD3-stimulated PBMCs was dependent on CD40L in healthy donors. The observed defect in tumor cell CD40L expression appears to be due to inappropriate T-cell signaling upon CD3 ligation, because expression of other T-cell activation antigens such as CD25, and to a lesser extent CD69, are also impaired on tumor cells. Importantly however, the inability of SzS PBMCs to appropriately produce IL-12 and TNF-alpha could be restored by recombinant hexameric CD40L. Taken together, our results demonstrate that impaired IL-12 and TNF-alpha production in SzS is associated with defective CD4+ T lymphocyte CD40L induction and indicate that CD40L may have therapeutic potential in SzS.

  17. DNA Sequences Proximal to Human Mitochondrial DNA Deletion Breakpoints Prevalent in Human Disease Form G-quadruplexes, a Class of DNA Structures Inefficiently Unwound by the Mitochondrial Replicative Twinkle Helicase*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bharti, Sanjay Kumar; Sommers, Joshua A.; Zhou, Jun; Kaplan, Daniel L.; Spelbrink, Johannes N.; Mergny, Jean-Louis; Brosh, Robert M.

    2014-01-01

    Mitochondrial DNA deletions are prominent in human genetic disorders, cancer, and aging. It is thought that stalling of the mitochondrial replication machinery during DNA synthesis is a prominent source of mitochondrial genome instability; however, the precise molecular determinants of defective mitochondrial replication are not well understood. In this work, we performed a computational analysis of the human mitochondrial genome using the “Pattern Finder” G-quadruplex (G4) predictor algorithm to assess whether G4-forming sequences reside in close proximity (within 20 base pairs) to known mitochondrial DNA deletion breakpoints. We then used this information to map G4P sequences with deletions characteristic of representative mitochondrial genetic disorders and also those identified in various cancers and aging. Circular dichroism and UV spectral analysis demonstrated that mitochondrial G-rich sequences near deletion breakpoints prevalent in human disease form G-quadruplex DNA structures. A biochemical analysis of purified recombinant human Twinkle protein (gene product of c10orf2) showed that the mitochondrial replicative helicase inefficiently unwinds well characterized intermolecular and intramolecular G-quadruplex DNA substrates, as well as a unimolecular G4 substrate derived from a mitochondrial sequence that nests a deletion breakpoint described in human renal cell carcinoma. Although G4 has been implicated in the initiation of mitochondrial DNA replication, our current findings suggest that mitochondrial G-quadruplexes are also likely to be a source of instability for the mitochondrial genome by perturbing the normal progression of the mitochondrial replication machinery, including DNA unwinding by Twinkle helicase. PMID:25193669

  18. Variations in periplasmic loop interactions determine the pH-dependent activity of the hexameric urea transporter UreI from Helicobacter pylori: a molecular dynamics study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cáceres-Delpiano, Javier; Teneb, Jaime; Mansilla, Rodrigo; García, Apolinaria; Salas-Burgos, Alexis

    2015-06-26

    Helicobacter pylori is an important factor in the development of diseases such as ulcer and gastric cancer. This bacterium uses a periplasmic transporter, UreI, to deliver urea to the intracelullar space, where later it is transformed into ammonia by the cytoplasmic enzyme urease to survive the acidic condition of the human stomach. The UreI transporter presents a pH-dependent activity, where this pH-dependence remains unknown at a structural level. Althought the existance of several protonable residues in the periplasmic loops are related to the pH-dependent activity, we find interesting to have a clear view of the conformational changes involved in this phenomena through a molecular dynamic study. Molecular dynamic simulations of the UreI transporter at three different pH conditions were performed, revealing two main pH-dependent conformations, which we present as the open and close states. We find that salt bridges between the periplasmic loops are crucial interactions that stabilize these conformations. Besides, a cooperative behaviour exists between the six subunits of the system that is necessary to fulfill the activity of this transporter. We found different pH-dependent conformations of the urea transporter UreI from Helicobacter pylori, which are related to salt-bridge interactions in the periplasmic regions. The behaviour of every channel in the system is not independent, given the existance of a cooperative behaviour through the formation of salt-bridges between the subunits of the hexameric system. We believe that our results will be related to the generation of new eradication therapies using this transporter as an attractive target, denoting that the knowledge of the possible pH-dependent conformations adopted for this transporter are important for the development of rational drug design approximations.

  19. Translational control by the DEAD Box RNA helicase belle regulates ecdysone-triggered transcriptional cascades.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert J Ihry

    Full Text Available Steroid hormones act, through their respective nuclear receptors, to regulate target gene expression. Despite their critical role in development, physiology, and disease, however, it is still unclear how these systemic cues are refined into tissue-specific responses. We identified a mutation in the evolutionarily conserved DEAD box RNA helicase belle/DDX3 that disrupts a subset of responses to the steroid hormone ecdysone during Drosophila melanogaster metamorphosis. We demonstrate that belle directly regulates translation of E74A, an ets transcription factor and critical component of the ecdysone-induced transcriptional cascade. Although E74A mRNA accumulates to abnormally high levels in belle mutant tissues, no E74A protein is detectable, resulting in misregulation of E74A-dependent ecdysone response genes. The accumulation of E74A mRNA in belle mutant salivary glands is a result of auto-regulation, fulfilling a prediction made by Ashburner nearly 40 years ago. In this model, Ashburner postulates that, in addition to regulating secondary response genes, protein products of primary response genes like E74A also inhibit their own ecdysone-induced transcription. Moreover, although ecdysone-triggered transcription of E74A appears to be ubiquitous during metamorphosis, belle-dependent translation of E74A mRNA is spatially restricted. These results demonstrate that translational control plays a critical, and previously unknown, role in refining transcriptional responses to the steroid hormone ecdysone.

  20. Inherited mutations in the helicase RTEL1 cause telomere dysfunction and Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Zhong; Glousker, Galina; Molczan, Aliah; Fox, Alan J; Lamm, Noa; Dheekollu, Jayaraju; Weizman, Orr-El; Schertzer, Michael; Wang, Zhuo; Vladimirova, Olga; Schug, Jonathan; Aker, Memet; Londoño-Vallejo, Arturo; Kaestner, Klaus H; Lieberman, Paul M; Tzfati, Yehuda

    2013-09-03

    Telomeres repress the DNA damage response at the natural chromosome ends to prevent cell-cycle arrest and maintain genome stability. Telomeres are elongated by telomerase in a tightly regulated manner to ensure a sufficient number of cell divisions throughout life, yet prevent unlimited cell division and cancer development. Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS) is characterized by accelerated telomere shortening and a broad range of pathologies, including bone marrow failure, immunodeficiency, and developmental defects. HHS-causing mutations have previously been found in telomerase and the shelterin component telomeric repeat binding factor 1 (TRF1)-interacting nuclear factor 2 (TIN2). We identified by whole-genome exome sequencing compound heterozygous mutations in four siblings affected with HHS, in the gene encoding the regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1). Rtel1 was identified in mouse by its genetic association with telomere length. However, its mechanism of action and whether it regulates telomere length in human remained unknown. Lymphoblastoid cell lines obtained from a patient and from the healthy parents carrying heterozygous RTEL1 mutations displayed telomere shortening, fragility and fusion, and growth defects in culture. Ectopic expression of WT RTEL1 suppressed the telomere shortening and growth defect, confirming the causal role of the RTEL1 mutations in HHS and demonstrating the essential function of human RTEL1 in telomere protection and elongation. Finally, we show that human RTEL1 interacts with the shelterin protein TRF1, providing a potential recruitment mechanism of RTEL1 to telomeres.

  1. Inherited mutations in the helicase RTEL1 cause telomere dysfunction and Hoyeraal–Hreidarsson syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Zhong; Glousker, Galina; Molczan, Aliah; Fox, Alan J.; Lamm, Noa; Dheekollu, Jayaraju; Weizman, Orr-El; Schertzer, Michael; Wang, Zhuo; Vladimirova, Olga; Schug, Jonathan; Aker, Memet; Londoño-Vallejo, Arturo; Kaestner, Klaus H.; Lieberman, Paul M.; Tzfati, Yehuda

    2013-01-01

    Telomeres repress the DNA damage response at the natural chromosome ends to prevent cell-cycle arrest and maintain genome stability. Telomeres are elongated by telomerase in a tightly regulated manner to ensure a sufficient number of cell divisions throughout life, yet prevent unlimited cell division and cancer development. Hoyeraal–Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS) is characterized by accelerated telomere shortening and a broad range of pathologies, including bone marrow failure, immunodeficiency, and developmental defects. HHS-causing mutations have previously been found in telomerase and the shelterin component telomeric repeat binding factor 1 (TRF1)-interacting nuclear factor 2 (TIN2). We identified by whole-genome exome sequencing compound heterozygous mutations in four siblings affected with HHS, in the gene encoding the regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1). Rtel1 was identified in mouse by its genetic association with telomere length. However, its mechanism of action and whether it regulates telomere length in human remained unknown. Lymphoblastoid cell lines obtained from a patient and from the healthy parents carrying heterozygous RTEL1 mutations displayed telomere shortening, fragility and fusion, and growth defects in culture. Ectopic expression of WT RTEL1 suppressed the telomere shortening and growth defect, confirming the causal role of the RTEL1 mutations in HHS and demonstrating the essential function of human RTEL1 in telomere protection and elongation. Finally, we show that human RTEL1 interacts with the shelterin protein TRF1, providing a potential recruitment mechanism of RTEL1 to telomeres. PMID:23959892

  2. DNA unwinding by ASCC3 helicase is coupled to ALKBH3 dependent DNA alkylation repair and cancer cell proliferation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dango, Sebastian; Mosammaparast, Nima; Sowa, Mathew E.; Xiong, Li-Jun; Wu, Feizhen; Park, Keyjung; Rubin, Mark; Gygi, Steve; Harper, J. Wade; Shi, Yang

    2011-01-01

    Summary Demethylation by the AlkB dioxygenases represents an important mechanism for repair of N-alkylated nucleotides. However, little is known about their functions in mammalian cells. We report the purification of the ALKBH3 complex and demonstrate its association with the Activating Signal Co-integrator Complex (ASCC). ALKBH3 is overexpressed in various cancers, and both ALKBH3 and ASCC are important for alkylation damage resistance in these tumor cell lines. ASCC3, the largest subunit of ASCC, encodes a 3′-5′ DNA helicase, whose activity is crucial for the generation of single-stranded DNA upon which ALKBH3 preferentially functions for dealkylation. In cell lines that are dependent on ALKBH3 and ASCC3 for alkylation damage resistance, loss of ALKBH3 or ASCC3 leads to increased 3-methylcytosine and reduced cell proliferation, which correlates with pH2A.X and 53BP1 foci formation. Our data provide a molecular mechanism by which ALKBH3 collaborates with ASCC to maintain genomic integrity in a cell type specific manner. PMID:22055184

  3. Yeast Srs2 Helicase Promotes Redistribution of Single-Stranded DNA-Bound RPA and Rad52 in Homologous Recombination Regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Tullio, Luisina; Kaniecki, Kyle; Kwon, Youngho; Crickard, J Brooks; Sung, Patrick; Greene, Eric C

    2017-10-17

    Srs2 is a super-family 1 helicase that promotes genome stability by dismantling toxic DNA recombination intermediates. However, the mechanisms by which Srs2 remodels or resolves recombination intermediates remain poorly understood. Here, single-molecule imaging is used to visualize Srs2 in real time as it acts on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) bound by protein factors that function in recombination. We demonstrate that Srs2 is highly processive and translocates rapidly (∼170 nt per second) in the 3'→5' direction along ssDNA saturated with replication protein A (RPA). We show that RPA is evicted from DNA during the passage of Srs2. Remarkably, Srs2 also readily removes the recombination mediator Rad52 from RPA-ssDNA and, in doing so, promotes rapid redistribution of both Rad52 and RPA. These findings have important mechanistic implications for understanding how Srs2 and related nucleic acid motor proteins resolve potentially pathogenic nucleoprotein intermediates. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. A rapid Salmonella detection method involving thermophilic helicase-dependent amplification and a lateral flow assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Xin-Jun; Zhou, Tian-Jiao; Li, Ping; Wang, Shuo

    2017-08-01

    Salmonella is a major foodborne pathogen that is widespread in the environment and can cause serious human and animal disease. Since conventional culture methods to detect Salmonella are time-consuming and laborious, rapid and accurate techniques to detect this pathogen are critically important for food safety and diagnosing foodborne illness. In this study, we developed a rapid, simple and portable Salmonella detection strategy that combines thermophilic helicase-dependent amplification (tHDA) with a lateral flow assay to provide a detection result based on visual signals within 90 min. Performance analyses indicated that the method had detection limits for DNA and pure cultured bacteria of 73.4-80.7 fg and 35-40 CFU, respectively. Specificity analyses showed no cross reactions with Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterobacter aerogenes, Shigella and Campylobacter jejuni. The results for detection in real food samples showed that 1.3-1.9 CFU/g or 1.3-1.9 CFU/mL of Salmonella in contaminated chicken products and infant nutritional cereal could be detected after 2 h of enrichment. The same amount of Salmonella in contaminated milk could be detected after 4 h of enrichment. This tHDA-strip can be used for the rapid detection of Salmonella in food samples and is particularly suitable for use in areas with limited equipment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Mutation and Methylation Analysis of the Chromodomain-Helicase-DNA Binding 5 Gene in Ovarian Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kylie L. Gorringe

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Chromodomain, helicase, DNA binding 5 (CHD5 is a member of a subclass of the chromatin remodeling Swi/Snf proteins and has recently been proposed as a tumor suppressor in a diverse range of human cancers. We analyzed all 41 coding exons of CHD5 for somatic mutations in 123 primary ovarian cancers as well as 60 primary breast cancers using high-resolution melt analysis. We also examined methylation of the CHD5 promoter in 48 ovarian cancer samples by methylation-specific single-stranded conformation polymorphism and bisulfite sequencing. In contrast to previous studies, no mutations were identified in the breast cancers, but somatic heterozygous missense mutations were identified in 3 of 123 ovarian cancers. We identified promoter methylation in 3 of 45 samples with normal CHD5 and in 2 of 3 samples with CHD5 mutation, suggesting these tumors may have biallelic inactivation of CHD5. Hemizygous copy number loss at CHD5 occurred in 6 of 85 samples as assessed by single nucleotide polymorphism array. Tumors with CHD5 mutation or methylation were more likely to have mutation of KRAS or BRAF (P = .04. The aggregate frequency of CHD5 haploinsufficiency or inactivation is 16.2% in ovarian cancer. Thus, CHD5 may play a role as a tumor suppressor gene in ovarian cancer; however, it is likely that there is another target of the frequent copy number neutral loss of heterozygosity observed at 1p36.

  6. The DEAD box helicase RDE-12 promotes amplification of RNAi in cytoplasmic foci in C. elegans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Huan; Vallandingham, Jim; Shiu, Philip; Li, Hua; Hunter, Craig P; Mak, Ho Yi

    2014-04-14

    RNAi is a potent mechanism for downregulating gene expression. Conserved RNAi pathway components are found in animals, plants, fungi, and other eukaryotes. In C. elegans, the RNAi response is greatly amplified by the synthesis of abundant secondary small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Exogenous double-stranded RNA is processed by Dicer and RDE-1/Argonaute into primary siRNA that guides target mRNA recognition. The RDE-10/RDE-11 complex and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase RRF-1 then engage the target mRNA for secondary siRNA synthesis. However, the molecular link between primary siRNA production and secondary siRNA synthesis remains largely unknown. Furthermore, it is unclear whether the subcellular sites for target mRNA recognition and degradation coincide with sites where siRNA synthesis and amplification occur. In the C. elegans germline, cytoplasmic P granules at the nuclear pores and perinuclear Mutator foci contribute to target mRNA surveillance and siRNA amplification, respectively. We report that RDE-12, a conserved phenylalanine-glycine (FG) domain-containing DEAD box helicase, localizes in P granules and cytoplasmic foci that are enriched in RSD-6 but are excluded from the Mutator foci. Our results suggest that RDE-12 promotes secondary siRNA synthesis by orchestrating the recruitment of RDE-10 and RRF-1 to primary siRNA-targeted mRNA in distinct cytoplasmic compartments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. DP97, a DEAD box DNA/RNA helicase, is a target gene-selective co-regulator of the constitutive androstane receptor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanno, Yuichiro; Serikawa, Takafumi; Inajima, Jun; Inouye, Yoshio

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► DP97 interacts with nuclear receptor CAR. ► DP97 enhances CAR-mediated transcriptional activation. ► DP97 synergistically enhances transactivity of CAR by the co-expression of SRC-1 or PGC1α. ► DP97 is a gene-selective co-activator for hCAR. -- Abstract: The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) plays a key role in the expression of xenobiotic/steroid and drug metabolizing enzymes and their transporters. In this study, we demonstrated that DP97, a member of the DEAD box DNA/RNA helicase protein family, is a novel CAR-interacting protein. Using HepG2 cells expressing human CAR in the presence of tetracycline, we showed that knockdown of DP97 with small interfering RNAs suppressed tetracycline-inducible mRNA expression of CYP2B6 and UGT1A1 but not CYP3A4. Thus, DP97 was found to be a gene (or promoter)-selective co-activator for hCAR. DP97-mediated CAR transactivation was synergistically enhanced by the co-expression of SRC-1 or PGC1α, therefore it might act as mediator between hCAR and appropriate co-activators.

  8. Role of the ATPase/helicase maleless (MLE in the assembly, targeting, spreading and function of the male-specific lethal (MSL complex of Drosophila

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morra Rosa

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The male-specific lethal (MSL complex of Drosophila remodels the chromatin of the X chromosome in males to enhance the level of transcription of most X-linked genes, and thereby achieve dosage compensation. The core complex consists of five proteins and one of two non-coding RNAs. One of the proteins, MOF (males absent on the first, is a histone acetyltransferase that specifically acetylates histone H4 at lysine 16. Another protein, maleless (MLE, is an ATP-dependent helicase with the ability to unwind DNA/RNA or RNA/RNA substrates in vitro. Recently, we showed that the ATPase activity of MLE is sufficient for the hypertranscription of genes adjacent to a high-affinity site by MSL complexes located at that site. The helicase activity is required for the spreading of the complex to the hundreds of positions along the X chromosome, where it is normally found. In this study, to further understand the role of MLE in the function of the MSL complex, we analyzed its relationship to the other complex components by creating a series of deletions or mutations in its putative functional domains, and testing their effect on the distribution and function of the complex in vivo. Results The presence of the RB2 RNA-binding domain is necessary for the association of the MSL3 protein with the other complex subunits. In its absence, the activity of the MOF subunit was compromised, and the complex failed to acetylate histone H4 at lysine 16. Deletion of the RB1 RNA-binding domain resulted in complexes that maintained substantial acetylation activity but failed to spread beyond the high-affinity sites. Flies bearing this mutation exhibited low levels of roX RNAs, indicating that these RNAs failed to associate with the proteins of the complex and were degraded, or that MLE contributes to their synthesis. Deletion of the glycine-rich C-terminal region, which contains a nuclear localization sequence, caused a substantial level of retention of the

  9. Assessment of Dengue virus helicase and methyltransferase as targets for fragment-based drug discovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coutard, Bruno; Decroly, Etienne; Li, Changqing; Sharff, Andrew; Lescar, Julien; Bricogne, Gérard; Barral, Karine

    2014-06-01

    Seasonal and pandemic flaviviruses continue to be leading global health concerns. With the view to help drug discovery against Dengue virus (DENV), a fragment-based experimental approach was applied to identify small molecule ligands targeting two main components of the flavivirus replication complex: the NS3 helicase (Hel) and the NS5 mRNA methyltransferase (MTase) domains. A library of 500 drug-like fragments was first screened by thermal-shift assay (TSA) leading to the identification of 36 and 32 fragment hits binding Hel and MTase from DENV, respectively. In a second stage, we set up a fragment-based X-ray crystallographic screening (FBS-X) in order to provide both validated fragment hits and structural binding information. No fragment hit was confirmed for DENV Hel. In contrast, a total of seven fragments were identified as DENV MTase binders and structures of MTase-fragment hit complexes were solved at resolution at least 2.0Å or better. All fragment hits identified contain either a five- or six-membered aromatic ring or both, and three novel binding sites were located on the MTase. To further characterize the fragment hits identified by TSA and FBS-X, we performed enzymatic assays to assess their inhibition effect on the N7- and 2'-O-MTase enzymatic activities: five of these fragment hits inhibit at least one of the two activities with IC50 ranging from 180μM to 9mM. This work validates the FBS-X strategy for identifying new anti-flaviviral hits targeting MTase, while Hel might not be an amenable target for fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD). This approach proved to be a fast and efficient screening method for FBDD target validation and discovery of starting hits for the development of higher affinity molecules that bind to novel allosteric sites. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. The dsRNA binding protein RDE-4 interacts with RDE-1, DCR-1, and a DExH-box helicase to direct RNAi in C. elegans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabara, Hiroaki; Yigit, Erbay; Siomi, Haruhiko; Mello, Craig C

    2002-06-28

    Double-stranded (ds) RNA induces potent gene silencing, termed RNA interference (RNAi). At an early step in RNAi, an RNaseIII-related enzyme, Dicer (DCR-1), processes long-trigger dsRNA into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). DCR-1 is also required for processing endogenous regulatory RNAs called miRNAs, but how DCR-1 recognizes its endogenous and foreign substrates is not yet understood. Here we show that the C. elegans RNAi pathway gene, rde-4, encodes a dsRNA binding protein that interacts during RNAi with RNA identical to the trigger dsRNA. RDE-4 protein also interacts in vivo with DCR-1, RDE-1, and a conserved DExH-box helicase. Our findings suggest a model in which RDE-4 and RDE-1 function together to detect and retain foreign dsRNA and to present this dsRNA to DCR-1 for processing.

  11. Motif III in superfamily 2 "helicases" helps convert the binding energy of ATP into a high-affinity RNA binding site in the yeast DEAD-box protein Ded1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banroques, Josette; Doère, Monique; Dreyfus, Marc; Linder, Patrick; Tanner, N Kyle

    2010-03-05

    Motif III in the putative helicases of superfamily 2 is highly conserved in both its sequence and its structural context. It typically consists of the sequence alcohol-alanine-alcohol (S/T-A-S/T). Historically, it was thought to link ATPase activity with a "helicase" strand displacement activity that disrupts RNA or DNA duplexes. DEAD-box proteins constitute the largest family of superfamily 2; they are RNA-dependent ATPases and ATP-dependent RNA binding proteins that, in some cases, are able to disrupt short RNA duplexes. We made mutations of motif III (S-A-T) in the yeast DEAD-box protein Ded1 and analyzed in vivo phenotypes and in vitro properties. Moreover, we made a tertiary model of Ded1 based on the solved structure of Vasa. We used Ded1 because it has relatively high ATPase and RNA binding activities; it is able to displace moderately stable duplexes at a large excess of substrate. We find that the alanine and the threonine in the second and third positions of motif III are more important than the serine, but that mutations of all three residues have strong phenotypes. We purified the wild-type and various mutants expressed in Escherichia coli. We found that motif III mutations affect the RNA-dependent hydrolysis of ATP (k(cat)), but not the affinity for ATP (K(m)). Moreover, mutations alter and reduce the affinity for single-stranded RNA and subsequently reduce the ability to disrupt duplexes. We obtained intragenic suppressors of the S-A-C mutant that compensate for the mutation by enhancing the affinity for ATP and RNA. We conclude that motif III and the binding energy of gamma-PO(4) of ATP are used to coordinate motifs I, II, and VI and the two RecA-like domains to create a high-affinity single-stranded RNA binding site. It also may help activate the beta,gamma-phosphoanhydride bond of ATP. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Frequency of Werner helicase 1367 polymorphism and age-related morbidity in an elderly Brazilian population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.A.C. Smith

    2005-07-01

    Full Text Available Werner syndrome (WS is a premature aging disease caused by a mutation in the WRN gene. The gene was identified in 1996 and its product acts as a DNA helicase and exonuclease. Some specific WRN polymorphic variants were associated with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. The identification of genetic polymorphisms as risk factors for complex diseases affecting older people can improve their prevention, diagnosis and prognosis. We investigated WRN codon 1367 polymorphism in 383 residents in a district of the city of São Paulo, who were enrolled in an Elderly Brazilian Longitudinal Study. Their mean age was 79.70 ± 5.32 years, ranging from 67 to 97. This population was composed of 262 females (68.4% and 121 males (31.6% of European (89.2%, Japanese (3.3%, Middle Eastern (1.81%, and mixed and/or other origins (5.7%. There are no studies concerning this polymorphism in Brazilian population. These subjects were evaluated clinically every two years. The major health problems and morbidities affecting this cohort were cardiovascular diseases (21.7%, hypertension (83.7%, diabetes (63.3%, obesity (41.23%, dementia (8.0%, depression (20.0%, and neoplasia (10.8%. Their prevalence is similar to some urban elderly Brazilian samples. DNA was isolated from blood cells, amplified by PCR and digested with PmaCI. Allele frequencies were 0.788 for the cysteine and 0.211 for the arginine. Genotype distributions were within that expected for the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Female gender was associated with hypertension and obesity. Logistic regression analysis did not detect significant association between the polymorphism and morbidity. These findings confirm those from Europeans and differ from Japanese population.

  13. Structure based modification of Bluetongue virus helicase protein VP6 to produce a viable VP6-truncated BTV

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsuo, Eiko [Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Animal Science, Department of Bioresource Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, 1-1, Rokkodai, Nada-ku, Kobe-City 657-8501 (Japan); Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT (United Kingdom); Leon, Esther; Matthews, Steve J. [Division of Molecular Biosciences, Centre for Structural Biology, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Roy, Polly, E-mail: polly.roy@lshtm.ac.uk [Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT (United Kingdom)

    2014-09-05

    Highlights: • NMR analysis on BTV VP6 reveals two large loop regions. • The loss of a loop (aa 34–130) does not affect the overall fold of the protein. • A region of VP6 (aa 34–92) is not required for BTV replication. • A region of VP6 (aa 93–130) plays an essential role in the virus replication. - Abstract: Bluetongue virus core protein VP6 is an ATP hydrolysis dependent RNA helicase. However, despite much study, the precise role of VP6 within the viral capsid and its structure remain unclear. To investigate the requirement of VP6 in BTV replication, we initiated a structural and biological study. Multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance spectra were assigned on his-tagged full-length VP6 (329 amino acid residues) as well as several truncated VP6 variants. The analysis revealed a large structured domain with two large loop regions that exhibit significant conformational exchange. One of the loops (amino acid position 34–130) could be removed without affecting the overall fold of the protein. Moreover, using a BTV reverse genetics system, it was possible to demonstrate that the VP6-truncated BTV was viable in BHK cells in the absence of any helper VP6 protein, suggesting that a large portion of this loop region is not absolutely required for BTV replication.

  14. Non-Watson–Crick interactions between PNA and DNA inhibit the ATPase activity of bacteriophage T4 Dda helicase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tackett, Alan J.; Corey, David R.; Raney, Kevin D.

    2002-01-01

    Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is a DNA mimic in which the nucleobases are linked by an N-(2-aminoethyl) glycine backbone. Here we report that PNA can interact with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in a non-sequence-specific fashion. We observed that a 15mer PNA inhibited the ssDNA-stimulated ATPase activity of a bacteriophage T4 helicase, Dda. Surprisingly, when a fluorescein-labeled 15mer PNA was used in binding studies no interaction was observed between PNA and Dda. However, fluorescence polarization did reveal non-sequence-specific interactions between PNA and ssDNA. Thus, the inhibition of ATPase activity of Dda appears to result from depletion of the available ssDNA due to non-Watson–Crick binding of PNA to ssDNA. Inhibition of the ssDNA-stimulated ATPase activity was observed for several PNAs of varying length and sequence. To study the basis for this phenomenon, we examined self-aggregation by PNAs. The 15mer PNA readily self-aggregates to the point of precipitation. Since PNAs are hydrophobic, they aggregate more than DNA or RNA, making the study of this phenomenon essential for understanding the properties of PNA. Non-sequence-specific interactions between PNA and ssDNA were observed at moderate concentrations of PNA, suggesting that such interactions should be considered for antisense and antigene applications. PMID:11842106

  15. DHX9 helicase is involved in preventing genomic instability induced by alternatively structured DNA in human cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Aklank; Bacolla, Albino; Del Mundo, Imee M; Zhao, Junhua; Wang, Guliang; Vasquez, Karen M

    2013-12-01

    Sequences that have the capacity to adopt alternative (i.e. non-B) DNA structures in the human genome have been implicated in stimulating genomic instability. Previously, we found that a naturally occurring intra-molecular triplex (H-DNA) caused genetic instability in mammals largely in the form of DNA double-strand breaks. Thus, it is of interest to determine the mechanism(s) involved in processing H-DNA. Recently, we demonstrated that human DHX9 helicase preferentially unwinds inter-molecular triplex DNA in vitro. Herein, we used a mutation-reporter system containing H-DNA to examine the relevance of DHX9 activity on naturally occurring H-DNA structures in human cells. We found that H-DNA significantly increased mutagenesis in small-interfering siRNA-treated, DHX9-depleted cells, affecting mostly deletions. Moreover, DHX9 associated with H-DNA in the context of supercoiled plasmids. To further investigate the role of DHX9 in the recognition/processing of H-DNA, we performed binding assays in vitro and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays in U2OS cells. DHX9 recognized H-DNA, as evidenced by its binding to the H-DNA structure and enrichment at the H-DNA region compared with a control region in human cells. These composite data implicate DHX9 in processing H-DNA structures in vivo and support its role in the overall maintenance of genomic stability at sites of alternatively structured DNA.

  16. Structure and reconstitution of yeast Mpp6-nuclear exosome complexes reveals that Mpp6 stimulates RNA decay and recruits the Mtr4 helicase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wasmuth, Elizabeth V. [Structural Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States; Zinder, John C. [Structural Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States; Tri-Institutional Training Program in Chemical Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States; Zattas, Dimitrios [Structural Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States; Das, Mom [Structural Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States; Lima, Christopher D. [Structural Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States

    2017-07-25

    Nuclear RNA exosomes catalyze a range of RNA processing and decay activities that are coordinated in part by cofactors, including Mpp6, Rrp47, and the Mtr4 RNA helicase. Mpp6 interacts with the nine-subunit exosome core, while Rrp47 stabilizes the exoribonuclease Rrp6 and recruits Mtr4, but it is less clear if these cofactors work together. Using biochemistry with Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteins, we show that Rrp47 and Mpp6 stimulate exosome-mediated RNA decay, albeit with unique dependencies on elements within the nuclear exosome. Mpp6-exosomes can recruit Mtr4, while Mpp6 and Rrp47 each contribute to Mtr4-dependent RNA decay, with maximal Mtr4-dependent decay observed with both cofactors. The 3.3 Å structure of a twelve-subunit nuclear Mpp6 exosome bound to RNA shows the central region of Mpp6 bound to the exosome core, positioning its Mtr4 recruitment domain next to Rrp6 and the exosome central channel. Genetic analysis reveals interactions that are largely consistent with our model.

  17. Posttranscriptional regulation of the karyogamy gene by Kem1p/Xrn1p exoribonuclease and Rok1p RNA helicase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jaehee; Jeon, Soonmee; Yang, Yun-Seok; Kim, Jinmi

    2004-01-01

    The major biochemical activities ascribed to Kem1p/Xrn1p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are 5'-3' exoribonuclease functioning in RNA turnover and a microtubule-binding protein. Mutational analysis has shown that Kem1p/Xrn1p participates in microtubule-related functions such as nuclear fusion (karyogamy) during mating, chromosome transmission, and spindle pole body duplication. Here, evidence is presented that Kem1p plays a specific role in nuclear fusion by affecting, at the posttranscriptional level, the pheromone induction of the karyogamy-specific transcription factor Kar4p and the expression of Rok1p, a putative RNA helicase. We found that Rok1p itself also affects the pheromone induction of Kar4p and thereby participates in nuclear fusion. Analysis of the active-site mutations, xrn1-D206A or D208A, shows that nuclear fusion as well as the Rok1p synthesis do not require the exoribonuclease activity of Kem1p. Our data provide an important insight into the gene-specific regulatory function mediated by the general RNA-modulating enzymes

  18. Crystal Structure of the Phage T4 Recombinase UvsX and Its Functional Interaction with the T4 SF2 Helicase UvsW

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gajewski, Stefan; Webb, Michael R.; Galkin, Vitold; Egelman, Edward H.; Kreuzer, Kenneth N.; White, Stephen W. (Duke); (UV); (SJCH)

    2012-07-11

    Bacteriophage T4 provides an important model system for studying the mechanism of homologous recombination. We have determined the crystal structure of the T4 UvsX recombinase, and the overall architecture and fold closely resemble those of RecA, including a highly conserved ATP binding site. Based on this new structure, we reanalyzed electron microscopy reconstructions of UvsX-DNA filaments and docked the UvsX crystal structure into two different filament forms: a compressed filament generated in the presence of ADP and an elongated filament generated in the presence of ATP and aluminum fluoride. In these reconstructions, the ATP binding site sits at the protomer interface, as in the RecA filament crystal structure. However, the environment of the ATP binding site is altered in the two filament reconstructions, suggesting that nucleotide cannot be as easily accommodated at the protomer interface of the compressed filament. Finally, we show that the phage helicase UvsW completes the UvsX-promoted strand-exchange reaction, allowing the generation of a simple nicked circular product rather than complex networks of partially exchanged substrates.

  19. General methods for analysis of sequential "n-step" kinetic mechanisms: application to single turnover kinetics of helicase-catalyzed DNA unwinding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucius, Aaron L; Maluf, Nasib K; Fischer, Christopher J; Lohman, Timothy M

    2003-10-01

    Helicase-catalyzed DNA unwinding is often studied using "all or none" assays that detect only the final product of fully unwound DNA. Even using these assays, quantitative analysis of DNA unwinding time courses for DNA duplexes of different lengths, L, using "n-step" sequential mechanisms, can reveal information about the number of intermediates in the unwinding reaction and the "kinetic step size", m, defined as the average number of basepairs unwound between two successive rate limiting steps in the unwinding cycle. Simultaneous nonlinear least-squares analysis using "n-step" sequential mechanisms has previously been limited by an inability to float the number of "unwinding steps", n, and m, in the fitting algorithm. Here we discuss the behavior of single turnover DNA unwinding time courses and describe novel methods for nonlinear least-squares analysis that overcome these problems. Analytic expressions for the time courses, f(ss)(t), when obtainable, can be written using gamma and incomplete gamma functions. When analytic expressions are not obtainable, the numerical solution of the inverse Laplace transform can be used to obtain f(ss)(t). Both methods allow n and m to be continuous fitting parameters. These approaches are generally applicable to enzymes that translocate along a lattice or require repetition of a series of steps before product formation.

  20. Deficiency of the Arabidopsis helicase RTEL1 triggers a SOG1-dependent replication checkpoint in response to DNA cross-links.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Zhubing; Cools, Toon; Kalhorzadeh, Pooneh; Heyman, Jefri; De Veylder, Lieven

    2015-01-01

    To maintain genome integrity, DNA replication is executed and regulated by a complex molecular network of numerous proteins, including helicases and cell cycle checkpoint regulators. Through a systematic screening for putative replication mutants, we identified an Arabidopsis thaliana homolog of human Regulator of Telomere Length 1 (RTEL1), which functions in DNA replication, DNA repair, and recombination. RTEL1 deficiency retards plant growth, a phenotype including a prolonged S-phase duration and decreased cell proliferation. Genetic analysis revealed that rtel1 mutant plants show activated cell cycle checkpoints, specific sensitivity to DNA cross-linking agents, and increased homologous recombination, but a lack of progressive shortening of telomeres, indicating that RTEL1 functions have only been partially conserved between mammals and plants. Surprisingly, RTEL1 deficiency induces tolerance to the deoxynucleotide-depleting drug hydroxyurea, which could be mimicked by DNA cross-linking agents. This resistance does not rely on the essential replication checkpoint regulator WEE1 but could be blocked by a mutation in the SOG1 transcription factor. Taken together, our data indicate that RTEL1 is required for DNA replication and that its deficiency activates a SOG1-dependent replication checkpoint. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

  1. DP97, a DEAD box DNA/RNA helicase, is a target gene-selective co-regulator of the constitutive androstane receptor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kanno, Yuichiro, E-mail: ykanno@phar.toho-u.ac.jp [Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Chiba (Japan); Serikawa, Takafumi; Inajima, Jun; Inouye, Yoshio [Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Chiba (Japan)

    2012-09-14

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DP97 interacts with nuclear receptor CAR. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DP97 enhances CAR-mediated transcriptional activation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DP97 synergistically enhances transactivity of CAR by the co-expression of SRC-1 or PGC1{alpha}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DP97 is a gene-selective co-activator for hCAR. -- Abstract: The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) plays a key role in the expression of xenobiotic/steroid and drug metabolizing enzymes and their transporters. In this study, we demonstrated that DP97, a member of the DEAD box DNA/RNA helicase protein family, is a novel CAR-interacting protein. Using HepG2 cells expressing human CAR in the presence of tetracycline, we showed that knockdown of DP97 with small interfering RNAs suppressed tetracycline-inducible mRNA expression of CYP2B6 and UGT1A1 but not CYP3A4. Thus, DP97 was found to be a gene (or promoter)-selective co-activator for hCAR. DP97-mediated CAR transactivation was synergistically enhanced by the co-expression of SRC-1 or PGC1{alpha}, therefore it might act as mediator between hCAR and appropriate co-activators.

  2. The DNA repair endonuclease XPG interacts directly and functionally with the WRN helicase defective in Werner syndrome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trego, Kelly S.; Chernikova, Sophia B.; Davalos, Albert R.; Perry, J. Jefferson P.; Finger, L. David; Ng, Cliff; Tsai, Miaw-Sheue; Yannone, Steven M.; Tainer, John A.; Campisi, Judith; Cooper, Priscilla K.

    2011-04-20

    XPG is a structure-specific endonuclease required for nucleotide excision repair (NER). XPG incision defects result in the cancer-prone syndrome xeroderma pigmentosum, whereas truncating mutations of XPG cause the severe postnatal progeroid developmental disorder Cockayne syndrome. We show that XPG interacts directly with WRN protein, which is defective in the premature aging disorder Werner syndrome, and that the two proteins undergo similar sub-nuclear redistribution in S-phase and co-localize in nuclear foci. The co-localization was observed in mid- to late-S-phase, when WRN moves from nucleoli to nuclear foci that have been shown to contain protein markers of both stalled replication forks and telomeric proteins. We mapped the interaction between XPG and WRN to the C-terminal domains of each and show that interaction with the C-terminal domain of XPG strongly stimulates WRN helicase activity. WRN also possesses a competing DNA single-strand annealing activity that, combined with unwinding, has been shown to coordinate regression of model replication forks to form Holliday junction/chicken foot intermediate structures. We tested whether XPG stimulated WRN annealing activity and found that XPG itself has intrinsic strand annealing activity that requires the unstructured R- and C-terminal domains, but not the conserved catalytic core or endonuclease activity. Annealing by XPG is cooperative, rather than additive, with WRN annealing. Taken together, our results suggest a novel function for XPG in S-phase that is at least in part carried out coordinately with WRN, and which may contribute to the severity of the phenotypes that occur upon loss of XPG.

  3. Bypass of a nick by the replisome of bacteriophage T7.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Bin; Lee, Seung-Joo; Richardson, Charles C

    2011-08-12

    DNA polymerase and DNA helicase are essential components of DNA replication. The helicase unwinds duplex DNA to provide single-stranded templates for DNA synthesis by the DNA polymerase. In bacteriophage T7, movement of either the DNA helicase or the DNA polymerase alone terminates upon encountering a nick in duplex DNA. Using a minicircular DNA, we show that the helicase · polymerase complex can bypass a nick, albeit at reduced efficiency of 7%, on the non-template strand to continue rolling circle DNA synthesis. A gap in the non-template strand cannot be bypassed. The efficiency of bypass synthesis depends on the DNA sequence downstream of the nick. A nick on the template strand cannot be bypassed. Addition of T7 single-stranded DNA-binding protein to the complex stimulates nick bypass 2-fold. We propose that the association of helicase with the polymerase prevents dissociation of the helicase upon encountering a nick, allowing the helicase to continue unwinding of the duplex downstream of the nick.

  4. Bypass of a Nick by the Replisome of Bacteriophage T7*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Bin; Lee, Seung-Joo; Richardson, Charles C.

    2011-01-01

    DNA polymerase and DNA helicase are essential components of DNA replication. The helicase unwinds duplex DNA to provide single-stranded templates for DNA synthesis by the DNA polymerase. In bacteriophage T7, movement of either the DNA helicase or the DNA polymerase alone terminates upon encountering a nick in duplex DNA. Using a minicircular DNA, we show that the helicase·polymerase complex can bypass a nick, albeit at reduced efficiency of 7%, on the non-template strand to continue rolling circle DNA synthesis. A gap in the non-template strand cannot be bypassed. The efficiency of bypass synthesis depends on the DNA sequence downstream of the nick. A nick on the template strand cannot be bypassed. Addition of T7 single-stranded DNA-binding protein to the complex stimulates nick bypass 2-fold. We propose that the association of helicase with the polymerase prevents dissociation of the helicase upon encountering a nick, allowing the helicase to continue unwinding of the duplex downstream of the nick. PMID:21701044

  5. A recessive founder mutation in regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1, RTEL1, underlies severe immunodeficiency and features of Hoyeraal Hreidarsson syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballew, Bari J; Joseph, Vijai; De, Saurav; Sarek, Grzegorz; Vannier, Jean-Baptiste; Stracker, Travis; Schrader, Kasmintan A; Small, Trudy N; O'Reilly, Richard; Manschreck, Chris; Harlan Fleischut, Megan M; Zhang, Liying; Sullivan, John; Stratton, Kelly; Yeager, Meredith; Jacobs, Kevin; Giri, Neelam; Alter, Blanche P; Boland, Joseph; Burdett, Laurie; Offit, Kenneth; Boulton, Simon J; Savage, Sharon A; Petrini, John H J

    2013-08-01

    Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a heterogeneous inherited bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition syndrome in which germline mutations in telomere biology genes account for approximately one-half of known families. Hoyeraal Hreidarsson syndrome (HH) is a clinically severe variant of DC in which patients also have cerebellar hypoplasia and may present with severe immunodeficiency and enteropathy. We discovered a germline autosomal recessive mutation in RTEL1, a helicase with critical telomeric functions, in two unrelated families of Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) ancestry. The affected individuals in these families are homozygous for the same mutation, R1264H, which affects three isoforms of RTEL1. Each parent was a heterozygous carrier of one mutant allele. Patient-derived cell lines revealed evidence of telomere dysfunction, including significantly decreased telomere length, telomere length heterogeneity, and the presence of extra-chromosomal circular telomeric DNA. In addition, RTEL1 mutant cells exhibited enhanced sensitivity to the interstrand cross-linking agent mitomycin C. The molecular data and the patterns of inheritance are consistent with a hypomorphic mutation in RTEL1 as the underlying basis of the clinical and cellular phenotypes. This study further implicates RTEL1 in the etiology of DC/HH and immunodeficiency, and identifies the first known homozygous autosomal recessive disease-associated mutation in RTEL1.

  6. A recessive founder mutation in regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1, RTEL1, underlies severe immunodeficiency and features of Hoyeraal Hreidarsson syndrome.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bari J Ballew

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Dyskeratosis congenita (DC is a heterogeneous inherited bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition syndrome in which germline mutations in telomere biology genes account for approximately one-half of known families. Hoyeraal Hreidarsson syndrome (HH is a clinically severe variant of DC in which patients also have cerebellar hypoplasia and may present with severe immunodeficiency and enteropathy. We discovered a germline autosomal recessive mutation in RTEL1, a helicase with critical telomeric functions, in two unrelated families of Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ ancestry. The affected individuals in these families are homozygous for the same mutation, R1264H, which affects three isoforms of RTEL1. Each parent was a heterozygous carrier of one mutant allele. Patient-derived cell lines revealed evidence of telomere dysfunction, including significantly decreased telomere length, telomere length heterogeneity, and the presence of extra-chromosomal circular telomeric DNA. In addition, RTEL1 mutant cells exhibited enhanced sensitivity to the interstrand cross-linking agent mitomycin C. The molecular data and the patterns of inheritance are consistent with a hypomorphic mutation in RTEL1 as the underlying basis of the clinical and cellular phenotypes. This study further implicates RTEL1 in the etiology of DC/HH and immunodeficiency, and identifies the first known homozygous autosomal recessive disease-associated mutation in RTEL1.

  7. The roles of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RecQ helicase SGS1 in meiotic genome surveillance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amit Dipak Amin

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The Saccharomyces cerevisiae RecQ helicase Sgs1 is essential for mitotic and meiotic genome stability. The stage at which Sgs1 acts during meiosis is subject to debate. Cytological experiments showed that a deletion of SGS1 leads to an increase in synapsis initiation complexes and axial associations leading to the proposal that it has an early role in unwinding surplus strand invasion events. Physical studies of recombination intermediates implicate it in the dissolution of double Holliday junctions between sister chromatids.In this work, we observed an increase in meiotic recombination between diverged sequences (homeologous recombination and an increase in unequal sister chromatid events when SGS1 is deleted. The first of these observations is most consistent with an early role of Sgs1 in unwinding inappropriate strand invasion events while the second is consistent with unwinding or dissolution of recombination intermediates in an Mlh1- and Top3-dependent manner. We also provide data that suggest that Sgs1 is involved in the rejection of 'second strand capture' when sequence divergence is present. Finally, we have identified a novel class of tetrads where non-sister spores (pairs of spores where each contains a centromere marker from a different parent are inviable. We propose a model for this unusual pattern of viability based on the inability of sgs1 mutants to untangle intertwined chromosomes. Our data suggest that this role of Sgs1 is not dependent on its interaction with Top3. We propose that in the absence of SGS1 chromosomes may sometimes remain entangled at the end of pre-meiotic replication. This, combined with reciprocal crossing over, could lead to physical destruction of the recombined and entangled chromosomes. We hypothesise that Sgs1, acting in concert with the topoisomerase Top2, resolves these structures.This work provides evidence that Sgs1 interacts with various partner proteins to maintain genome stability throughout

  8. Comprehensive Protein Interactome Analysis of a Key RNA Helicase: Detection of Novel Stress Granule Proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca Bish

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available DDX6 (p54/RCK is a human RNA helicase with central roles in mRNA decay and translation repression. To help our understanding of how DDX6 performs these multiple functions, we conducted the first unbiased, large-scale study to map the DDX6-centric protein-protein interactome using immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry. Using DDX6 as bait, we identify a high-confidence and high-quality set of protein interaction partners which are enriched for functions in RNA metabolism and ribosomal proteins. The screen is highly specific, maximizing the number of true positives, as demonstrated by the validation of 81% (47/58 of the RNA-independent interactors through known functions and interactions. Importantly, we minimize the number of indirect interaction partners through use of a nuclease-based digestion to eliminate RNA. We describe eleven new interactors, including proteins involved in splicing which is an as-yet unknown role for DDX6. We validated and characterized in more detail the interaction of DDX6 with Nuclear fragile X mental retardation-interacting protein 2 (NUFIP2 and with two previously uncharacterized proteins, FAM195A and FAM195B (here referred to as granulin-1 and granulin-2, or GRAN1 and GRAN2. We show that NUFIP2, GRAN1, and GRAN2 are not P-body components, but re-localize to stress granules upon exposure to stress, suggesting a function in translation repression in the cellular stress response. Using a complementary analysis that resolved DDX6’s multiple complex memberships, we further validated these interaction partners and the presence of splicing factors. As DDX6 also interacts with the E3 SUMO ligase TIF1β, we tested for and observed a significant enrichment of sumoylation amongst DDX6’s interaction partners. Our results represent the most comprehensive screen for direct interaction partners of a key regulator of RNA life cycle and localization, highlighting new stress granule components and possible DDX6 functions

  9. General Methods for Analysis of Sequential “n-step” Kinetic Mechanisms: Application to Single Turnover Kinetics of Helicase-Catalyzed DNA Unwinding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucius, Aaron L.; Maluf, Nasib K.; Fischer, Christopher J.; Lohman, Timothy M.

    2003-01-01

    Helicase-catalyzed DNA unwinding is often studied using “all or none” assays that detect only the final product of fully unwound DNA. Even using these assays, quantitative analysis of DNA unwinding time courses for DNA duplexes of different lengths, L, using “n-step” sequential mechanisms, can reveal information about the number of intermediates in the unwinding reaction and the “kinetic step size”, m, defined as the average number of basepairs unwound between two successive rate limiting steps in the unwinding cycle. Simultaneous nonlinear least-squares analysis using “n-step” sequential mechanisms has previously been limited by an inability to float the number of “unwinding steps”, n, and m, in the fitting algorithm. Here we discuss the behavior of single turnover DNA unwinding time courses and describe novel methods for nonlinear least-squares analysis that overcome these problems. Analytic expressions for the time courses, fss(t), when obtainable, can be written using gamma and incomplete gamma functions. When analytic expressions are not obtainable, the numerical solution of the inverse Laplace transform can be used to obtain fss(t). Both methods allow n and m to be continuous fitting parameters. These approaches are generally applicable to enzymes that translocate along a lattice or require repetition of a series of steps before product formation. PMID:14507688

  10. Minichromosome maintenance helicase paralog MCM9 is dispensible for DNA replication but functions in germ-line stem cells and tumor suppression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartford, Suzanne A; Luo, Yunhai; Southard, Teresa L; Min, Irene M; Lis, John T; Schimenti, John C

    2011-10-25

    Effective DNA replication is critical to the health and reproductive success of organisms. The six MCM2-7 proteins, which form the replicative helicase, are essential for high-fidelity replication of the genome. Many eukaryotes have a divergent paralog, MCM9, that was reported to be essential for loading MCM2-7 onto replication origins in the Xenopus oocyte extract system. To address the in vivo role of mammalian MCM9, we created and analyzed the phenotypes of mice with various mutations in Mcm9 and an intronic DNA replication-related gene Asf1a. Ablation of Mcm9 was compatible with cell proliferation and mouse viability, showing that it is nonessential for MCM2-7 loading or DNA replication. Mcm9 mutants underwent p53-independent embryonic germ-cell depletion in both sexes, with males also exhibiting defective spermatogonial stem-cell renewal. MCM9-deficient cells had elevated genomic instability and defective cell cycle reentry following replication stress, and mutant animals were prone to sex-specific cancers, most notably hepatocellular carcinoma in males. The phenotypes of mutant mice and cells suggest that MCM9 evolved a specialized but nonessential role in DNA replication or replication-linked quality-control mechanisms that are especially important for germ-line stem cells, and also for tumor suppression and genome maintenance in the soma.

  11. Structure of a conserved hypothetical protein SA1388 from S. aureus reveals a capped hexameric toroid with two PII domain lids and a dinuclear metal center

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leybourne Matthew

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The protein encoded by the SA1388 gene from Staphylococcus aureus was chosen for structure determination to elucidate its domain organization and confirm our earlier remote homology based prediction that it housed a nitrogen regulatory PII protein-like domain. SA1388 was predicted to contain a central PII-like domain and two flanking regions, which together belong to the NIF3-like protein family. Proteins like SA1388 remain a poorly studied group and their structural characterization could guide future investigations aimed at understanding their function. Results The structure of SA1388 has been solved to 2.0Å resolution by single wavelength anomalous dispersion phasing method using selenium anomalous signals. It reveals a canonical NIF3-like fold containing two domains with a PII-like domain inserted in the middle of the polypeptide. The N and C terminal halves of the NIF3-like domains are involved in dimerization, while the PII domain forms trimeric contacts with symmetry related monomers. Overall, the NIF3-like domains of SA1388 are organized as a hexameric toroid similar to its homologs, E. coli ybgI and the hypothetical protein SP1609 from Streptococcus pneumoniae. The openings on either side of the toroid are partially covered by trimeric "lids" formed by the PII domains. The junction of the two NIF3 domains has two zinc ions bound at what appears to be a histidine rich active site. A well-defined electron density corresponding to an endogenously bound ligand of unknown identity is observed in close proximity to the metal site. Conclusion SA1388 is the third member of the NIF3-like family of proteins to be structurally characterized, the other two also being hypothetical proteins of unknown function. The structure of SA1388 confirms our earlier prediction that the inserted domain that separates the two NIF3 domains adopts a PII-like fold and reveals an overall capped toroidal arrangement for the protein hexamer. The

  12. Extended clinical and genetic spectrum associated with biallelic RTEL1 mutations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Touzot, Fabien; Kermasson, Laetitia; Jullien, Laurent; Moshous, Despina; Ménard, Christelle; Ikincioğullari, Aydan; Doğu, Figen; Sari, Sinan; Giacobbi-Milet, Vannina; Etzioni, Amos; Soulier, Jean; Londono-Vallejo, Arturo; Fischer, Alain; Callebaut, Isabelle; de Villartay, Jean-Pierre; Leblanc, Thierry; Kannengiesser, Caroline; Revy, Patrick

    2016-11-29

    Telomeres are repetitive hexameric sequences located at the end of linear chromosomes. They adopt a lariat-like structure, the T-loop, to prevent them from being recognized as DNA breaks by the DNA repair machinery. RTEL1 is a DNA helicase required for proper telomere replication and stability. In particular, it has been postulated that RTEL1 is involved in the opening of the T-loop during telomere replication to avoid sudden telomere deletion and telomere circle (T-circle) formation. In humans, biallelic RTEL1 mutations cause Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HH), a rare and severe telomere biology disorder characterized by intrauterine growth retardation, bone marrow failure, microcephaly and/or cerebellar hypoplasia, and immunodeficiency. To date, 18 different RTEL1 mutations have been described in 19 cases of HH with short telomeres. The impaired T-loop resolution has been proposed to be a major cause of telomere shortening in RTEL1 deficiency. However, the biological and clinical consequences of this disorder remain incompletely documented. Here, we describe 4 new patients harboring biallelic RTEL1 mutations, including 2 novel missense mutations located in the C-terminal end of RTEL1 (p.Cys1268Arg and p.Val1294Phe). Clinical characteristics from these 4 patients were collected as those from 4 other RTEL1-deficient patients previously reported. In addition, we assessed whether T-circles, the product of improper T-loop resolution, were detected in our RTEL1-deficient patients. Overall, our study broadens and refines the clinical and biological spectrum of human RTEL1 deficiency.

  13. Regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1) rs6010620 polymorphism contribute to increased risk of glioma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Wei; Bian, Yusong; Zhu, Wei; Zou, Peng; Tang, Guotai

    2014-06-01

    Regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1) is critical for genome stability and tumor avoidance. Many studies have reported the associations of RTEL1 rs6010620 with glioma risk, but individually published results were inconclusive. This meta-analysis was performed to quantitatively summarize the evidence for such a relationship. The PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched to identify relevant studies. The odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) were computed to estimate the strength of the association using a fixed or random effects model. Ten studies were eligible for meta-analysis including data on glioma with 6,490 cases and 9,288 controls. Overall, there was a significant association between RTEL1 rs6010620 polymorphism and glioma risk in all four genetic models (GG vs. AA: OR=1.87, 95 % CI=1.60-2.18, P heterogeneity=0.552; GA vs. AA: OR=1.30, 95 % CI=1.16-1.46, P heterogeneity=0.495; dominant model-GG+GA vs. AA: OR=1.46, 95 % CI=1.31-1.63, P heterogeneity=0.528; recessive model-GG vs. GA+AA: OR=1.36, 95 % CI=1.27-1.46, P heterogeneity=0.093). Subgroup analyses by ethnicity showed that RTEL1 rs6010620 polymorphism resulted in a higher risk of glioma among both Asians and Caucasians. In the stratified analysis by ethnicity and source of controls, significantly increased risk was observed for Asians and Europeans in all genetic models, population-based studies in all genetic models, and hospital-based studies in three genetic models (heterozygote comparison, homozygote comparison, and dominant model). Our meta-analysis suggested that RTEL1 rs6010620 polymorphism is likely to be associated with increased glioma risk, which lends further biological plausibility to these findings.

  14. FBH1 influences DNA replication fork stability and homologous recombination through ubiquitylation of RAD51

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chu, Wai Kit; Payne, Miranda J; Beli, Petra

    2015-01-01

    Unscheduled homologous recombination (HR) can lead to genomic instability, which greatly increases the threat of neoplastic transformation in humans. The F-box DNA helicase 1 (FBH1) is a 3'-5' DNA helicase with a putative function as a negative regulator of HR. It is the only known DNA helicase t...

  15. Chlorosis caused by two recessively interacting genes reveals a role of RNA helicase in hybrid breakdown in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plötner, Björn; Nurmi, Markus; Fischer, Axel; Watanabe, Mutsumi; Schneeberger, Korbinian; Holm, Svante; Vaid, Neha; Schöttler, Mark Aurel; Walther, Dirk; Hoefgen, Rainer; Weigel, Detlef; Laitinen, Roosa A E

    2017-07-01

    Hybrids often differ in fitness from their parents. They may be superior, translating into hybrid vigour or heterosis, but they may also be markedly inferior, because of hybrid weakness or incompatibility. The underlying genetic causes for the latter can often be traced back to genes that evolve rapidly because of sexual or host-pathogen conflicts. Hybrid weakness may manifest itself only in later generations, in a phenomenon called hybrid breakdown. We have characterized a case of hybrid breakdown among two Arabidopsis thaliana accessions, Shahdara (Sha, Tajikistan) and Lövvik-5 (Lov-5, Northern Sweden). In addition to chlorosis, a fraction of the F 2 plants have defects in leaf and embryo development, and reduced photosynthetic efficiency. Hybrid chlorosis is due to two major-effect loci, of which one, originating from Lov-5, appears to encode an RNA helicase (AtRH18). To examine the role of the chlorosis allele in the Lövvik area, in addition to eight accessions collected in 2009, we collected another 240 accessions from 15 collections sites, including Lövvik, from Northern Sweden in 2015. Genotyping revealed that Lövvik collection site is separated from the rest. Crosses between 109 accessions from this area and Sha revealed 85 cases of hybrid chlorosis, indicating that the chlorosis-causing allele is common in this area. These results suggest that hybrid breakdown alleles not only occur at rapidly evolving loci, but also at genes that code for conserved processes. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. The RNA-mediated, asymmetric ring regulatory mechanism of the transcription termination Rho helicase decrypted by time-resolved nucleotide analog interference probing (trNAIP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soares, Emilie; Schwartz, Annie; Nollmann, Marcello; Margeat, Emmanuel; Boudvillain, Marc

    2014-08-01

    Rho is a ring-shaped, ATP-dependent RNA helicase/translocase that dissociates transcriptional complexes in bacteria. How RNA recognition is coupled to ATP hydrolysis and translocation in Rho is unclear. Here, we develop and use a new combinatorial approach, called time-resolved Nucleotide Analog Interference Probing (trNAIP), to unmask RNA molecular determinants of catalytic Rho function. We identify a regulatory step in the translocation cycle involving recruitment of the 2'-hydroxyl group of the incoming 3'-RNA nucleotide by a Rho subunit. We propose that this step arises from the intrinsic weakness of one of the subunit interfaces caused by asymmetric, split-ring arrangement of primary RNA tethers around the Rho hexamer. Translocation is at highest stake every seventh nucleotide when the weak interface engages the incoming 3'-RNA nucleotide or breaks, depending on RNA threading constraints in the Rho pore. This substrate-governed, 'test to run' iterative mechanism offers a new perspective on how a ring-translocase may function or be regulated. It also illustrates the interest and versatility of the new trNAIP methodology to unveil the molecular mechanisms of complex RNA-based systems. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  17. Role of redox environment on the oligomerization of higher molecular weight adiponectin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuñez Martha

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Adiponectin is an adipocyte-secreted hormone with insulin-sensitizing and anti-inflammatory actions. The assembly of trimeric, hexameric, and higher molecular weight (HMW species of adiponectin is a topic of significant interest because physiological actions of adiponectin are oligomer-specific. In addition, adiponectin assembly is an example of oxidative oligomerization of multi-subunit protein complexes in endoplasmic reticulum (ER. Results We previously reported that trimers assemble into HMW adiponectin via intermediates stabilized by disulfide bonds, and complete oxidation of available cysteines locks adiponectin in hexameric conformation. In this study, we examined the effects of redox environment on the rate of oligomer formation and the distribution of oligomers. Reassembly of adiponectin under oxidizing conditions accelerated disulfide bonding but favored formation of hexamers over the HMW species. Increased ratios of HMW to hexameric adiponectin could be achieved rapidly under oxidizing conditions by promoting disulfide rearrangement. Conclusions Based upon these observations, we propose oxidative assembly of multi-subunit adiponectin complexes in a defined and stable redox environment is favored under oxidizing conditions coupled with high rates of disulfide rearrangement.

  18. Redistribution of demethylated RNA helicase A during foot-and-mouth disease virus infection: Role of Jumonji C-domain containing protein 6 in RHA demethylation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawrence, Paul; Conderino, Joseph S.; Rieder, Elizabeth

    2014-01-01

    Previously, RNA helicase A (RHA) re-localization from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infected cells was shown to coincide with loss of RHA methylated arginine residues at its C-terminus. The potential interaction between RHA and Jumonji C-domain (JmjC) protein 6 (JMJD6) arginine demethylase in infected cells was investigated. Treatment with N-oxalylglycine (NOG) inhibitor of JmjC demethylases prevented FMDV-induced RHA demethylation and re-localization, and also decreased viral protein synthesis and virus titers. Physical interaction between JMJD6 and RHA was demonstrated via reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation, where RHA preferentially bound JMJD6 monomers. Nuclear efflux of demethylated RHA (DM-RHA) coincided with nuclear influx of JMJD6, which was not observed using another picornavirus. A modified biochemical assay demonstrated JMJD6 induced dose-dependent demethylation of RHA and two RHA-derived isoforms, which could be inhibited by NOG. We propose a role for JMJD6 in RHA demethylation stimulated by FMDV, that appears to facilitate virus replication. - Highlights: • We examined the role of JMJD6 in FMDV-induced RHA demethylation process. • Using an arginine demethylation assay showed that JMJD6 is involved in RHA demethylation. • A demethylases inhibitor reduced cytoplasmic accumulation of RHA and FMDV titers

  19. Redistribution of demethylated RNA helicase A during foot-and-mouth disease virus infection: Role of Jumonji C-domain containing protein 6 in RHA demethylation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lawrence, Paul; Conderino, Joseph S.; Rieder, Elizabeth, E-mail: elizabeth.rieder@ars.usda.gov

    2014-03-15

    Previously, RNA helicase A (RHA) re-localization from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infected cells was shown to coincide with loss of RHA methylated arginine residues at its C-terminus. The potential interaction between RHA and Jumonji C-domain (JmjC) protein 6 (JMJD6) arginine demethylase in infected cells was investigated. Treatment with N-oxalylglycine (NOG) inhibitor of JmjC demethylases prevented FMDV-induced RHA demethylation and re-localization, and also decreased viral protein synthesis and virus titers. Physical interaction between JMJD6 and RHA was demonstrated via reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation, where RHA preferentially bound JMJD6 monomers. Nuclear efflux of demethylated RHA (DM-RHA) coincided with nuclear influx of JMJD6, which was not observed using another picornavirus. A modified biochemical assay demonstrated JMJD6 induced dose-dependent demethylation of RHA and two RHA-derived isoforms, which could be inhibited by NOG. We propose a role for JMJD6 in RHA demethylation stimulated by FMDV, that appears to facilitate virus replication. - Highlights: • We examined the role of JMJD6 in FMDV-induced RHA demethylation process. • Using an arginine demethylation assay showed that JMJD6 is involved in RHA demethylation. • A demethylases inhibitor reduced cytoplasmic accumulation of RHA and FMDV titers.

  20. Nuclear Export of Pre-Ribosomal Subunits Requires Dbp5, but Not as an RNA-Helicase as for mRNA Export.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neumann, Bettina; Wu, Haijia; Hackmann, Alexandra; Krebber, Heike

    2016-01-01

    The DEAD-box RNA-helicase Dbp5/Rat8 is known for its function in nuclear mRNA export, where it displaces the export receptor Mex67 from the mRNA at the cytoplasmic side of the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Here we show that Dbp5 is also required for the nuclear export of both pre-ribosomal subunits. Yeast temperature-sensitive dbp5 mutants accumulate both ribosomal particles in their nuclei. Furthermore, Dbp5 genetically and physically interacts with known ribosomal transport factors such as Nmd3. Similar to mRNA export we show that also for ribosomal transport Dbp5 is required at the cytoplasmic side of the NPC. However, unlike its role in mRNA export, Dbp5 does not seem to undergo its ATPase cycle for this function, as ATPase-deficient dbp5 mutants that selectively inhibit mRNA export do not affect ribosomal transport. Furthermore, mutants of GLE1, the ATPase stimulating factor of Dbp5, show no major ribosomal export defects. Consequently, while Dbp5 uses its ATPase cycle to displace the export receptor Mex67 from the translocated mRNAs, Mex67 remains bound to ribosomal subunits upon transit to the cytoplasm, where it is detectable on translating ribosomes. Therefore, we propose a model, in which Dbp5 supports ribosomal transport by capturing ribosomal subunits upon their cytoplasmic appearance at the NPC, possibly by binding export factors such as Mex67. Thus, our findings reveal that although different ribonucleoparticles, mRNAs and pre-ribosomal subunits, use shared export factors, they utilize different transport mechanisms.

  1. Targeting helicase-dependent amplification products with an electrochemical genosensor for reliable and sensitive screening of genetically modified organisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moura-Melo, Suely; Miranda-Castro, Rebeca; de-Los-Santos-Álvarez, Noemí; Miranda-Ordieres, Arturo J; Dos Santos Junior, J Ribeiro; da Silva Fonseca, Rosana A; Lobo-Castañón, Maria Jesús

    2015-08-18

    Cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their use in food and feed is constantly expanding; thus, the question of informing consumers about their presence in food has proven of significant interest. The development of sensitive, rapid, robust, and reliable methods for the detection of GMOs is crucial for proper food labeling. In response, we have experimentally characterized the helicase-dependent isothermal amplification (HDA) and sequence-specific detection of a transgene from the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S Promoter (CaMV35S), inserted into most transgenic plants. HDA is one of the simplest approaches for DNA amplification, emulating the bacterial replication machinery, and resembling PCR but under isothermal conditions. However, it usually suffers from a lack of selectivity, which is due to the accumulation of spurious amplification products. To improve the selectivity of HDA, which makes the detection of amplification products more reliable, we have developed an electrochemical platform targeting the central sequence of HDA copies of the transgene. A binary monolayer architecture is built onto a thin gold film where, upon the formation of perfect nucleic acid duplexes with the amplification products, these are enzyme-labeled and electrochemically transduced. The resulting combined system increases genosensor detectability up to 10(6)-fold, allowing Yes/No detection of GMOs with a limit of detection of ∼30 copies of the CaMV35S genomic DNA. A set of general utility rules in the design of genosensors for detection of HDA amplicons, which may assist in the development of point-of-care tests, is also included. The method provides a versatile tool for detecting nucleic acids with extremely low abundance not only for food safety control but also in the diagnostics and environmental control areas.

  2. RNA Helicase DDX5 Regulates MicroRNA Expression and Contributes to Cytoskeletal Reorganization in Basal Breast Cancer Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Daojing; Huang, Jing; Hu, Zhi

    2011-11-15

    RNA helicase DDX5 (also p68) is involved in all aspects of RNA metabolism and serves as a transcriptional co-regulator, but its functional role in breast cancer remains elusive. Here, we report an integrative biology study of DDX5 in breast cancer, encompassing quantitative proteomics, global MicroRNA profiling, and detailed biochemical characterization of cell lines and human tissues. We showed that protein expression of DDX5 increased progressively from the luminal to basal breast cancer cell lines, and correlated positively with that of CD44 in the basal subtypes. Through immunohistochemistry analyses of tissue microarrays containing over 200 invasive human ductal carcinomas, we observed that DDX5 was upregulated in the majority of malignant tissues, and its expression correlated strongly with those of Ki67 and EGFR in the triple-negative tumors. We demonstrated that DDX5 regulated a subset of MicroRNAs including miR-21 and miR-182 in basal breast cancer cells. Knockdown of DDX5 resulted in reorganization of actin cytoskeleton and reduction of cellular proliferation. The effects were accompanied by upregulation of tumor suppressor PDCD4 (a known miR-21 target); as well as upregulation of cofilin and profilin, two key proteins involved in actin polymerization and cytoskeleton maintenance, as a consequence of miR-182 downregulation. Treatment with miR-182 inhibitors resulted in morphologic phenotypes resembling those induced by DDX5 knockdown. Using bioinformatics tools for pathway and network analyses, we confirmed that the network for regulation of actin cytoskeleton was predominantly enriched for the predicted downstream targets of miR-182. Our results reveal a new functional role of DDX5 in breast cancer via the DDX5→miR-182→actin cytoskeleton pathway, and suggest the potential clinical utility of DDX5 and its downstream MicroRNAs in the theranostics of breast cancer.

  3. Dendrimer Brain Uptake and Targeted Therapy for Brain Injury in a Large Animal Model of Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Treatment of brain injury following circulatory arrest is a challenging health issue with no viable therapeutic options. Based on studies in a clinically relevant large animal (canine) model of hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA)-induced brain injury, neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity have been identified as key players in mediating the brain injury after HCA. Therapy with large doses of valproic acid (VPA) showed some neuroprotection but was associated with adverse side effects. For the first time in a large animal model, we explored whether systemically administered polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers could be effective in reaching target cells in the brain and deliver therapeutics. We showed that, upon systemic administration, hydroxyl-terminated PAMAM dendrimers are taken up in the brain of injured animals and selectively localize in the injured neurons and microglia in the brain. The biodistribution in other major organs was similar to that seen in small animal models. We studied systemic dendrimer–drug combination therapy with two clinically approved drugs, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) (attenuating neuroinflammation) and valproic acid (attenuating excitotoxicity), building on positive outcomes in a rabbit model of perinatal brain injury. We prepared and characterized dendrimer-NAC (D-NAC) and dendrimer-VPA (D-VPA) conjugates in multigram quantities. A glutathione-sensitive linker to enable for fast intracellular release. In preliminary efficacy studies, combination therapy with D-NAC and D-VPA showed promise in this large animal model, producing 24 h neurological deficit score improvements comparable to high dose combination therapy with VPA and NAC, or free VPA, but at one-tenth the dose, while significantly reducing the adverse side effects. Since adverse side effects of drugs are exaggerated in HCA, the reduced side effects with dendrimer conjugates and suggestions of neuroprotection offer promise for these nanoscale drug delivery systems. PMID:24499315

  4. Dendrimer brain uptake and targeted therapy for brain injury in a large animal model of hypothermic circulatory arrest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishra, Manoj K; Beaty, Claude A; Lesniak, Wojciech G; Kambhampati, Siva P; Zhang, Fan; Wilson, Mary A; Blue, Mary E; Troncoso, Juan C; Kannan, Sujatha; Johnston, Michael V; Baumgartner, William A; Kannan, Rangaramanujam M

    2014-03-25

    Treatment of brain injury following circulatory arrest is a challenging health issue with no viable therapeutic options. Based on studies in a clinically relevant large animal (canine) model of hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA)-induced brain injury, neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity have been identified as key players in mediating the brain injury after HCA. Therapy with large doses of valproic acid (VPA) showed some neuroprotection but was associated with adverse side effects. For the first time in a large animal model, we explored whether systemically administered polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers could be effective in reaching target cells in the brain and deliver therapeutics. We showed that, upon systemic administration, hydroxyl-terminated PAMAM dendrimers are taken up in the brain of injured animals and selectively localize in the injured neurons and microglia in the brain. The biodistribution in other major organs was similar to that seen in small animal models. We studied systemic dendrimer-drug combination therapy with two clinically approved drugs, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) (attenuating neuroinflammation) and valproic acid (attenuating excitotoxicity), building on positive outcomes in a rabbit model of perinatal brain injury. We prepared and characterized dendrimer-NAC (D-NAC) and dendrimer-VPA (D-VPA) conjugates in multigram quantities. A glutathione-sensitive linker to enable for fast intracellular release. In preliminary efficacy studies, combination therapy with D-NAC and D-VPA showed promise in this large animal model, producing 24 h neurological deficit score improvements comparable to high dose combination therapy with VPA and NAC, or free VPA, but at one-tenth the dose, while significantly reducing the adverse side effects. Since adverse side effects of drugs are exaggerated in HCA, the reduced side effects with dendrimer conjugates and suggestions of neuroprotection offer promise for these nanoscale drug delivery systems.

  5. Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus Primosomal DnaD Protein: Highly Conserved C-Terminal Region Is Crucial for ssDNA and PriA Helicase Binding but Not for DnaA Protein-Binding and Self-Tetramerization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yen-Hua Huang

    Full Text Available The role of DnaD in the recruitment of replicative helicase has been identified. However, knowledge of the DNA, PriA, and DnaA binding mechanism of this protein for the DnaA- and PriA-directed replication primosome assemblies is limited. We characterized the DNA-binding properties of DnaD from Staphylococcus aureus (SaDnaD and analyzed its interactions with SaPriA and SaDnaA. The gel filtration chromatography analysis of purified SaDnaD and its deletion mutant proteins (SaDnaD1-195, SaDnaD1-200 and SaDnaD1-204 showed a stable tetramer in solution. This finding indicates that the C-terminal region aa 196-228 is not crucial for SaDnaD oligomerization. SaDnaD forms distinct complexes with ssDNA of different lengths. In fluorescence titrations, SaDnaD bound to ssDNA with a binding-site size of approximately 32 nt. A stable complex of SaDnaD1-195, SaDnaD1-200, and SaDnaD1-204 with ssDNA dT40 was undetectable, indicating that the C-terminal region of SaDnaD (particularly aa 205-228 is crucial for ssDNA binding. The SPR results revealed that SaDnaD1-195 can interact with SaDnaA but not with SaPriA, which may indicate that DnaD has different binding sites for PriA and DnaA. Both SaDnaD and SaDnaDY176A mutant proteins, but not SaDnaD1-195, can significantly stimulate the ATPase activity of SaPriA. Hence, the stimulation effect mainly resulted from direct contact within the protein-protein interaction, not via the DNA-protein interaction. Kinetic studies revealed that the SaDnaD-SaPriA interaction increases the Vmax of the SaPriA ATPase fivefold without significantly affecting the Km. These results indicate that the conserved C-terminal region is crucial for ssDNA and PriA helicase binding, but not for DnaA protein-binding and self-tetramerization.

  6. Structural basis of thermal stability of the tungsten cofactor synthesis protein MoaB from Pyrococcus furiosus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nastassia Havarushka

    Full Text Available Molybdenum and tungsten cofactors share a similar pterin-based scaffold, which hosts an ene-dithiolate function being essential for the coordination of either molybdenum or tungsten. The biosynthesis of both cofactors involves a multistep pathway, which ends with the activation of the metal binding pterin (MPT by adenylylation before the respective metal is incorporated. In the hyperthermophilic organism Pyrococcus furiosus, the hexameric protein MoaB (PfuMoaB has been shown to catalyse MPT-adenylylation. Here we determined the crystal structure of PfuMoaB at 2.5 Å resolution and identified key residues of α3-helix mediating hexamer formation. Given that PfuMoaB homologues from mesophilic organisms form trimers, we investigated the impact on PfuMoaB hexamerization on thermal stability and activity. Using structure-guided mutagenesis, we successfully disrupted the hexamer interface in PfuMoaB. The resulting PfuMoaB-H3 variant formed monomers, dimers and trimers as determined by size exclusion chromatography. Circular dichroism spectroscopy as well as chemical cross-linking coupled to mass spectrometry confirmed a wild-type-like fold of the protomers as well as inter-subunits contacts. The melting temperature of PfuMoaB-H3 was found to be reduced by more than 15 °C as determined by differential scanning calorimetry, thus demonstrating hexamerization as key determinant for PfuMoaB thermal stability. Remarkably, while a loss of activity at temperatures higher than 50 °C was observed in the PfuMoaB-H3 variant, at lower temperatures, we determined a significantly increased catalytic activity. The latter suggests a gain in conformational flexibility caused by the disruption of the hexamerization interface.

  7. Homozygous Wildtype of XPD K751Q Polymorphism Is Associated with Increased Risk of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in Malaysian Population

    OpenAIRE

    Lye, Munn-Sann; Visuvanathan, Shaneeta; Chong, Pei-Pei; Yap, Yoke-Yeow; Lim, Chin-Chye; Ban, Eng-Zhuan

    2015-01-01

    The xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD) gene encodes a DNA helicase, an important component in transcription factor IIH (TFIIH) complex. XPD helicase plays a pivotal role in unwinding DNA at the damaged region during nucleotide excision repair (NER) mechanism. Dysfunctional XPD helicase protein from polymorphic diversity may contribute to increased risk of developing cancers. This study aims to determine the association between XPD K751Q polymorphism (rs13181) and risk of nasopharyngeal carci...

  8. Mms1 is an assistant for regulating G-quadruplex DNA structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwindt, Eike; Paeschke, Katrin

    2017-11-02

    The preservation of genome stability is fundamental for every cell. Genomic integrity is constantly challenged. Among those challenges are also non-canonical nucleic acid structures. In recent years, scientists became aware of the impact of G-quadruplex (G4) structures on genome stability. It has been shown that folded G4-DNA structures cause changes in the cell, such as transcriptional up/down-regulation, replication stalling, or enhanced genome instability. Multiple helicases have been identified to regulate G4 structures and by this preserve genome stability. Interestingly, although these helicases are mostly ubiquitous expressed, they show specificity for G4 regulation in certain cellular processes (e.g., DNA replication). To this date, it is not clear how this process and target specificity of helicases are achieved. Recently, Mms1, an ubiquitin ligase complex protein, was identified as a novel G4-DNA-binding protein that supports genome stability by aiding Pif1 helicase binding to these regions. In this perspective review, we discuss the question if G4-DNA interacting proteins are fundamental for helicase function and specificity at G4-DNA structures.

  9. DNA helicase HIM-6/BLM both promotes MutSγ-dependent crossovers and antagonizes MutSγ-independent interhomolog associations during caenorhabditis elegans meiosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schvarzstein, Mara; Pattabiraman, Divya; Libuda, Diana E; Ramadugu, Ajit; Tam, Angela; Martinez-Perez, Enrique; Roelens, Baptiste; Zawadzki, Karl A; Yokoo, Rayka; Rosu, Simona; Severson, Aaron F; Meyer, Barbara J; Nabeshima, Kentaro; Villeneuve, Anne M

    2014-09-01

    Meiotic recombination is initiated by the programmed induction of double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs), lesions that pose a potential threat to the genome. A subset of the DSBs induced during meiotic prophase become designated to be repaired by a pathway that specifically yields interhomolog crossovers (COs), which mature into chiasmata that temporarily connect the homologs to ensure their proper segregation at meiosis I. The remaining DSBs must be repaired by other mechanisms to restore genomic integrity prior to the meiotic divisions. Here we show that HIM-6, the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of the RecQ family DNA helicase BLM, functions in both of these processes. We show that him-6 mutants are competent to load the MutSγ complex at multiple potential CO sites, to generate intermediates that fulfill the requirements of monitoring mechanisms that enable meiotic progression, and to accomplish and robustly regulate CO designation. However, recombination events at a subset of CO-designated sites fail to mature into COs and chiasmata, indicating a pro-CO role for HIM-6/BLM that manifests itself late in the CO pathway. Moreover, we find that in addition to promoting COs, HIM-6 plays a role in eliminating and/or preventing the formation of persistent MutSγ-independent associations between homologous chromosomes. We propose that HIM-6/BLM enforces biased outcomes of recombination events to ensure that both (a) CO-designated recombination intermediates are reliably resolved as COs and (b) other recombination intermediates reliably mature into noncrossovers in a timely manner. Copyright © 2014 by the Genetics Society of America.

  10. Identification of human genes involved in cellular responses to ionizing radiation: molecular and cellular studies of gene encoding the p68 helicase in mammalian cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Menaa, F.

    2003-12-01

    Cells submitted to genotoxic factors -like IR- activate several and important mechanisms such as repair, cell cycle arrest or 'apoptosis' to maintain genetic integrity. So, the damaged cells will induce many and different genes. The human transcriptome analysis by 'SSH' method in a human breast carcinoma cell line MCF7 γ-irradiated versus not irradiated, allowed to identify about one hundred genes. Among of these genes, we have focused our study on a radio-induced gene encoding the p68 helicase. In the conditions of irradiation used, our results show that the kinetic and the regulation of this gene expression differs between the nature of radiations used. Indeed, in γ-irradiated mammalian cells, ATM, a protein kinase activated by DSB and IR, is required to induce quickly P68 gene via the important transcription factor p53 stabilized by IR. In the case of UVC-irradiated cells, the P68 gene induction is late and the intracellular signalling pathway that lead to this induction is independent from the p53 protein. Finally, we show that the p68 protein under-expression is responsible for an increased radiosensitivity of MCF7 cells. Consequently, we can postulate that the p68 protein is involved in cellular responses to radiations to reduce the increased radiosensitivity of cells exposed to γ-rays. (author)

  11. Molecular and Functional Characterization of RecD, a Novel Member of the SF1 Family of Helicases, from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dewhare, Shivendra Singh; Umesh, T G; Muniyappa, K

    2015-05-08

    The annotated whole-genome sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis revealed the presence of a putative recD gene; however, the biochemical characteristics of its encoded protein product (MtRecD) remain largely unknown. Here, we show that MtRecD exists in solution as a stable homodimer. Protein-DNA binding assays revealed that MtRecD binds efficiently to single-stranded DNA and linear duplexes containing 5' overhangs relative to the 3' overhangs but not to blunt-ended duplex. Furthermore, MtRecD bound more robustly to a variety of Y-shaped DNA structures having ≥18-nucleotide overhangs but not to a similar substrate containing 5-nucleotide overhangs. MtRecD formed more salt-tolerant complexes with Y-shaped structures compared with linear duplex having 3' overhangs. The intrinsic ATPase activity of MtRecD was stimulated by single-stranded DNA. Site-specific mutagenesis of Lys-179 in motif I abolished the ATPase activity of MtRecD. Interestingly, although MtRecD-catalyzed unwinding showed a markedly higher preference for duplex substrates with 5' overhangs, it could also catalyze significant unwinding of substrates containing 3' overhangs. These results support the notion that MtRecD is a bipolar helicase with strong 5' → 3' and weak 3' → 5' unwinding activities. The extent of unwinding of Y-shaped DNA structures was ∼3-fold lower compared with duplexes with 5' overhangs. Notably, direct interaction between MtRecD and its cognate RecA led to inhibition of DNA strand exchange promoted by RecA. Altogether, these studies provide the first detailed characterization of MtRecD and present important insights into the type of DNA structure the enzyme is likely to act upon during the processes of DNA repair or homologous recombination. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  12. Dicty_cDB: Contig-U12068-1 [Dicty_cDB

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available e-11 1 ( EX440985 ) GQ04101.B7_M01 GQ041 - Shoot tip - Dormant (Norma... 82 7e-11 1 ( AF120269 ) Caenorhabditis elegans sex determ...AC0283 ) ATP-dependent helicase [imported] - Yersinia pest... 87 2e-15 CP000058_1...robable ATP-dependent RNA helicase A [imported] -... 83 3e-14 CP000462_2159( CP000462 |pid:none) Aeromonas h...ingitidis serogrou... 73 3e-11 A81960( A81960 ) probable DNA helicase NMA0430 [imported] - Neisse... 73 3e-1...keilllllhhh midemigaviemiieemievviemiieemievvvvigemiiegmikvvvvvvigmiiegm ievaiekiikemtevhhigevriliktlklhkedim

  13. The effects of oligomerization on Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mcm4/6/7 function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Davey Megan J

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Minichromosome maintenance proteins (Mcm 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are related by sequence and form a variety of complexes that unwind DNA, including Mcm4/6/7. A Mcm4/6/7 trimer forms one half of the Mcm2-7 hexameric ring and can be thought of as the catalytic core of Mcm2-7, the replicative helicase in eukaryotic cells. Oligomeric analysis of Mcm4/6/7 suggests that it forms a hexamer containing two Mcm4/6/7 trimers, however, under certain conditions trimeric Mcm4/6/7 has also been observed. The functional significance of the different Mcm4/6/7 oligomeric states has not been assessed. The results of such an assessment would have implications for studies of both Mcm4/6/7 and Mcm2-7. Results Here, we show that Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mcm4/6/7 reconstituted from individual subunits exists in an equilibrium of oligomeric forms in which smaller oligomers predominate in the absence of ATP. In addition, we found that ATP, which is required for Mcm4/6/7 activity, shifts the equilibrium towards larger oligomers, likely hexamers of Mcm4/6/7. ATPγS and to a lesser extent ADP also shift the equilibrium towards hexamers. Study of Mcm4/6/7 complexes containing mutations that interfere with the formation of inter-subunit ATP sites (arginine finger mutants indicates that full activity of Mcm4/6/7 requires all of its ATP sites, which are formed in a hexamer and not a trimer. In keeping with this observation, Mcm4/6/7 binds DNA as a hexamer. Conclusions The minimal functional unit of Mcm4/6/7 is a hexamer. One of the roles of ATP binding by Mcm4/6/7 may be to stabilize formation of hexamers.

  14. Sequential Immunization with gp140 Boosts Immune Responses Primed by Modified Vaccinia Ankara or DNA in HIV-Uninfected South African Participants.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gavin Churchyard

    Full Text Available The safety and immunogenicity of SAAVI DNA-C2 (4 mg IM, SAAVI MVA-C (2.9 x 109 pfu IM and Novartis V2-deleted subtype C gp140 (100 mcg with MF59 adjuvant in various vaccination regimens was evaluated in HIV-uninfected adults in South Africa.Participants at three South African sites were randomized (1:1:1:1 to one of four vaccine regimens: MVA prime, sequential gp140 protein boost (M/M/P/P; concurrent MVA/gp140 (MP/MP; DNA prime, sequential MVA boost (D/D/M/M; DNA prime, concurrent MVA/gp140 boost (D/D/MP/MP or placebo. Peak HIV specific humoral and cellular responses were measured.184 participants were enrolled: 52% were female, all were Black/African, median age was 23 years (range, 18-42 years and 79% completed all vaccinations. 159 participants reported at least one adverse event, 92.5% were mild or moderate. Five, unrelated, serious adverse events were reported. The M/M/P/P and D/D/MP/MP regimens induced the strongest peak neutralizing and binding antibody responses and the greatest CD4+ T-cell responses to Env. All peak neutralizing and binding antibody responses decayed with time. The MVA, but not DNA, prime contributed to the humoral and cellular immune responses. The D/D/M/M regimen was poorly immunogenic overall but did induce modest CD4+ T-cell responses to Gag and Pol. CD8+ T-cell responses to any antigen were low for all regimens.The SAAVI DNA-C2, SAAVI MVA-C and Novartis gp140 with MF59 adjuvant in various combinations were safe and induced neutralizing and binding antibodies and cellular immune responses. Sequential immunization with gp140 boosted immune responses primed by MVA or DNA. The best overall immune responses were seen with the M/M/P/P regimen.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01418235.

  15. NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-OPRI-01-1553 [SEVENS

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available CBRC-OPRI-01-1553 ref|ZP_01057726.1| Holliday junction DNA helicase RuvA [Roseobact...er sp. MED193] gb|EAQ44205.1| Holliday junction DNA helicase RuvA [Roseobacter sp. MED193] ZP_01057726.1 1.4 34% ...

  16. The helicase, DDX3X, interacts with poly(A)-binding protein 1 (PABP1) and caprin-1 at the leading edge of migrating fibroblasts and is required for efficient cell spreading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Copsey, Alice C; Cooper, Simon; Parker, Robert; Lineham, Ella; Lapworth, Cuzack; Jallad, Deema; Sweet, Steve; Morley, Simon J

    2017-08-30

    DDX3X, a helicase, can interact directly with mRNA and translation initiation factors, regulating the selective translation of mRNAs that contain a structured 5' untranslated region. This activity modulates the expression of mRNAs controlling cell cycle progression and mRNAs regulating actin dynamics, contributing to cell adhesion and motility. Previously, we have shown that ribosomes and translation initiation factors localise to the leading edge of migrating fibroblasts in loci enriched with actively translating ribosomes, thereby promoting steady-state levels of ArpC2 and Rac1 proteins at the leading edge of cells during spreading. As DDX3X can regulate Rac1 levels, cell motility and metastasis, we have examined DDX3X protein interactions and localisation using many complementary approaches. We now show that DDX3X can physically interact and co-localise with poly(A)-binding protein 1 and caprin-1 at the leading edge of spreading cells. Furthermore, as depletion of DDX3X leads to decreased cell motility, this provides a functional link between DDX3X, caprin-1 and initiation factors at the leading edge of migrating cells to promote cell migration and spreading. © 2017 The Author(s).

  17. The Cellular DNA Helicase ChlR1 Regulates Chromatin and Nuclear Matrix Attachment of the Human Papillomavirus 16 E2 Protein and High-Copy-Number Viral Genome Establishment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Leanne; McFarlane-Majeed, Laura; Campos-León, Karen; Roberts, Sally; Parish, Joanna L

    2017-01-01

    In papillomavirus infections, the viral genome is established as a double-stranded DNA episome. To segregate the episomes into daughter cells during mitosis, they are tethered to cellular chromatin by the viral E2 protein. We previously demonstrated that the E2 proteins of diverse papillomavirus types, including bovine papillomavirus (BPV) and human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16), associate with the cellular DNA helicase ChlR1. This virus-host interaction is important for the tethering of BPV E2 to mitotic chromatin and the stable maintenance of BPV episomes. The role of the association between E2 and ChlR1 in the HPV16 life cycle is unresolved. Here we show that an HPV16 E2 Y131A mutant (E2 Y131A ) had significantly reduced binding to ChlR1 but retained transcriptional activation and viral origin-dependent replication functions. Subcellular fractionation of keratinocytes expressing E2 Y131A showed a marked change in the localization of the protein. Compared to that of wild-type E2 (E2 WT ), the chromatin-bound pool of E2 Y131A was decreased, concomitant with an increase in nuclear matrix-associated protein. Cell cycle synchronization indicated that the shift in subcellular localization of E2 Y131A occurred in mid-S phase. A similar alteration between the subcellular pools of the E2 WT protein occurred upon ChlR1 silencing. Notably, in an HPV16 life cycle model in primary human keratinocytes, mutant E2 Y131A genomes were established as episomes, but at a markedly lower copy number than that of wild-type HPV16 genomes, and they were not maintained upon cell passage. Our studies indicate that ChlR1 is an important regulator of the chromatin association of E2 and of the establishment and maintenance of HPV16 episomes. Infections with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are a major cause of anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. During infection, the circular DNA genome of HPV persists within the nucleus, independently of the host cell chromatin. Persistence of infection

  18. The SMC-5/6 Complex and the HIM-6 (BLM Helicase Synergistically Promote Meiotic Recombination Intermediate Processing and Chromosome Maturation during Caenorhabditis elegans Meiosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ye Hong

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Meiotic recombination is essential for the repair of programmed double strand breaks (DSBs to generate crossovers (COs during meiosis. The efficient processing of meiotic recombination intermediates not only needs various resolvases but also requires proper meiotic chromosome structure. The Smc5/6 complex belongs to the structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC family and is closely related to cohesin and condensin. Although the Smc5/6 complex has been implicated in the processing of recombination intermediates during meiosis, it is not known how Smc5/6 controls meiotic DSB repair. Here, using Caenorhabditis elegans we show that the SMC-5/6 complex acts synergistically with HIM-6, an ortholog of the human Bloom syndrome helicase (BLM during meiotic recombination. The concerted action of the SMC-5/6 complex and HIM-6 is important for processing recombination intermediates, CO regulation and bivalent maturation. Careful examination of meiotic chromosomal morphology reveals an accumulation of inter-chromosomal bridges in smc-5; him-6 double mutants, leading to compromised chromosome segregation during meiotic cell divisions. Interestingly, we found that the lethality of smc-5; him-6 can be rescued by loss of the conserved BRCA1 ortholog BRC-1. Furthermore, the combined deletion of smc-5 and him-6 leads to an irregular distribution of condensin and to chromosome decondensation defects reminiscent of condensin depletion. Lethality conferred by condensin depletion can also be rescued by BRC-1 depletion. Our results suggest that SMC-5/6 and HIM-6 can synergistically regulate recombination intermediate metabolism and suppress ectopic recombination by controlling chromosome architecture during meiosis.

  19. The SMC-5/6 Complex and the HIM-6 (BLM) Helicase Synergistically Promote Meiotic Recombination Intermediate Processing and Chromosome Maturation during Caenorhabditis elegans Meiosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Ye; Sonneville, Remi; Agostinho, Ana; Meier, Bettina; Wang, Bin; Blow, J Julian; Gartner, Anton

    2016-03-01

    Meiotic recombination is essential for the repair of programmed double strand breaks (DSBs) to generate crossovers (COs) during meiosis. The efficient processing of meiotic recombination intermediates not only needs various resolvases but also requires proper meiotic chromosome structure. The Smc5/6 complex belongs to the structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC) family and is closely related to cohesin and condensin. Although the Smc5/6 complex has been implicated in the processing of recombination intermediates during meiosis, it is not known how Smc5/6 controls meiotic DSB repair. Here, using Caenorhabditis elegans we show that the SMC-5/6 complex acts synergistically with HIM-6, an ortholog of the human Bloom syndrome helicase (BLM) during meiotic recombination. The concerted action of the SMC-5/6 complex and HIM-6 is important for processing recombination intermediates, CO regulation and bivalent maturation. Careful examination of meiotic chromosomal morphology reveals an accumulation of inter-chromosomal bridges in smc-5; him-6 double mutants, leading to compromised chromosome segregation during meiotic cell divisions. Interestingly, we found that the lethality of smc-5; him-6 can be rescued by loss of the conserved BRCA1 ortholog BRC-1. Furthermore, the combined deletion of smc-5 and him-6 leads to an irregular distribution of condensin and to chromosome decondensation defects reminiscent of condensin depletion. Lethality conferred by condensin depletion can also be rescued by BRC-1 depletion. Our results suggest that SMC-5/6 and HIM-6 can synergistically regulate recombination intermediate metabolism and suppress ectopic recombination by controlling chromosome architecture during meiosis.

  20. EST Table: DC554597 [KAIKOcDNA[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available ar to regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 rtel1 [Tribolium castaneum] 10/09/02 low homology 10/08/28...1|ref|XP_975541.1| PREDICTED: similar to regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 rtel1 [Tribolium castaneum] DC547580 wd-- ...

  1. Subcutaneous insulin absorption explained by insulin's physicochemical properties. Evidence from absorption studies of soluble human insulin and insulin analogues in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, S; Brange, J; Burch, A; Vølund, A; Owens, D R

    1991-11-01

    To study the influence of molecular aggregation on rates of subcutaneous insulin absorption and to attempt to elucidate the mechanism of absorption of conventional soluble human insulin in humans. Seven healthy male volunteers aged 22-43 yr and not receiving any drugs comprised the study. This study consisted of a single-blind randomized comparison of equimolar dosages of 125I-labeled forms of soluble hexameric 2 Zn2+ human insulin and human insulin analogues with differing association states at pharmaceutical concentrations (AspB10, dimeric; AspB28, mixture of monomers and dimers; AspB9, GluB27, monomeric). After an overnight fast and a basal period of 1 h, 0.6 nmol/kg of either 125I-labeled human soluble insulin (Actrapid HM U-100) or 125I-labeled analogue was injected subcutaneously on 4 separate days 1 wk apart. Absorption was assessed by measurement of residual radioactivity at the injection site by external gamma-counting. The mean +/- SE initial fractional disappearance rates for the four preparations were 20.7 +/- 1.9 (hexameric soluble human insulin), 44.4 +/- 2.5 (dimeric analogue AspB10), 50.6 +/- 3.9 (analogue AspB28), and 67.4 +/- 7.4%/h (monomeric analogue AspB9, GluB27). Absorption of the dimeric analogue was significantly faster than that of hexameric human insulin (P less than 0.001); absorption of monomeric insulin analogue AspB9, GluB27 was significantly faster than that of dimeric analogue AspB10 (P less than 0.01). There was an inverse linear correlation between association state and the initial fractional disappearance rates (r = -0.98, P less than 0.02). Analysis of the disappearance data on a log linear scale showed that only the monomeric analogue had a monoexponential course throughout. Two phases in the rates of absorption were identified for the dimer and three for hexameric human insulin. The fractional disappearance rates (%/h) calculated by log linear regression analysis were monomer 73.3 +/- 6.8; dimer 44.4 +/- 2.5 from 0 to 2 h and

  2. Organic Frameworks on CNTs

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Admin

    Conjugates and Catalysis. Sandeep Verma. D ... Structural aspects: complex architectures. ➢ Chemical ... Selective deposition on HOPG surface. N. I compared to mica and Si wafers. N. G ... π-π stacking of adenine between hexameric layers.

  3. Characterization of the MCM homohexamer from the thermoacidophilic euryarchaeon Picrophilus torridus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goswami, Kasturi; Arora, Jasmine; Saha, Swati

    2015-01-01

    The typical archaeal MCM exhibits helicase activity independently in vitro. This study characterizes MCM from the euryarchaeon Picrophilus torridus. While PtMCM hydrolyzes ATP in DNA-independent manner, it displays very poor ability to unwind DNA independently, and then too only under acidic conditions. The protein exists stably in complex with PtGINS in whole cell lysates, interacting directly with PtGINS under neutral and acidic conditions. GINS strongly activates MCM helicase activity, but only at low pH. In consonance with this, PtGINS activates PtMCM-mediated ATP hydrolysis only at low pH, with the amount of ATP hydrolyzed during the helicase reaction increasing more than fifty-fold in the presence of GINS. While the stimulation of MCM-mediated helicase activity by GINS has been reported in MCMs from P.furiosus, T.kodakarensis, and very recently, T.acidophilum, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an MCM helicase demonstrating DNA unwinding activity only at such acidic pH, across all archaea and eukaryotes. PtGINS may induce/stabilize a conducive conformation of PtMCM under acidic conditions, favouring PtMCM-mediated DNA unwinding coupled to ATP hydrolysis. Our findings underscore the existence of divergent modes of replication regulation among archaea and the importance of investigating replication events in more archaeal organisms. PMID:25762096

  4. Characterisation of insulin analogues therapeutically available to patients

    KAUST Repository

    Adams, Gary G.

    2018-03-29

    The structure and function of clinical dosage insulin and its analogues were assessed. This included \\'native insulins\\' (human recombinant, bovine, porcine), \\'fast-acting analogues\\' (aspart, glulisine, lispro) and \\'slow-acting analogues\\' (glargine, detemir, degludec). Analytical ultracentrifugation, both sedimentation velocity and equilibrium experiments, were employed to yield distributions of both molar mass and sedimentation coefficient of all nine insulins. Size exclusion chromatography, coupled to multi-angle light scattering, was also used to explore the function of these analogues. On ultracentrifugation analysis, the insulins under investigation were found to be in numerous conformational states, however the majority of insulins were present in a primarily hexameric conformation. This was true for all native insulins and two fast-acting analogues. However, glargine was present as a dimer, detemir was a multi-hexameric system, degludec was a dodecamer (di-hexamer) and glulisine was present as a dimer-hexamer-dihexamer system. However, size-exclusion chromatography showed that the two hexameric fast-acting analogues (aspart and lispro) dissociated into monomers and dimers due to the lack of zinc in the mobile phase. This comprehensive study is the first time all nine insulins have been characterised in this way, the first time that insulin detemir have been studied using analytical ultracentrifugation and the first time that insulins aspart and glulisine have been studied using sedimentation equilibrium. The structure and function of these clinically administered insulins is of critical importance and this research adds novel data to an otherwise complex functional physiological protein.

  5. Iontophoresis of monomeric insulin analogues in vitro: effects of insulin charge and skin pretreatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langkjaer, L; Brange, J; Grodsky, G M; Guy, R H

    1998-01-23

    The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of association state and net charge of human insulin analogues on the rate of iontophoretic transport across hairless mouse skin, and the effect of different skin pretreatments on said transport. No insulin flux was observed with anodal delivery probably because of degradation at the Ag/AgCl anode. The flux during cathodal iontophoresis through intact skin was insignificant for human hexameric insulin, and only low and variable fluxes were observed for monomeric insulins. Using stripped skin on the other hand, the fluxes of monomeric insulins with two extra negative charges were 50-100 times higher than that of hexameric human insulin. Introducing three additional charges led to a further 2-3-fold increase in flux. Wiping the skin gently with absolute alcohol prior to iontophoresis resulted in a 1000-fold increase in transdermal transport of insulin relative to that across untreated skin, i.e. to almost the same level as stripping the skin. The alcohol pretreatment reduced the electrical resistance of the skin, presumably by lipid extraction. In conclusion, monomeric insulin analogues with at least two extra negative charges can be iontophoretically delivered across hairless mouse skin, whereas insignificant flux is observed with human, hexameric insulin. Wiping the skin with absolute alcohol prior to iontophoresis gave substantially improved transdermal transport of monomeric insulins resulting in clinically relevant delivery rates for basal treatment.

  6. TCR¿ is transported to and retained in the Golgi apparatus independently of other TCR chains: implications for TCR assembly

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dietrich, J; Kastrup, J; Lauritsen, Jens Peter Holst

    1999-01-01

    . This study focused on the intracellular localization and transport of partially assembled TCR complexes as determined by confocal microscopy analyses. We found that none of the TCR chains except for TCRzeta were allowed to exit the ER in T cell variants in which the hexameric CD3gammaepsilonTi alphabetaCD3...... deltaepsilon complex was not formed. Interestingly, TCRzeta was exported from the ER independently of other TCR chains and was predominantly located in a compartment identified as the Golgi apparatus. Furthermore, in the TCRzeta-negative cell line MA5.8, the hexameric CD3gammaepsilonTi alphabetaCD3...... the ER to the Golgi apparatus independently of each other and that these partial TCR complexes are unable to be efficiently expressed at the cell surface suggest that final TCR assembly occurs in the Golgi apparatus....

  7. RIG-I Helicase-Independent Pathway in Sendai Virus-Activated Dendritic Cells Is Critical for Preventing Lung Metastasis of AT6.3 Prostate Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomonori Kato

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available We recently demonstrated highly efficient antitumor immunity against dermal tumors of B16F10 murine melanoma with the use of dendritic cells (DCs activated by replication-competent, as well as nontransmissible-type, recombinant Sendai viruses (rSeV, and proposed a new concept, “immunostimulatory virotherapy,” for cancer immunotherapy. However, there has been little information on the efficacies of thismethod: 1 inmore clinically relevant situations including metastatic diseases, 2 on other tumor types and other animal species, and 3 on the related molecular/cellular mechanisms. In this study, therefore, we investigated the efficacy of vaccinating DCs activated by fusion gene-deleted nontransmissible rSeV on a rat model of lung metastasis using a highly malignant subline of Dunning R-3327 prostate cancer, AT6.3. rSeV/dF-green fluorescent protein (GFP-activated bone marrow-derived DCs (rSeV/dF-GFP-DC, consistent with results previously observed in murine DCs. Vaccination of rSeV/dF-GFP-DC was highly effective at preventing lung metastasis after intravenous loading of R-3327 tumor cells, compared with the effects observed with immature DCs or lipopolysaccharide-activated DCs. Interestingly, neither CTL activity nor DC trafficking showed any apparent difference among groups. Notably, rSeV/dF-DCs expressing a dominant-negative mutant of retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I (rSeV/dF-RIGIC-DC, an RNA helicase that recognizes the rSeV genome for inducing type I interferons, largely lost the expression of proinflammatory cytokines without any impairment of antitumor activity. These results indicate the essential role of RIG-I-independent signaling on antimetastatic effect induced by rSeV-activated DCs and may provide important insights to DC-based immunotherapy for advanced malignancies.

  8. Comparative electron microscopy and image analysis of oxy- and deoxy-hemocyanin from the spiny lobster Panulirus interruptus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haas, Felix de; Breemen, Jan F.L. van; Boekema, Egbert J.; Keegstra, Wilko; Bruggen, Ernst F.J. van

    1993-01-01

    Structural differences between oxy-hemocyanin and deoxy-hemocyanin from the spiny lobster P. interruptus were studied by electron microscopy and image analysis of negatively stained preparations. Projections of the hexameric P. interruptus hemocyanin from electron microscopy were compared with

  9. COMPARATIVE ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY AND IMAGE-ANALYSIS OF OXY-HEMOCYANIN AND DEOXY-HEMOCYANIN FROM THE SPINY LOBSTER PANULIRUS-INTERRUPTUS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    DEHAAS, F; VANBREEMEN, JFL; BOEKEMA, EJ; KEEGSTRA, W; VANBRUGGEN, EFJ

    Structural differences between oxy-hemocyanin and deoxy-hemocyanin from the spiny lobster P. interruptus were studied by electron microscopy and image analysis of negatively stained preparations. Projections of the hexameric P. interruptus hemocyanin from electron microscopy were compared with

  10. A conserved MCM single-stranded DNA binding element is essential for replication initiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Froelich, Clifford A; Kang, Sukhyun; Epling, Leslie B; Bell, Stephen P; Enemark, Eric J

    2014-04-01

    The ring-shaped MCM helicase is essential to all phases of DNA replication. The complex loads at replication origins as an inactive double-hexamer encircling duplex DNA. Helicase activation converts this species to two active single hexamers that encircle single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). The molecular details of MCM DNA interactions during these events are unknown. We determined the crystal structure of the Pyrococcus furiosus MCM N-terminal domain hexamer bound to ssDNA and define a conserved MCM-ssDNA binding motif (MSSB). Intriguingly, ssDNA binds the MCM ring interior perpendicular to the central channel with defined polarity. In eukaryotes, the MSSB is conserved in several Mcm2-7 subunits, and MSSB mutant combinations in S. cerevisiae Mcm2-7 are not viable. Mutant Mcm2-7 complexes assemble and are recruited to replication origins, but are defective in helicase loading and activation. Our findings identify an important MCM-ssDNA interaction and suggest it functions during helicase activation to select the strand for translocation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01993.001.

  11. Duplex unwinding and ATPase activities of the DEAD-box helicase eIF4A are coupled by eIF4G and eIF4B

    Science.gov (United States)

    Özeş, Ali R.; Feoktistova, Kateryna; Avanzino, Brian C.; Fraser, Christopher S.

    2011-01-01

    Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) is a DEAD-box helicase that stimulates translation initiation by unwinding mRNA secondary structure. The accessory proteins, eIF4G, eIF4B, and eIF4H enhance the duplex unwinding activity of eIF4A, but the extent to which they modulate eIF4A activity is poorly understood. Here, we use real time fluorescence assays to determine the kinetic parameters of duplex unwinding and ATP hydrolysis by these initiation factors. To ensure efficient duplex unwinding, eIF4B and eIF4G cooperatively activate the duplex unwinding activity of eIF4A. Our data reveal that eIF4H is much less efficient at stimulating eIF4A unwinding activity than eIF4B, implying that eIF4H is not able to completely substitute for eIF4B in duplex unwinding. By monitoring unwinding and ATPase assays using identical conditions, we demonstrate that eIF4B couples the ATP hydrolysis cycle of eIF4A with strand separation, thereby minimizing non-productive unwinding events. Using duplex substrates with altered GC contents, but with similar predicted thermal stabilities, we further show that the rate of formation of productive unwinding complexes is strongly influenced by the local stability per base pair in addition to the stability of the entire duplex. This finding explains how a change in the GC content of a hairpin while maintaining overall predicted thermal stability is able to influence translation initiation. PMID:21840318

  12. A conserved inter-domain communication mechanism regulates the ATPase activity of the AAA-protein Drg1

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Prattes, M.; Loibl, M.; Zisser, G.; Luschnig, D.; Kappel, L.; Rossler, I.; Grassegger, M.; Hromic, A.; Krieger, E.; Gruber, K.; Pertschy, B.; Bergler, H.

    2017-01-01

    AAA-ATPases fulfil essential roles in different cellular pathways and often act in form of hexameric complexes. Interaction with pathway-specific substrate and adaptor proteins recruits them to their targets and modulates their catalytic activity. This substrate dependent regulation of ATP

  13. Competition between the DNA unwinding and strand pairing activities of the Werner and Bloom syndrome proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Orren David K

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The premature aging and cancer-prone Werner and Bloom syndromes are caused by defects in the RecQ helicase enzymes WRN and BLM, respectively. Recently, both WRN and BLM (as well as several other RecQ members have been shown to possess a strand annealing activity in addition to the requisite DNA unwinding activity. Since an annealing function would appear to directly oppose the action of a helicase, we have examined in this study the dynamic equilibrium between unwinding and annealing mediated by either WRN or BLM. Results Our investigation into the competition between annealing and unwinding demonstrates that, under standard reaction conditions, WRN- or BLM-mediated annealing can partially or completely mask unwinding as measured in standard helicase assays. Several strategies were employed to suppress the annealing activity so that the actual strength of WRN- or BLM-dependent unwinding could be more accurately assessed. Interestingly, if a DNA oligomer complementary to one strand of the DNA substrate to be unwound is added during the helicase reaction, both WRN and BLM unwinding is enhanced, presumably by preventing protein-mediated re-annealing. This strategy allowed measurement of WRN-catalyzed unwinding of long (80 base pair duplex regions and fully complementary, blunt-ended duplexes, both of which were otherwise quite refractory to the helicase activity of WRN. Similarly, the addition of trap strand stimulated the ability of BLM to unwind long and blunt-ended duplexes. The stimulatory effect of the human replication protein A (hRPA, the eukaryotic single-stranded DNA binding protein on both WRN- and BLM-dependent unwinding was also re-examined in light of its possible role in preventing re-annealing. Our results show that hRPA influences the outcome of WRN and BLM helicase assays by both inhibiting re-annealing and directly promoting unwinding, with the larger contribution from the latter mechanism. Conclusion These

  14. Enterovirus Exposure Uniquely Discriminates Type 1 Diabetes Patients with a Homozygous from a Heterozygous Melanoma Differentiation-Associated Protein 5/Interferon Induced with Helicase C Domain 1 A946T Genotype.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulte, Barbara M; Gielen, Paul R; Kers-Rebel, Esther D; Prosser, Amy C; Lind, Katharina; Flodström-Tullberg, Malin; Tack, Cees J; Elving, Lammy D; Adema, Gosse J

    2016-09-01

    In children at risk for type 1 diabetes, innate immune activity is detected before seroconversion. Enterovirus infections have been linked to diabetes development, and a polymorphism (A946T) in the innate immune sensor recognizing enterovirus RNA, interferon-induced with helicase C domain 1/melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5, predisposes to disease. We hypothesized that the strength of innate antienteroviral responses is affected in autoimmune type 1 diabetes patients and linked to the A946T polymorphism. We compared induction of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and dendritic cells (DCs) in healthy individuals and diabetes patients upon stimulation with enterovirus, enterovirus-antibody complexes, or ligands mimicking infection in relation to the A946T polymorphism. Overall, PBMCs of diabetes patients and healthy donors showed comparable ISG induction upon stimulation. No differences were observed in DCs. Interestingly, the data imply that the magnitude of responses to enterovirus and enterovirus-antibody complexes in PBMCs is critically influenced by the A946T polymorphism and elevated in heterozygotes compared to TT homozygous individuals in autoimmune diabetes patients, but not healthy controls. These data imply an intrinsic difference in the responses to enterovirus and enterovirus-antibody complexes in diabetes patients carrying a TT risk genotype compared to heterozygotes that may influence control of enterovirus clearance.

  15. Collaborating functions of BLM and DNA topoisomerase I in regulating human rDNA transcription

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grierson, Patrick M. [Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Acharya, Samir, E-mail: samir.acharya@osumc.edu [Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Groden, Joanna [Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)

    2013-03-15

    Bloom's syndrome (BS) is an inherited disorder caused by loss of function of the recQ-like BLM helicase. It is characterized clinically by severe growth retardation and cancer predisposition. BLM localizes to PML nuclear bodies and to the nucleolus; its deficiency results in increased intra- and inter-chromosomal recombination, including hyper-recombination of rDNA repeats. Our previous work has shown that BLM facilitates RNA polymerase I-mediated rRNA transcription in the nucleolus (Grierson et al., 2012 [18]). This study uses protein co-immunoprecipitation and in vitro transcription/translation (IVTT) to identify a direct interaction of DNA topoisomerase I with the C-terminus of BLM in the nucleolus. In vitro helicase assays demonstrate that DNA topoisomerase I stimulates BLM helicase activity on a nucleolar-relevant RNA:DNA hybrid, but has an insignificant effect on BLM helicase activity on a control DNA:DNA duplex substrate. Reciprocally, BLM enhances the DNA relaxation activity of DNA topoisomerase I on supercoiled DNA substrates. Our study suggests that BLM and DNA topoisomerase I function coordinately to modulate RNA:DNA hybrid formation as well as relaxation of DNA supercoils in the context of nucleolar transcription.

  16. Collaborating functions of BLM and DNA topoisomerase I in regulating human rDNA transcription

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grierson, Patrick M.; Acharya, Samir; Groden, Joanna

    2013-01-01

    Bloom's syndrome (BS) is an inherited disorder caused by loss of function of the recQ-like BLM helicase. It is characterized clinically by severe growth retardation and cancer predisposition. BLM localizes to PML nuclear bodies and to the nucleolus; its deficiency results in increased intra- and inter-chromosomal recombination, including hyper-recombination of rDNA repeats. Our previous work has shown that BLM facilitates RNA polymerase I-mediated rRNA transcription in the nucleolus (Grierson et al., 2012 [18]). This study uses protein co-immunoprecipitation and in vitro transcription/translation (IVTT) to identify a direct interaction of DNA topoisomerase I with the C-terminus of BLM in the nucleolus. In vitro helicase assays demonstrate that DNA topoisomerase I stimulates BLM helicase activity on a nucleolar-relevant RNA:DNA hybrid, but has an insignificant effect on BLM helicase activity on a control DNA:DNA duplex substrate. Reciprocally, BLM enhances the DNA relaxation activity of DNA topoisomerase I on supercoiled DNA substrates. Our study suggests that BLM and DNA topoisomerase I function coordinately to modulate RNA:DNA hybrid formation as well as relaxation of DNA supercoils in the context of nucleolar transcription

  17. Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome: Insights from New Patients on the Genetic Variability Underpinning Clinical Presentation and Cancer Outcome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisa A. Colombo

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Biallelic mutations in RECQL4 gene, a caretaker of the genome, cause Rothmund-Thomson type-II syndrome (RTS-II and confer increased cancer risk if they damage the helicase domain. We describe five families exemplifying clinical and allelic heterogeneity of RTS-II, and report the effect of pathogenic RECQL4 variants by in silico predictions and transcripts analyses. Complete phenotype of patients #39 and #42 whose affected siblings developed osteosarcoma correlates with their c.[1048_1049del], c.[1878+32_1878+55del] and c.[1568G>C;1573delT], c.[3021_3022del] variants which damage the helicase domain. Literature survey highlights enrichment of these variants affecting the helicase domain in patients with cancer outcome raising the issue of strict oncological surveillance. Conversely, patients #29 and #19 have a mild phenotype and carry, respectively, the unreported homozygous c.3265G>T and c.3054A>G variants, both sparing the helicase domain. Finally, despite matching several criteria for RTS clinical diagnosis, patient #38 is heterozygous for c.2412_2414del; no pathogenic CNVs out of those evidenced by high-resolution CGH-array, emerged as contributors to her phenotype.

  18. Binding of DEAD-box helicase Dhh1 to the 5'-untranslated region of ASH1 mRNA represses localized translation of ASH1 in yeast cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qianjun; Meng, Xiuhua; Li, Delin; Chen, Shaoyin; Luo, Jianmin; Zhu, Linjie; Singer, Robert H; Gu, Wei

    2017-06-09

    Local translation of specific mRNAs is regulated by dynamic changes in their subcellular localization, and these changes are due to complex mechanisms controlling cytoplasmic mRNA transport. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is well suited to studying these mechanisms because many of its transcripts are transported from the mother cell to the budding daughter cell. Here, we investigated the translational control of ASH1 mRNA after transport and localization. We show that although ASH1 transcripts were translated after they reached the bud tip, some mRNAs were bound by the RNA-binding protein Puf6 and were non-polysomal. We also found that the DEAD-box helicase Dhh1 complexed with the untranslated ASH1 mRNA and Puf6. Loss of Dhh1 affected local translation of ASH1 mRNA and resulted in delocalization of ASH1 transcript in the bud. Forcibly shifting the non-polysomal ASH1 mRNA into polysomes was associated with Dhh1 dissociation. We further demonstrated that Dhh1 is not recruited to ASH1 mRNA co-transcriptionally, suggesting that it could bind to ASH1 mRNA within the cytoplasm. Of note, Dhh1 bound to the 5'-UTR of ASH1 mRNA and inhibited its translation in vitro These results suggest that after localization to the bud tip, a portion of the localized ASH1 mRNA becomes translationally inactive because of binding of Dhh1 and Puf6 to the 5'- and 3'-UTRs of ASH1 mRNA. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  19. Exploration for novel genes and pathways involved in repair of x-ray damage by functional analyses of C. elegans genome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eki, T.

    2004-01-01

    Gene function suppression nematodes were produced by systematic RNA interference process (RNAi) of genes which included helicase gene group. Some of high sensitivity genes were identified by the result of function screening for X-ray sensitivity of the function suppression nematode. A complete length of cDNA was separated from the two novel genes, and all the base sequences were determined. It was cleared that one of the novel genes encodes RNA helicases protein which consists of 1,119 amino acids, and the other one encodes chromatin modeling ATPase protein which consists of 3,035 and 3,201 amino acids. Candidacy genes of about 14 pieces for the RNA helicase protein were identified by yeast two-hybrid process as the results of research for nematode protein which showed protein interaction. (M. Suetake)

  20. RTEL1 - nový supresor homologní rekombinace

    OpenAIRE

    Žítek, Ondřej

    2010-01-01

    Regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1) is a DNA helicase crucial for regulation of telomere length in mice while its loss has been associated with shortened telomere length, chromosome breaks, and translocations. Moreover, RTEL1 is an important member of the DNA double-strand break-repair (DSBR) pathway. It maintains genome stability directly by suppressing homologous recombination through disassembling D loop recombination intermediates during DNA repair. Antirecombinase propert...

  1. The PS1 hairpin of Mcm3 is essential for viability and for DNA unwinding in vitro.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon K W Lam

    Full Text Available The pre-sensor 1 (PS1 hairpin is found in ring-shaped helicases of the AAA+ family (ATPases associated with a variety of cellular activities of proteins and is implicated in DNA translocation during DNA unwinding of archaeal mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM and superfamily 3 viral replicative helicases. To determine whether the PS1 hairpin is required for the function of the eukaryotic replicative helicase, Mcm2-7 (also comprised of AAA+ proteins, we mutated the conserved lysine residue in the putative PS1 hairpin motif in each of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mcm2-7 subunits to alanine. Interestingly, only the PS1 hairpin of Mcm3 was essential for viability. While mutation of the PS1 hairpin in the remaining MCM subunits resulted in minimal phenotypes, with the exception of Mcm7 which showed slow growth under all conditions examined, the viable alleles were synthetic lethal with each other. Reconstituted Mcm2-7 containing Mcm3 with the PS1 mutation (Mcm3(K499A had severely decreased helicase activity. The lack of helicase activity provides a probable explanation for the inviability of the mcm3(K499A strain. The ATPase activity of Mcm2-7(3K499A was similar to the wild type complex, but its interaction with single-stranded DNA in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay and its associations in cells were subtly altered. Together, these findings indicate that the PS1 hairpins in the Mcm2-7 subunits have important and distinct functions, most evident by the essential nature of the Mcm3 PS1 hairpin in DNA unwinding.

  2. Strand exchange of telomeric DNA catalyzed by the Werner syndrome protein (WRN) is specifically stimulated by TRF2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Deanna N.; Orren, David K.; Machwe, Amrita

    2014-01-01

    Werner syndrome (WS), caused by loss of function of the RecQ helicase WRN, is a hereditary disease characterized by premature aging and elevated cancer incidence. WRN has DNA binding, exonuclease, ATPase, helicase and strand annealing activities, suggesting possible roles in recombination-related processes. Evidence indicates that WRN deficiency causes telomeric abnormalities that likely underlie early onset of aging phenotypes in WS. Furthermore, TRF2, a protein essential for telomere protection, interacts with WRN and influences its basic helicase and exonuclease activities. However, these studies provided little insight into WRN's specific function at telomeres. Here, we explored the possibility that WRN and TRF2 cooperate during telomeric recombination processes. Our results indicate that TRF2, through its interactions with both WRN and telomeric DNA, stimulates WRN-mediated strand exchange specifically between telomeric substrates; TRF2's basic domain is particularly important for this stimulation. Although TRF1 binds telomeric DNA with similar affinity, it has minimal effects on WRN-mediated strand exchange of telomeric DNA. Moreover, TRF2 is displaced from telomeric DNA by WRN, independent of its ATPase and helicase activities. Together, these results suggest that TRF2 and WRN act coordinately during telomeric recombination processes, consistent with certain telomeric abnormalities associated with alteration of WRN function. PMID:24880691

  3. The haloarchaeal MCM proteins: bioinformatic analysis and targeted mutagenesis of the β7-β8 and β9-β10 hairpin loops and conserved zinc binding domain cysteines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kristensen, Tatjana P; Maria Cherian, Reeja; Gray, Fiona C; MacNeill, Stuart A

    2014-01-01

    The hexameric MCM complex is the catalytic core of the replicative helicase in eukaryotic and archaeal cells. Here we describe the first in vivo analysis of archaeal MCM protein structure and function relationships using the genetically tractable haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii as a model system. Hfx. volcanii encodes a single MCM protein that is part of the previously identified core group of haloarchaeal MCM proteins. Three structural features of the N-terminal domain of the Hfx. volcanii MCM protein were targeted for mutagenesis: the β7-β8 and β9-β10 β-hairpin loops and putative zinc binding domain. Five strains carrying single point mutations in the β7-β8 β-hairpin loop were constructed, none of which displayed impaired cell growth under normal conditions or when treated with the DNA damaging agent mitomycin C. However, short sequence deletions within the β7-β8 β-hairpin were not tolerated and neither was replacement of the highly conserved residue glutamate 187 with alanine. Six strains carrying paired alanine substitutions within the β9-β10 β-hairpin loop were constructed, leading to the conclusion that no individual amino acid within that hairpin loop is absolutely required for MCM function, although one of the mutant strains displays greatly enhanced sensitivity to mitomycin C. Deletions of two or four amino acids from the β9-β10 β-hairpin were tolerated but mutants carrying larger deletions were inviable. Similarly, it was not possible to construct mutants in which any of the conserved zinc binding cysteines was replaced with alanine, underlining the likely importance of zinc binding for MCM function. The results of these studies demonstrate the feasibility of using Hfx. volcanii as a model system for reverse genetic analysis of archaeal MCM protein function and provide important confirmation of the in vivo importance of conserved structural features identified by previous bioinformatic, biochemical and structural studies.

  4. The haloarchaeal MCM proteins: bioinformatic analysis and targeted mutagenesis of the β7-β8 and β9-β10 hairpin loops and conserved zinc binding domain cysteines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatjana P Kristensen

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The hexameric MCM complex is the catalytic core of the replicative helicase in eukaryotic and archaeal cells. Here we describe the first in vivo analysis of archaeal MCM protein structure and function relationships using the genetically tractable haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii as a model system. Hfx. volcanii encodes a single MCM protein that is part of the previously identified core group of haloarchaeal MCM proteins. Three structural features of the N-terminal domain of the Hfx. volcanii MCM protein were targeted for mutagenesis: the β7-β8 and β9-β10 β-hairpin loops and putative zinc binding domain. Five strains carrying single point mutations in the β7-β8 β-hairpin loop were constructed, none of which displayed impaired cell growth under normal conditions or when treated with the DNA damaging agent mitomycin C. However, short sequence deletions within the β7-β8 β-hairpin were not tolerated and neither was replacement of the highly conserved residue glutamate 187 with alanine. Six strains carrying paired alanine substitutions within the β9-β10 β-hairpin loop were constructed, leading to the conclusion that no individual amino acid within that hairpin loop is absolutely required for MCM function, although one of the mutant strains displays greatly enhanced sensitivity to mitomycin C. Deletions of two or four amino acids from the β9-β10 β-hairpin were tolerated but mutants carrying larger deletions were inviable. Similarly, it was not possible to construct mutants in which any of the conserved zinc binding cysteines was replaced with alanine, underlining the likely importance of zinc binding for MCM function. The results of these studies demonstrate the feasibility of using Hfx. volcanii as a model system for reverse genetic analysis of archaeal MCM protein function and provide important confirmation of the in vivo importance of conserved structural features identified by previous bioinformatic, biochemical and structural

  5. Mapping DNA cleavage by the Type ISP restriction-modification enzymes following long-range communication between DNA sites in different orientations

    OpenAIRE

    van Aelst, Kara; Saikrishnan, Kayarat; Szczelkun, Mark D

    2015-01-01

    The prokaryotic Type ISP restriction-modification enzymes are single-chain proteins comprising an Mrr-family nuclease, a superfamily 2 helicase-like ATPase, a coupler domain, a methyltransferase, and a DNA-recognition domain. Upon recognising an unmodified DNA target site, the helicase-like domain hydrolyzes ATP to cause site release (remodeling activity) and to then drive downstream translocation consuming 1-2 ATP per base pair (motor activity). On an invading foreign DNA, double-strand brea...

  6. Pathologies des hélicases et vieillissement précoce : modèle d'étude par dérivation de cellules souches pluripotentes induites (iPS)

    OpenAIRE

    Gatinois , Vincent

    2017-01-01

    Helicases process the double-stranded DNA dissociation. They are involved in replication, DNA repair and maintenance of telomeres. In human, 3 helicases display mutations responsible for clinical syndromes: WRN for the Werner syndrome, BLM for the Bloom syndrome and RECQL4 for the Rothmund-Thomson syndrome. All these diseases cause premature ageing and high risk of cancer. Molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in these diseases are not well defined. Particularly, little is known concerni...

  7. RTEL1 Inhibits Trinucleotide Repeat Expansions and Fragility

    OpenAIRE

    Aisling Frizzell; Jennifer H.G. Nguyen; Mark I.R. Petalcorin; Katherine D. Turner; Simon J. Boulton; Catherine H. Freudenreich; Robert S. Lahue

    2014-01-01

    SUMMARY Human RTEL1 is an essential, multifunctional helicase that maintains telomeres, regulates homologous recombination, and helps prevent bone marrow failure. Here, we show that RTEL1 also blocks trinucleotide repeat expansions, the causal mutation for 17 neurological diseases. Increased expansion frequencies of (CTG·CAG) repeats occurred in human cells following knockdown of RTEL1, but not the alternative helicase Fbh1, and purified RTEL1 efficiently unwound triplet repeat hairpins in vi...

  8. A Novel Rrm3 Function in Restricting DNA Replication via an Orc5-Binding Domain Is Genetically Separable from Rrm3 Function as an ATPase/Helicase in Facilitating Fork Progression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Syed, Salahuddin; Desler, Claus; Rasmussen, Lene J.; Schmidt, Kristina H.

    2016-01-01

    In response to replication stress cells activate the intra-S checkpoint, induce DNA repair pathways, increase nucleotide levels, and inhibit origin firing. Here, we report that Rrm3 associates with a subset of replication origins and controls DNA synthesis during replication stress. The N-terminal domain required for control of DNA synthesis maps to residues 186–212 that are also critical for binding Orc5 of the origin recognition complex. Deletion of this domain is lethal to cells lacking the replication checkpoint mediator Mrc1 and leads to mutations upon exposure to the replication stressor hydroxyurea. This novel Rrm3 function is independent of its established role as an ATPase/helicase in facilitating replication fork progression through polymerase blocking obstacles. Using quantitative mass spectrometry and genetic analyses, we find that the homologous recombination factor Rdh54 and Rad5-dependent error-free DNA damage bypass act as independent mechanisms on DNA lesions that arise when Rrm3 catalytic activity is disrupted whereas these mechanisms are dispensable for DNA damage tolerance when the replication function is disrupted, indicating that the DNA lesions generated by the loss of each Rrm3 function are distinct. Although both lesion types activate the DNA-damage checkpoint, we find that the resultant increase in nucleotide levels is not sufficient for continued DNA synthesis under replication stress. Together, our findings suggest a role of Rrm3, via its Orc5-binding domain, in restricting DNA synthesis that is genetically and physically separable from its established catalytic role in facilitating fork progression through replication blocks. PMID:27923055

  9. A Novel Rrm3 Function in Restricting DNA Replication via an Orc5-Binding Domain Is Genetically Separable from Rrm3 Function as an ATPase/Helicase in Facilitating Fork Progression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Syed, Salahuddin; Desler, Claus; Rasmussen, Lene J; Schmidt, Kristina H

    2016-12-01

    In response to replication stress cells activate the intra-S checkpoint, induce DNA repair pathways, increase nucleotide levels, and inhibit origin firing. Here, we report that Rrm3 associates with a subset of replication origins and controls DNA synthesis during replication stress. The N-terminal domain required for control of DNA synthesis maps to residues 186-212 that are also critical for binding Orc5 of the origin recognition complex. Deletion of this domain is lethal to cells lacking the replication checkpoint mediator Mrc1 and leads to mutations upon exposure to the replication stressor hydroxyurea. This novel Rrm3 function is independent of its established role as an ATPase/helicase in facilitating replication fork progression through polymerase blocking obstacles. Using quantitative mass spectrometry and genetic analyses, we find that the homologous recombination factor Rdh54 and Rad5-dependent error-free DNA damage bypass act as independent mechanisms on DNA lesions that arise when Rrm3 catalytic activity is disrupted whereas these mechanisms are dispensable for DNA damage tolerance when the replication function is disrupted, indicating that the DNA lesions generated by the loss of each Rrm3 function are distinct. Although both lesion types activate the DNA-damage checkpoint, we find that the resultant increase in nucleotide levels is not sufficient for continued DNA synthesis under replication stress. Together, our findings suggest a role of Rrm3, via its Orc5-binding domain, in restricting DNA synthesis that is genetically and physically separable from its established catalytic role in facilitating fork progression through replication blocks.

  10. The fifth solvatomorph of gallic acid with a supramolecular channel structure: Structural complexity and phase transitions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Sajesh P.; Kaur, Ramanpreet; Kaur, Jassjot; Sankolli, Ravish; Nayak, Susanta K.; Guru Row, Tayur N.

    2013-01-01

    A new solvatomorph of gallic acid was generated using chiral additive technique and characterized by single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, C-13 NMR, IR spectroscopic techniques and thermal analysis. The supramolecular channels formed by hexameric motifs of gallic acid and solvent molecules contain highly disordered solvent molecules with fractional occupancies.

  11. Termination of DNA replication forks: "Breaking up is hard to do".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, Rachael; Priego Moreno, Sara; Gambus, Agnieszka

    2015-01-01

    To ensure duplication of the entire genome, eukaryotic DNA replication initiates from thousands of replication origins. The replication forks move through the chromatin until they encounter forks from neighboring origins. During replication fork termination forks converge, the replisomes disassemble and topoisomerase II resolves the daughter DNA molecules. If not resolved efficiently, terminating forks result in genomic instability through the formation of pathogenic structures. Our recent findings shed light onto the mechanism of replisome disassembly upon replication fork termination. We have shown that termination-specific polyubiquitylation of the replicative helicase component - Mcm7, leads to dissolution of the active helicase in a process dependent on the p97/VCP/Cdc48 segregase. The inhibition of terminating helicase disassembly resulted in a replication termination defect. In this extended view we present hypothetical models of replication fork termination and discuss remaining and emerging questions in the DNA replication termination field.

  12. Accessory factors of cytoplasmic viral RNA sensors required for antiviral innate immune response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiroyuki eOshiumi

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Type I interferon (IFN induces many antiviral factors in host cells. RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs are cytoplasmic viral RNA sensors that trigger the signal to induce the innate immune response that includes type I IFN production. RIG-I and MDA5 are RLRs that form nucleoprotein filaments along viral double-stranded RNA, resulting in the activation of MAVS adaptor molecule. The MAVS protein forms a prion-like aggregation structure, leading to type I IFN production. RIG-I and MDA5 undergo post-translational modification. TRIM25 and Riplet ubiquitin ligases deliver a K63-linked polyubiquitin moiety to the RIG-I N-terminal caspase activation and recruitment domains (CARDs and C-terminal region; the polyubiquitin chain then stabilizes the two-CARD tetramer structure required for MAVS assembly. MDA5 activation is regulated by phosphorylation. RIOK3 is a protein kinase that phosphorylates the MDA5 protein in a steady state, and PP1α/γ dephosphorylate this protein, resulting in its activation. RIG-I and MDA5 require cytoplasmic RNA helicases for their efficient activation. LGP2, another RLR, is an RNA helicase involved in RLR signaling. This protein does not possess N-terminal CARDs and thus cannot trigger downstream signaling by itself. Recent studies have revealed that this protein modulates MDA5 filament formation, resulting in enhanced type I IFN production. Several other cytoplasmic RNA helicases are involved in RLR signaling. DDX3, DHX29, DHX36, and DDX60 RNA helicases have been reported to be involved in RLR-mediated type I IFN production after viral infection. However, the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. Future studies are required to reveal the role of RNA helicases in the RLR signaling pathway.

  13. A Conserved Metal Binding Motif in the Bacillus subtilis Competence Protein ComFA Enhances Transformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chilton, Scott S; Falbel, Tanya G; Hromada, Susan; Burton, Briana M

    2017-08-01

    Genetic competence is a process in which cells are able to take up DNA from their environment, resulting in horizontal gene transfer, a major mechanism for generating diversity in bacteria. Many bacteria carry homologs of the central DNA uptake machinery that has been well characterized in Bacillus subtilis It has been postulated that the B. subtilis competence helicase ComFA belongs to the DEAD box family of helicases/translocases. Here, we made a series of mutants to analyze conserved amino acid motifs in several regions of B. subtilis ComFA. First, we confirmed that ComFA activity requires amino acid residues conserved among the DEAD box helicases, and second, we show that a zinc finger-like motif consisting of four cysteines is required for efficient transformation. Each cysteine in the motif is important, and mutation of at least two of the cysteines dramatically reduces transformation efficiency. Further, combining multiple cysteine mutations with the helicase mutations shows an additive phenotype. Our results suggest that the helicase and metal binding functions are two distinct activities important for ComFA function during transformation. IMPORTANCE ComFA is a highly conserved protein that has a role in DNA uptake during natural competence, a mechanism for horizontal gene transfer observed in many bacteria. Investigation of the details of the DNA uptake mechanism is important for understanding the ways in which bacteria gain new traits from their environment, such as drug resistance. To dissect the role of ComFA in the DNA uptake machinery, we introduced point mutations into several motifs in the protein sequence. We demonstrate that several amino acid motifs conserved among ComFA proteins are important for efficient transformation. This report is the first to demonstrate the functional requirement of an amino-terminal cysteine motif in ComFA. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  14. Structural features of NS3 of Dengue virus serotypes 2 and 4 in solution and insight into RNA binding and the inhibitory role of quercetin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Ankita; Saw, Wuan Geok; Subramanian Manimekalai, Malathy Sony; Grüber, Ardina; Joon, Shin; Matsui, Tsutomu; Weiss, Thomas M; Grüber, Gerhard

    2017-05-01

    Dengue virus (DENV), which has four serotypes (DENV-1 to DENV-4), is the causative agent of the viral infection dengue. DENV nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) comprises a serine protease domain and an RNA helicase domain which has nucleotide triphosphatase activities that are essential for RNA replication and viral assembly. Here, solution X-ray scattering was used to provide insight into the overall structure and flexibility of the entire NS3 and its recombinant helicase and protease domains for Dengue virus serotypes 2 and 4 in solution. The DENV-2 and DENV-4 NS3 forms are elongated and flexible in solution. The importance of the linker residues in flexibility and domain-domain arrangement was shown by the compactness of the individual protease and helicase domains. Swapping of the 174 PPAVP 179 linker stretch of the related Hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 into DENV-2 NS3 did not alter the elongated shape of the engineered mutant. Conformational alterations owing to RNA binding are described in the protease domain, which undergoes substantial conformational alterations that are required for the optimal catalysis of bound RNA. Finally, the effects of ATPase inhibitors on the enzymatically active DENV-2 and DENV-4 NS3 and the individual helicases are presented, and insight into the allosteric effect of the inhibitor quercetin is provided.

  15. Ligand binding and thermostability of different allosteric states of the insulin zinc-hexamer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huus, Kasper; Havelund, Svend; Olsen, Helle B

    2006-01-01

    The influence of ligand binding and conformation state on the thermostability of hexameric zinc-insulin was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The insulin hexamer exists in equilibrium between the forms T6, T3R3, and R6. Phenolic ligands induce and stabilize the T3R3- and R6-stat...

  16. Translocation, switching and gating: potential roles for ATP in long-range communication on DNA by Type III restriction endonucleases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szczelkun, Mark D

    2011-04-01

    To cleave DNA, the Type III RM (restriction-modification) enzymes must communicate the relative orientation of two recognition sequences, which may be separated by many thousands of base pairs. This long-range interaction requires ATP hydrolysis by a helicase domain, and both active (DNA translocation) and passive (DNA sliding) modes of motion along DNA have been proposed. Potential roles for ATP binding and hydrolysis by the helicase domains are discussed, with a focus on bipartite ATPases that act as molecular switches.

  17. Response of porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells to CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotide

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kamstrup, Søren; Verthelyi, D.; Klinman, D.M.

    2001-01-01

    Exposure to bacterial DNA generates a "danger signal" that stimulates cellular elements of the mammalian immune system to proliferate and/or secrete cytokines. Stimulation is critically dependent on hexameric motifs that contain an unmethylated CpG dinucleotide: these are commonly found in bacter......Exposure to bacterial DNA generates a "danger signal" that stimulates cellular elements of the mammalian immune system to proliferate and/or secrete cytokines. Stimulation is critically dependent on hexameric motifs that contain an unmethylated CpG dinucleotide: these are commonly found...... in bacterial but not vertebrate DNA. Different motifs are optimally stimulatory in different species. This work examines whether oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing CpG motifs stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells from pigs. Results show that pigs respond to CpG ODN by proliferating and secreting IL......-6, IL-12 and TNF-alpha. By screening a large panel (>100) of ODNs, the palindromic hexamer 'ATCGAT' was identified as being optimally active in all animals examined (N = 10). These findings are the first to establish the immunostimulatory activity of CpG ODN in pigs, and suggest that the therapeutic...

  18. Neutral insulin solutions physically stabilized by addition of Zn2+.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brange, J; Havelund, S; Hommel, E; Sørensen, E; Kühl, C

    1986-01-01

    Commercial neutral insulin solutions, all of which contain 2-3 zinc atoms per hexameric unit of insulin, have a relatively limited physical stability when exposed to heat and movement, as for example in insulin infusion pumps. Physical stabilization of neutral insulin solutions has been obtained by addition of two extra Zn2+ per hexamer of insulin. This addition stabilizes porcine and human neutral solutions equally well and does not affect the chemical stability of the insulin. The stabilization is probably obtained by a further strengthening of the hexameric structure of insulin, so that the formation of insoluble insulin fibrils (via the dissociation into the insulin monomer or dimer) is impeded or prevented. The addition of an extra 2 Zn2+ has been shown to be without influence on the insulin immunogenicity in rabbits or on the rate of absorption after subcutaneous injection in diabetic patients. It is concluded that neutral insulin solution can be physically stabilized by addition of extra Zn2+ without affecting other qualities of the insulin preparation including chemical stability, immunogenicity, and duration of action after injection.

  19. Expression, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of RNA-binding protein Hfq (YmaH) from Bacillus subtilis in complex with an RNA aptamer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baba, Seiki; Someya, Tatsuhiko; Kawai, Gota; Nakamura, Kouji; Kumasaka, Takashi

    2010-05-01

    The Hfq protein is a hexameric RNA-binding protein which regulates gene expression by binding to RNA under the influence of diverse environmental stresses. Its ring structure binds various types of RNA, including mRNA and sRNA. RNA-bound structures of Hfq from Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus have been revealed to have poly(A) RNA at the distal site and U-rich RNA at the proximal site, respectively. Here, crystals of a complex of the Bacillus subtilis Hfq protein with an A/G-repeat 7-mer RNA (Hfq-RNA) that were prepared using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique are reported. The type 1 Hfq-RNA crystals belonged to space group I422, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 123.70, c = 119.13 A, while the type 2 Hfq-RNA crystals belonged to space group F222, with unit-cell parameters a = 91.92, b = 92.50, c = 114.92 A. Diffraction data were collected to a resolution of 2.20 A from both crystal forms. The hexameric structure of the Hfq protein was clearly shown by self-rotation analysis.

  20. Dicer uses distinct modules for recognizing dsRNA termini.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Niladri K; Iwasa, Janet; Shen, Peter S; Bass, Brenda L

    2018-01-19

    Invertebrates rely on Dicer to cleave viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), and Drosophila Dicer-2 distinguishes dsRNA substrates by their termini. Blunt termini promote processive cleavage, while 3' overhanging termini are cleaved distributively. To understand this discrimination, we used cryo-electron microscopy to solve structures of Drosophila Dicer-2 alone and in complex with blunt dsRNA. Whereas the Platform-PAZ domains have been considered the only Dicer domains that bind dsRNA termini, unexpectedly, we found that the helicase domain is required for binding blunt, but not 3' overhanging, termini. We further showed that blunt dsRNA is locally unwound and threaded through the helicase domain in an adenosine triphosphate-dependent manner. Our studies reveal a previously unrecognized mechanism for optimizing antiviral defense and set the stage for the discovery of helicase-dependent functions in other Dicers. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  1. Physical interactions between bacteriophage and Escherichia coli proteins required for initiation of lambda DNA replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liberek, K; Osipiuk, J; Zylicz, M; Ang, D; Skorko, J; Georgopoulos, C

    1990-02-25

    The process of initiation of lambda DNA replication requires the assembly of the proper nucleoprotein complex at the origin of replication, ori lambda. The complex is composed of both phage and host-coded proteins. The lambda O initiator protein binds specifically to ori lambda. The lambda P initiator protein binds to both lambda O and the host-coded dnaB helicase, giving rise to an ori lambda DNA.lambda O.lambda P.dnaB structure. The dnaK and dnaJ heat shock proteins have been shown capable of dissociating this complex. The thus freed dnaB helicase unwinds the duplex DNA template at the replication fork. In this report, through cross-linking, size chromatography, and protein affinity chromatography, we document some of the protein-protein interactions occurring at ori lambda. Our results show that the dnaK protein specifically interacts with both lambda O and lambda P, and that the dnaJ protein specifically interacts with the dnaB helicase.

  2. Analysis of the crystal structure of an active MCM hexamer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Justin M; Arachea, Buenafe T; Epling, Leslie B; Enemark, Eric J

    2014-09-29

    In a previous Research article (Froelich et al., 2014), we suggested an MCM helicase activation mechanism, but were limited in discussing the ATPase domain because it was absent from the crystal structure. Here we present the crystal structure of a nearly full-length MCM hexamer that is helicase-active and thus has all features essential for unwinding DNA. The structure is a chimera of Sulfolobus solfataricus N-terminal domain and Pyrococcus furiosus ATPase domain. We discuss three major findings: 1) a novel conformation for the A-subdomain that could play a role in MCM regulation; 2) interaction of a universally conserved glutamine in the N-terminal Allosteric Communication Loop with the AAA+ domain helix-2-insert (h2i); and 3) a recessed binding pocket for the MCM ssDNA-binding motif influenced by the h2i. We suggest that during helicase activation, the h2i clamps down on the leading strand to facilitate strand retention and regulate ATP hydrolysis.

  3. Mechanisms and regulation of DNA replication initiation in eukaryotes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Matthew W; Botchan, Michael R; Berger, James M

    2017-04-01

    Cellular DNA replication is initiated through the action of multiprotein complexes that recognize replication start sites in the chromosome (termed origins) and facilitate duplex DNA melting within these regions. In a typical cell cycle, initiation occurs only once per origin and each round of replication is tightly coupled to cell division. To avoid aberrant origin firing and re-replication, eukaryotes tightly regulate two events in the initiation process: loading of the replicative helicase, MCM2-7, onto chromatin by the origin recognition complex (ORC), and subsequent activation of the helicase by its incorporation into a complex known as the CMG. Recent work has begun to reveal the details of an orchestrated and sequential exchange of initiation factors on DNA that give rise to a replication-competent complex, the replisome. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms that underpin eukaryotic DNA replication initiation - from selecting replication start sites to replicative helicase loading and activation - and describe how these events are often distinctly regulated across different eukaryotic model organisms.

  4. Conserved XPB Core Structure and Motifs for DNA Unwinding:Implications for Pathway Selection of Transcription or ExcisionRepair

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fan, Li; Arval, Andrew S.; Cooper, Priscilla K.; Iwai, Shigenori; Hanaoka, Fumio; Tainer, John A.

    2005-04-01

    The human xeroderma pigmentosum group B (XPB) helicase is essential for transcription, nucleotide excision repair, and TFIIH functional assembly. Here, we determined crystal structures of an Archaeoglobus fulgidus XPB homolog (AfXPB) that characterize two RecA-like XPB helicase domains and discover a DNA damage recognition domain (DRD), a unique RED motif, a flexible thumb motif (ThM), and implied conformational changes within a conserved functional core. RED motif mutations dramatically reduce helicase activity, and the DRD and ThM, which flank the RED motif, appear structurally as well as functionally analogous to the MutS mismatch recognition and DNA polymerase thumb domains. Substrate specificity is altered by DNA damage, such that AfXPB unwinds dsDNA with 3' extensions, but not blunt-ended dsDNA, unless it contains a lesion, as shown for CPD or (6-4) photoproducts. Together, these results provide an unexpected mechanism of DNA unwinding with Implications for XPB damage verification in nucleotide excision repair.

  5. Type I CD20 Antibodies Recruit the B Cell Receptor for Complement-Dependent Lysis of Malignant B Cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Engelberts, Patrick J.; Voorhorst, Marleen; Schuurman, Janine; van Meerten, Tom; Bakker, Joost M.; Vink, Tom; Mackus, Wendy J. M.; Breij, Esther C. W.; Derer, Stefanie; Valerius, Thomas; van de Winkel, Jan G. J.; Parren, Paul W. H. I.; Beurskens, Frank J.

    2016-01-01

    Human IgG1 type I CD20 Abs, such as rituximab and ofatumumab (OFA), efficiently induce complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) of CD20(+) B cells by binding of C1 to hexamerized Fc domains. Unexpectedly, we found that type I CD20 Ab F(ab ')2 fragments, as well as C1q-binding-deficient IgG mutants,

  6. The Cdc45/RecJ-like protein forms a complex with GINS and MCM, and is important for DNA replication in Thermococcus kodakarensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagata, Mariko; Ishino, Sonoko; Yamagami, Takeshi; Ogino, Hiromi; Simons, Jan-Robert; Kanai, Tamotsu; Atomi, Haruyuki; Ishino, Yoshizumi

    2017-10-13

    The archaeal minichromosome maintenance (MCM) has DNA helicase activity, which is stimulated by GINS in several archaea. In the eukaryotic replicative helicase complex, Cdc45 forms a complex with MCM and GINS, named as CMG (Cdc45-MCM-GINS). Cdc45 shares sequence similarity with bacterial RecJ. A Cdc45/RecJ-like protein from Thermococcus kodakarensis shows a bacterial RecJ-like exonuclease activity, which is stimulated by GINS in vitro. Therefore, this archaeal Cdc45/RecJ is designated as GAN, from GINS-associated nuclease. In this study, we identified the CMG-like complex in T. kodakarensis cells. The GAN·GINS complex stimulated the MCM helicase, but MCM did not affect the nuclease activity of GAN in vitro. The gene disruption analysis showed that GAN was non-essential for its viability but the Δgan mutant did not grow at 93°C. Furthermore, the Δgan mutant showed a clear retardation in growth as compared with the parent cells under optimal conditions at 85°C. These deficiencies were recovered by introducing the gan gene encoding the nuclease deficient GAN protein back to the genome. These results suggest that the replicative helicase complex without GAN may become unstable and ineffective in replication fork progression. The nuclease activity of GAN is not related to the growth defects of the Δgan mutant cells. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  7. Managing Single-Stranded DNA during Replication Stress in Fission Yeast

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah A. Sabatinos

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Replication fork stalling generates a variety of responses, most of which cause an increase in single-stranded DNA. ssDNA is a primary signal of replication distress that activates cellular checkpoints. It is also a potential source of genome instability and a substrate for mutation and recombination. Therefore, managing ssDNA levels is crucial to chromosome integrity. Limited ssDNA accumulation occurs in wild-type cells under stress. In contrast, cells lacking the replication checkpoint cannot arrest forks properly and accumulate large amounts of ssDNA. This likely occurs when the replication fork polymerase and helicase units are uncoupled. Some cells with mutations in the replication helicase (mcm-ts mimic checkpoint-deficient cells, and accumulate extensive areas of ssDNA to trigger the G2-checkpoint. Another category of helicase mutant (mcm4-degron causes fork stalling in early S-phase due to immediate loss of helicase function. Intriguingly, cells realize that ssDNA is present, but fail to detect that they accumulate ssDNA, and continue to divide. Thus, the cellular response to replication stalling depends on checkpoint activity and the time that replication stress occurs in S-phase. In this review we describe the signs, signals, and symptoms of replication arrest from an ssDNA perspective. We explore the possible mechanisms for these effects. We also advise the need for caution when detecting and interpreting data related to the accumulation of ssDNA.

  8. Re-wiring of energy metabolism promotes viability during hyperreplication stress in E. coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Charbon, Godefroid; Campion, Christopher; Chan, Siu Hung Joshua

    2017-01-01

    Chromosome replication in Escherichia coli is initiated by DnaA. DnaA binds ATP which is essential for formation of a DnaA-oriC nucleoprotein complex that promotes strand opening, helicase loading and replisome assembly. Following initiation, DnaAATP is converted to DnaAADP primarily by the Regul......Chromosome replication in Escherichia coli is initiated by DnaA. DnaA binds ATP which is essential for formation of a DnaA-oriC nucleoprotein complex that promotes strand opening, helicase loading and replisome assembly. Following initiation, DnaAATP is converted to DnaAADP primarily...

  9. Synergy of molecular dynamics and isothermal titration calorimetry in studies of Allostery

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Strawn, R.; Stockner, T.; Melicherčík, Milan; Jin, L.; Xue,, W. F.; Carey, J.; Ettrich, Rüdiger

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 492, - (2011), s. 151-188 ISSN 0076-6879 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06010; GA ČR GAP207/10/1934 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60870520 Keywords : hexameric arginine repressor * DNA-binding domain * escherichia-coli * ligand-binding * bacillus-stearothhermophilus * proteins * systems * model * simulations * operator Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 2.042, year: 2011

  10. Combinatorial regulation of meiotic holliday junction resolution in C. elegans by HIM-6 (BLM) helicase, SLX-4, and the SLX-1, MUS-81 and XPF-1 nucleases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agostinho, Ana; Meier, Bettina; Sonneville, Remi; Jagut, Marlène; Woglar, Alexander; Blow, Julian; Jantsch, Verena; Gartner, Anton

    2013-01-01

    Holliday junctions (HJs) are cruciform DNA structures that are created during recombination events. It is a matter of considerable importance to determine the resolvase(s) that promote resolution of these structures. We previously reported that C. elegans GEN-1 is a symmetrically cleaving HJ resolving enzyme required for recombinational repair, but we could not find an overt role in meiotic recombination. Here we identify C. elegans proteins involved in resolving meiotic HJs. We found no evidence for a redundant meiotic function of GEN-1. In contrast, we discovered two redundant HJ resolution pathways likely coordinated by the SLX-4 scaffold protein and also involving the HIM-6/BLM helicase. SLX-4 associates with the SLX-1, MUS-81 and XPF-1 nucleases and has been implicated in meiotic recombination in C. elegans. We found that C. elegans [mus-81; xpf-1], [slx-1; xpf-1], [mus-81; him-6] and [slx-1; him-6] double mutants showed a similar reduction in survival rates as slx-4. Analysis of meiotic diakinesis chromosomes revealed a distinct phenotype in these double mutants. Instead of wild-type bivalent chromosomes, pairs of "univalents" linked by chromatin bridges occur. These linkages depend on the conserved meiosis-specific transesterase SPO-11 and can be restored by ionizing radiation, suggesting that they represent unresolved meiotic HJs. This suggests the existence of two major resolvase activities, one provided by XPF-1 and HIM-6, the other by SLX-1 and MUS-81. In all double mutants crossover (CO) recombination is reduced but not abolished, indicative of further redundancy in meiotic HJ resolution. Real time imaging revealed extensive chromatin bridges during the first meiotic division that appear to be eventually resolved in meiosis II, suggesting back-up resolution activities acting at or after anaphase I. We also show that in HJ resolution mutants, the restructuring of chromosome arms distal and proximal to the CO still occurs, suggesting that CO initiation

  11. RNA/DNA Hybrid Interactome Identifies DXH9 as a Molecular Player in Transcriptional Termination and R-Loop-Associated DNA Damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cristini, Agnese; Groh, Matthias; Kristiansen, Maiken S; Gromak, Natalia

    2018-05-08

    R-loops comprise an RNA/DNA hybrid and displaced single-stranded DNA. They play important biological roles and are implicated in pathology. Even so, proteins recognizing these structures are largely undefined. Using affinity purification with the S9.6 antibody coupled to mass spectrometry, we defined the RNA/DNA hybrid interactome in HeLa cells. This consists of known R-loop-associated factors SRSF1, FACT, and Top1, and yet uncharacterized interactors, including helicases, RNA processing, DNA repair, and chromatin factors. We validate specific examples of these interactors and characterize their involvement in R-loop biology. A top candidate DHX9 helicase promotes R-loop suppression and transcriptional termination. DHX9 interacts with PARP1, and both proteins prevent R-loop-associated DNA damage. DHX9 and other interactome helicases are overexpressed in cancer, linking R-loop-mediated DNA damage and disease. Our RNA/DNA hybrid interactome provides a powerful resource to study R-loop biology in health and disease. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Human Cell Assays for Synthesis-Dependent Strand Annealing and Crossing over During Double-Strand Break Repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zapotoczny, Grzegorz; Sekelsky, Jeff

    2017-04-03

    DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the most deleterious types of lesions to the genome. Synthesis-dependent strand annealing (SDSA) is thought to be a major pathway of DSB repair, but direct tests of this model have only been conducted in budding yeast and Drosophila To better understand this pathway, we developed an SDSA assay for use in human cells. Our results support the hypothesis that SDSA is an important DSB repair mechanism in human cells. We used siRNA knockdown to assess the roles of a number of helicases suggested to promote SDSA. None of the helicase knockdowns reduced SDSA, but knocking down BLM or RTEL1 increased SDSA. Molecular analysis of repair products suggests that these helicases may prevent long-tract repair synthesis. Since the major alternative to SDSA (repair involving a double-Holliday junction intermediate) can lead to crossovers, we also developed a fluorescent assay that detects crossovers generated during DSB repair. Together, these assays will be useful in investigating features and mechanisms of SDSA and crossover pathways in human cells. Copyright © 2017 Zapotoczny and Sekelsky.

  13. Human Cell Assays for Synthesis-Dependent Strand Annealing and Crossing over During Double-Strand Break Repair

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grzegorz Zapotoczny

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs are one of the most deleterious types of lesions to the genome. Synthesis-dependent strand annealing (SDSA is thought to be a major pathway of DSB repair, but direct tests of this model have only been conducted in budding yeast and Drosophila. To better understand this pathway, we developed an SDSA assay for use in human cells. Our results support the hypothesis that SDSA is an important DSB repair mechanism in human cells. We used siRNA knockdown to assess the roles of a number of helicases suggested to promote SDSA. None of the helicase knockdowns reduced SDSA, but knocking down BLM or RTEL1 increased SDSA. Molecular analysis of repair products suggests that these helicases may prevent long-tract repair synthesis. Since the major alternative to SDSA (repair involving a double-Holliday junction intermediate can lead to crossovers, we also developed a fluorescent assay that detects crossovers generated during DSB repair. Together, these assays will be useful in investigating features and mechanisms of SDSA and crossover pathways in human cells.

  14. A fluorimetric readout reporting the kinetics of nucleotide-induced human ribonucleotide reductase oligomerization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Yuan; Lin, Hongyu; Wisitpitthaya, Somsinee; Blessing, William A; Aye, Yimon

    2014-11-24

    Human ribonucleotide reductase (hRNR) is a target of nucleotide chemotherapeutics in clinical use. The nucleotide-induced oligomeric regulation of hRNR subunit α is increasingly being recognized as an innate and drug-relevant mechanism for enzyme activity modulation. In the presence of negative feedback inhibitor dATP and leukemia drug clofarabine nucleotides, hRNR-α assembles into catalytically inert hexameric complexes, whereas nucleotide effectors that govern substrate specificity typically trigger α-dimerization. Currently, both knowledge of and tools to interrogate the oligomeric assembly pathway of RNR in any species in real time are lacking. We therefore developed a fluorimetric assay that reliably reports on oligomeric state changes of α with high sensitivity. The oligomerization-directed fluorescence quenching of hRNR-α, covalently labeled with two fluorophores, allows for direct readout of hRNR dimeric and hexameric states. We applied the newly developed platform to reveal the timescales of α self-assembly, driven by the feedback regulator dATP. This information is currently unavailable, despite the pharmaceutical relevance of hRNR oligomeric regulation. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Crystal Structure of Escherichia coli L-Arabinose Isomerase (ECAI), The Putative Target of Biological Tagatose Production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manjasetty,B.; Chance, M.

    2006-01-01

    Escherichia coli L-arabinose isomerase (ECAI; EC 5.3.1.4) catalyzes the isomerization of L-arabinose to L-ribulose in vivo. This enzyme is also of commercial interest as it catalyzes the conversion of D-galactose to D-tagatose in vitro. The crystal structure of ECAI was solved and refined at 2.6 Angstroms resolution. The subunit structure of ECAI is organized into three domains: an N-terminal, a central and a C-terminal domain. It forms a crystallographic trimeric architecture in the asymmetric unit. Packing within the crystal suggests the idea that ECAI can form a hexameric assembly. Previous electron microscopic and biochemical studies supports that ECAI is hexameric in solution. A comparison with other known structures reveals that ECAI adopts a protein fold most similar to E. coli fucose isomerase (ECFI) despite very low sequence identity 9.7%. The structural similarity between ECAI and ECFI with regard to number of domains, overall fold, biological assembly, and active site architecture strongly suggests that the enzymes have functional similarities. Further, the crystal structure of ECAI forms a basis for identifying molecular determinants responsible for isomerization of arabinose to ribulose in vivo and galactose to tagatose in vitro.

  16. A conserved inter-domain communication mechanism regulates the ATPase activity of the AAA-protein Drg1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prattes, Michael; Loibl, Mathias; Zisser, Gertrude; Luschnig, Daniel; Kappel, Lisa; Rössler, Ingrid; Grassegger, Manuela; Hromic, Altijana; Krieger, Elmar; Gruber, Karl; Pertschy, Brigitte; Bergler, Helmut

    2017-03-17

    AAA-ATPases fulfil essential roles in different cellular pathways and often act in form of hexameric complexes. Interaction with pathway-specific substrate and adaptor proteins recruits them to their targets and modulates their catalytic activity. This substrate dependent regulation of ATP hydrolysis in the AAA-domains is mediated by a non-catalytic N-terminal domain. The exact mechanisms that transmit the signal from the N-domain and coordinate the individual AAA-domains in the hexameric complex are still the topic of intensive research. Here, we present the characterization of a novel mutant variant of the eukaryotic AAA-ATPase Drg1 that shows dysregulation of ATPase activity and altered interaction with Rlp24, its substrate in ribosome biogenesis. This defective regulation is the consequence of amino acid exchanges at the interface between the regulatory N-domain and the adjacent D1 AAA-domain. The effects caused by these mutations strongly resemble those of pathological mutations of the AAA-ATPase p97 which cause the hereditary proteinopathy IBMPFD (inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget's disease of the bone and frontotemporal dementia). Our results therefore suggest well conserved mechanisms of regulation between structurally, but not functionally related members of the AAA-family.

  17. Insights into the Initiation of Eukaryotic DNA Replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruck, Irina; Perez-Arnaiz, Patricia; Colbert, Max K; Kaplan, Daniel L

    2015-01-01

    The initiation of DNA replication is a highly regulated event in eukaryotic cells to ensure that the entire genome is copied once and only once during S phase. The primary target of cellular regulation of eukaryotic DNA replication initiation is the assembly and activation of the replication fork helicase, the 11-subunit assembly that unwinds DNA at a replication fork. The replication fork helicase, called CMG for Cdc45-Mcm2-7, and GINS, assembles in S phase from the constituent Cdc45, Mcm2-7, and GINS proteins. The assembly and activation of the CMG replication fork helicase during S phase is governed by 2 S-phase specific kinases, CDK and DDK. CDK stimulates the interaction between Sld2, Sld3, and Dpb11, 3 initiation factors that are each required for the initiation of DNA replication. DDK, on the other hand, phosphorylates the Mcm2, Mcm4, and Mcm6 subunits of the Mcm2-7 complex. Sld3 recruits Cdc45 to Mcm2-7 in a manner that depends on DDK, and recent work suggests that Sld3 binds directly to Mcm2-7 and also to single-stranded DNA. Furthermore, recent work demonstrates that Sld3 and its human homolog Treslin substantially stimulate DDK phosphorylation of Mcm2. These data suggest that the initiation factor Sld3/Treslin coordinates the assembly and activation of the eukaryotic replication fork helicase by recruiting Cdc45 to Mcm2-7, stimulating DDK phosphorylation of Mcm2, and binding directly to single-stranded DNA as the origin is melted.

  18. The Mini-Chromosome Maintenance (Mcm) Complexes Interact with DNA Polymerase α-Primase and Stimulate Its Ability to Synthesize RNA Primers

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Zhiying; De Falco, Mariarosaria; Kamada, Katsuhiko; Pisani, Francesca M.; Masai, Hisao

    2013-01-01

    The Mini-chromosome maintenance (Mcm) proteins are essential as central components for the DNA unwinding machinery during eukaryotic DNA replication. DNA primase activity is required at the DNA replication fork to synthesize short RNA primers for DNA chain elongation on the lagging strand. Although direct physical and functional interactions between helicase and primase have been known in many prokaryotic and viral systems, potential interactions between helicase and primase have not been explored in eukaryotes. Using purified Mcm and DNA primase complexes, a direct physical interaction is detected in pull-down assays between the Mcm2∼7 complex and the hetero-dimeric DNA primase composed of the p48 and p58 subunits. The Mcm4/6/7 complex co-sediments with the primase and the DNA polymerase α-primase complex in glycerol gradient centrifugation and forms a Mcm4/6/7-primase-DNA ternary complex in gel-shift assays. Both the Mcm4/6/7 and Mcm2∼7 complexes stimulate RNA primer synthesis by DNA primase in vitro. However, primase inhibits the Mcm4/6/7 helicase activity and this inhibition is abolished by the addition of competitor DNA. In contrast, the ATP hydrolysis activity of Mcm4/6/7 complex is not affected by primase. Mcm and primase proteins mutually stimulate their DNA-binding activities. Our findings indicate that a direct physical interaction between primase and Mcm proteins may facilitate priming reaction by the former protein, suggesting that efficient DNA synthesis through helicase-primase interactions may be conserved in eukaryotic chromosomes. PMID:23977294

  19. The mini-chromosome maintenance (Mcm complexes interact with DNA polymerase α-primase and stimulate its ability to synthesize RNA primers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiying You

    Full Text Available The Mini-chromosome maintenance (Mcm proteins are essential as central components for the DNA unwinding machinery during eukaryotic DNA replication. DNA primase activity is required at the DNA replication fork to synthesize short RNA primers for DNA chain elongation on the lagging strand. Although direct physical and functional interactions between helicase and primase have been known in many prokaryotic and viral systems, potential interactions between helicase and primase have not been explored in eukaryotes. Using purified Mcm and DNA primase complexes, a direct physical interaction is detected in pull-down assays between the Mcm2~7 complex and the hetero-dimeric DNA primase composed of the p48 and p58 subunits. The Mcm4/6/7 complex co-sediments with the primase and the DNA polymerase α-primase complex in glycerol gradient centrifugation and forms a Mcm4/6/7-primase-DNA ternary complex in gel-shift assays. Both the Mcm4/6/7 and Mcm2~7 complexes stimulate RNA primer synthesis by DNA primase in vitro. However, primase inhibits the Mcm4/6/7 helicase activity and this inhibition is abolished by the addition of competitor DNA. In contrast, the ATP hydrolysis activity of Mcm4/6/7 complex is not affected by primase. Mcm and primase proteins mutually stimulate their DNA-binding activities. Our findings indicate that a direct physical interaction between primase and Mcm proteins may facilitate priming reaction by the former protein, suggesting that efficient DNA synthesis through helicase-primase interactions may be conserved in eukaryotic chromosomes.

  20. Experiment list: SRX186640 [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available uctural and functional domains: a chromodomain (chromatin organization modifier), an SNF2-like helicase/ATPase domain, and a C-term...lation. CHD1 has also been shown to interact with the Paf1 complex and Rtf1 implicating an additional role i...etylase 1 indicating a role in transcriptional regulation. CHD1 has also been shown to interact with the Paf1 complex and Rtf1 impli...r), an SNF2-like helicase/ATPase domain, and a C-terminal DN...e || treatment description=No special treatment or protocol applies || control=std || control description=St

  1. Roles of Werner syndrome protein in protection of genome integrity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rossi, Marie L; Ghosh, Avik K; Bohr, Vilhelm A

    2010-01-01

    Werner syndrome protein (WRN) is one of a family of five human RecQ helicases implicated in the maintenance of genome stability. The conserved RecQ family also includes RecQ1, Bloom syndrome protein (BLM), RecQ4, and RecQ5 in humans, as well as Sgs1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Rqh1...... in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and homologs in Caenorhabditis elegans, Xenopus laevis, and Drosophila melanogaster. Defects in three of the RecQ helicases, RecQ4, BLM, and WRN, cause human pathologies linked with cancer predisposition and premature aging. Mutations in the WRN gene are the causative factor of Werner...

  2. Two modes of interaction of the single-stranded DNA-binding protein of bacteriophage T7 with the DNA polymerase-thioredoxin complex

    KAUST Repository

    Ghosh, Sharmistha; Hamdan, Samir; Richardson, Charles C.

    2010-01-01

    The DNA polymerase encoded by bacteriophage T7 has low processivity. Escherichia coli thioredoxin binds to a segment of 76 residues in the thumb subdomain of the polymerase and increases the processivity. The binding of thioredoxin leads to the formation of two basic loops, loops A and B, located within the thioredoxin-binding domain (TBD). Both loops interact with the acidic C terminus of the T7 helicase. A relatively weak electrostatic mode involves the C-terminal tail of the helicase and the TBD, whereas a high affinity interaction that does not involve the C-terminal tail occurs when the polymerase is in a polymerization mode. T7 gene 2.5 single-stranded DNA-binding protein (gp2.5) also has an acidic C-terminal tail. gp2.5 also has two modes of interaction with the polymerase, but both involve the C-terminal tail of gp2.5. An electrostatic interaction requires the basic residues in loops A and B, and gp2.5 binds to both loops with similar affinity as measured by surface plasmon resonance. When the polymerase is in a polymerization mode, the C terminus of gene 2.5 protein interacts with the polymerase in regions outside the TBD.gp2.5 increases the processivity of the polymerase-helicase complex during leading strand synthesis. When loop B of the TBD is altered, abortive DNA products are observed during leading strand synthesis. Loop B appears to play an important role in communication with the helicase and gp2.5, whereas loop A plays a stabilizing role in these interactions. © 2010 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  3. In vitro reconstitution and characterization of the yeast mitochondrial degradosome complex unravels tight functional interdependence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malecki, Michal; Jedrzejczak, Robert; Stepien, Piotr P; Golik, Pawel

    2007-09-07

    The mitochondrial degradosome (mtEXO), the main RNA-degrading complex of yeast mitochondria, is composed of two subunits: an exoribonuclease encoded by the DSS1 gene and an RNA helicase encoded by the SUV3 gene. We expressed both subunits of the yeast mitochondrial degradosome in Escherichia coli, reconstituted the complex in vitro and analyzed the RNase, ATPase and helicase activities of the two subunits separately and in complex. The results reveal a very strong functional interdependence. For every enzymatic activity, we observed significant changes when the relevant protein was present in the complex, compared to the activity measured for the protein alone. The ATPase activity of Suv3p is stimulated by RNA and its background activity in the absence of RNA is reduced greatly when the protein is in the complex with Dss1p. The Suv3 protein alone does not display RNA-unwinding activity and the 3' to 5' directional helicase activity requiring a free 3' single-stranded substrate becomes apparent only when Suv3p is in complex with Dss1p. The Dss1 protein alone does have some basal exoribonuclease activity, which is not ATP-dependent, but in the presence of Suv3p the activity of the entire complex is enhanced greatly and is entirely ATP-dependent, with no residual activity observed in the absence of ATP. Such absolute ATP-dependence is unique among known exoribonuclease complexes. On the basis of these results, we propose a model in which the Suv3p RNA helicase acts as a molecular motor feeding the substrate to the catalytic centre of the RNase subunit.

  4. WRN-targeted therapy using inhibitors NSC 19630 and NSC 617145 induce apoptosis in HTLV-1-transformed adult T-cell leukemia cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Moles

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1 infection is associated with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL, a lymphoproliferative malignancy with a dismal prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Recent evidence shows that HTLV-1-transformed cells present defects in both DNA replication and DNA repair, suggesting that these cells might be particularly sensitive to treatment with a small helicase inhibitor. Because the “Werner syndrome ATP-dependent helicase” encoded by the WRN gene plays important roles in both cellular proliferation and DNA repair, we hypothesized that inhibition of WRN activity could be used as a new strategy to target ATLL cells. Methods Our analysis demonstrates an apoptotic effect induced by the WRN helicase inhibitor in HTLV-1-transformed cells in vitro and ATL-derived cell lines. Inhibition of cellular proliferation and induction of apoptosis were demonstrated with cell cycle analysis, XTT proliferation assay, clonogenic assay, annexin V staining, and measurement of mitochondrial transmembrane potential. Results Targeted inhibition of the WRN helicase induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in HTLV-1-transformed leukemia cells. Treatment with NSC 19630 (WRN inhibitor induces S-phase cell cycle arrest, disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential, and decreased expression of anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2. These events were associated with activation of caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in ATL cells. We identified some ATL cells, ATL-55T and LMY1, less sensitive to NSC 19630 but sensitive to another WRN inhibitor, NSC 617145. Conclusions WRN is essential for survival of ATL cells. Our studies suggest that targeting the WRN helicase with small inhibitors is a novel promising strategy to target HTLV-1-transformed ATL cells.

  5. Two modes of interaction of the single-stranded DNA-binding protein of bacteriophage T7 with the DNA polymerase-thioredoxin complex

    KAUST Repository

    Ghosh, Sharmistha

    2010-04-06

    The DNA polymerase encoded by bacteriophage T7 has low processivity. Escherichia coli thioredoxin binds to a segment of 76 residues in the thumb subdomain of the polymerase and increases the processivity. The binding of thioredoxin leads to the formation of two basic loops, loops A and B, located within the thioredoxin-binding domain (TBD). Both loops interact with the acidic C terminus of the T7 helicase. A relatively weak electrostatic mode involves the C-terminal tail of the helicase and the TBD, whereas a high affinity interaction that does not involve the C-terminal tail occurs when the polymerase is in a polymerization mode. T7 gene 2.5 single-stranded DNA-binding protein (gp2.5) also has an acidic C-terminal tail. gp2.5 also has two modes of interaction with the polymerase, but both involve the C-terminal tail of gp2.5. An electrostatic interaction requires the basic residues in loops A and B, and gp2.5 binds to both loops with similar affinity as measured by surface plasmon resonance. When the polymerase is in a polymerization mode, the C terminus of gene 2.5 protein interacts with the polymerase in regions outside the TBD.gp2.5 increases the processivity of the polymerase-helicase complex during leading strand synthesis. When loop B of the TBD is altered, abortive DNA products are observed during leading strand synthesis. Loop B appears to play an important role in communication with the helicase and gp2.5, whereas loop A plays a stabilizing role in these interactions. © 2010 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  6. Identification of multiple distinct Snf2 subfamilies with conserved structural motifs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flaus, Andrew; Martin, David M A; Barton, Geoffrey J; Owen-Hughes, Tom

    2006-01-01

    The Snf2 family of helicase-related proteins includes the catalytic subunits of ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling complexes found in all eukaryotes. These act to regulate the structure and dynamic properties of chromatin and so influence a broad range of nuclear processes. We have exploited progress in genome sequencing to assemble a comprehensive catalogue of over 1300 Snf2 family members. Multiple sequence alignment of the helicase-related regions enables 24 distinct subfamilies to be identified, a considerable expansion over earlier surveys. Where information is known, there is a good correlation between biological or biochemical function and these assignments, suggesting Snf2 family motor domains are tuned for specific tasks. Scanning of complete genomes reveals all eukaryotes contain members of multiple subfamilies, whereas they are less common and not ubiquitous in eubacteria or archaea. The large sample of Snf2 proteins enables additional distinguishing conserved sequence blocks within the helicase-like motor to be identified. The establishment of a phylogeny for Snf2 proteins provides an opportunity to make informed assignments of function, and the identification of conserved motifs provides a framework for understanding the mechanisms by which these proteins function.

  7. Crystal structure of secretory protein Hcp3 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

    OpenAIRE

    Osipiuk, Jerzy; Xu, Xiaohui; Cui, Hong; Savchenko, Alexei; Edwards, Aled; Joachimiak, Andrzej

    2011-01-01

    The Type VI secretion pathway transports proteins across the cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic Gram-negative bacterial pathogen infecting humans, uses the type VI secretion pathway to export specific effector proteins crucial for its pathogenesis. The HSI-I virulence locus encodes for several proteins that has been proposed to participate in protein transport including the Hcp1 protein, which forms hexameric rings that assemble into nanotubes in...

  8. RECQL4 localizes to mitochondria and preserves mitochondrial DNA integrity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Croteau, Deborah L; Rossi, Marie L; Canugovi, Chandrika

    2012-01-01

    in premature aging. There is no information about whether any of the RecQ helicases play roles in mitochondrial biogenesis, which is strongly implicated in the aging process. Here, we used microscopy to visualize RECQL4 in mitochondria. Fractionation of human and mouse cells also showed that RECQL4 was present...... in mitochondria. Q-PCR amplification of mitochondrial DNA demonstrated that mtDNA damage accumulated in RECQL4-deficient cells. Microarray analysis suggested that mitochondrial bioenergetic pathways might be affected in RTS. Measurements of mitochondrial bioenergetics showed a reduction in the mitochondrial......Q helicase to be found in both human and mouse mitochondria, and the loss of RECQL4 alters mitochondrial integrity....

  9. Mycobacterium tuberculosis RecG binds and unwinds model DNA substrates with a preference for Holliday junctions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zegeye, Ephrem Debebe; Balasingham, Seetha V; Laerdahl, Jon K; Homberset, Håvard; Tønjum, Tone

    2012-08-01

    The RecG enzyme, a superfamily 2 helicase, is present in nearly all bacteria. Here we report for the first time that the recG gene is also present in the genomes of most vascular plants as well as in green algae, but is not found in other eukaryotes or archaea. The precise function of RecG is poorly understood, although ample evidence shows that it plays critical roles in DNA repair, recombination and replication. We further demonstrate that Mycobacterium tuberculosis RecG (RecG(Mtb)) DNA binding activity had a broad substrate specificity, whereas it only unwound branched-DNA substrates such as Holliday junctions (HJs), replication forks, D-loops and R-loops, with a strong preference for the HJ as a helicase substrate. In addition, RecG(Mtb) preferentially bound relatively long (≥40 nt) ssDNA, exhibiting a higher affinity for the homopolymeric nucleotides poly(dT), poly(dG) and poly(dC) than for poly(dA). RecG(Mtb) helicase activity was supported by hydrolysis of ATP or dATP in the presence of Mg(2+), Mn(2+), Cu(2+) or Fe(2+). Like its Escherichia coli orthologue, RecG(Mtb) is also a strictly DNA-dependent ATPase.

  10. Two mechanisms coordinate replication termination by the Escherichia coli Tus–Ter complex

    KAUST Repository

    Pandey, Manjula

    2015-07-13

    The Escherichia coli replication terminator protein (Tus) binds to Ter sequences to block replication forks approaching from one direction. Here, we used single molecule and transient state kinetics to study responses of the heterologous phage T7 replisome to the Tus–Ter complex. The T7 replisome was arrested at the non-permissive end of Tus–Ter in a manner that is explained by a composite mousetrap and dynamic clamp model. An unpaired C(6) that forms a lock by binding into the cytosine binding pocket of Tus was most effective in arresting the replisome and mutation of C(6) removed the barrier. Isolated helicase was also blocked at the non-permissive end, but unexpectedly the isolated polymerase was not, unless C(6) was unpaired. Instead, the polymerase was blocked at the permissive end. This indicates that the Tus–Ter mechanism is sensitive to the translocation polarity of the DNA motor. The polymerase tracking along the template strand traps the C(6) to prevent lock formation; the helicase tracking along the other strand traps the complementary G(6) to aid lock formation. Our results are consistent with the model where strand separation by the helicase unpairs the GC(6) base pair and triggers lock formation immediately before the polymerase can sequester the C(6) base.

  11. Homozygous Wildtype of XPD K751Q Polymorphism Is Associated with Increased Risk of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in Malaysian Population.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Munn-Sann Lye

    Full Text Available The xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD gene encodes a DNA helicase, an important component in transcription factor IIH (TFIIH complex. XPD helicase plays a pivotal role in unwinding DNA at the damaged region during nucleotide excision repair (NER mechanism. Dysfunctional XPD helicase protein from polymorphic diversity may contribute to increased risk of developing cancers. This study aims to determine the association between XPD K751Q polymorphism (rs13181 and risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC in the Malaysian population. In this hospital-based matched case-control study, 356 controls were matched by age, gender and ethnicity to 356 cases. RFLP-PCR was used to genotype the XPD K751Q polymorphism. A significant association was observed between XPD K751Q polymorphism and the risk of NPC using conditional logistic regression. Subjects with homozygous Lys/Lys (wildtype genotype have 1.58 times higher odds of developing NPC compared to subjects with recessive combination of heterozygous Lys/Gln and homozygous Gln/Gln genotypes (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.05-2.38 p = 0.028 adjusted for cigarette smoking, alcohol and salted fish consumption. Our data suggests that Lys/Lys (wildtype of XPD K751Q contributes to increased risk of NPC in the Malaysian population.

  12. Characterization and assembly of a GFP-tagged cylindriform silk into hexameric complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Öster, Carl; Svensson Bonde, Johan; Bülow, Leif; Dicko, Cedric

    2014-04-01

    Spider silk has been studied extensively for its attractive mechanical properties and potential applications in medicine and industry. The production of spider silk, however, has been lagging behind for lack of suitable systems. Our approach focuses on solving the production of spider silk by designing, expressing, purifying and characterizing the silk from cylindriform glands. We show that the cylindriform silk protein, in contrast to the commonly used dragline silk protein, is fully folded and stable in solution. With the help of GFP as a fusion tag we enhanced the expression of the silk protein in Escherichia coli and could optimize the downstream processing. Secondary structures analysis by circular dichroism and FTIR shows that the GFP-silk fusion protein is predominantly α-helical, and that pH can trigger a α- to β-transition resulting in aggregation. Structural analysis by small angle X-ray scattering suggests that the GFP-Silk exists in the form of a hexamer in solution. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Dicty_cDB: VHO211 [Dicty_cDB

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available nogaster tweety (tty), flightless (fli), dodo (dod), penguin (pen), small optic lobes (sol), innocent byst...ander (iby), waclaw (waw), bobby sox (bbx), sluggish (slg), helicase (hlc), misato

  14. AtRH57, a DEAD-box RNA helicase, is involved in feedback inhibition of glucose-mediated abscisic acid accumulation during seedling development and additively affects pre-ribosomal RNA processing with high glucose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Yi-Feng; Chen, Yun-Chu; Hsiao, Yu-Chun; Wang, Bing-Jyun; Lin, Shih-Yun; Cheng, Wan-Hsing; Jauh, Guang-Yuh; Harada, John J; Wang, Co-Shine

    2014-01-01

    The Arabidopsis thaliana T-DNA insertion mutant rh57-1 exhibited hypersensitivity to glucose (Glc) and abscisic acid (ABA). The other two rh57 mutants also showed Glc hypersensitivity similar to rh57-1, strongly suggesting that the Glc-hypersensitive feature of these mutants results from mutation of AtRH57. rh57-1 and rh57-3 displayed severely impaired seedling growth when grown in Glc concentrations higher than 3%. The gene, AtRH57 (At3g09720), was expressed in all Arabidopsis organs and its transcript was significantly induced by ABA, high Glc and salt. The new AtRH57 belongs to class II DEAD-box RNA helicase gene family. Transient expression of AtRH57-EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) in onion cells indicated that AtRH57 was localized in the nucleus and nucleolus. Purified AtRH57-His protein was shown to unwind double-stranded RNA independent of ATP in vitro. The ABA biosynthesis inhibitor fluridone profoundly redeemed seedling growth arrest mediated by sugar. rh57-1 showed increased ABA levels when exposed to high Glc. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that AtRH57 acts in a signaling network downstream of HXK1. A feedback inhibition of ABA accumulation mediated by AtRH57 exists within the sugar-mediated ABA signaling. AtRH57 mutation and high Glc conditions additively caused a severe defect in small ribosomal subunit formation. The accumulation of abnormal pre-rRNA and resistance to protein synthesis-related antibiotics were observed in rh57 mutants and in the wild-type Col-0 under high Glc conditions. These results suggested that AtRH57 plays an important role in rRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis and participates in response to sugar involving Glc- and ABA signaling during germination and seedling growth. © 2013 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. FBH1 co-operates with MUS81 in inducing DNA double-strand breaks and cell death following replication stress

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fugger, Kasper; Chu, Wai Kit; Haahr, Peter

    2013-01-01

    The molecular events occurring following the disruption of DNA replication forks are poorly characterized, despite extensive use of replication inhibitors such as hydroxyurea in the treatment of malignancies. Here, we identify a key role for the FBH1 helicase in mediating DNA double-strand break...... formation following replication inhibition. We show that FBH1-deficient cells are resistant to killing by hydroxyurea, and exhibit impaired activation of the pro-apoptotic factor p53, consistent with decreased DNA double-strand break formation. Similar findings were obtained in murine ES cells carrying...... of replication stress. Our data suggest that FBH1 helicase activity is required to eliminate cells with excessive replication stress through the generation of MUS81-induced DNA double-strand breaks....

  16. Viral and cellular SOS-regulated motor proteins: dsDNA translocation mechanisms with divergent functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolfe, Annie; Phipps, Kara; Weitao, Tao

    2014-01-01

    DNA damage attacks on bacterial cells have been known to activate the SOS response, a transcriptional response affecting chromosome replication, DNA recombination and repair, cell division and prophage induction. All these functions require double-stranded (ds) DNA translocation by ASCE hexameric motors. This review seeks to delineate the structural and functional characteristics of the SOS response and the SOS-regulated DNA translocases FtsK and RuvB with the phi29 bacteriophage packaging motor gp16 ATPase as a prototype to study bacterial motors. While gp16 ATPase, cellular FtsK and RuvB are similarly comprised of hexameric rings encircling dsDNA and functioning as ATP-driven DNA translocases, they utilize different mechanisms to accomplish separate functions, suggesting a convergent evolution of these motors. The gp16 ATPase and FtsK use a novel revolution mechanism, generating a power stroke between subunits through an entropy-DNA affinity switch and pushing dsDNA inward without rotation of DNA and the motor, whereas RuvB seems to employ a rotation mechanism that remains to be further characterized. While FtsK and RuvB perform essential tasks during the SOS response, their roles may be far more significant as SOS response is involved in antibiotic-inducible bacterial vesiculation and biofilm formation as well as the perspective of the bacteria-cancer evolutionary interaction.

  17. Electrochemistry of end-capped oligothienyls. New insights into the polymerization mechanism and the charge storage, conduction and capacitive properties of polythiophene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zotti, G. (Ist. di Polarografia ed Elettrochimica Preparativa, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Padua (Italy)); Schiavon, G. (Ist. di Polarografia ed Elettrochimica Preparativa, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Padua (Italy)); Berlin, A. (Dipt. di Chimica Organica e Industriale dell' Univ. e Centro CNR, Speciali Sistemi Organici, Milan (Italy)); Pagani, G. (Dipt. di Chimica Organica e Industriale dell' Univ. e Centro CNR, Speciali Sistemi Organici, Milan (Italy))

    1993-11-23

    The kinetics of anodic coupling to dimers of thiophene oligomers (n=3-5), methyl protected at one [alpha]-terminal position, is second order in oligomer concentration and evidences high activation enthalpies and negative activation entropies. Activation free energies are linearly related to the inverse of the oligomer length n (the dimerization rate decreases as n is increased). Thin films of methyl end-capped thiophene oligomers (n=4, 6, 8 and 10) display reversible oxidations from a single one-electron step (tetramer) to a single two-electron step (octamer and decamer) through two separate one-electron steps (hexamer). ESR indicates strong magnetic dimerization for the one-electron-oxidized hexamer. The close resemblance of the electrochemical and ESR behaviour of the hexamer with that of polythiophene suggests that oxidation of the latter occurs via hexameric spin-dimerized polarons. The conductive and capacitive properties of the end-capped oligomers (n=6, 8 and 10) were investigated by in situ conductivity and chronopotentiometry. While conductivity of octamer and decamer is displayed at the two-electron (bipolaron) state, the hexamer, insulating at this state, is conducting at the mixed-valence polaron-bipolaron state; capacitive responses are evidenced at the bipolaron state for the octamer and decamer only. The difference of conductive and capacitive behaviour between the hexamer and the higher oligomers is explained by charge localization in hexameric segments. (orig.)

  18. Expression, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of RNA-binding protein Hfq (YmaH) from Bacillus subtilis in complex with an RNA aptamer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baba, Seiki; Someya, Tatsuhiko; Kawai, Gota; Nakamura, Kouji; Kumasaka, Takashi

    2010-01-01

    The RNA-binding protein Hfq from B. subtilis was crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method in two crystal forms that belonged to space groups I422 and F222; diffraction data were collected to 2.2 Å resolution from both forms. The Hfq protein is a hexameric RNA-binding protein which regulates gene expression by binding to RNA under the influence of diverse environmental stresses. Its ring structure binds various types of RNA, including mRNA and sRNA. RNA-bound structures of Hfq from Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus have been revealed to have poly(A) RNA at the distal site and U-rich RNA at the proximal site, respectively. Here, crystals of a complex of the Bacillus subtilis Hfq protein with an A/G-repeat 7-mer RNA (Hfq–RNA) that were prepared using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique are reported. The type 1 Hfq–RNA crystals belonged to space group I422, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 123.70, c = 119.13 Å, while the type 2 Hfq–RNA crystals belonged to space group F222, with unit-cell parameters a = 91.92, b = 92.50, c = 114.92 Å. Diffraction data were collected to a resolution of 2.20 Å from both crystal forms. The hexameric structure of the Hfq protein was clearly shown by self-rotation analysis

  19. Arabidopsis CDS blastp result: AK241408 [KOME

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available mo sapiens}; contains Pfam profiles PF00271: Helicase conserved C-terminal domain, PF00176: SNF2 family N-terminal domain, PF00385: 'chromo' (CHRromatin Organization MOdifier) 5e-25 ...

  20. High affinity human antibody fragments to dengue virus non-structural protein 3.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicole J Moreland

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The enzyme activities catalysed by flavivirus non-structural protein 3 (NS3 are essential for virus replication. They are distributed between the N-terminal protease domain in the first one-third and the C-terminal ATPase/helicase and nucleoside 5' triphosphatase domain which forms the remainder of the 618-aa long protein. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, dengue full-length NS3 protein with residues 49 to 66 of NS2B covalently attached via a flexible linker, was used as bait in biopanning with a naïve human Fab phage-display library. Using a range of truncated constructs spanning the NS2B cofactor region and the full-length NS3, 10 unique Fab were identified and characterized. Of these, monoclonal Fab 3F8 was shown to bind α3″ (residues 526 through 531 within subdomain III of the helicase domain. The antibody inhibits the ATPase and helicase activites of NS3 in biochemical assays and reduces DENV replication in HEK293 cells that were previously transfected with Fab 3F8 compared with mock transfected cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Antibodies such as 3F8 are valuable tools for studying the molecular mechanisms of flaviviral replication and for the monospecific detection of replicating dengue virus in vivo.

  1. Two mechanisms coordinate replication termination by the Escherichia coli Tus-Ter complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, Manjula; Elshenawy, Mohamed M; Jergic, Slobodan; Takahashi, Masateru; Dixon, Nicholas E; Hamdan, Samir M; Patel, Smita S

    2015-07-13

    The Escherichia coli replication terminator protein (Tus) binds to Ter sequences to block replication forks approaching from one direction. Here, we used single molecule and transient state kinetics to study responses of the heterologous phage T7 replisome to the Tus-Ter complex. The T7 replisome was arrested at the non-permissive end of Tus-Ter in a manner that is explained by a composite mousetrap and dynamic clamp model. An unpaired C(6) that forms a lock by binding into the cytosine binding pocket of Tus was most effective in arresting the replisome and mutation of C(6) removed the barrier. Isolated helicase was also blocked at the non-permissive end, but unexpectedly the isolated polymerase was not, unless C(6) was unpaired. Instead, the polymerase was blocked at the permissive end. This indicates that the Tus-Ter mechanism is sensitive to the translocation polarity of the DNA motor. The polymerase tracking along the template strand traps the C(6) to prevent lock formation; the helicase tracking along the other strand traps the complementary G(6) to aid lock formation. Our results are consistent with the model where strand separation by the helicase unpairs the GC(6) base pair and triggers lock formation immediately before the polymerase can sequester the C(6) base. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  2. Bloom syndrome ortholog HIM-6 maintains genomic stability in C. elegans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grabowski, Melissa M; Svrzikapa, Nenad; Tissenbaum, Heidi A

    2005-12-01

    Bloom syndrome is caused by mutation of the Bloom helicase (BLM), a member of the RecQ helicase family. Loss of BLM function results in genomic instability that causes a high incidence of cancer. It has been demonstrated that BLM is important for maintaining genomic stability by playing a role in DNA recombination and repair; however, the exact function of BLM is not clearly understood. To determine the mechanism by which BLM controls genomic stability in vivo, we examined the phenotypes caused by mutation of the C. elegans BLM helicase ortholog, HIM-6. We find that the loss of HIM-6 leads to genomic instability as evidenced by an increased number of genomic insertions and deletions, which results in visible random mutant phenotypes. In addition to the mutator phenotype, him-6 mutants have a low brood size, a high incidence of males, a shortened life span, and an increased amount of germ line apoptosis. Upon exposure to high temperature, him-6 mutants that are serially passed become sterile demonstrating a mortal germ line phenotype. Our data suggest a model in which loss of HIM-6 results in genomic instability due to an increased number of DNA lesions, which either cannot be repaired and/or are introduced by low fidelity recombination events. The increased level of genomic instability that leads to him-6(ok412) mutants having a shortened life span.

  3. Crystallographic characterization and molecular symmetry of edestin, a legumin from hemp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, S; Cudney, R; McPherson, A

    1994-01-07

    Edestin, a legumin class reserve protein from hemp seeds having six identical subunits was crystallized from ammonium phosphate at pH 5 and subsequently characterized by X-ray diffraction. The crystals are of space group R32 with a = 127 A and gamma = 116 degrees having an equivalent triply centered hexagonal cell of a = b = 215 A, c = 80 A. There is one hexameric protein in the rhombohedral unit cell, hence the subunits of the Edestin molecule must be arranged with 32 point group symmetry.

  4. A sample holder for in-house X-ray powder diffraction studies of protein powders

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frankær, Christian Grundahl; Harris, Pernille; Ståhl, Kenny

    2011-01-01

    A sample holder for handling samples of protein for in-house X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) analysis has been made and tested on lysozyme. The use of an integrated pinhole reduced the background, and good signal-to-noise ratios were obtained from only 7 l of sample, corresponding to approximatel...... 2-3 mg of dry protein. The sample holder is further adaptable to X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements. Both XRPD and XAS at the Zn K-edge were tested with hexameric Zn insulin....

  5. Distinct properties of hexameric but functionally conserved Mycobacterium tuberculosis transcription-repair coupling factor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prabha, Swayam; Rao, Desirazu N; Nagaraja, Valakunja

    2011-04-29

    Transcription coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER) is involved in correcting UV-induced damage and other road-blocks encountered in the transcribed strand. Mutation frequency decline (Mfd) is a transcription repair coupling factor, involved in repair of template strand during transcription. Mfd from M. tuberculosis (MtbMfd) is 1234 amino-acids long harboring characteristic modules for different activities. Mtbmfd complemented Escherichia coli mfd (Ecomfd) deficient strain, enhanced survival of UV irradiated cells and increased the road-block repression in vivo. The protein exhibited ATPase activity, which was stimulated ∼1.5-fold in the presence of DNA. While the C-terminal domain (CTD) comprising amino acids 630 to 1234 showed ∼2-fold elevated ATPase activity than MtbMfd, the N-terminal domain (NTD) containing the first 433 amino acid residues was able to bind ATP but deficient in hydrolysis. Overexpression of NTD of MtbMfd led to growth defect and hypersensitivity to UV light. Deletion of 184 amino acids from the C-terminal end of MtbMfd (MfdΔC) increased the ATPase activity by ∼10-fold and correspondingly exhibited efficient translocation along DNA as compared to the MtbMfd and CTD. Surprisingly, MtbMfd was found to be distributed in monomer and hexamer forms both in vivo and in vitro and the monomer showed increased susceptibility to proteases compared to the hexamer. MfdΔC, on the other hand, was predominantly monomeric in solution implicating the extreme C-terminal region in oligomerization of the protein. Thus, although the MtbMfd resembles EcoMfd in many of its reaction characteristics, some of its hitherto unknown distinct properties hint at its species specific role in mycobacteria during transcription-coupled repair.

  6. Distinct properties of hexameric but functionally conserved Mycobacterium tuberculosis transcription-repair coupling factor.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swayam Prabha

    Full Text Available Transcription coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER is involved in correcting UV-induced damage and other road-blocks encountered in the transcribed strand. Mutation frequency decline (Mfd is a transcription repair coupling factor, involved in repair of template strand during transcription. Mfd from M. tuberculosis (MtbMfd is 1234 amino-acids long harboring characteristic modules for different activities. Mtbmfd complemented Escherichia coli mfd (Ecomfd deficient strain, enhanced survival of UV irradiated cells and increased the road-block repression in vivo. The protein exhibited ATPase activity, which was stimulated ∼1.5-fold in the presence of DNA. While the C-terminal domain (CTD comprising amino acids 630 to 1234 showed ∼2-fold elevated ATPase activity than MtbMfd, the N-terminal domain (NTD containing the first 433 amino acid residues was able to bind ATP but deficient in hydrolysis. Overexpression of NTD of MtbMfd led to growth defect and hypersensitivity to UV light. Deletion of 184 amino acids from the C-terminal end of MtbMfd (MfdΔC increased the ATPase activity by ∼10-fold and correspondingly exhibited efficient translocation along DNA as compared to the MtbMfd and CTD. Surprisingly, MtbMfd was found to be distributed in monomer and hexamer forms both in vivo and in vitro and the monomer showed increased susceptibility to proteases compared to the hexamer. MfdΔC, on the other hand, was predominantly monomeric in solution implicating the extreme C-terminal region in oligomerization of the protein. Thus, although the MtbMfd resembles EcoMfd in many of its reaction characteristics, some of its hitherto unknown distinct properties hint at its species specific role in mycobacteria during transcription-coupled repair.

  7. The E1 proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergvall, Monika; Melendy, Thomas; Archambault, Jacques

    2013-01-01

    E1, an ATP-dependent DNA helicase, is the only enzyme encoded by papillomaviruses (PVs). It is essential for replication and amplification of the viral episome in the nucleus of infected cells. To do so, E1 assembles into a double-hexamer at the viral origin, unwinds DNA at the origin and ahead of the replication fork and interacts with cellular DNA replication factors. Biochemical and structural studies have revealed the assembly pathway of E1 at the origin and how the enzyme unwinds DNA using a spiral escalator mechanism. E1 is tightly regulated in vivo, in particular by post-translational modifications that restrict its accumulation in the nucleus. Here we review how different functional domains of E1 orchestrate viral DNA replication, with an emphasis on their interactions with substrate DNA, host DNA replication factors and modifying enzymes. These studies have made E1 one of the best characterized helicases and provided unique insights on how PVs usurp different host-cell machineries to replicate and amplify their genome in a tightly controlled manner. - Highlights: • The papillomavirus E1 helicase orchestrates replication of the viral DNA genome. • E1 assembles into a double-hexamer at the viral origin with the help of E2. • E1 interacts with cellular DNA replication factors. • E1 unwinds DNA using a spiral escalator mechanism. • Nuclear accumulation of E1 is regulated by post-translational modifications

  8. Native tandem and ion mobility mass spectrometry highlight structural and modular similarities in clustered-regularly-interspaced shot-palindromic-repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein complexes from Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Duijn, Esther; Barbu, Ioana M; Barendregt, Arjan; Jore, Matthijs M; Wiedenheft, Blake; Lundgren, Magnus; Westra, Edze R; Brouns, Stan J J; Doudna, Jennifer A; van der Oost, John; Heck, Albert J R

    2012-11-01

    The CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated genes) immune system of bacteria and archaea provides acquired resistance against viruses and plasmids, by a strategy analogous to RNA-interference. Key components of the defense system are ribonucleoprotein complexes, the composition of which appears highly variable in different CRISPR/Cas subtypes. Previous studies combined mass spectrometry, electron microscopy, and small angle x-ray scattering to demonstrate that the E. coli Cascade complex (405 kDa) and the P. aeruginosa Csy-complex (350 kDa) are similar in that they share a central spiral-shaped hexameric structure, flanked by associating proteins and one CRISPR RNA. Recently, a cryo-electron microscopy structure of Cascade revealed that the CRISPR RNA molecule resides in a groove of the hexameric backbone. For both complexes we here describe the use of native mass spectrometry in combination with ion mobility mass spectrometry to assign a stable core surrounded by more loosely associated modules. Via computational modeling subcomplex structures were proposed that relate to the experimental IMMS data. Despite the absence of obvious sequence homology between several subunits, detailed analysis of sub-complexes strongly suggests analogy between subunits of the two complexes. Probing the specific association of E. coli Cascade/crRNA to its complementary DNA target reveals a conformational change. All together these findings provide relevant new information about the potential assembly process of the two CRISPR-associated complexes.

  9. Dynamic Combinatorial Chemistry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lisbjerg, Micke

    This thesis is divided into seven chapters, which can all be read individually. The first chapter, however, contains a general introduction to the chemistry used in the remaining six chapters, and it is therefore recommended to read chapter one before reading the other chapters. Chapter 1...... is a general introductory chapter for the whole thesis. The history and concepts of dynamic combinatorial chemistry are described, as are some of the new and intriguing results recently obtained. Finally, the properties of a broad range of hexameric macrocycles are described in detail. Chapter 2 gives...

  10. MAGNETIC TWEEZERS FOR THE STUDY OF DNA TRACKING MOTORS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manosas, Maria; Meglio, Adrien; Spiering, Michelle M.; Ding, Fangyuan; Benkovic, Stephen J.; Barre, François-Xavier; Saleh, Omar A.; Allemand, Jean François; Bensimon, David; Croquette, Vincent

    2011-01-01

    Single-molecule manipulation methods have opened a new vista on the study of molecular motors. Here we describe the use of magnetic traps for the investigation of the mechanism of DNA based motors, in particular helicases and translocases. PMID:20627163

  11. Non-B DNA-forming sequences and WRN deficiency independently increase the frequency of base substitution in human cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bacolla, Albino; Wang, Guliang; Jain, Aklank

    2011-01-01

    Although alternative DNA secondary structures (non-B DNA) can induce genomic rearrangements, their associated mutational spectra remain largely unknown. The helicase activity of WRN, which is absent in the human progeroid Werner syndrome, is thought to counteract this genomic instability. We dete...

  12. Untangling reaction pathways through modern approaches to high-throughput single-molecule force-spectroscopy experiments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dulin, D.; Berghuis, B.A.; Depken, S.M.; Dekker, N.H.

    2015-01-01

    Single-molecule experiments provide a unique means for real-time observation of the activity of individual biomolecular machines. Through such techniques, insights into the mechanics of for example, polymerases, helicases, and packaging motors have been gleaned. Here we describe the recent advances

  13. Cooperative working of bacterial chromosome replication proteins generated by a reconstituted protein expression system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujiwara, Kei; Katayama, Tsutomu; Nomura, Shin-ichiro M.

    2013-01-01

    Replication of all living cells relies on the multirounds flow of the central dogma. Especially, expression of DNA replication proteins is a key step to circulate the processes of the central dogma. Here we achieved the entire sequential transcription–translation–replication process by autonomous expression of chromosomal DNA replication machineries from a reconstituted transcription–translation system (PURE system). We found that low temperature is essential to express a complex protein, DNA polymerase III, in a single tube using the PURE system. Addition of the 13 genes, encoding initiator, DNA helicase, helicase loader, RNA primase and DNA polymerase III to the PURE system gave rise to a DNA replication system by a coupling manner. An artificial genetic circuit demonstrated that the DNA produced as a result of the replication is able to provide genetic information for proteins, indicating the in vitro central dogma can sequentially undergo two rounds. PMID:23737447

  14. Non-essential MCM-related proteins mediate a response to DNA damage in the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walters, Alison D; Chong, James P J

    2017-05-01

    The single minichromosome maintenance (MCM) protein found in most archaea has been widely studied as a simplified model for the MCM complex that forms the catalytic core of the eukaryotic replicative helicase. Organisms of the order Methanococcales are unusual in possessing multiple MCM homologues. The Methanococcus maripaludis S2 genome encodes four MCM homologues, McmA-McmD. DNA helicase assays reveal that the unwinding activity of the three MCM-like proteins is highly variable despite sequence similarities and suggests additional motifs that influence MCM function are yet to be identified. While the gene encoding McmA could not be deleted, strains harbouring individual deletions of genes encoding each of the other MCMs display phenotypes consistent with these proteins modulating DNA damage responses. M. maripaludis S2 is the first archaeon in which MCM proteins have been shown to influence the DNA damage response.

  15. Human RTEL1 deficiency causes Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome with short telomeres and genome instability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Guen, Tangui; Jullien, Laurent; Touzot, Fabien; Schertzer, Michael; Gaillard, Laetitia; Perderiset, Mylène; Carpentier, Wassila; Nitschke, Patrick; Picard, Capucine; Couillault, Gérard; Soulier, Jean; Fischer, Alain; Callebaut, Isabelle; Jabado, Nada; Londono-Vallejo, Arturo; de Villartay, Jean-Pierre; Revy, Patrick

    2013-08-15

    Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS), a severe variant of dyskeratosis congenita (DC), is characterized by early onset bone marrow failure, immunodeficiency and developmental defects. Several factors involved in telomere length maintenance and/or protection are defective in HHS/DC, underlining the relationship between telomere dysfunction and these diseases. By combining whole-genome linkage analysis and exome sequencing, we identified compound heterozygous RTEL1 (regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1) mutations in three patients with HHS from two unrelated families. RTEL1 is a DNA helicase that participates in DNA replication, DNA repair and telomere integrity. We show that, in addition to short telomeres, RTEL1-deficient cells from patients exhibit hallmarks of genome instability, including spontaneous DNA damage, anaphase bridges and telomeric aberrations. Collectively, these results identify RTEL1 as a novel HHS-causing gene and highlight its role as a genomic caretaker in humans.

  16. DNA end resection by CtIP and exonuclease 1 prevents genomic instability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eid, Wassim; Steger, Martin; El-Shemerly, Mahmoud

    2010-01-01

    End resection of DNA-which is essential for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination-relies first on the partnership between MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) and CtIP, followed by a processive step involving helicases and exonucleases such as exonuclease 1 (EXO1). In this s......End resection of DNA-which is essential for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination-relies first on the partnership between MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) and CtIP, followed by a processive step involving helicases and exonucleases such as exonuclease 1 (EXO1...... of DNA-PK-dependent radial chromosome formation. Thus, our study identifies new functions of CtIP and EXO1 in DNA end resection and provides new information on the regulation of DSB repair pathways, which is a key factor in the maintenance of genome integrity....

  17. Quantitative Proteomics Reveals Dynamic Interactions of the Minichromosome Maintenance Complex (MCM) in the Cellular Response to Etoposide Induced DNA Damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drissi, Romain; Dubois, Marie-Line; Douziech, Mélanie; Boisvert, François-Michel

    2015-07-01

    The minichromosome maintenance complex (MCM) proteins are required for processive DNA replication and are a target of S-phase checkpoints. The eukaryotic MCM complex consists of six proteins (MCM2-7) that form a heterohexameric ring with DNA helicase activity, which is loaded on chromatin to form the pre-replication complex. Upon entry in S phase, the helicase is activated and opens the DNA duplex to recruit DNA polymerases at the replication fork. The MCM complex thus plays a crucial role during DNA replication, but recent work suggests that MCM proteins could also be involved in DNA repair. Here, we employed a combination of stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC)-based quantitative proteomics with immunoprecipitation of green fluorescent protein-tagged fusion proteins to identify proteins interacting with the MCM complex, and quantify changes in interactions in response to DNA damage. Interestingly, the MCM complex showed very dynamic changes in interaction with proteins such as Importin7, the histone chaperone ASF1, and the Chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 3 (CHD3) following DNA damage. These changes in interactions were accompanied by an increase in phosphorylation and ubiquitination on specific sites on the MCM proteins and an increase in the co-localization of the MCM complex with γ-H2AX, confirming the recruitment of these proteins to sites of DNA damage. In summary, our data indicate that the MCM proteins is involved in chromatin remodeling in response to DNA damage. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  18. Srs2 and Mus81-Mms4 Prevent Accumulation of Toxic Inter-Homolog Recombination Intermediates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenji Keyamura

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Homologous recombination is an evolutionally conserved mechanism that promotes genome stability through the faithful repair of double-strand breaks and single-strand gaps in DNA, and the recovery of stalled or collapsed replication forks. Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATP-dependent DNA helicase Srs2 (a member of the highly conserved UvrD family of helicases has multiple roles in regulating homologous recombination. A mutation (srs2K41A resulting in a helicase-dead mutant of Srs2 was found to be lethal in diploid, but not in haploid, cells. In diploid cells, Srs2K41A caused the accumulation of inter-homolog joint molecule intermediates, increased the levels of spontaneous Rad52 foci, and induced gross chromosomal rearrangements. Srs2K41A lethality and accumulation of joint molecules were suppressed by inactivating Rad51 or deleting the Rad51-interaction domain of Srs2, whereas phosphorylation and sumoylation of Srs2 and its interaction with sumoylated proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA were not required for lethality. The structure-specific complex of crossover junction endonucleases Mus81 and Mms4 was also required for viability of diploid, but not haploid, SRS2 deletion mutants (srs2Δ, and diploid srs2Δ mus81Δ mutants accumulated joint molecule intermediates. Our data suggest that Srs2 and Mus81-Mms4 have critical roles in preventing the formation of (or in resolving toxic inter-homolog joint molecules, which could otherwise interfere with chromosome segregation and lead to genetic instability.

  19. Repetitive DNA Reeling by the Cascade-Cas3 Complex in Nucleotide Unwinding Steps

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Loeff, Luuk; Brouns, Stan J.J.; Joo, Chirlmin

    2018-01-01

    CRISPR-Cas provides RNA-guided adaptive immunity against invading genetic elements. Interference in type I systems relies on the RNA-guided Cascade complex for target DNA recognition and the Cas3 helicase/nuclease protein for target degradation. Even though the biochemistry of CRISPR interference

  20. Overexpression of BLM promotes DNA damage and increased sensitivity to platinum salts in triple negative breast and serous ovarian cancers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Birkbak, N. J.; Li, Y.; Pathania, S

    2018-01-01

    inhibitor treatment. We identified two genes, the Bloom helicase (BLM) and Fanconi anemia complementation group I (FANCI), that have both increased DNA copy number and gene expression in the platinum sensitive cases. Increased level of expression of these two genes was also associated with platinum...

  1. Genetic polymorphisms of dsRNA ligating pattern recognition receptors TLR3, MDA5, and RIG-I. Association with systemic lupus erythematosus and clinical phenotypes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Enevold, C; Kjaer, Lasse; Nielsen, Claus Henrik

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to demonstrate possible associations between genetic polymorphisms in Toll-like receptor 3, interferon induced with helicase C domain 1 (IFIH1) and DEAD (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp) box polypeptide 58 and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), including the phenotypes lupus nephritis and malar...

  2. p300-mediated acetylation of the Rothmund-Thomson-syndrome gene product RECQL4 regulates its subcellular localization

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Dietschy, T.; Shevelev, Igor; Pena-Diaz, J.; Hühn, D.; Kuenzle, S.; Mak, R.; Miah, M.F.; Hess, D.; Fey, M.; Hottiger, M.O.; Janščák, Pavel; Stagljar, I.

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 122, Pt 8 (2009), s. 1258-1267 ISSN 0021-9533 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : RECQL4 * RecQ helicases * Genome stability * p300 * Protein acetylation Subject RIV: EB - Genetic s ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 6.144, year: 2009

  3. Proteome-wide identification of WRN-interacting proteins in untreated and nuclease-treated samples

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lachapelle, Sophie; Gagné, Jean-Philippe; Garand, Chantal

    2011-01-01

    Werner syndrome (WS) is characterized by the premature onset of several age-associated pathologies. The protein defective in WS patients (WRN) is a helicase/exonuclease involved in DNA repair, replication, telomere maintenance, and transcription. Here, we present the results of a large-scale prot...

  4. Structure and evolution of N-domains in AAA metalloproteases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scharfenberg, Franka; Serek-Heuberger, Justyna; Coles, Murray; Hartmann, Marcus D; Habeck, Michael; Martin, Jörg; Lupas, Andrei N; Alva, Vikram

    2015-02-27

    Metalloproteases of the AAA (ATPases associated with various cellular activities) family play a crucial role in protein quality control within the cytoplasmic membrane of bacteria and the inner membrane of eukaryotic organelles. These membrane-anchored hexameric enzymes are composed of an N-terminal domain with one or two transmembrane helices, a central AAA ATPase module, and a C-terminal Zn(2+)-dependent protease. While the latter two domains have been well studied, so far, little is known about the N-terminal regions. Here, in an extensive bioinformatic and structural analysis, we identified three major, non-homologous groups of N-domains in AAA metalloproteases. By far, the largest one is the FtsH-like group of bacteria and eukaryotic organelles. The other two groups are specific to Yme1: one found in plants, fungi, and basal metazoans and the other one found exclusively in animals. Using NMR and crystallography, we determined the subunit structure and hexameric assembly of Escherichia coli FtsH-N, exhibiting an unusual α+β fold, and the conserved part of fungal Yme1-N from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, revealing a tetratricopeptide repeat fold. Our bioinformatic analysis showed that, uniquely among these proteins, the N-domain of Yme1 from the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris contains both the tetratricopeptide repeat region seen in basal metazoans and a region of homology to the N-domains of animals. Thus, it is a modern-day representative of an intermediate in the evolution of animal Yme1 from basal eukaryotic precursors. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  5. Design of insulin analogues for meal-related therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brange, J

    1993-01-01

    The human insulin in replacement therapy has a hexameric structure. Hexamerization of the insulin molecule facilitates biosynthesis and beta-cell storage of insulin, but is unnecessary for biologic activity and appears to contribute to delayed absorption of exogenous insulin from the subcutis. Insulin analogues with reduced self-association that are produced through recombinant DNA techniques have been shown to have in vivo activity comparable to that of human insulin and absorption kinetics characterized by higher and more constant rates of disappearance from the subcutaneous injection site. In preliminary studies in patients receiving insulin therapy, monomeric insulin analogues have been found to provide glycemic control in the postprandial period that is at least equivalent to that of human insulin. Findings in these studies suggest that the use of such analogues may provide meal-related insulin effects closer to those observed in the physiologic state by limiting excessive postprandial glucose excursions and decreasing the risk of late hypoglycemia. Banting and Best revolutionized diabetes therapy 70 years ago with the extraction of insulin from animal pancreas glands (J Lab Clin Med 7:464-472, 1922). Since that time, many refinements of the therapeutic properties of pharmaceutical preparations of the hormone have been introduced. Until recently, however, such advances have been limited to improvements in insulin purity, insulin species, and adjustment of the composition of the vehicle with respect to auxiliary substances and other additives. With the advent of recombinant DNA techniques, it has become possible to optimize the insulin molecule itself for purposes of replacement therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  6. No evidence that protein truncating variants in BRIP1 are associated with breast cancer risk: Implications for gene panel testing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    D.F. Easton (Douglas F.); F. Lesueur (Fabienne); B. Decker (Brennan); K. Michailidou (Kyriaki); J. Li (Jun); J. Allen (Jamie); C. Luccarini (Craig); K.A. Pooley (Karen); M. Shah (Mitul); M.K. Bolla (Manjeet); Q. Wang (Qin); J. Dennis (Joe); J. Ahmad (Jamil); E.R. Thompson (Ella); F. Damiola (Francesca); M. Pertesi (Maroulio); C. Voegele (Catherine); N. Mebirouk (Noura); N. Robinot (Nivonirina); G. Durand (Geoffroy); N. Forey (Nathalie); R.N. Luben (Robert); S. Ahmed (Shahana); K. Aittomäki (Kristiina); H. Anton-Culver (Hoda); V. Arndt (Volker); C. Baynes (Caroline); M.W. Beckmann (Matthias); J. Benítez (Javier); D. Van Den Berg (David); W.J. Blot (William); N.V. Bogdanova (Natalia); S.E. Bojesen (Stig); H. Brenner (Hermann); J. Chang-Claude (Jenny); K.S. Chia (Kee Seng); J.-Y. Choi (Ji-Yeob); D. Conroy (Don); A. Cox (Angela); S.S. Cross (Simon S.); K. Czene (Kamila); H. Darabi (Hatef); P. Devilee (Peter); M. Eriksson (Mats); P.A. Fasching (Peter); J.D. Figueroa (Jonine); H. Flyger (Henrik); F. Fostira (Florentia); M. García-Closas (Montserrat); G.G. Giles (Graham); G. Glendon (Gord); A. González-Neira (Anna); P. Guénel (Pascal); C.A. Haiman (Christopher A.); P. Hall (Per); S.N. Hart (Steven N.); J.M. Hartman (Joost); M.J. Hooning (Maartje); C.-N. Hsiung (Chia-Ni); H. Ito (Hidemi); A. Jakubowska (Anna); P.A. James (Paul A.); E.M. John (Esther M.); N. Johnson (Nichola); M. Jones (Michael); M. Kabisch (Maria); D. Kang (Daehee); V-M. Kosma (Veli-Matti); V. Kristensen (Vessela); D. Lambrechts (Diether); N. Li (Na); E. Myöhänen (Eija); H. Kemiläinen (Helena); A. Lindblom (Annika); J. Long (Jirong); A. Lophatananon (Artitaya); J. Lubinski (Jan); A. Mannermaa (Arto); K. Matsuo (Keitaro); S. Margolin (Sara); K. Matsuo (Keitaro); A. Meindl (Alfons); G. Mitchell (Gillian); K.R. Muir (K.); I. Nevelsteen (Ines); A.M.W. van den Ouweland (Ans); P. Peterlongo (Paolo); S.-Y. Phuah (Sze-Yee); K. Pykäs (Katri); S.M. Rowley (Simone M.); C-Y. Shen (Chen-Yang); R.K. Schmutzler (Rita); C.-Y. Shen (Chen-Yang); X.-O. Shu (Xiao-Ou); M.C. Southey (Melissa); H. Surowy (Harald); A.J. Swerdlow (Anthony ); S.-H. Teo (Soo-Hwang); R.A.E.M. Tollenaar (Rob); I.P. Tomlinson (Ian); C. Vachon (Celine); T. Truong (Thérèse); C. Vachon (Celine); S. Verhoef; M. Wong-Brown (Michelle); W. Zheng (Wei); Y. Zheng (Ying); H. Nevanlinna (Heli); R.J. Scott (Rodney); I.L. Andrulis (Irene); F.J. Couch (Fergus); J.L. Hopper (John); B. Burwinkel (Barbara); R. Winqvist (Robert); B. Burwinkel (Barbara); E.J. Sawyer (Elinor); M.K. Schmidt (Marjanka); A. Rudolph (Anja); T. Dörk (Thilo); S.L. Neuhausen (Susan); U. Hamann (Ute); S.L. Neuhausen (Susan L.); R.L. Milne (Roger); O. Fletcher (Olivia); P.D.P. Pharoah (Paul); I. Campbell (Ian); D. Goldgar (David); S.V. Tavtigian (Sean); D.E. Goldgar (David E.); S.V. Tavtigian (Sean V.); G. Chenevix-Trench (Georgia); K. Kleivi (Kristine); L. Ottestad (Lars); R. Karesen (Rolf); A. Langerød (Anita); E. Schlichting (Ellen); M.M. Holmen (Marit Muri); T. Sauer (Toril); V. Haakensen (Vilde); O. Engebråten (Olav); B. Naume (Bjorn); C.E. Kiserud (Cecile E.); K.V. Reinertsen (Kristin V.); Å. Helland (Åslaug); M. Riis (Margit); I. Bukholm (Ida); P.E. Lønning (Per ); S. Nord (Silje); G.G. Alnæs (Grethe)

    2016-01-01

    textabstractBackground BRCA1 interacting protein C-terminal helicase 1 (BRIP1) is one of the Fanconi Anaemia Complementation (FANC) group family of DNA repair proteins. Biallelic mutations in BRIP1 are responsible for FANC group J, and previous studies have also suggested that rare protein

  7. RSPO1/β-catenin signaling pathway regulates oogonia differentiation and entry into meiosis in the mouse fetal ovary

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chassot, Anne-Amandine; Gregoire, Elodie P.; Lavery, Rowena; Taketo, Makoto M.; de Rooij, Dirk G.; Adams, Ian R.; Chaboissier, Marie-Christine

    2011-01-01

    Differentiation of germ cells into male gonocytes or female oocytes is a central event in sexual reproduction. Proliferation and differentiation of fetal germ cells depend on the sex of the embryo. In male mouse embryos, germ cell proliferation is regulated by the RNA helicase Mouse Vasa homolog

  8. RSPO1/beta-Catenin Signaling Pathway Regulates Oogonia Differentiation and Entry into Meiosis in the Mouse Fetal Ovary

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chassot, A.A.; Gregoire, E.P.; Lavery, R.; Taketo, M.M.; de Rooij, D.G.; Adams, I.R.; Chaboissier, M.C.

    2011-01-01

    Differentiation of germ cells into male gonocytes or female oocytes is a central event in sexual reproduction. Proliferation and differentiation of fetal germ cells depend on the sex of the embryo. In male mouse embryos, germ cell proliferation is regulated by the RNA helicase Mouse Vasa homolog

  9. Histology and synchrotron radiation-based microtomography of the inner ear in a molecularly confirmed case of CHARGE syndrome.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Glueckert, R.; Rask-Andersen, H.; Sergi, C.; Schmutzhard, J.; Mueller, B.; Beckmann, F.; Rittinger, O.; Hoefsloot, L.H.; Schrott-Fischer, A.; Janecke, A.R.

    2010-01-01

    CHARGE (Coloboma of the iris or retina, heart defects, atresia of the choanae, retardation of growth and/or development, genital anomalies, ear anomalies) syndrome (OMIM #214800) affects about 1 in 10,000 children and is most often caused by chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein-7 (CHD7)

  10. No evidence that protein truncating variants in BRIP1 are associated with breast cancer risk

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Easton, Douglas F; Lesueur, Fabienne; Decker, Brennan

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: BRCA1 interacting protein C-terminal helicase 1 (BRIP1) is one of the Fanconi Anaemia Complementation (FANC) group family of DNA repair proteins. Biallelic mutations in BRIP1 are responsible for FANC group J, and previous studies have also suggested that rare protein truncating variants...

  11. Characterization of Microfibrillar-associated Protein 4 (MFAP4) as a Tropoelastin- and Fibrillin-binding Protein Involved in Elastic Fiber Formation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pilecki, Bartosz; Holm, Anne T; Schlosser, Anders

    2016-01-01

    primarily assembles into trimeric and hexameric structures of homodimers. Binding analysis revealed that MFAP4 specifically binds tropoelastin and fibrillin-1 and -2, as well as the elastin cross-linking amino acid desmosine, and that it co-localizes with fibrillin-1-positive fibers in vivo. Site......-directed mutagenesis disclosed residues Phe(241) and Ser(203) in MFAP4 as being crucial for type I collagen, elastin, and tropoelastin binding. Furthermore, we found that MFAP4 actively promotes tropoelastin self-assembly. In conclusion, our data identify MFAP4 as a new ligand of microfibrils and tropoelastin involved...

  12. Water clustering on nanostructured iron oxide films

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Merte, Lindsay Richard; Bechstein, Ralf; Peng, G.

    2014-01-01

    , but it is not well-understood how these hydroxyl groups and their distribution on a surface affect the molecular-scale structure at the interface. Here we report a study of water clustering on a moire-structured iron oxide thin film with a controlled density of hydroxyl groups. While large amorphous monolayer...... islands form on the bare film, the hydroxylated iron oxide film acts as a hydrophilic nanotemplate, causing the formation of a regular array of ice-like hexameric nanoclusters. The formation of this ordered phase is localized at the nanometre scale; with increasing water coverage, ordered and amorphous...

  13. The three-dimensional crystal structure of cholera toxin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Rong-Guang; Westbrook, M.L.; Nance, S.; Spangler, B.D. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States); Scott, D.L. [Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). Dept. of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry; Westbrook, E.M. [Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)

    1996-02-01

    The clinical manifestations of cholera are largely attributable to the actions of a secreted hexameric AB{sub 5} enterotoxin (choleragen). We have solved the three-dimensional structure of choleragen at 2.5 {Angstrom} resolution and compared the refined coordinates with those of choleragenoid (isolated B pentamer) and the heat-labile enterotoxin from Escherichia coli (LT). The crystalline coordinates provide a detailed view of the stereochemistry implicated in binding to GM1 gangliosides and in carrying out ADP-ribosylation. The A2 chain of choleragen, in contrast to that of LT, is a nearly continuous {alpha}-helix with an interpretable carboxyl tail.

  14. Inhibition of in vitro SV40 DNA replication by ultraviolet light

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gough, G.; Wood, R.W.

    1989-01-01

    Ultraviolet light-induced DNA damage was found to inhibit SV40 origin-dependent DNA synthesis carried out by soluble humancell extracts. Replication of SV40-based plasmids was reduced to approx. 35% of that in unirradiated controls after irradiation with 50-100 J/m 2 germicidal ultraviolet light, where an average of 3-6 pyrimidine dimer photoproducts were formed per plasmid circle. Inhibition of the DNA helicase activity of T antigen (required for initiation of replication in the in vitro system) was also investigated, and was only significant after much higher fluences, 1000-5000 J/m 2 . The data indicate that DNA damage by ultraviolet light inhibits DNA synthesis in cell-free extracts principally by affecting components of the replication complex other than the DNA helicase activity of T antigen. The soluble system could be used to biochemically investigate the possible bypass or tolerance of DNA damage during replication (author). 21 refs.; 2 figs

  15. Ddx19 links mRNA nuclear export with progression of transcription and replication and suppresses genomic instability upon DNA damage in proliferating cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodroj, Dana; Serhal, Kamar; Maiorano, Domenico

    2017-09-03

    The DEAD-box Helicase 19 (Ddx19) gene codes for an RNA helicase involved in both mRNA (mRNA) export from the nucleus into the cytoplasm and in mRNA translation. In unperturbed cells, Ddx19 localizes in the cytoplasm and at the cytoplasmic face of the nuclear pore. Here we review recent findings related to an additional Ddx19 function in the nucleus in resolving RNA:DNA hybrids (R-loops) generated during collision between transcription and replication, and upon DNA damage. Activation of a DNA damage response pathway dependent upon the ATR kinase, a major regulator of replication fork progression, stimulates translocation of the Ddx19 protein from the cytoplasm into the nucleus. Only nuclear Ddx19 is competent to resolve R-loops, and down regulation of Ddx19 expression induces DNA double strand breaks only in proliferating cells. Overall these observations put forward Ddx19 as an important novel mediator of the crosstalk between transcription and replication.

  16. Structural Studies of the Yeast Mitochondrial Degradosome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Feddersen, Ane; Jonstrup, Anette Thyssen; Brodersen, Ditlev Egeskov

    The yeast mitochondrial degradosome/exosome (mtExo) is responsible for most RNA turnover in mitochondria and has been proposed to form a central part of a mitochondrial RNA surveillance system responsible for degradation of aberrant and unprocessed RNA ([1], [2]). In contrast to the cytoplasmic...... and nuclear exosome complexes, which consist of 10-12 different nuclease subunits, the mitochondrial degradosome is composed of only two large subunits - an RNase (Dss1p) and a helicase (Suv3p), belonging the Ski2 class of DExH box RNA helicases. Both subunits are encoded on the yeast nuclear genome...... and and Suv3p from the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, have been cloned for heterologous expression in E. coli. Of the two, we have succeeded in purifying the 73kDa Suv3p by Ni2+-affinity chromatography followed by cleavage of the N-terminal His-tag, cation exchange, and gel filtration. Crystals...

  17. Structural basis of asymmetric DNA methylation and ATP-triggered long-range diffusion by EcoP15I

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Yogesh K.; Chan, Siu-Hong; Xu, Shuang-Yong; Aggarwal, Aneel K.

    2015-06-01

    Type III R-M enzymes were identified >40 years ago and yet there is no structural information on these multisubunit enzymes. Here we report the structure of a Type III R-M system, consisting of the entire EcoP15I complex (Mod2Res1) bound to DNA. The structure suggests how ATP hydrolysis is coupled to long-range diffusion of a helicase on DNA, and how a dimeric methyltransferase functions to methylate only one of the two DNA strands. We show that the EcoP15I motor domains are specifically adapted to bind double-stranded DNA and to facilitate DNA sliding via a novel `Pin' domain. We also uncover unexpected `division of labour', where one Mod subunit recognizes DNA, while the other Mod subunit methylates the target adenine--a mechanism that may extend to adenine N6 RNA methylation in mammalian cells. Together the structure sheds new light on the mechanisms of both helicases and methyltransferases in DNA and RNA metabolism.

  18. An In-Silico Investigation of Phytochemicals as Antiviral Agents Against Dengue Fever.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powers, Chelsea N; Setzer, William N

    2016-01-01

    A virtual screening analysis of our library of phytochemical structures with dengue virus protein targets has been carried out using a molecular docking approach. A total of 2194 plant-derived secondary metabolites have been docked. This molecule set comprised of 290 alkaloids (68 indole alkaloids, 153 isoquinoline alkaloids, 5 quinoline alkaloids, 13 piperidine alkaloids, 14 steroidal alkaloids, and 37 miscellaneous alkaloids), 678 terpenoids (47 monoterpenoids, 169 sesquiterpenoids, 265 diterpenoids, 81 steroids, and 96 triterpenoids), 20 aurones, 81 chalcones, 349 flavonoids, 120 isoflavonoids, 74 lignans, 58 stilbenoids, 169 miscellaneous polyphenolic compounds, 100 coumarins, 28 xanthones, 67 quinones, and 160 miscellaneous phytochemicals. Dengue virus protein targets examined included dengue virus protease (NS2B-NS3pro), helicase (NS3 helicase), methyltransferase (MTase), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and the dengue virus envelope protein. Polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids, chalcones, and other phenolics were the most numerous of the strongly docking ligands for dengue virus protein targets.

  19. A unique binding mode enables MCM2 to chaperone histones H3-H4 at replication forks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huang, Hongda; Strømme, Caroline B; Saredi, Giulia

    2015-01-01

    During DNA replication, chromatin is reassembled by recycling of modified old histones and deposition of new ones. How histone dynamics integrates with DNA replication to maintain genome and epigenome information remains unclear. Here, we reveal how human MCM2, part of the replicative helicase......, chaperones histones H3-H4. Our first structure shows an H3-H4 tetramer bound by two MCM2 histone-binding domains (HBDs), which hijack interaction sites used by nucleosomal DNA. Our second structure reveals MCM2 and ASF1 cochaperoning an H3-H4 dimer. Mutational analyses show that the MCM2 HBD is required...... for MCM2-7 histone-chaperone function and normal cell proliferation. Further, we show that MCM2 can chaperone both new and old canonical histones H3-H4 as well as H3.3 and CENPA variants. The unique histone-binding mode of MCM2 thus endows the replicative helicase with ideal properties for recycling...

  20. RIG-I-Like Receptor Signaling in Singleton-Merten Syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changming Lu

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Singleton-Merten syndrome (SMS is an autosomal dominant, multi-system innate immune disorder characterized by early and severe aortic and valvular calcification, dental and skeletal abnormalities, psoriasis, glaucoma, and other varying clinical findings. Recently we identified a specific gain-of-function mutation in IFIH1, interferon induced with helicase C domain 1, segregated with this disease. SMS disease without hallmark dental anomalies, termed atypical SMS, has recently been reported caused by variants in DDX58, DEXD/H-box helicase 58. IFIH1 and DDX58 encode retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I-like receptors family members melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 and RIG-I, respectively. These cytosolic pattern recognition receptors function in viral RNA detection initiating an innate immune response through independent pathways that promote type I and type III interferon expression and proinflammatory cytokines. In this review, we focus on SMS as an innate immune disorder summarizing clinical features, molecular aspects of the pathogenetic pathway and discussing underlying mechanisms of the disease.

  1. The Escherichia coli Tus-Ter replication fork barrier causes site-specific DNA replication perturbation in yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, Nicolai B; Sass, Ehud; Suski, Catherine; Mankouri, Hocine W; Hickson, Ian D

    2014-04-07

    Replication fork (RF) pausing occurs at both 'programmed' sites and non-physiological barriers (for example, DNA adducts). Programmed RF pausing is required for site-specific DNA replication termination in Escherichia coli, and this process requires the binding of the polar terminator protein, Tus, to specific DNA sequences called Ter. Here, we demonstrate that Tus-Ter modules also induce polar RF pausing when engineered into the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome. This heterologous RF barrier is distinct from a number of previously characterized, protein-mediated, RF pause sites in yeast, as it is neither Tof1-dependent nor counteracted by the Rrm3 helicase. Although the yeast replisome can overcome RF pausing at Tus-Ter modules, this event triggers site-specific homologous recombination that requires the RecQ helicase, Sgs1, for its timely resolution. We propose that Tus-Ter can be utilized as a versatile, site-specific, heterologous DNA replication-perturbing system, with a variety of potential applications.

  2. A unique binding mode enables MCM2 to chaperone histones H3-H4 at replication forks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Hongda; Strømme, Caroline B; Saredi, Giulia; Hödl, Martina; Strandsby, Anne; González-Aguilera, Cristina; Chen, Shoudeng; Groth, Anja; Patel, Dinshaw J

    2015-08-01

    During DNA replication, chromatin is reassembled by recycling of modified old histones and deposition of new ones. How histone dynamics integrates with DNA replication to maintain genome and epigenome information remains unclear. Here, we reveal how human MCM2, part of the replicative helicase, chaperones histones H3-H4. Our first structure shows an H3-H4 tetramer bound by two MCM2 histone-binding domains (HBDs), which hijack interaction sites used by nucleosomal DNA. Our second structure reveals MCM2 and ASF1 cochaperoning an H3-H4 dimer. Mutational analyses show that the MCM2 HBD is required for MCM2-7 histone-chaperone function and normal cell proliferation. Further, we show that MCM2 can chaperone both new and old canonical histones H3-H4 as well as H3.3 and CENPA variants. The unique histone-binding mode of MCM2 thus endows the replicative helicase with ideal properties for recycling histones genome wide during DNA replication.

  3. RTEL1 Inhibits Trinucleotide Repeat Expansions and Fragility

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aisling Frizzell

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Human RTEL1 is an essential, multifunctional helicase that maintains telomeres, regulates homologous recombination, and helps prevent bone marrow failure. Here, we show that RTEL1 also blocks trinucleotide repeat expansions, the causal mutation for 17 neurological diseases. Increased expansion frequencies of (CTG⋅CAG repeats occurred in human cells following knockdown of RTEL1, but not the alternative helicase Fbh1, and purified RTEL1 efficiently unwound triplet repeat hairpins in vitro. The expansion-blocking activity of RTEL1 also required Rad18 and HLTF, homologs of yeast Rad18 and Rad5. These findings are reminiscent of budding yeast Srs2, which inhibits expansions, unwinds hairpins, and prevents triplet-repeat-induced chromosome fragility. Accordingly, we found expansions and fragility were suppressed in yeast srs2 mutants expressing RTEL1, but not Fbh1. We propose that RTEL1 serves as a human analog of Srs2 to inhibit (CTG⋅CAG repeat expansions and fragility, likely by unwinding problematic hairpins.

  4. Membrane recognition and dynamics of the RNA degradosome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Strahl, H.; Turlan, C.; Khalid, S.; Bond, P.J.; Kebalo, J.M.; Peyron, P.; Poljak, L.; Bouvier, M.; Hamoen, L.; Luisi, B.F.; Carpousis, A.J.

    2015-01-01

    RNase E, which is the central component of the multienzyme RNA degradosome, serves as a scaffold for interaction with other enzymes involved in mRNA degradation including the DEAD-box RNA helicase RhlB. Epifluorescence microscopy under live cell conditions shows that RNase E and RhlB are membrane

  5. Alfalfa mosaic virus replicase proteins P1 and P2 interact and colocalize at the vacuolar membrane

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heijden, van der M.W.; Carette, J.E.; Reinhoud, P.J.; Haegi, A.; Bol, J.F.

    2001-01-01

    Replication of Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) RNAs depends on the virus-encoded proteins P1 and P2. P1 contains methyltransferase- and helicase-like domains, and P2 contains a polymerase-like domain. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments revealed an interaction between in vitro translated-P1 and P2 and

  6. De Novo Mutations in CHD4, an ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodeler Gene, Cause an Intellectual Disability Syndrome with Distinctive Dysmorphisms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Weiss, Karin; Terhal, Paulien A; Cohen, Lior; Bruccoleri, Michael; Irving, Melita; Martinez, Ariel F; Rosenfeld, Jill A; Machol, Keren; Yang, Yaping; Liu, Pengfei; Walkiewicz, Magdalena; Beuten, Joke; Gomez-Ospina, Natalia; Haude, Katrina; Fong, Chin-To; Enns, Gregory M; Bernstein, Jonathan A; Fan, Judith; Gotway, Garrett; Ghorbani, Mohammad; van Gassen, Koen; Monroe, Glen R; van Haaften, Gijs; Basel-Vanagaite, Lina; Yang, Xiang-Jiao; Campeau, Philippe M; Muenke, Maximilian

    2016-01-01

    Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 4 (CHD4) is an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler involved in epigenetic regulation of gene transcription, DNA repair, and cell cycle progression. Also known as Mi2β, CHD4 is an integral subunit of a well-characterized histone deacetylase complex. Here we

  7. PICH

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Biebricher, A.; Hirano, S.; Enzlin, J.

    2013-01-01

    The Plk1-interacting checkpoint helicase (PICH) protein localizes to ultrafine anaphase bridges (UFBs) in mitosis alongside a complex of DNA repair proteins, including the Bloom's syndrome protein (BLM). However, very little is known about the function of PICH or how it is recruited to UFBs. Using...

  8. Rapid detection and identification of viral and bacterial fish pathogens using a DNA array‐based multiplex assay

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lievens, B.; Frans, I.; Heusdens, C.

    2011-01-01

    for the simultaneous detection and identification of all cyprinid herpesviruses (CyHV‐1, CyHV‐2 and CyHV‐3) and some of the most important fish pathogenic Flavobacterium species, including F. branchiophilum, F. columnare and F. psychrophilum. For virus identification, the DNA polymerase and helicase genes were...

  9. Disease: H00914 [KEGG MEDICUS

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available 1 [HSA:1663] [KO:K11273] ... Fanconi anemia and Roberts syndrome are described i...ion stress. It is caused by defective DDX11/ChlR1, a XPD helicase family member. In Warsaw breakage syndrome, features of Fanconi ane...mia (chromosomal breakage) and Roberts syndrome (sister

  10. The DEAD-Box Protein CYT-19 Uses Arginine Residues in Its C-Tail To Tether RNA Substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Busa, Veronica F; Rector, Maxwell J; Russell, Rick

    2017-07-18

    DEAD-box proteins are nonprocessive RNA helicases that play diverse roles in cellular processes. The Neurospora crassa DEAD-box protein CYT-19 promotes mitochondrial group I intron splicing and functions as a general RNA chaperone. CYT-19 includes a disordered, arginine-rich "C-tail" that binds RNA, positioning the helicase core to capture and unwind nearby RNA helices. Here we probed the C-tail further by varying the number and positions of arginines within it. We found that removing sets of as few as four of the 11 arginines reduced RNA unwinding activity (k cat /K M ) to a degree equivalent to that seen upon removal of the C-tail, suggesting that a minimum or "threshold" number of arginines is required. In addition, a mutant with 16 arginines displayed RNA unwinding activity greater than that of wild-type CYT-19. The C-tail modifications impacted unwinding only of RNA helices within constructs that included an adjacent helix or structured RNA element that would allow C-tail binding, indicating that the helicase core remained active in the mutants. In addition, changes in RNA unwinding efficiency of the mutants were mirrored by changes in functional RNA affinity, as determined from the RNA concentration dependence of ATPase activity, suggesting that the C-tail functions primarily to increase RNA affinity. Interestingly, the salt concentration dependence of RNA unwinding activity is unaffected by C-tail composition, suggesting that the C-tail uses primarily hydrogen bonding, not electrostatic interactions, to bind double-stranded RNA. Our results provide insights into how an unstructured C-tail contributes to DEAD-box protein activity and suggest parallels with other families of RNA- and DNA-binding proteins.

  11. Mycobacterium tuberculosis UvrD1 and UvrA proteins suppress DNA strand exchange promoted by cognate and noncognate RecA proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Pawan; Patil, K Neelakanteshwar; Khanduja, Jasbeer Singh; Kumar, P Sanjay; Williams, Alan; Rossi, Franca; Rizzi, Menico; Davis, Elaine O; Muniyappa, K

    2010-06-15

    DNA helicases are present in all kingdoms of life and play crucial roles in processes of DNA metabolism such as replication, repair, recombination, and transcription. To date, however, the role of DNA helicases during homologous recombination in mycobacteria remains unknown. In this study, we show that Mycobacterium tuberculosis UvrD1 more efficiently inhibited the strand exchange promoted by its cognate RecA, compared to noncognate Mycobacterium smegmatis or Escherichia coli RecA proteins. The M. tuberculosis UvrD1(Q276R) mutant lacking the helicase and ATPase activities was able to block strand exchange promoted by mycobacterial RecA proteins but not of E. coli RecA. We observed that M. tuberculosis UvrA by itself has no discernible effect on strand exchange promoted by E. coli RecA but impedes the reaction catalyzed by the mycobacterial RecA proteins. Our data also show that M. tuberculosis UvrA and UvrD1 can act together to inhibit strand exchange promoted by mycobacterial RecA proteins. Taken together, these findings raise the possibility that UvrD1 and UvrA might act together in vivo to counter the deleterious effects of RecA nucleoprotein filaments and/or facilitate the dissolution of recombination intermediates. Finally, we provide direct experimental evidence for a physical interaction between M. tuberculosis UvrD1 and RecA on one hand and RecA and UvrA on the other hand. These observations are consistent with a molecular mechanism, whereby M. tuberculosis UvrA and UvrD1, acting together, block DNA strand exchange promoted by cognate and noncognate RecA proteins.

  12. Identification of Cleavage Sites Recognized by the 3C-Like Cysteine Protease within the Two Polyproteins of Strawberry Mottle Virus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hélène Sanfaçon

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Strawberry mottle virus (SMoV, family Secoviridae, order Picornavirales is one of several viruses found in association with strawberry decline disease in Eastern Canada. The SMoV genome consists of two positive-sense single-stranded RNAs, each encoding one large polyprotein. The RNA1 polyprotein (P1 includes the domains for a putative helicase, a VPg, a 3C-like cysteine protease and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase at its C-terminus, and one or two protein domains at its N-terminus. The RNA2 polyprotein (P2 is predicted to contain the domains for a movement protein (MP and one or several coat proteins at its N-terminus, and one or more additional domains for proteins of unknown function at its C-terminus. The RNA1-encoded 3C-like protease is presumed to cleave the two polyproteins in cis (P1 and in trans (P2. Using in vitro processing assays, we systematically scanned the two polyproteins for cleavage sites recognized by this protease. We identified five cis-cleavage sites in P1, with cleavage between the putative helicase and VPg domains being the most efficient. The presence of six protein domains in the SMoV P1, including two upstream of the putative helicase domain, is a feature shared with nepoviruses but not with comoviruses. Results from trans-cleavage assays indicate that the RNA1-encoded 3C-like protease recognized a single cleavage site, which was between the predicted MP and coat protein domains in the P2 polyprotein. The cleavage site consensus sequence for the SMoV 3C-like protease is AxE (E or Q/(G or S.

  13. Mapping DNA cleavage by the Type ISP restriction-modification enzymes following long-range communication between DNA sites in different orientations

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Aelst, Kara; Saikrishnan, Kayarat; Szczelkun, Mark D.

    2015-01-01

    The prokaryotic Type ISP restriction-modification enzymes are single-chain proteins comprising an Mrr-family nuclease, a superfamily 2 helicase-like ATPase, a coupler domain, a methyltransferase, and a DNA-recognition domain. Upon recognising an unmodified DNA target site, the helicase-like domain hydrolyzes ATP to cause site release (remodeling activity) and to then drive downstream translocation consuming 1–2 ATP per base pair (motor activity). On an invading foreign DNA, double-strand breaks are introduced at random wherever two translocating enzymes form a so-called collision complex following long-range communication between a pair of target sites in inverted (head-to-head) repeat. Paradoxically, structural models for collision suggest that the nuclease domains are too far apart (>30 bp) to dimerise and produce a double-strand DNA break using just two strand-cleavage events. Here, we examined the organisation of different collision complexes and how these lead to nuclease activation. We mapped DNA cleavage when a translocating enzyme collides with a static enzyme bound to its site. By following communication between sites in both head-to-head and head-to-tail orientations, we could show that motor activity leads to activation of the nuclease domains via distant interactions of the helicase or MTase-TRD. Direct nuclease dimerization is not required. To help explain the observed cleavage patterns, we also used exonuclease footprinting to demonstrate that individual Type ISP domains can swing off the DNA. This study lends further support to a model where DNA breaks are generated by multiple random nicks due to mobility of a collision complex with an overall DNA-binding footprint of ∼30 bp. PMID:26507855

  14. Mechanistic studies on the conjugation of methyl isocyanate with N-Acetyl-Cysteine in rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, P.; Davis, M.R.; Baillie, T.A.

    1996-01-01

    In order to investigate the utility of selected thiols as scavengers of MIC, we first assessed the chemical stability of SMG, AMCC and SMC by measuring their rates of reaction in vitro with thiorphan. The initial rates of carbamoylation of thiorpan (0.5 mM) by the above conjugates (0.5 mM) in aqeous buffer at pH 7.4 and 37 deg C were 2.51, 0.76 and 8.47 μmol L -1 min -1 , repectively, indicating that the mercapturate AMCC was the most stable of the three MIC conjugates. In light of these results, studies were conducted to examine the effect of pretreatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (L-NAC; 500 mg kg -1 , i.p.) on the urinary elimination of AMCC in rats dosed with MIC (15 mg kg -1 , i.p.). In separate experiments, groups of rats were pretreated with either N-acetyl-D-cysteine (D-NAC) or N-trideuteroacetyl-L-cysteine (d 3 -L-NAC) in order to explore the mechanism by which MIC undergoes conjugation to AMCC in vivo. The results indicated that exogenous NAC effectively enhancess the urinary excretion of MIC in the form of AMCC, and that it does so lagerly by direct conjugation with the isocyanate, rather than via biosynthesis to GSH. (author). 9 refs., 5 figs

  15. Mte1 interacts with Mph1 and promotes crossover recombination and telomere maintenance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pinela da Silva, Sonia Cristina; Altmannova, Veronika; Luke-Glaser, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    Mph1 is a member of the conserved FANCM family of DNA motor proteins that play key roles in genome maintenance processes underlying Fanconi anemia, a cancer predisposition syndrome in humans. Here, we identify Mte1 as a novel interactor of the Mph1 helicase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In vitro...

  16. RTEL1 contributes to DNA replication and repair and telomere maintenance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Uringa, Evert-Jan; Lisaingo, Kathleen; Pickett, Hilda A.; Brind'Amour, Julie; Rohde, Jan-Hendrik; Zelensky, Alex; Essers, Jeroen; Lansdorp, Peter M.

    2012-01-01

    Telomere maintenance and DNA repair are important processes that protect the genome against instability. mRtel1, an essential helicase, is a dominant factor setting telomere length in mice. In addition, mRtel1 is involved in DNA double-strand break repair. The role of mRtel1 in telomere maintenance

  17. Promoter analysis of the Chilo iridescent virus DNA polymerase and major capsid protein genes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nalcacioglu, R.; Marks, H.; Vlak, J.M.; Demirbag, Z.; Oers, van M.M.

    2003-01-01

    The DNA polymerase (DNApol) and major capsid protein (MCP) genes were used as models to study promoter activity in Chilo iridescent virus (CIV). Infection of Bombyx mori SPC-BM-36 cells in the presence of inhibitors of DNA or protein synthesis showed that DNApol, as well as helicase, is an

  18. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies on the parD-encoded protein Kid from Escherichia coli plasmid R1

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hargreaves, D.; Giraldo, R.; Santos-Sierra, S.; Boelens, R.; Rice, D.W.; Díaz Orejas, R.; Rafferty, J.B.

    2002-01-01

    DNA replication in Escherichia coli and therefore bacterial proliferation relies upon the efficient functioning of the DnaB helicase. The toxin protein Kid from the plasmid-stability system parD encoded on plasmid R1 of E. coli is thought to target and block DnaB-dependent DNA replication. The

  19. Selective interaction between Chloroplast B ATPase and TGB1 retards severe symptoms caused by Alternanthera mosaic virus infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    The multifunctional triple gene block protein 1 (TGB1) of the Potexvirus Alternanthera mosaic virus (AltMV) has been reported to have silencing suppressor, cell-to-cell movement, and helicase functions. Yeast two hybrid screening using an Arabidopsis thaliana cDNA library with TGB1 as bait, and co-p...

  20. Identification of genes involved in DNA replication of the Autographa californica baculovirus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kool, M.; Ahrens, C. H.; Goldbach, R. W.; Rohrmann, G. F.; Vlak, J. M.

    1994-01-01

    By use of a transient replication assay, nine genes involved in DNA replication were identified in the genome of the Autographa californica baculovirus. Six genes encoding helicase, DNA polymerase, IE-1, LEF-1, LEF-2, and LEF-3 are essential for DNA replication while three genes encoding P35, IE-2,

  1. RTEL1 contributes to DNA replication and repair and telomere maintenance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    E.J. Uringa; K. Lisaingo (Kathleen); H.A. Pickett (Hilda); J. Brind'Amour (Julie); J.-H. Rohde (Jan-Hendrik); A. Zelensky (Alexander); J. Essers (Jeroen); P.M. Lansdorp (Peter)

    2012-01-01

    textabstractTelomere maintenance and DNA repair are important processes that protect the genome against instability. mRtel1, an essential helicase, is a dominant factor setting telomere length in mice. In addition, mRtel1 is involved in DNA double-strand break repair. The role of mRtel1 in telomere

  2. Structural dynamics of the MecA-ClpC complex: a type II AAA+ protein unfolding machine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jing; Mei, Ziqing; Li, Ningning; Qi, Yutao; Xu, Yanji; Shi, Yigong; Wang, Feng; Lei, Jianlin; Gao, Ning

    2013-06-14

    The MecA-ClpC complex is a bacterial type II AAA(+) molecular machine responsible for regulated unfolding of substrates, such as transcription factors ComK and ComS, and targeting them to ClpP for degradation. The six subunits of the MecA-ClpC complex form a closed barrel-like structure, featured with three stacked rings and a hollow passage, where substrates are threaded and translocated through successive pores. Although the general concepts of how polypeptides are unfolded and translocated by internal pore loops of AAA(+) proteins have long been conceived, the detailed mechanistic model remains elusive. With cryoelectron microscopy, we captured four different structures of the MecA-ClpC complexes. These complexes differ in the nucleotide binding states of the two AAA(+) rings and therefore might presumably reflect distinctive, representative snapshots from a dynamic unfolding cycle of this hexameric complex. Structural analysis reveals that nucleotide binding and hydrolysis modulate the hexameric complex in a number of ways, including the opening of the N-terminal ring, the axial and radial positions of pore loops, the compactness of the C-terminal ring, as well as the relative rotation between the two nucleotide-binding domain rings. More importantly, our structural and biochemical data indicate there is an active allosteric communication between the two AAA(+) rings and suggest that concerted actions of the two AAA(+) rings are required for the efficiency of the substrate unfolding and translocation. These findings provide important mechanistic insights into the dynamic cycle of the MecA-ClpC unfoldase and especially lay a foundation toward the complete understanding of the structural dynamics of the general type II AAA(+) hexamers.

  3. Production of small RNAs by mammalian Dicer

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Svobodová, Eliška; Kubíková, Jana; Svoboda, Petr

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 468, č. 6 (2016), s. 1089-1102 ISSN 0031-6768 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-29531S EU Projects: European Commission 647403 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : Dicer * dsRNA * miRNA * siRNA * paz * Helicase Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 3.156, year: 2016

  4. Structure of the motor subunit of type I restriction-modification complex EcoR124I

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Lapkouski, Mikalai; Panjikar, S.; Janscak, P.; Kutá-Smatanová, Ivana; Carrey, J.; Ettrich, Rüdiger; Cséfalvay, Eva

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 16, č. 1 (2009), s. 94-95 ISSN 1545-9985 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC06073 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60870520 Keywords : SWI2/SNF2 ATPASE * DNA * endonuclease * protein * translocation * helicase * treckings * enzymes * core * time Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 12.273, year: 2009

  5. The Carboxysome and Other Bacterial Microcompartments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kerfeld, Cheryl A.; Greenleaf, William B.; Kinney, James N.

    2010-06-23

    - Carboxysomes are part of the carbon concentrating mechanism in cyanobacteria and chemoautotrophs. - Carboxysomes are a subclass of bacterial microcompartments (BMCs); BMCs can encapsulate a range of metabolic processes. - Like some viral particles, the carboxysome can be modeled as an icosahedron-in its case, having 4,000-5,000 hexameric shell subunits and 12 surface pentamers to generate curvature. - The threefold axis of symmetry of the CsoS1D protein in carboxysomes forms a pore that can open and close, allowing for selective diffusion. - Genetic modules encoding BMC shell proteins and the enzymes that they encapsulate are horizontally transferable, suggesting they enable bacteria to adapt to diverse environments.

  6. The ribosome uses two active mechanisms to unwind messenger RNA during translation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, Xiaohui; Wen, Jin-Der; Lancaster, Laura; Noller, Harry F; Bustamante, Carlos; Tinoco, Ignacio

    2011-07-06

    The ribosome translates the genetic information encoded in messenger RNA into protein. Folded structures in the coding region of an mRNA represent a kinetic barrier that lowers the peptide elongation rate, as the ribosome must disrupt structures it encounters in the mRNA at its entry site to allow translocation to the next codon. Such structures are exploited by the cell to create diverse strategies for translation regulation, such as programmed frameshifting, the modulation of protein expression levels, ribosome localization and co-translational protein folding. Although strand separation activity is inherent to the ribosome, requiring no exogenous helicases, its mechanism is still unknown. Here, using a single-molecule optical tweezers assay on mRNA hairpins, we find that the translation rate of identical codons at the decoding centre is greatly influenced by the GC content of folded structures at the mRNA entry site. Furthermore, force applied to the ends of the hairpin to favour its unfolding significantly speeds translation. Quantitative analysis of the force dependence of its helicase activity reveals that the ribosome, unlike previously studied helicases, uses two distinct active mechanisms to unwind mRNA structure: it destabilizes the helical junction at the mRNA entry site by biasing its thermal fluctuations towards the open state, increasing the probability of the ribosome translocating unhindered; and it mechanically pulls apart the mRNA single strands of the closed junction during the conformational changes that accompany ribosome translocation. The second of these mechanisms ensures a minimal basal rate of translation in the cell; specialized, mechanically stable structures are required to stall the ribosome temporarily. Our results establish a quantitative mechanical basis for understanding the mechanism of regulation of the elongation rate of translation by structured mRNAs. ©2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved

  7. Rv0004 is a new essential member of the mycobacterial DNA replication machinery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mann, Katherine M; Huang, Deborah L; Hooppaw, Anna J; Logsdon, Michelle M; Richardson, Kirill; Lee, Hark Joon; Kimmey, Jacqueline M; Aldridge, Bree B; Stallings, Christina L

    2017-11-01

    DNA replication is fundamental for life, yet a detailed understanding of bacterial DNA replication is limited outside the organisms Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Many bacteria, including mycobacteria, encode no identified homologs of helicase loaders or regulators of the initiator protein DnaA, despite these factors being essential for DNA replication in E. coli and B. subtilis. In this study we discover that a previously uncharacterized protein, Rv0004, from the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis is essential for bacterial viability and that depletion of Rv0004 leads to a block in cell cycle progression. Using a combination of genetic and biochemical approaches, we found that Rv0004 has a role in DNA replication, interacts with DNA and the replicative helicase DnaB, and affects DnaB-DnaA complex formation. We also identify a conserved domain in Rv0004 that is predicted to structurally resemble the N-terminal protein-protein interaction domain of DnaA. Mutation of a single conserved tryptophan within Rv0004's DnaA N-terminal-like domain leads to phenotypes similar to those observed upon Rv0004 depletion and can affect the association of Rv0004 with DnaB. In addition, using live cell imaging during depletion of Rv0004, we have uncovered a previously unappreciated role for DNA replication in coordinating mycobacterial cell division and cell size. Together, our data support that Rv0004 encodes a homolog of the recently identified DciA family of proteins found in most bacteria that lack the DnaC-DnaI helicase loaders in E. coli and B. subtilis. Therefore, the mechanisms of Rv0004 elucidated here likely apply to other DciA homologs and reveal insight into the diversity of bacterial strategies in even the most conserved biological processes.

  8. Survival and growth of yeast without telomere capping by Cdc13 in the absence of Sgs1, Exo1, and Rad9.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hien-Ping Ngo

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Maintenance of telomere capping is absolutely essential to the survival of eukaryotic cells. Telomere capping proteins, such as Cdc13 and POT1, are essential for the viability of budding yeast and mammalian cells, respectively. Here we identify, for the first time, three genetic modifications that allow budding yeast cells to survive without telomere capping by Cdc13. We found that simultaneous inactivation of Sgs1, Exo1, and Rad9, three DNA damage response (DDR proteins, is sufficient to allow cell division in the absence of Cdc13. Quantitative amplification of ssDNA (QAOS was used to show that the RecQ helicase Sgs1 plays an important role in the resection of uncapped telomeres, especially in the absence of checkpoint protein Rad9. Strikingly, simultaneous deletion of SGS1 and the nuclease EXO1, further reduces resection at uncapped telomeres and together with deletion of RAD9 permits cell survival without CDC13. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis studies show that cdc13-1 rad9Delta sgs1Delta exo1Delta strains can maintain linear chromosomes despite the absence of telomere capping by Cdc13. However, with continued passage, the telomeres of such strains eventually become short and are maintained by recombination-based mechanisms. Remarkably, cdc13Delta rad9Delta sgs1Delta exo1Delta strains, lacking any Cdc13 gene product, are viable and can grow indefinitely. Our work has uncovered a critical role for RecQ helicases in limiting the division of cells with uncapped telomeres, and this may provide one explanation for increased tumorigenesis in human diseases associated with mutations of RecQ helicases. Our results reveal the plasticity of the telomere cap and indicate that the essential role of telomere capping is to counteract specific aspects of the DDR.

  9. DNA2—An Important Player in DNA Damage Response or Just Another DNA Maintenance Protein?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elzbieta Pawłowska

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The human DNA2 (DNA replication helicase/nuclease 2 protein is expressed in both the nucleus and mitochondria, where it displays ATPase-dependent nuclease and helicase activities. DNA2 plays an important role in the removing of long flaps in DNA replication and long-patch base excision repair (LP-BER, interacting with the replication protein A (RPA and the flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1. DNA2 can promote the restart of arrested replication fork along with Werner syndrome ATP-dependent helicase (WRN and Bloom syndrome protein (BLM. In mitochondria, DNA2 can facilitate primer removal during strand-displacement replication. DNA2 is involved in DNA double strand (DSB repair, in which it is complexed with BLM, RPA and MRN for DNA strand resection required for homologous recombination repair. DNA2 can be a major protein involved in the repair of complex DNA damage containing a DSB and a 5′ adduct resulting from a chemical group bound to DNA 5′ ends, created by ionizing radiation and several anticancer drugs, including etoposide, mitoxantrone and some anthracyclines. The role of DNA2 in telomere end maintenance and cell cycle regulation suggests its more general role in keeping genomic stability, which is impaired in cancer. Therefore DNA2 can be an attractive target in cancer therapy. This is supported by enhanced expression of DNA2 in many cancer cell lines with oncogene activation and premalignant cells. Therefore, DNA2 can be considered as a potential marker, useful in cancer therapy. DNA2, along with PARP1 inhibition, may be considered as a potential target for inducing synthetic lethality, a concept of killing tumor cells by targeting two essential genes.

  10. Computational study on the inhibitor binding mode and allosteric regulation mechanism in hepatitis C virus NS3/4A protein.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weiwei Xue

    Full Text Available HCV NS3/4A protein is an attractive therapeutic target responsible for harboring serine protease and RNA helicase activities during the viral replication. Small molecules binding at the interface between the protease and helicase domains can stabilize the closed conformation of the protein and thus block the catalytic function of HCV NS3/4A protein via an allosteric regulation mechanism. But the detailed mechanism remains elusive. Here, we aimed to provide some insight into the inhibitor binding mode and allosteric regulation mechanism of HCV NS3/4A protein by using computational methods. Four simulation systems were investigated. They include: apo state of HCV NS3/4A protein, HCV NS3/4A protein in complex with an allosteric inhibitor and the truncated form of the above two systems. The molecular dynamics simulation results indicate HCV NS3/4A protein in complex with the allosteric inhibitor 4VA adopts a closed conformation (inactive state, while the truncated apo protein adopts an open conformation (active state. Further residue interaction network analysis suggests the communication of the domain-domain interface play an important role in the transition from closed to open conformation of HCV NS3/4A protein. However, the inhibitor stabilizes the closed conformation through interaction with several key residues from both the protease and helicase domains, including His57, Asp79, Asp81, Asp168, Met485, Cys525 and Asp527, which blocks the information communication between the functional domains interface. Finally, a dynamic model about the allosteric regulation and conformational changes of HCV NS3/4A protein was proposed and could provide fundamental insights into the allosteric mechanism of HCV NS3/4A protein function regulation and design of new potent inhibitors.

  11. Spliceosome SNRNP200 Promotes Viral RNA Sensing and IRF3 Activation of Antiviral Response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicolas Tremblay

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Spliceosomal SNRNP200 is a Ski2-like RNA helicase that is associated with retinitis pigmentosa 33 (RP33. Here we found that SNRNP200 promotes viral RNA sensing and IRF3 activation through the ability of its amino-terminal Sec63 domain (Sec63-1 to bind RNA and to interact with TBK1. We show that SNRNP200 relocalizes into TBK1-containing cytoplasmic structures upon infection, in contrast to the RP33-associated S1087L mutant, which is also unable to rescue antiviral response of SNRNP200 knockdown cells. This functional rescue correlates with the Sec63-1-mediated binding of viral RNA. The hindered IFN-β production of knockdown cells was further confirmed in peripheral blood cells of RP33 patients bearing missense mutation in SNRNP200 upon infection with Sendai virus (SeV. This work identifies a novel immunoregulatory role of the spliceosomal SNRNP200 helicase as an RNA sensor and TBK1 adaptor for the activation of IRF3-mediated antiviral innate response.

  12. Characterization of a novel single-stranded RNA mycovirus in pleurotus ostreatus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Hyun Jae; Lim, Dongbin; Lee, Hyun-Sook

    2003-01-01

    A mycovirus, named oyster mushroom spherical virus (OMSV), was isolated from cultivated oyster mushrooms with a severe epidemic of oyster mushroom Die-back disease. OMSV was a 27-nm spherical virus encapsidating a single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) of 5.784 kb with a coat protein of approximately 28.5 kDa. The nucleotide sequence of the virus revealed that its genomic RNA was positive strand, containing 5784 bases with seven open reading frames (ORF). ORF1 had the motifs of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) and helicase. ORF2 encoded a coat protein. ORF3 to 7 could encode putative polypeptides of approximately 12, 12.5, 21, 14.5, and 23 kDa, respectively, but none of them showed significant similarity to any other known polypeptides. The 5' end of the viral RNA was uncapped and the 3' end was polyadenylated with 74 bases. Genomic structure and organization and the derived amino acid sequence of RdRp and helicase domain were similar to those of tymoviruses, a plant virus group

  13. HARP preferentially co-purifies with RPA bound to DNA-PK and blocks RPA phosphorylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quan, Jinhua; Yusufzai, Timur

    2014-05-01

    The HepA-related protein (HARP/SMARCAL1) is an ATP-dependent annealing helicase that is capable of rewinding DNA structures that are stably unwound due to binding of the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding protein Replication Protein A (RPA). HARP has been implicated in maintaining genome integrity through its role in DNA replication and repair, two processes that generate RPA-coated ssDNA. In addition, mutations in HARP cause a rare disease known as Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia. In this study, we purified HARP containing complexes with the goal of identifying the predominant factors that stably associate with HARP. We found that HARP preferentially interacts with RPA molecules that are bound to the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). We also found that RPA is phosphorylated by DNA-PK in vitro, while the RPA-HARP complexes are not. Our results suggest that, in addition to its annealing helicase activity, which eliminates the natural binding substrate for RPA, HARP blocks the phosphorylation of RPA by DNA-PK.

  14. Highly stable loading of Mcm proteins onto chromatin in living cells requires replication to unload

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuipers, Marjorie A.; Stasevich, Timothy J.; Sasaki, Takayo; Wilson, Korey A.; Hazelwood, Kristin L.; McNally, James G.; Davidson, Michael W.

    2011-01-01

    The heterohexameric minichromosome maintenance protein complex (Mcm2-7) functions as the eukaryotic helicase during DNA replication. Mcm2-7 loads onto chromatin during early G1 phase but is not converted into an active helicase until much later during S phase. Hence, inactive Mcm complexes are presumed to remain stably bound from early G1 through the completion of S phase. Here, we investigated Mcm protein dynamics in live mammalian cells. We demonstrate that Mcm proteins are irreversibly loaded onto chromatin cumulatively throughout G1 phase, showing no detectable exchange with a gradually diminishing soluble pool. Eviction of Mcm requires replication; during replication arrest, Mcm proteins remained bound indefinitely. Moreover, the density of immobile Mcms is reduced together with chromatin decondensation within sites of active replication, which provides an explanation for the lack of colocalization of Mcm with replication fork proteins. These results provide in vivo evidence for an exceptionally stable lockdown mechanism to retain all loaded Mcm proteins on chromatin throughout prolonged cell cycles. PMID:21220507

  15. Double-stranded DNA translocase activity of transcription factor TFIIH and the mechanism of RNA polymerase II open complex formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fishburn, James; Tomko, Eric; Galburt, Eric; Hahn, Steven

    2015-03-31

    Formation of the RNA polymerase II (Pol II) open complex (OC) requires DNA unwinding mediated by the transcription factor TFIIH helicase-related subunit XPB/Ssl2. Because XPB/Ssl2 binds DNA downstream from the location of DNA unwinding, it cannot function using a conventional helicase mechanism. Here we show that yeast TFIIH contains an Ssl2-dependent double-stranded DNA translocase activity. Ssl2 tracks along one DNA strand in the 5' → 3' direction, implying it uses the nontemplate promoter strand to reel downstream DNA into the Pol II cleft, creating torsional strain and leading to DNA unwinding. Analysis of the Ssl2 and DNA-dependent ATPase activity of TFIIH suggests that Ssl2 has a processivity of approximately one DNA turn, consistent with the length of DNA unwound during transcription initiation. Our results can explain why maintaining the OC requires continuous ATP hydrolysis and the function of TFIIH in promoter escape. Our results also suggest that XPB/Ssl2 uses this translocase mechanism during DNA repair rather than physically wedging open damaged DNA.

  16. cDNA cloning and transcriptional controlling of a novel low dose radiation-induced gene and its function analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Pingkun; Sui Jianli

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To clone a novel low dose radiation-induced gene (LRIGx) and study its function as well as its transcriptional changes after irradiation. Methods: Its cDNA was obtained by DDRT-PCR and RACE techniques. Northern blot hybridization was used to investigate the gene transcription. Bioinformatics was employed to analysis structure and function of this gene. Results: LRIGx cDNA was cloned. The sequence of LRIGx was identical to a DNA clone located in human chromosome 20 q 11.2-12 Bioinformatics analysis predicted an encoded protein with a conserved helicase domain. Northern analysis revealed a ∼8.5 kb transcript which was induced after 0.2 Gy as well as 0.02 Gy irradiation, and the transcript level was increased 5 times at 4 h after 0.2 Gy irradiation. The induced level of LRIGx transcript by 2.0 Gy high dose was lower than by 0.2 Gy. Conclusion: A novel low dose radiation-induced gene has been cloned. It encodes a protein with a conserved helicase domain that could involve in DNA metabolism in the cellular process of radiation response

  17. Double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase Irc3p is directly involved in mitochondrial genome maintenance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sedman, Tiina; Gaidutšik, Ilja; Villemson, Karin; Hou, YingJian; Sedman, Juhan

    2014-12-01

    Nucleic acid-dependent ATPases are involved in nearly all aspects of DNA and RNA metabolism. Previous studies have described a number of mitochondrial helicases. However, double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPases, including translocases or enzymes remodeling DNA-protein complexes, have not been identified in mitochondria of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisae. Here, we demonstrate that Irc3p is a mitochondrial double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase of the Superfamily II. In contrast to the other mitochondrial Superfamily II enzymes Mss116p, Suv3p and Mrh4p, which are RNA helicases, Irc3p has a direct role in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) maintenance. Specific Irc3p-dependent mtDNA metabolic intermediates can be detected, including high levels of double-stranded DNA breaks that accumulate in irc3Δ mutants. irc3Δ-related topology changes in rho- mtDNA can be reversed by the deletion of mitochondrial RNA polymerase RPO41, suggesting that Irc3p counterbalances adverse effects of transcription on mitochondrial genome stability. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  18. Chromatin Controls DNA Replication Origin Selection, Lagging-Strand Synthesis, and Replication Fork Rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurat, Christoph F; Yeeles, Joseph T P; Patel, Harshil; Early, Anne; Diffley, John F X

    2017-01-05

    The integrity of eukaryotic genomes requires rapid and regulated chromatin replication. How this is accomplished is still poorly understood. Using purified yeast replication proteins and fully chromatinized templates, we have reconstituted this process in vitro. We show that chromatin enforces DNA replication origin specificity by preventing non-specific MCM helicase loading. Helicase activation occurs efficiently in the context of chromatin, but subsequent replisome progression requires the histone chaperone FACT (facilitates chromatin transcription). The FACT-associated Nhp6 protein, the nucleosome remodelers INO80 or ISW1A, and the lysine acetyltransferases Gcn5 and Esa1 each contribute separately to maximum DNA synthesis rates. Chromatin promotes the regular priming of lagging-strand DNA synthesis by facilitating DNA polymerase α function at replication forks. Finally, nucleosomes disrupted during replication are efficiently re-assembled into regular arrays on nascent DNA. Our work defines the minimum requirements for chromatin replication in vitro and shows how multiple chromatin factors might modulate replication fork rates in vivo. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. RTEL1 inhibits trinucleotide repeat expansions and fragility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frizzell, Aisling; Nguyen, Jennifer H G; Petalcorin, Mark I R; Turner, Katherine D; Boulton, Simon J; Freudenreich, Catherine H; Lahue, Robert S

    2014-03-13

    Human RTEL1 is an essential, multifunctional helicase that maintains telomeres, regulates homologous recombination, and helps prevent bone marrow failure. Here, we show that RTEL1 also blocks trinucleotide repeat expansions, the causal mutation for 17 neurological diseases. Increased expansion frequencies of (CTG⋅CAG) repeats occurred in human cells following knockdown of RTEL1, but not the alternative helicase Fbh1, and purified RTEL1 efficiently unwound triplet repeat hairpins in vitro. The expansion-blocking activity of RTEL1 also required Rad18 and HLTF, homologs of yeast Rad18 and Rad5. These findings are reminiscent of budding yeast Srs2, which inhibits expansions, unwinds hairpins, and prevents triplet-repeat-induced chromosome fragility. Accordingly, we found expansions and fragility were suppressed in yeast srs2 mutants expressing RTEL1, but not Fbh1. We propose that RTEL1 serves as a human analog of Srs2 to inhibit (CTG⋅CAG) repeat expansions and fragility, likely by unwinding problematic hairpins. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. A Horizontally Transferred Autonomous Helitron Became a Full Polydnavirus Segment in Cotesia vestalis

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    Pedro Heringer

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Bracoviruses associate symbiotically with thousands of parasitoid wasp species in the family Braconidae, working as virulence gene vectors, and allowing the development of wasp larvae within hosts. These viruses are composed of multiple DNA circles that are packaged into infective particles, and injected together with wasp’s eggs during parasitization. One of the viral segments of Cotesia vestalis bracovirus contains a gene that has been previously described as a helicase of unknown origin. Here, we demonstrate that this gene is a Rep/Helicase from an intact Helitron transposable element that covers the viral segment almost entirely. We also provide evidence that this element underwent at least two horizontal transfers, which appear to have occurred consecutively: first from a Drosophila host ancestor to the genome of the parasitoid wasp C. vestalis and its bracovirus, and then from C. vestalis to a lepidopteran host (Bombyx mori. Our results reinforce the idea of parasitoid wasps as frequent agents of horizontal transfers in eukaryotes. Additionally, this Helitron-bracovirus segment is the first example of a transposable element that effectively became a whole viral circle.