Disruption of the developmentally regulated Rev3l gene causes embryonic lethality.

The REV3 gene encodes the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase (pol) zeta, which can replicate past certain types of DNA lesions [1]. Saccharomyces cerevisiae rev3 mutants are viable and have lower rates of spontaneous and DNA-damage-induced mutagenesis [2]. Reduction in the level of Rev31, the presumed catalytic subunit of mammalian pol zeta, decreased damage-induced mutagenesis in human cell lines [3]. To study the function of mammalian Rev31, we inactivated the gene in mice. Two exons containing conserved DNA polymerase motifs were replaced by a cassette encoding G418 resistance and beta-galactosidase, under the control of the Rev3l promoter. Surprisingly, disruption of Rev3l caused mid-gestation embryonic lethality, with the frequency of Rev3l(-/-) embryos declining markedly between 9.5 and 12.5 days post coitum (dpc). Rev3l(-/-) embryos were smaller than their heterozygous littermates and showed retarded development. Tissues in many areas were disorganised, with significantly reduced cell density. Rev3l expression, traced by beta-galactosidase staining, was first detected during early somitogenesis and gradually expanded to other tissues of mesodermal origin, including extraembryonic membranes. Embryonic death coincided with the period of more widely distributed Rev3l expression. The data demonstrate an essential function for murine Rev31 and suggest that bypass of specific types of DNAlesions by pol zeta is essential for cell viability during embryonic development in mammals.

Replacement of the active site tyrosine of vaccinia DNA topoisomerase by glutamate, cysteine or histidine converts the enzyme into a site-specific endonuclease.

Vaccinia topoisomerase forms a covalent protein-DNA intermediate at 5'-CCCTT downward arrow sites in duplex DNA. The T downward arrow nucleotide is linked via a 3'-phosphodiester bond to Tyr-274 of the enzyme. Here, we report that mutant enzymes containing glutamate, cysteine or histidine in lieu of Tyr-274 catalyze endonucleolytic cleavage of a 60 bp duplex DNA at the CCCTT downward arrow site to yield a 3' phosphate-terminated product. The Cys-274 mutant forms trace levels of a covalent protein-DNA complex, suggesting that the DNA cleavage reaction may proceed through a cysteinyl-phosphate intermediate. However, the His-274 and Glu-274 mutants evince no detectable accumulation of a covalent protein-DNA adduct. Glu-274 is the most active of the mutants tested. The pH dependence of the endonuclease activity of Glu-274 (optimum pH = 6.5) is distinct from that of the wild-type enzyme in hydrolysis of the covalent adduct (optimum pH = 9.5). At pH 6.5, the Glu-274 endonuclease reaction is slower by 5-6 orders of magnitude than the rate of covalent adduct formation by the wild-type topoisomerase, but is approximately 20 times faster than the rate of hydrolysis by the wild-type covalent adduct. We discuss two potential mechanisms to account for the apparent conversion of a topoisomerase into an endonuclease.

Mechanism of DNA transesterification by vaccinia topoisomerase: catalytic contributions of essential residues Arg-130, Gly-132, Tyr-136 and Lys-167.

Vaccinia topoisomerase, a eukaryotic type IB enzyme, catalyzes relaxation of supercoiled DNA by cleaving and rejoining DNA strands through a DNA- (3'-phosphotyrosyl)-enzyme intermediate. We have performed a kinetic analysis of mutational effects at four essential amino acids: Arg-130, Gly-132, Tyr-136 and Lys-167. Arg-130, Gly-132 and Lys-167 are conserved in all members of the type IB topoisomerase family. Tyr-136 is conserved in all poxvirus topoisomerases. We show that Arg-130 and Lys-167 are required for transesterification chemistry. Arg-130 enhances the rates of both cleavage and religation by 10(5). Lys-167 enhances the cleavage and religation reactions by 10(3) and 10(4), respectively. An instructive distinction between these two essential residues is that Arg-130 cannot be replaced by lysine, whereas substituting Lys-167 by arginine resulted in partial restoration of function relative to the alanine mutant. We propose that both basic residues interact directly with the scissile phosphate at the topoisomerase active site. Mutations at positions Gly-132 and Tyr-136 reduced the rate of strand cleavage by more than two orders of magnitude, but elicited only mild effects on religation rate. Gly-132 and Tyr-136 are suggested to facilitate a pre-cleavage activation step. The results of comprehensive mutagenesis of the vaccinia topoisomerase illuminate mechanistic and structural similarities to site-specific recombinases.

Mutational analysis of 26 residues of vaccinia DNA topoisomerase identifies Ser-204 as important for DNA binding and cleavage.

Vaccinia DNA topoisomerase, a 314 amino acid type I enzyme, catalyzes the cleavage and rejoining of DNA strands through a DNA-(3'-phosphotyrosyl)-enzyme intermediate formed at a specific target sequence, 5'-(C/T)CCTT downward arrow. To identify amino acids that participate in the DNA binding and transesterification steps, we introduced alanine substitutions at 18 positions within a centrally located 27 amino acid segment (181-RLYKPLLKLTDDSSPEEFLFNKLSERK-207) and at 8 positions near the N-terminus (1-MRALFYKDGK-10). All mutant proteins except two displayed wild-type activity in relaxing supercoiled DNA. F200A and S204A exhibited reduced rates of relaxation and were subjected to a kinetic analysis of the strand cleavage reaction under single-turnover and equilibrium conditions. The F200A and S204A mutations reduced the rate of single-turnover DNA cleavage by factors of 5 and 70, respectively. Both mutations shifted the cleavage-religation equilibrium in favor of the noncovalently bound state. The S204A mutation reduced the affinity of topoisomerase for CCCTT-containing DNA, but did not alter the site-specificity of DNA cleavage. Vaccinia residue Ser-204, which is conserved in all poxvirus topoisomerases, but not in the cellular homologues, may contribute to the unique cleavage site specificity of the poxvirus enzymes. Phe-200 is conserved in all members of the type IB topoisomerase family.

Mutations within a conserved region of vaccinia topoisomerase affect the DNA cleavage-religation equilibrium.

The segment of the vaccinia DNA topoisomerase from residues 143 to 167 (VGLLTLKNKHIEISPDEIVIKFVGK) is conserved in other members of the eukaryotic type I topoisomerase family. In order to gauge the function of this region, we performed a mutational analysis in which 23 of 25 positions were substituted by alanine. Several non-alanine mutations were also studied. Purified wild-type and mutant proteins were compared with respect to their activities in relaxing supercoiled DNA and in single-turnover strand cleavage. Lys167, an invariant residue, was judged essential for catalysis, insofar as alanine replacement resulted in a 100-fold decrement in specific activity. Alanine substitutions for invariant residues Gly144 and Gly166 were well-tolerated, but a G144R mutation inactivated the enzyme and G166R reduced activity by two orders of magnitude. More modest effects of other mutations were demonstrated by kinetic analysis of the single-turnover DNA cleavage and religation reactions and by studies of covalent adduct formation under equilibrium conditions. Mutations G144A and T147A elicited a shift in the cleavage-religation equilibrium toward the non-covalently bound state; this was caused by slowing of the forward cleavage reaction. Mutations F164A, G166A, G166R, K167A, and K167R produced opposite effects on reaction equilibrium, resulting in higher levels of covalent complex formation. We suggest that invariant residues F164, G166, and K167, constitute part of the active site of the enzyme.

Mutational analysis of vaccinia DNA topoisomerase defines amino acid residues essential for covalent catalysis.

The eukaryotic family of type I DNA topoisomerases includes the nuclear type I enzymes and the enzymes encoded by vaccinia and other poxviruses. The small size of the vaccinia topoisomerase (314 amino acids as compared to 765-972 amino acids for the cellular enzymes) makes it likely that this protein constitutes the minimal functional unit of a eukaryotic type I enzyme and provides an opportunity for a comprehensive structure-function analysis through mutagenesis. Two protein subregions were targeted for mutagenesis in the present study. The role of the Ser-Lys-X-X-Tyr sequence present at the active site of all family members was examined by replacing each conserved residue with alanine. Alanine substitution at the active site Tyr abrogated topoisomerase activity. In contrast, mutations at Ser-270 and Lys-271 had no effect on enzyme activity. The region of the vaccinia topoisomerase from amino acids 126-142 (MFFIRFGKMKYLKENET) is highly conserved and contains a residue, Gly-132, shown previously to be essential. Twenty-nine different mutations were generated in this region, with at least one substitution at each position. Point mutations were identified at three positions, Arg-130, Tyr-136, and Leu-137, which either abrogated or severely reduced DNA relaxation. The effects on activity could be attributed to a defect in formation of the covalent intermediate. Alterations of 13 other amino acids, including conserved residues, had little or no effect on topoisomerase activity.