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PubMed2004

Characterization of the 3' exonuclease subunit DP1 of Methanococcus jannaschii replicative DNA polymerase D.

The B-subunits associated with the replicative DNA polymerases are conserved from Archaea to humans, whereas the corresponding catalytic subunits are not related. The latter belong to the B and D DNA polymerase families in eukaryotes and archaea, respectively. Sequence analysis places the B-subunits within the calcineurin-like phosphoesterase superfamily. Since residues implicated in metal binding and catalysis are well conserved in archaeal family D DNA polymerases, it has been hypothesized that the B-subunit could be responsible for the 3'-5' proofreading exonuclease activity of these enzymes. To test this hypothesis we expressed Methanococcus jannaschii DP1 (MjaDP1), the B-subunit of DNA polymerase D, in Escherichia coli, and demonstrate that MjaDP1 functions alone as a moderately active, thermostable, Mn2+-dependent 3'-5' exonuclease. The putative polymerase subunit DP2 is not required. The nuclease activity is strongly reduced by single amino acid mutations in the phosphoesterase domain indicating the requirement of this domain for the activity. MjaDP1 acts as a unidirectional, non-processive exonuclease preferring mispaired nucleotides and single-stranded DNA, suggesting that MjaDP1 functions as the proofreading exonuclease of archaeal family D DNA polymerase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

RecJ exonuclease: substrates, products and interaction with SSB.

The RecJ exonuclease from Escherichia coli degrades single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in the 5'-3' direction and participates in homologous recombination and mismatch repair. The experiments described here address RecJ's substrate requirements and reaction products. RecJ complexes on a variety of 5' single-strand tailed substrates were analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift in the absence of Mg2+ ion required for substrate degradation. RecJ required single-stranded tails of 7 nt or greater for robust binding; addition of Mg2+ confirmed that substrates with 5' tails of 6 nt or less were poor substrates for RecJ exonuclease. RecJ is a processive exonuclease, degrading approximately 1000 nt after a single binding event to single-strand DNA, and releases mononucleotide products. RecJ is capable of degrading a single-stranded tail up to a double-stranded junction, although products in such reactions were heterogeneous and RecJ showed a limited ability to penetrate the duplex region. RecJ exonuclease was equally potent on 5' phosphorylated and unphosphorylated ends. Finally, DNA binding and nuclease activity of RecJ was specifically enhanced by the pre-addition of ssDNA-binding protein and we propose that this specific interaction may aid recruitment of RecJ.

DNA↗
PubMed1990

Coprecipitation of 3'----5' exonuclease and DNA polymerase gamma with anti-DNA polymerase gamma antibody.

Highly purified preparations of chick embryo DNA polymerase gamma contained 3'----5' exonuclease activity which might be responsible for the exonucleolytic proofreading during DNA synthesis [Kunkel, T.A. & Soni, A. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 4450-4459]. A rabbit antibody produced against highly purified chick DNA polymerase gamma precipitated 3'----5' exonuclease activity to the same extent as DNA polymerase gamma activity. Furthermore, the antibody neutralized the two enzyme activities to an equal extent. However, the exonuclease activity was more resistant than DNA polymerase gamma activity to thermal treatment at 50 degrees C, although both activities were partially protected with polynucleotides. The results obtained suggest that these two enzymes are associated as a single enzyme complex or that the two activities reside in a single molecule, and the active site of DNA polymerase gamma and 3'----5' exonuclease are, although not identical, closely correlated.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

The amino acid sequence required for 5' --> 3' exonuclease activity of Bacillus caldotenax DNA polymerase.

We studied the 5' --> 3' exonuclease activity of Bacillus caldotenax DNA polymerase by site-directed mutagenesis. Among seven mutants constructed, two mutant DNA polymerases with an amino acid substitution of Gly184 --> Asp or Gly192 --> Asp were confirmed to be deficient in this exonuclease. The two positions corresponded to those of the Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I mutants defective in 5' --> 3' exonuclease, polA480ex and polA214. These results provide experimental support for the proposed amino acid sequence essential for the 5' --> 3' exonuclease activity associated with eubacterial polymerase I-like DNA polymerases (family A), including E.coli and Thermus aquaticus.

Bacillus↗
PubMed1983

Isolation and preliminary characterization of Escherichia coli mutants deficient in exonuclease VII.

Strains of Escherichia coli containing reduced levels of exonuclease VII activity due to mutations in the xseB gene have been isolated after mutagenesis with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Seven mutants of independent origin deficient in exonuclease VII activity were obtained. Four of these contained defects in xseA, a locus which has been previously identified, and three others contained mutations in a gene distinct from xseA, which we have designated xseB. Genetic mapping studies place the xseB locus between proC and dnaZ. Exonuclease VII purified from KLC835 (xseA+ xseB3) is more heat labile than enzyme purified from the parent strain PA610 (xse+), showing that xseB is a structural gene for exonuclease VII. The isolation of lambda transducing phage carrying xseA is also described.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed1992

Streptococcus pneumoniae DNA polymerase I lacks 3'-to-5' exonuclease activity: localization of the 5'-to-3' exonucleolytic domain.

The Streptococcus pneumoniae polA gene was altered at various positions by deletions and insertions. The polypeptides encoded by these mutant polA genes were identified in S. pneumoniae. Three of them were enzymatically active. One was a fused protein containing the first 11 amino acid residues of gene 10 from coliphage T7 and the carboxyl-terminal two-thirds of pneumococcal DNA polymerase I; it possessed only polymerase activity. The other two enzymatically active proteins, which contained 620 and 351 amino acid residues from the amino terminus, respectively, lacked polymerase activity and showed only exonuclease activity. These two polymerase-deficient proteins and the wild-type protein were hyperproduced in Escherichia coli and purified. In contrast to the DNA polymerase I of Escherichia coli but similar to the corresponding enzyme of Thermus aquaticus, the pneumococcal enzyme appeared to lack 3'-to-5' exonuclease activity. The 5'-to-3' exonuclease domain was located in the amino-terminal region of the wild-type pneumococcal protein. This exonuclease activity excised deoxyribonucleoside 5'-monophosphate from both double- and single-stranded DNAs. It degraded oligonucleotide substrates to a decameric final product.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1993

Requirement for the polymerization and 5'-->3' exonuclease activities of DNA polymerase I in initiation of DNA replication at oriK sites in the absence of RecA in Escherichia coli rnhA mutants.

In previous studies, we found that the requirement for RecA protein in constitutive stable DNA replication (cSDR) can be bypassed by derepression of the LexA regulon and that DNA polymerase I (DNA PolI) is essential for this Rip (RecA-independent process) pathway of cSDR (Y. Cao, R. R. Rowland, and T. Kogoma, J. Bacteriol. 175:7247-7253, 1993). In this study, the role of DNA PolI in the Rip pathway was further examined. By using F' plasmids carrying different parts of the polA gene, a series of complementation tests was carried out to investigate the requirement for the three enzymatic activities, polymerization, 3'-->5' exonuclease, and 5'-->3' exonuclease activities, of DNA PolI. The result indicated that both the 5'-->3' exonuclease and polymerization activities of DNA PolI are essential for bypassing the requirement for RecA in cSDR but that the 3'-->5' exonuclease activity can be dispensed with. Complementation experiments with rat DNA Pol beta also supported the hypothesis that a nick translation activity is probably involved in cSDR in the absence of RecA. An analysis of DNA synthesis suggested that DNA PolI is involved in the initiation but not the elongation stage of cSDR. Moreover, the dnaE293(Ts) mutation was shown to render the bypass replication temperature sensitive despite the presence of active DNA PolI, suggesting that DNA PolIII is responsible for the elongation stage of the Rip pathway. A model which describes the possible roles of RecA in cSDR and the possible function of DNA PolI in the Rip pathway is proposed.

DNA Polymerase I↗
PubMed1999

Effects of exonuclease activity and nucleotide selectivity of the herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase on the fidelity of DNA replication in vivo.

A mutagenesis system was developed for the in vivo study of the fidelity of DNA replication mediated by wild-type herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) strain KOS and its polymerase (Pol) mutant derivatives PAAr5, Y7, and YD12. The pHOS1 shuttle plasmid, which contained the SupF mutagenesis marker gene and the HSV oris sequence, was used for analysis of the mutation frequency and the mutation spectrum. All three Pol mutants induced significant increases in the mutation frequencies of the target gene, despite the fact that PAAr5 was previously shown to have an antimutator phenotype by the thymidine kinase mutagenesis assay (J. D. Hall, D. M. Coen, B. L. Fisher, M. Weisslitz, S. Randall, R. E. Almy, P. Gelep, and P. A. Schaffer, Virology 132:26-37, 1984; C. B. C. Hwang and J.-H. Chen, Gene 152:191-193, 1995). Altered spectra of mutated target genes induced by these three mutants were also observed. The relative frequencies of both deletion and complex mutations found in mutants induced by exonuclease-proficient Pols were significantly higher than those induced by exonuclease-deficient Pols. On the other hand, the exonuclease-deficient Pols induced significant increases in the frequency of base substitutions, which comprised predominantly G. C-to-T. A transversions, as well as mutations at additional hot spots. These results suggest that the HSV-1 DNA Pol can incorporate purine-purine or pyrimidine-pyrimidine mispaired bases which may be preferentially proofread by its intrinsic exonuclease activity. Furthermore, the effects of the sequence context of the target gene and the assay method should also be considered carefully in any analysis of replication fidelity.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

High expression of a 3'----5' exonuclease activity is specific to B lymphocytes.

V(D)J joining, the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IgH) class switch, and somatic hypermutation directed at variable regions are unique genetic recombination or mutation events which occur during B-cell differentiation. The enzymatic process directing and controlling these events remains obscure. An assay for exonucleolytic activity has been devised, and an exonuclease activity expressed at high levels in normal B lymphocytes has been detected. The high expression of this enzyme is specific to B lymphocytes and may be developmentally regulated. We have partially purified a B-cell-associated nuclease by column chromatography. Using this preparation, we have begun a rigorous analysis of its activity. This activity is a nonprocessive, 3'----5' exonuclease with a requirement for divalent cations. Our studies demonstrate that EDTA, poly(dI-dC), and glycerol are all inhibitory to B-cell-associated exonucleolytic activity. The exonuclease displays sequence preference but no sequence specificity when tested on a variety of native DNA substrates. This nuclease is distinct from other exonuclease activities previously described.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

A 5'-3' exonuclease from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required for in vitro recombination between linear DNA molecules with overlapping homology.

When two linear DNA molecules with overlapping, homologous ends were incubated with a yeast nuclear extract, they recombined at the region of homology to produce a joint molecule. We have identified a 5'-3' exonuclease in the extract that is likely to be responsible for the formation of the observed product. We propose that the exonuclease degrades each substrate to reveal regions of complementary sequence which anneal to form a recombinant product. Consistent with this model, we have partially purified the activity that promotes joint molecule formation and found it to cofractionate with a 5'-3' exonuclease activity through three consecutive chromatography steps. We have further characterized the reaction to determine the optimal length of homology. Substrates with homologous terminal overlaps of 29 to 958 bp were capable of product formation, whereas substrates with longer overlaps were not. Extracts prepared from a number of recombination-defective or nuclease-deficient strains revealed no defect in exonuclease activity, indicating that the reaction is likely to be dependent upon the product of an as yet unidentified gene.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Exonuclease I of Saccharomyces cerevisiae functions in mitotic recombination in vivo and in vitro.

We previously described a 5'-3' exonuclease required for recombination in vitro between linear DNA molecules with overlapping homologous ends. This exonuclease, referred to as exonuclease I (Exo I), has been purified more than 300-fold from vegetatively grown cells and copurifies with a 42-kDa polypeptide. The activity is nonprocessive and acts preferentially on double-stranded DNA. The biochemical properties are quite similar to those of Schizosaccharomyces pombe Exo I. Extracts prepared from cells containing a mutation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae EXO1 gene, a homolog of S. pombe exo1, had decreased in vitro recombination activity and when fractionated were found to lack the peak of activity corresponding to the 5'-3' exonuclease. The role of EXO1 on recombination in vivo was determined by measuring the rate of recombination in an exo1 strain containing a direct duplication of mutant ade2 genes and was reduced sixfold. These results indicate that EXO1 is required for recombination in vivo and in vitro in addition to its previously identified role in mismatch repair.

DNA, Fungal↗
PubMed2004

Exonuclease I hydrolyzes DNA with a distribution of rates.

We report heterogeneity in the time necessary for Exonuclease I to hydrolyze identical DNA fragments. A real-time fluorescence method measured the time required by molecules of Exonuclease I to hydrolyze single-stranded DNA that was synthesized to have two fluorescently labeled nucleotides. One fluorescently labeled nucleotide was located near the 3' end of the DNA and the other near the 5' end. Heterogeneity in the hydrolysis rate of the exonuclease population was inferred from the distribution of times necessary to cleave these DNA fragments. In particular, we found simple first-order kinetics, using a single hydrolysis rate, did not result in a good fit to the data. Better fits to the data were obtained if one assumed a distribution of hydrolysis rates for the exonuclease population. Under our experimental conditions, this broad distribution of rates was centered near 100 nt/s.

DNA↗
PubMed2006

Nucleotide specificity versus complex heterogeneity in exonuclease activity measurements.

A recent publication reported on measurements of Exonuclease I activity using a real-time fluorescence method that measures the time required by molecules of Exonuclease I to hydrolyze single-stranded DNA that was synthesized to have two fluorescently labeled nucleotides. The observed fluorescence-intensity curves were interpreted as a sign of strong heterogeneity of the activity of Exonuclease I. Here, I propose a different model, which assumes that Exonuclease I activity is nucleotide-dependent, and that a fluorescent label bound to a nucleotide significantly slows its cleavage rate. The presented model fits the observed data equally well, but can be used to make specific predictions upon observable sequence dependence of measured fluorescence-intensity curves.

DNA, Single-Stranded↗
PubMed2000

Excision of beta-D- and beta-L-nucleotide analogs from DNA by the human cytosolic 3'-to-5' exonuclease.

The cytosolic 3'-to-5' exonuclease from chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells was highly purified, and its ability to remove beta-D- and beta-L-nucleotide analogs from the 3'-end of DNA was determined. The relative rate of excision of beta-D-ddCMP, beta-L-ddCMP, beta-L-FddCMP, beta-L-SddCMP, beta-L-Fd4CMP, and beta-L-OddCMP from the 3'-end of a single-stranded oligonucleotide primer or a primer annealed with complementary DNA and/or RNA templates was assessed. The rate of excision of beta-D-nucleotides from the 3'-end of DNA was higher than that of beta-L-nucleotides, which could be partly attributable to the affinity of the enzyme to beta-D-nucleotide-terminated DNA being 5-fold higher compared with that of beta-L-nucleotide-terminated DNA. The rate of removal of beta-L-Fd4CMP and beta-L-OddCMP from the 3'-end of DNA was at least 8 to 10 times lower compared with that of beta-L-SddCMP. HIV reverse transcriptase could elongate DNA primers after the removal of chain terminators by the cytosolic exonuclease. Concentrations of nucleoside 5'-monophosphate analogs that inhibit the cytosolic exonuclease by 50% were estimated. Among the nucleoside 5'-monophosphate analogs examined, beta-L-Fd4CMP appeared to be the most effective inhibitor of the cytosolic exonuclease, with an ID(50) value of 38 microM.

DNA↗
PubMed1989

Selective inactivation of the exonuclease activity of bacteriophage T7 DNA polymerase by in vitro mutagenesis.

The 3' to 5' exonuclease activity of bacteriophage T7 DNA polymerase (gene 5 protein) can be inactivated selectively by reactive oxygen species. Differences in the enzymatic properties between the two forms are exploited to show by a chemical screen that modification of a histidine residue reduces selectively the exonuclease activity. In vitro mutagenesis of the histidine at residue 123, and of the neighboring residues, results in varying reduction of the exonuclease activity, including mutant enzymes that have no detectable exonuclease activity; as a consequence their polymerase activity is increased up to 9-fold. T7 phage containing the mutant genes have a greatly reduced burst size and demonstrate up to a 14-fold increase in the spontaneous mutation rate.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Escherichia coli exonuclease VII. Cloning and sequencing of the gene encoding the large subunit (xseA).

We have determined the sequence of the gene encoding the large subunit of Escherichia coli exonuclease VII (xseA) and the amino acid sequence of the protein it encodes. The coding region of the xseA gene is 1368 base pairs. The protein encoded by the gene contains 456 amino acids and has a calculated molecular weight of 51,823. The promoter for xseA is close to that for guaB, and these two genes are transcribed in opposite directions: xseA clockwise and guaB counterclockwise on the standard E. coli genetic map. The cloned xseA gene can complement an xseA deletion mutant strain. In an xseA+ genetic background production of large quantities of the xseA gene product appeared to decrease the amount of exonuclease VII activity in cell extracts. In fact, no exonuclease VII activity at all could be detected following induction of strains in which the xseA gene was under lambda pL regulation. These observations suggest that the proper ratio of the large and small exonuclease VII subunits must be maintained in order to produce active enzyme.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

Exonuclease VIII of Escherichia coli. I. Purification and physical properties.

Exonuclease VIII is an enzyme whose synthesis is induced as a result of sbcA mutations. The enzyme has been purified to near homogeneity from an Escherichia coli strain containing an sbcA mutation and mutations in the structural genes for exonuclease III, exonuclease V, and endonuclease I. The enzyme specifically degrades linear duplex DNA in a reaction which requires magnesium ions and is susceptible to inhibition by other divalent cations and by sulfhydryl-blocking reagents. Enzyme activity occurs over a broad pH range with peak activity at pH 8.5 in Tris buffer. The protein has a subunit Mr = 140,000, a sedimentation coefficient of 8.4 +/- 0.6, and a Stokes radius of 142 +/- 6 A, which is consistent with its active form being a multimer. Exonuclease VIII has a frictional coefficient of 2.6 which indicates that it has an asymmetric structure.

DNA, Viral↗
PubMed1994

Interactions of Escherichia coli endonuclease IV and exonuclease III with abasic sites in DNA.

Duplex oligodeoxynucleotides with synthetic analogs of abasic sites were used to study the specificity of the abasic endonucleases of Escherichia coli. The apparent Km values of exonuclease III for the tetrahydrofuranyl, propanyl, and deoxyribosyl substrates varied only somewhat (20-140 nM) in either Mg2+ or Ca2+ and were similar to those for endonuclease IV. In Mg2+, exonuclease III had a turnover number 4-13-fold higher than measured for endonuclease IV (ranging 5.6-18 min-1), but was lowered in Ca2+ to values similar to those for endonuclease IV. The rate of cleavage of tetrahydrofuranyl (F) substrate by both enzymes was unaffected by the base in the opposite strand or its replacement by a tetrahydrofuranyl moiety. A C:C mismatch on the 5' but not the 3' side of F strongly inhibited cleavage by exonuclease III in Ca2+, while mismatches on both sides were required to diminish endonuclease IV cleavage significantly. A phosphorothioate ester linked 5' to the tetrahydrofuranyl moiety inhibited both enzymes, with the Rp stereoisomer most effective. Endonuclease IV bound stably to duplex substrates containing the Rp phosphorothioate in the presence of poly(dI-dC). Although the apurinic/apyrimidinic-cleaving activities of endonuclease IV and exonuclease III have some common features they also differ in their specific interactions with DNA containing abasic sites.

Base Sequence↗