Solution structure of a viral DNA repair polymerase.

DNA polymerase X (Pol X) from the African swine fever virus (ASFV) specifically binds intermediates in the single-nucleotide base-excision repair process, an activity indicative of repair function. In addition, Pol X catalyzes DNA polymerization with low nucleotide-insertion fidelity. The structural mechanisms by which DNA polymerases confer high or low fidelity in DNA polymerization remain to be elucidated. The three-dimensional structure of Pol X has been determined. Unlike other DNA polymerases, Pol X is formed from only a palm and a C-terminal subdomain. Pol X has a novel palm subdomain fold, containing a positively charged helix at the DNA binding surface. Purine deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) substrates bind between the palm and C-terminal subdomain, at a dNTP-binding helix, and induce a unique conformation in Pol X. The purine dNTP-bound conformation and high binding affinity for dGTP-Mg(2+) of Pol X may contribute to its low fidelity.

Solution structure of the catalytic domain of gammadelta resolvase. Implications for the mechanism of catalysis.

The site-specific DNA recombinase, gammadelta resolvase, from Escherichia coli catalyzes recombination of res site-containing plasmid DNA to two catenated circular DNA products. The catalytic domain (residues 1-105), lacking a C-terminal dimerization interface, has been constructed and the NMR solution structure of the monomer determined. The RMSD of the NMR conformers for residues 2-92 excluding residues 37-45 and 64-73 is 0.41 A for backbone atoms and 0.88 A for all heavy atoms. The NMR solution structure of the monomeric catalytic domain (residues 1-105) was found to be formed by a four-stranded parallel beta-sheet surrounded by three helices. The catalytic domain (residues 1-105), deficient in the C-terminal dimerization domain, was monomeric at high salt concentration, but displayed unexpected dimerization at lower ionic strength. The unique solution dimerization interface at low ionic strength was mapped by NMR. With respect to previous crystal structures of the dimeric catalytic domain (residues 1-140), differences in the average conformation of active-site residues were found at loop 1 containing the catalytic S10 nucleophile, the beta1 strand containing R8, and at loop 3 containing D67, R68 and R71, which are required for catalysis. The active-site loops display high-frequency and conformational backbone dynamics and are less well defined than the secondary structures. In the solution structure, the D67 side-chain is proximal to the S10 side-chain making the D67 carboxylate group a candidate for activation of S10 through general base catalysis. Four conserved Arg residues can function in the activation of the phosphodiester for nucleophilic attack by the S10 hydroxyl group. A mechanism for covalent catalysis by this class of recombinases is proposed that may be related to dimer interface dissociation.

Solution structure of a dynein motor domain associated light chain.

Dyneins are molecular motors that translocate towards the minus ends of microtubules. In Chlamydomonas flagellar outer arm dynein, light chain 1 (LC1) associates with the nucleotide binding region within the gamma heavy chain motor domain and consists of a central leucine-rich repeat section that folds as a cylindrical right handed spiral formed from six beta-beta-alpha motifs. This central cylinder is flanked by terminal helical subdomains. The C-terminal helical domain juts out from the cylinder and is adjacent to a hydrophobic surface within the repeat region that is proposed to interact with the dynein heavy chain. The position of the C-terminal domain on LC1 and the unexpected structural similarity between LC1 and U2A' from the human spliceosome suggest that this domain interacts with the dynein motor domain.

Domain specific interaction in the XRCC1-DNA polymerase beta complex.

XRCC1 (X-ray cross-complementing group 1) is a DNA repair protein that forms complexes with DNA polymerase beta (beta-Pol), DNA ligase III and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase in the repair of DNA single strand breaks. The domains in XRCC1 have been determined, and characterization of the domain-domain interaction in the XRCC1-beta-Pol complex has provided information on the specificity and mechanism of binding. The domain structure of XRCC1, determined using limited proteolysis, was found to include an N-terminal domain (NTD), a central BRCT-I (breast cancer susceptibility protein-1) domain and a C-terminal BRCT-II domain. The BRCT-I-linker-BRCT-II C-terminal fragment and the linker-BRCT-II C-terminal fragment were relatively stable to proteolysis suggestive of a non-random conformation of the linker. A predicted inner domain was found not to be stable to proteolysis. Using cross-linking experiments, XRCC1 was found to bind intact beta-Pol and the beta-Pol 31 kDa domain. The XRCC1-NTD(1-183)(residues 1-183) was found to bind beta-Pol, the beta-Pol 31 kDa domain and the beta-Pol C-terminal palm-thumb (residues 140-335), and the interaction was further localized to XRCC1-NTD(1-157)(residues 1-157). The XRCC1-NTD(1-183)-beta-Pol 31 kDa domain complex was stable at high salt (1 M NaCl) indicative of a hydrophobic contribution. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, polypeptides expressed from two XRCC1 constructs, which included residues 36-355 and residues 1-159, were found to interact with beta-Pol, the beta-Pol 31 kDa domain, and the beta-Pol C-terminal thumb-only domain polypeptides expressed from the respective beta-Pol constructs. Neither the XRCC1-NTD(1-159), nor the XRCC1(36-355)polypeptide was found to interact with a beta-Pol thumbless polypeptide. A third XRCC1 polypeptide (residues 75-212) showed no interaction with beta-Pol. In quantitative gel filtration and analytical ultracentrifugation experiments, the XRCC1-NTD(1-183)was found to bind beta-Pol and its 31 kDa domain in a 1:1 complex with high affinity (K(d) of 0.4-2.4 microM). The combined results indicate a thumb-domain specific 1:1 interaction between the XRCC1-NTD(1-159)and beta-Pol that is of an affinity comparable to other binding interactions involving beta-Pol.

Solution structure of the single-strand break repair protein XRCC1 N-terminal domain.

XRCC1 functions in the repair of single-strand DNA breaks in mammalian cells and forms a repair complex with beta-Pol, ligase III and PARP. Here we describe the NMR solution structure of the XRCC1 N-terminal domain (XRCC1 NTD). The structural core is a beta-sandwich with beta-strands connected by loops, three helices and two short two-stranded beta-sheets at each connection side. We show, for the first time, that the XRCC1 NTD specifically binds single-strand break DNA (gapped and nicked). We also show that the XRCC1 NTD binds a gapped DNA-beta-Pol complex. The DNA binding and beta-Pol binding surfaces were mapped by NMR and found to be well suited for interaction with single-strand gap DNA containing a 90 degrees bend, and for simultaneously making contacts with the palm-thumb of beta-Pol in a ternary complex. The findings suggest a mechanism for preferential binding of the XRCC1 NTD to flexible single-strand break DNA.

Induction of lymphoproliferative popliteal lymph node reaction by hydantoin derivatives: structure-activity relationships.

We evaluated the ability of a series of 3-phenylhydantoin derivatives to induce a lymphoproliferative popliteal lymph node reaction in C57B1/6 mice. 5-Aryl-3-phenylhydantoins induced a significant lymphoproliferative reaction, whereas the 5-alkyl-substituted and the unsubstituted 3-phenylhydantoins did not. 5-Alkyl-3-phenylhydantoins were unable to induce a lymphoproliferative reaction, unlike the corresponding 5-alkyl-3-phenyl-2-thiohydantoins, which have been reported to induce a significant lymphoproliferative reaction in the same strain of mice. Based on these results, we suggest that, to induce a lymphoproliferative popliteal lymph node reaction, hydantoins have to bind covalently to proteins through the N-atoms if they are activated by electrophilic groups bound to the hydantoin ring. We also suggest that 2-thiohydantoins can bind through their S-atom, whereas hydantoins cannot do so through their O-atoms.