Structure of RsrI methyltransferase, a member of the N6-adenine beta class of DNA methyltransferases.

DNA methylation is important in cellular, developmental and disease processes, as well as in bacterial restriction-modification systems. Methylation of DNA at the amino groups of cytosine and adenine is a common mode of protection against restriction endonucleases afforded by the bacterial methyltransferases. The first structure of an N:6-adenine methyltransferase belonging to the beta class of bacterial methyltransferases is described here. The structure of M. RSR:I from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, which methylates the second adenine of the GAATTC sequence, was determined to 1.75 A resolution using X-ray crystallography. Like other methyltransferases, the enzyme contains the methylase fold and has well-defined substrate binding pockets. The catalytic core most closely resembles the PVU:II methyltransferase, a cytosine amino methyltransferase of the same beta group. The larger nucleotide binding pocket observed in M. RSR:I is expected because it methylates adenine. However, the most striking difference between the RSR:I methyltransferase and the other bacterial enzymes is the structure of the putative DNA target recognition domain, which is formed in part by two helices on an extended arm of the protein on the face of the enzyme opposite the active site. This observation suggests that a dramatic conformational change or oligomerization may take place during DNA binding and methylation.

Substrate binding in vitro and kinetics of RsrI [N6-adenine] DNA methyltransferase.

RSR:I [N:6-adenine] DNA methyltransferase (M.RSR:I), which recognizes GAATTC and is a member of a restriction-modification system in Rhodobacter sphaeroides, was purified to >95% homogeneity using a simplified procedure involving two ion exchange chromatographic steps. Electrophoretic gel retardation assays with purified M.RSR:I were performed on unmethylated, hemimethylated, dimethylated or non-specific target DNA duplexes (25 bp) in the presence of sinefungin, a potent inhibitory analog of AdoMet. M. RSR:I binding was affected by the methylation status of the DNA substrate and was enhanced by the presence of the cofactor analog. M. RSR:I bound DNA substrates in the presence of sinefungin with decreasing affinities: hemimethylated > unmethylated > dimethylated >> non-specific DNA. Gel retardation studies with DNA substrates containing an abasic site substituted for the target adenine DNA provided evidence consistent with M.RSR:I extruding the target base from the duplex. Consistent with such base flipping, an approximately 1.7-fold fluorescence intensity increase was observed upon stoichiometric addition of M.RSR:I to hemimethylated DNA containing the fluorescent analog 2-aminopurine in place of the target adenine. Pre-steady-state kinetic and isotope- partitioning experiments revealed that the enzyme displays burst kinetics, confirmed the catalytic competence of the M.RSR:I-AdoMet complex and eliminated the possibility of an ordered mechanism where DNA is required to bind first. The equilibrium dissociation constants for AdoMet, AdoHcy and sinefungin were determined using an intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence-quenching assay.

DNA binding properties in vivo and target recognition domain sequence alignment analyses of wild-type and mutant RsrI [N6-adenine] DNA methyltransferases.

A genetic selection method, the P22 challenge-phage assay, was used to characterize DNA binding in vivo by the prokaryotic beta class [N:6-adenine] DNA methyltransferase M.RSR:I. M.RSR:I mutants with altered binding affinities in vivo were isolated. Unlike the wild-type enzyme, a catalytically compromised mutant, M.RSR:I (L72P), demonstrated site-specific DNA binding in vivo. The L72P mutation is located near the highly conserved catalytic motif IV, DPPY (residues 65-68). A double mutant, M.RSR:I (L72P/D173A), showed less binding in vivo than did M.RSR:I (L72P). Thus, introduction of the D173A mutation deleteriously affected DNA binding. D173 is located in the putative target recognition domain (TRD) of the enzyme. Sequence alignment analyses of several beta class MTases revealed a TRD sequence element that contains the D173 residue. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that divergence in the amino acid sequences of these methyltransferases correlated with differences in their DNA target recognition sequences. Furthermore, MTases of other classes (alpha and gamma) having the same DNA recognition sequence as the beta class MTases share related regions of amino acid sequences in their TRDs.

Characterization of bacteriophage lambda excisionase mutants defective in DNA binding.

The bacteriophage lambda excisionase (Xis) is a sequence-specific DNA binding protein required for excisive recombination. Xis binds cooperatively to two DNA sites arranged as direct repeats on the phage DNA. Efficient excision is achieved through a cooperative interaction between Xis and the host-encoded factor for inversion stimulation as well as a cooperative interaction between Xis and integrase. The secondary structure of the Xis protein was predicted to contain a typical amphipathic helix that spans residues 18 to 28. Several mutants, defective in promoting excision in vivo, were isolated with mutations at positions encoding polar amino acids in the putative helix (T. E. Numrych, R. I. Gumport, and J. F. Gardner, EMBO J. 11:3797-3806, 1992). We substituted alanines for the polar amino acids in this region. Mutant proteins with substitutions for polar amino acids in the amino-terminal region of the putative helix exhibited decreased excision in vivo and were defective in DNA binding. In addition, an alanine substitution at glutamic acid 40 also resulted in altered DNA binding. This indicates that the hydrophilic face of the alpha-helix and the region containing glutamic acid 40 may form the DNA binding surfaces of the Xis protein.

Specific recognition of DNA by integration host factor. Glutamic acid 44 of the beta-subunit specifies the discrimination of a T:A from an A:T base pair without directly contacting the DNA.

Integration host factor (IHF) is a protein that binds to the H' site of bacteriophage lambda with sequence specificity. Genetic experiments implicated amino acid residue Glu(44) of the beta-subunit of IHF in discrimination against substitution of A for T at position 44 of the TTR submotif of the binding site (Lee, E. C., Hales, L. M., Gumport, R. I., Gardner, J. F. (1992) EMBO J., 11, 305-313). We have extended this observation by generating all possible single-base substitutions at positions 43, 44, and 45 of the H' site. IHF failed to bind these H' site substitution mutants in vivo. The K(d)(app) value for each H' site substitution, except for H'45A mutant, was reduced >2000-fold relative to the wild-type site. Substitution of amino acid beta-Glu(44) with alanine prevented IHF from discriminating against the H'44A variant but not the other H' site substitution mutants. Further analysis with other substitutions at position beta44 demonstrated that both oxygens of the wild-type glutamic acid are necessary for discrimination of AT at position 44. Because the beta-Glu(44) residue does not contact the DNA, this residue probably enforces binding specificity indirectly through interaction with amino acids that themselves contact the DNA.

Specificity determinants for bacteriophage Hong Kong 022 integrase: analysis of mutants with relaxed core-binding specificities.

The integrase (Int) proteins encoded by bacteriophages HK022 and lambda catalyse similar site-specific integration and excision reactions between specific DNA regions known as attachment (att) sites. However, the Int proteins of HK022 and lambda are unable to catalyse recombination between non-cognate att sites. The att sites of both phages contain weak binding sites for Int, known as 'core-type' sites. Negatively acting nucleotide determinants associated with specific core sites (lambda B', HK022 B', HK022 C) are responsible for the barrier to non-cognate recombination. In this study, we used challenge phages to demonstrate that the lambda and HK022 Ints cannot bind to core sites containing non-cognate specificity determinants in vivo. We isolated mutants of the HK022 Int, which bind the lambda B' core site. Two mutants, D99N and D99A, have changed a residue in the core-binding (CB) domain, which may be directly contacting the core site DNA. We suggest that binding to the lambda B' site was accomplished by removing the negatively charged aspartate residue, which normally participates in a conflicting interaction with the G4 nucleotide of the lambda B' site. We showed that, although our mutants retain the ability to recombine their cognate att sites, they are unable to recombine lambda att sites.

Probing the role of structural water in a duplex oligodeoxyribonucleotide containing a water-mimicking base analog.

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed on models of the dodecamer DNA double-stranded segment, [d(CGCGAATTCGCG)](2), in which each of the adenine residues, individually or jointly, was replaced by the water-mimicking analog 2'-deoxy-7-(hydroxy-methyl)-7-deazaadenosine (hm(7)c(7)dA) [Rockhill, J.K., Wilson,S.R. and Gumport,R.I. (1996) J. Am. Chem. Soc.,118, 10065-10068]. The simulations, when compared with those of the dodecamer itself, show that incorporation of the analog affects neither the overall DNA structure nor its hydrogen-bonding and stacking interactions when it replaces a single individual base. Furthermore, the water molecules near the bases in the singly-substituted oligonucleotides are similarly unaffected. Double substitutions lead to differences in all the aforementioned parameters with respect to the reference sequence. The results suggest that the analog provides a good mimic of specific 'ordered' water molecules observed in contact with DNA itself and at the interface between protein and DNA in specific complexes.

Defining the structural and functional roles of the carboxyl region of the bacteriophage lambda excisionase (Xis) protein.

The bacteriophage lambda excisionase (Xis) protein is required for excisive site-specific recombination. Xis is composed of 72 amino acids and binds cooperatively to two DNA sites (X1 and X2) that are arranged as direct repeats. Alternatively, Xis binds cooperatively with the host-encoded factor for inversion stimulation (FIS) protein at the X1 and F sites, respectively. Here we analyzed the effects of missense substitutions from codon 57 to the carboxyl end of the protein and nonsense mutations that truncate the protein at various positions from residues 60 to 69. We find that all of the mutant proteins promote excision to some extent and interact cooperatively with FIS. Some mutants have no detectible phenotype while others are altered in their abilities to promote excision or to interact cooperatively with integrase (Int). Computer modeling predicts that amino acids from residues 59 to 65 are in an alpha-helix conformation. Mutants with substitutions on one side of the helix at residues 57, 60, 63 and 64 as well as truncated mutants containing 60, 61 or 63 amino acids, fail to interact cooperatively with Int suggesting that this region of the protein forms the interface with Int. Mutants with substitutions at other positions in the putative helix have no detectible phenotype. Residues 66 to 68 may form a reverse turn and the last four amino acids (69 to 72) may not be crucial for the structure or function of the protein.

Genetic analysis of second-site revertants of bacteriophage lambda integrase mutants.

Bacteriophage lambda site-specific recombination is catalyzed by the phage-encoded integrase (Int) protein. Using a collection of 21 recombination-defective Int mutants, we performed a second-site reversion analysis. One of the primary mutants contained a valine-to-glutamic acid change at position 175 (V175E), and a pseudorevertant with a lysine change at this site (V175K) was also isolated. Relative to the wild-type protein, the V175E protein was defective in its ability to form the attL complex and to catalyze excision in vivo and in vitro. A mutant containing an alanine substitution (V175A) was made by site-directed mutagenesis, and it was more efficient than the V175K protein in forming the attL complex and promoting excision. These results indicate that a nonpolar side chain at residue 175 is required for function. The second primary mutant contained a proline-to-leucine change at position 243 (P243L). A true second-site revertant was isolated that contained a glutamic acid-to-lysine change (E218K). The P243L-E218K protein promoted recombination and bound arm-type sites more efficiently than the original P243L protein but not as efficiently as the protein containing the E218K substitution alone. The E218K substitution also restored activity to a mutant with a threonine-to-isoleucine substitution at position 270 (T270I). This result showed that suppression by the E218K change is not allele specific and suggests that the substitution improves an inherent activity of Int rather than directly compensating for the defect caused by the primary substitutions. Results with challenge phages carrying attL sites with altered core sites indicate that the E218K change may improve binding to the core site.

Mutational analysis of protein binding sites involved in formation of the bacteriophage lambda attL complex.

Bacteriophage lambda site-specific recombination requires the formation of higher-order protein-DNA complexes to accomplish synapsis of the partner attachment (att) sites as well as for the regulation of the integration and excision reactions. The att sites are composed of a core region, the actual site of strand exchange, and flanking arm regions. The attL site consists of two core sites (C and C'), an integration host factor (IHF) binding site (H'), and three contiguous Int binding arm sites (P'1, P'2, and P'3). In this study, we employed bacteriophage P22 challenge phages to determine which protein binding sites participate in attL complex formation in vivo. The C', H', and P'1 sites were critical, because mutations in these sites severely disrupted formation of the attL complex. Mutations in the C and P'2 sites were less severe, and alteration of the P'3 site had no effect on complex formation. These results support a model in which IHF, bound to the H' site, bends the attL DNA so that the Int molecule bound to P'1 also interacts with the C' core site. This bridged complex, along with a second Int molecule bound to P'2, helps to stabilize the interaction of a third Int with the C core site. The results also indicate that nonspecific DNA binding is a significant component of the Int-core interactions and that the cooperativity of Int binding can overcome the effects of mutations in the individual arm sites and core sites.

Genetic analysis of the bacteriophage lambda attL nucleoprotein complex.

Site-specific recombination in bacteriophage lambda involves interactions among proteins required for integration and excision of DNA molecules. We have analyzed the elements required to form an in vivo nucleoprotein complex of integrase (Int) and integration host factor (IHF). Interaction of Int with the core (the site of strand exchange) is stabilized by the flanking arm region of attL. IHF, in addition to Int, is required for efficient Int-core binding. We used the in vivo attL binding assay to characterize several Int variants for their abilities to form stable attL complexes. Substitution of Int active site tyrosine 342 by phenylalanine had no effect on the ability of the protein to form attL complexes. Three other amino acids that are completely conserved in the integrase family of recombinases (arginine 212, histidine 308, and arginine 311) were separately substituted by glutamine, leucine, and histidine, respectively. In each case, the mutant protein was altered in its ability to form attL complexes while retaining its ability to bind to the lambda arm-type sites. We propose that, in addition to their role in catalysis, this triad of amino acids helps the Int protein to interact with the lambda core sites.

Examining the contribution of a dA+dT element to the conformation of Escherichia coli integration host factor-DNA complexes.

DNA binding proteins that induce structural changes in DNA are common in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Integration host factor (IHF) is a multi-functional DNA binding and bending protein of Escherichia coli that can mediate protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions by bending DNA. Previously we have shown that the presence of a dA+dT element 5'-proximal to an IHF consensus sequence can affect the binding of IHF to a particular site. In this study the contribution of various sequence elements to the formation of IHF-DNA complexes was examined. We show that IHF bends DNA more when it binds to a site containing a dA+dT element upstream of its core consensus element than to a site lacking a dA+dT element. We demonstrate that IHF can be specifically crosslinked to DNA with binding sites either containing or lacking this dA+dT element. These results indicate the importance of flanking DNA and a dA+dT element in the binding and bending of a site by IHF.

Transcription termination at the Escherichia coli thra terminator by spinach chloroplast RNA polymerase in vitro is influenced by downstream DNA sequences.

We have investigated the mechanism of transcription termination in vitro by spinach chloroplast RNA polymerase using templates encoding variants of the transcription-termination structure (attenuator) of the regulatory region of the threonine (thr) operon of Escherichia coli. Fourteen sequence variants located within its d(G+C) stem-loop and d(A+T)-rich regions were studied. We found that the helix integrity in the stem-loop structure is necessary for termination but that its stability is not directly correlated with termination efficiency. The sequence of the G+C stem-loop itself also influences termination. Moreover, the dA template stretch at the 3' end of the terminator plays a major role in termination efficiency, but base pairing between the A and U tract of the transcript does not. From the studies using deletion variants and a series of mutants that alter the sequences immediately downstream from the transcription termination site, we found that termination of transcription by spinach chloroplast RNA polymerase was also modulated by downstream DNA sequences in a sequence-specific manner. The second base immediately following the poly(T) tract is crucial for determining the termination efficiency by chloroplast RNA polymerase, but not of the T7 or E.coli enzymes.

The specific binding of Escherichia coli integration host factor involves both major and minor grooves of DNA.

The integration host factor (IHF) of Escherichia coli is a small, sequence-specific DNA-binding protein. The specific and nonspecific binding constants of IHF were estimated by gel-retardation assays. The equilibrium association constant of IHF for the H' site in lambda attP is 6.8 x 10(8) M-1 (Kd = 1.5 nM), and the nonspecific binding constant is 5.8 x 10(5) M-1 (Kd = 1.7 microM), giving a selectivity of approximately 1,000-fold for a specific site over random sequences. To study the molecular determinants specifying IHF binding, we used a series of 41 oligonucleotides containing adenine analogues that modified the surfaces of the major and minor grooves of the DNA. Many of the analogue substitutions within the previously defined consensus region caused decreased binding. Replacement with various analogues outside the consensus domain had little effect. Quantifying the binding constants for those sites with reduced affinities indicated an interaction with the minor groove within the consensus sequence. The binding constants of sites with 2-aminopurine and an inosine substitution within the same region suggest that IHF may also interact with the major groove. Thus, the specific interaction of IHF with its H' site likely involves interactions with both the minor and major grooves of the DNA.

Selection of mutations altering specificity in restriction-modification enzymes using the bacteriophage P22 challenge-phage system.

A method for selecting mutants of site-specific DNA-binding proteins has been applied to the study of the EcoRI and RsrI restriction-modification enzymes. Catalytically inactive variants of both endonucleases are shown to function as pseudo-repressors in the bacteriophage P22 challenge-phage assay, and, upon further mutagenesis of the gene encoding R.EcoRI, a variant of that enzyme has been selected which appears to bind EcoRI-methylated GAATTC sequences to the exclusion of unmethylated sites: this specificity is the opposite of that belonging to the native enzyme. Variants of the EcoRI methylase have also been found that lack either catalytic activity or both binding and catalytic activities.

Determining the DNA sequence elements required for binding integration host factor to two different target sites.

Binding sites for the Escherichia coli protein integration host factor (IHF) include a set of conserved bases that can be summarized by the consensus sequence WATCAANNNNTTR (W is dA or dT, R is dA or dG, and N is any nucleotide). However, additional 5'-proximal bases, whose common feature is a high dA+dT content, are also thought to be required for binding at some sites. We examine the relative contribution of these two sequence elements to IHF binding to the H' and H1 sites in attP of bacteriophage lambda by using the bacteriophage P22-based challenge-phage system. IHF was unable to act as a repressor in the challenge-phage assay at H' sites containing the core consensus element but lacking the dA+dT-rich element. This indicates that both elements are required for IHF to bind to the H' site. In contrast, the core consensus determinant alone is sufficient for IHF binding to the H1 site, which lacks an upstream dA+dT-rich region. Fifty mutants that decreased or eliminated IHF binding to the H1 site were isolated. Sequence analysis showed changes in the bases in the core consensus element only, further indicating that this determinant is sufficient for IHF binding to the H1 site. We found that placement of a dA+dT-rich element upstream of the H1 core consensus element significantly increased the affinity, suggesting that the presence of a dA+dT-rich element enhances IHF binding.

Mutants of Escherichia coli integration host factor: DNA-binding and recombination properties.

Integration host factor (IHF) is a protein encoded by Escherichia coli, which was first discovered as a requirement for bacteriophage lambda site-specific recombination. In this study, we characterized mutants of IHF for their ability to bind to various IHF binding sites in vivo and to promote recombination of lambda in vitro. DNA-binding in vivo was monitored using the challenge-phage system. If IHF binds to its DNA-binding site that has been placed into the P(ant) region of bacteriophage P22, it acts as a repressor of the ant (antirepressor) gene, leading to the formation of lysogens of Salmonella typhimurium. If IHF cannot bind to its site, antirepressor is made leading to cell lysis. Challenge phages containing chimeras of different lambda IHF binding sites were constructed to test the contribution to the binding of a dA+dT-rich region, found in the sequence of the H' site but not in the H' site. In one case, the binding of mutant IHF proteins was enhanced by the presence of the dA+dT-rich region, indicating that IHF may be affected by neighboring bases and local DNA structure when it binds to its site. A subset of the mutant proteins retained the ability to form a looped attL complex in vivo, representing part of a higher-order protein-DNA complex (the 'intasome'). Additionally, this same subset of proteins also promoted the integration and excision of bacteriophage lambda in vitro. Thus, these mutant proteins not only retain their DNA-bending ability but make any protein-protein contacts necessary to form a recombination-proficient intasome.

Mapping the functional domains of bacteriophage lambda integrase protein.

Bacteriophage lambda encodes a site-specific recombination system that promotes the movement of the phage genome into and out of the host bacterial chromosome. The phage-encoded integrase (Int) is composed of 356 amino acid residues and carries out the required strand exchanges by means of a type I topoisomerase activity. Int also contains two distinct DNA-binding domains that interact with two different, specific sequences (arm-type and core-type sites) on DNA. In order to help understand the mechanism of site-specific recombination, we have used a genetic approach to isolate mutants defective in different steps in the recombination reaction. We developed a genetic screen for Int mutants that are defective in catalyzing excisive recombination in vivo. These mutants were screened for proficiency in binding to the P'123 arm-type sites using the bacteriophage P22 challenge-phage assays. In all, 78 such mutants were isolated and the mutational changes mapped and sequenced. These mutants have been further characterized (1) for their ability to bind the P'1 and P'123 arm-type sites and for their ability to form the attL complex in vivo, (2) for negative dominance in vitro, (3) for the presence of type I topoisomerase activity, and (4) for the ability to resolve artificially constructed recombination intermediates. We found that (1) residues in a stretch of 88 amino acids in the middle of the protein may be involved in Int-Int interactions, (2) a region around Arg212 is involved in the catalytic site, (3) residues near the carboxyl terminus play a role in enhancing Int binding to its arm-type sites, possibly by interacting with the small amino-terminal region that has been shown to be responsible for specific recognition of the arm-type sites, and (4) residues at the very carboxyl end of the protein may be involved in modulating the cleavage or religation activities of the Int protein.

Complementation of bacteriophage lambda integrase mutants: evidence for an intersubunit active site.

Site-specific recombination of bacteriophage lambda starts with the formation of higher-order protein--DNA complexes, called 'intasomes', and is followed by a series of steps, including the initial DNA cleavage, top-strand exchange, branch migration and bottom-strand exchange, to produce recombinant products. One of the intasomes formed during excisive recombination (the attL complex) is composed of the phage-encoded integrase (Int), integration host factor (IHF) and one of the recombination substrates, attL DNA. Int is the catalytic recombinase and has two different DNA binding domains. When IHF is present, Int binds to two types of sites in attL DNA, the three arm-type sites (P'123) and the core-type sites (B and C') where the reciprocal strand exchange takes place. The Tyr342 residue of Int serves as a nucleophile during strand cleavage and covalently attaches to the DNA through a phosphotyrosyl bond. In vitro complementation assays have been performed for strand cleavage using attL suicide substrates and mutant proteins containing amino acid substitutions at residues conserved in the integrase family of recombinases. We demonstrate that at least two Int monomers are required to form the catalytically-competent species that performs cleavage at the B site. It is likely that the active site is formed by two Int monomers.

Characterization of the bacteriophage lambda excisionase (Xis) protein: the C-terminus is required for Xis-integrase cooperativity but not for DNA binding.

We have performed a mutational analysis of the xis gene of bacteriophage lambda. The Xis protein is 72 amino acids in length and required for excisive recombination. Twenty-six mutants of Xis were isolated that were impaired or deficient in lambda excision. Mutant proteins that contained amino acid substitutions in the N-terminal 49 amino acids of Xis were defective in excisive recombination and were unable to bind DNA. In contrast, one mutant protein containing a leucine to proline substitution at position 60 and two truncated proteins containing either the N-terminal 53 or 64 amino acids continued to bind lambda DNA, interact cooperatively with FIS and promote excision. However, these three mutants were unable to bind DNA cooperatively with Int. Cooperativity between wild-type Xis and Int required the presence of FIS, but not the Int core-type binding sites. This study shows that Xis has at least two functional domains and also demonstrates the importance of the cooperativity in DNA binding of FIS, Xis and Int in lambda excision.