Klenow Fragment Of Polymerase Research Articles

Nuclear Receptor CAR Requires Early Growth Response 1 to Activate the Human Cytochrome P450 2B6 Gene

The nuclear receptor CAR (constitutive active/androstane receptor) is a drug-sensing transcription factor, regulating the hepatic genes that encode various drug-metabolizing enzymes. We have now characterized the novel regulatory mechanism by which the signal molecule EGR1 (early growth response 1) determines CAR-mediated activation of the human CYP2B6 (cytochrome P450 2B6) gene. The CYP2B6 enzyme metabolizes commonly used therapeutics and also activates pro-drugs. The CAR directly binds to the distal enhancer element of the CYP2B6 promoter, which is essential in converging to its drug-sensing function onto promoter activity. However, this binding alone is not sufficient to activate the CYP2B6 promoter; the promoter requires EGR1 to enable CAR to activate the CYP2B6 promoter. Upon stimulation by protein kinase C, EGR1 directly binds to the proximal promoter and coordinates the nearby HNF4alpha (hepatocyte-enriched nuclear factor 4alpha) with CAR at the distal enhancer element to activate the promoter. Thus, synergy of drug activation and the stimulation of cellular signal are necessary for CAR to activate the CYP2B6 gene.

Conserved ETS Domain Arginines Mediate DNA Binding, Nuclear Localization, and a Novel Mode of bZIP Interaction

The DNA-binding ETS transcription factor Spi-1/PU.1 is of central importance in determining the myeloid-erythroid developmental switch and is required for monocyte and osteoclast differentiation. Many monocyte genes are dependent upon this factor, including the gene that codes for interleukin-1beta. It has long been known that the conserved ETS DNA-binding domain of Spi-1/PU.1 functionally cooperates via direct association with a diverse collection of DNA-binding proteins, including members of the basic leucine zipper domain (bZIP) family. However, the molecular basis for this interaction has long been elusive. Using a combination of approaches, we have mapped a single residue on the surface of the ETS domain critical for protein tethering by the C/EBPbeta carboxyl-terminal bZIP domain. This residue is also important for nuclear localization and DNA binding. In addition, dependence upon the leucine zipper suggests a novel mode for both protein-DNA interaction and functional cooperativity.

Use of 2-aminopurine fluorescence to examine conformational changes during nucleotide incorporation by DNA polymerase I (Klenow fragment).

We have investigated conformational transitions in the Klenow fragment polymerase reaction by stopped-flow fluorescence using DNA substrates containing the fluorescent reporter 2-aminopurine (2-AP) on the template strand, either at the templating position opposite the incoming nucleotide (designated the 0 position) or 5' to the templating base (the +1 position). By using both deoxy- and dideoxy-terminated primers, we were able to distinguish steps that accompany ternary complex formation from those that occur during nucleotide incorporation. The fluorescence changes revealed two extremely rapid steps that occur early in the pathway for correct nucleotide incorporation. The first, detectable with the 2-AP reporter at the 0 position, occurs within the first few milliseconds and is associated with dNTP binding. This is followed by a rapid step involving relative movement of the +1 base, detectable when the 2-AP reporter is at the +1 position. Finally, when the primer had a 3'-OH, a fluorescence decrease with a rate equal to the rate of nucleotide incorporation was observed with both 0 and +1 position reporters. When the primer was dideoxy-terminated, the only change observed at the rate expected for nucleotide incorporation had a very small amplitude, suggesting that the rate-limiting conformational change does not produce a large fluorescence change, and is therefore unlikely to involve a significant change in the environment of the fluorophore. Fluorescence changes observed during misincorporation were substantially different from those observed during correct nucleotide incorporation, implying that the conformations adopted during correct and incorrect nucleotide incorporation are distinct.

Responses to the Major Acrolein-derived Deoxyguanosine Adduct inEscherichia coli

Acrolein, a reactive alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde found ubiquitously in the environment and formed endogenously in mammalian cells, reacts with DNA to form an exocyclic DNA adduct, 3H-8-hydroxy-3-(beta-D-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido[3,2-a]purine-9-one (gamma-OH-PdG). The cellular processing and mutagenic potential of gamma-OH-PdG have been examined, using a site-specific approach in which a single adduct is embedded in double-strand plasmid DNA. Analysis of progeny plasmid reveals that this adduct is excised by nucleotide excision repair. The apparent level of inhibition of DNA synthesis is approximately 70% in Escherichia coli DeltarecA, uvrA. The block to DNA synthesis can be overcome partially by recA-dependent recombination repair. Targeted G --> T transversions were observed at a frequency of 7 x 10(-4)/translesion synthesis. Inactivation of polB, dinB, and umuD,C genes coding for "SOS" DNA polymerases did not affect significantly the efficiency or fidelity of translesion synthesis. In vitro primer extension experiments revealed that the Klenow fragment of polymerase I catalyzes error-prone synthesis, preferentially incorporating dAMP and dGMP opposite gamma-OH-PdG. We conclude from this study that DNA polymerase III catalyzes translesion synthesis across gamma-OH-PdG in an error-free manner. Nucleotide excision repair, recombination repair, and highly accurate translesion synthesis combine to protect E. coli from the potential genotoxicity of this DNA adduct.

Fapyadenine is a moderately efficient chain terminator for prokaryotic DNA polymerases

Hypoxanthine\\xanthine oxidase\\Fe3+\\ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) was used to modify ss M13 mp18 phage DNA. The dominant base modifications found by GC/IDMS-SIM were FapyGua, FapyAde, 8-hydroxyguanine, and thymine glycol. Analysis of in vitro DNA synthesis on oxidatively modified template by three DNA polymerases revealed that T7 DNA polymerase and Klenow fragment of polymerase I from Escherichia coli were blocked mainly by oxidized pyrimidines in the template whereas some purines that were easily bypassed by the prokaryotic polymerases constituted a block for DNA polymerase β from calf thymus. DNA synthesis by T7 polymerase on poly(dA) template, where FapyAde content increased 16-fold on oxidation, yielded a final product with a discrete ladder of premature termination bands. When DNA synthesis was performed on template from which FapyAde, FapyGua, and 8OHGua were excised by the Fpg protein new chain terminations at adenine and guanine sites appeared or existing ones were enhanced. This suggests that FapyAde, when present in DNA, is a moderately toxic lesion. Its ability to arrest DNA synthesis depends on the sequence context and DNA polymerase. FapyGua might possess similar properties.

Quantification of 3'OH DNA breaks by random oligonucleotide-primed synthesis (ROPS) assay.

A simple and precise assay is presented for quantification of the relative number of 3'OH ends (breaks) present in DNA molecules. The assay is based on the ability of the Klenow fragment polymerase to initiate random oligonucleotide-primed synthesis from the reannealed 3'OH ends of single-stranded (ss) DNA. After a denaturation-reassociation step, the ssDNA serves as its own primer by randomly reassociating itself or to other ssDNA molecules. Under strictly defined reaction conditions (time, temperature, concentration of precursors) the incorporation of [32P]dNTP into newly synthesized DNA will be proportional to the initial number of 3'OH ends (breaks). The assay is specific for the detection of 3'OH ends and requires only 0.25 micrograms of DNA for analysis. It has application for the detection of the relative number of breaks per DNA molecule generated in vitro by endonucleases or in vivo during normal processes of DNA repair and also for the detection of DNA strand breaks from genotoxic DNA damaging agents. Although specific for 3'OH DNA ends, the assay can be adapted to measure 3'P (5'OH) DNA ends or breaks induced by oxidative DNA damaging agents by pretreatment of the DNA with alkaline phosphatase or Escherichia coli exonuclease III. The assay is capable of quantifying first several breaks per 10(5) bp.

Characterization of Fluorescent Nucleoside Triphosphates by Capillary Electrophoresis with Laser-Induced Fluorescence Detection: Action of Alkaline Phosphatase and DNA Polymerase

A method of analysis of fluor-labeled nucleoside triphosphates based on alkaline phosphatase-catalyzed sequential cleavage of phosphate groups with monitoring of all fluorescent species by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection is presented. The method allows determination of the purity of the triphosphate samples as well as the relative amounts of the lower phosphate contaminants. The ability of one of the fluor-labeled nucleoside triphosphates to serve as polymerase substrate was verified by labeling DNA restriction fragments by the method of filling recessed 3′-ends using DNA polymerase Klenow fragment.

Random primed 32P-labeling of DNA.

Random primed labeling of DNA has now almost superseded the method of nick translation of DNA. Random primed labeling, based on the method of Feinberg and Vogelstein (), is a method of incorporating radioactive nucleotides along the length of a fragment of DNA. Random primed labeling can give specific activities of between 2 × 109 and 5 × 109 dpm/µg (see Note 1). The method below is essentially that described by Feinberg and Vogelstein () in which a DNA fragment is denatured by heating in a boiling water bath. Then, random sequence oligonucleotides are annealed to both strands. Klenow fragment polymerase is then used to extend the oligonucleotides, using three cold nucleotides and one radioactively labeled nucleotide provided in the reaction mixture to produce a uniformly labeled double-stranded probe. Each batch of random oligonucleotides contains all possible sequences (for hexamers, which are most commonly employed, this would be 4096 different oligonucleotides), so any DNA template can be used with this method.

Deoxyadenosine-based DNA polymerase photoprobes: design, synthesis, and characterization as inhibitors of the Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I Klenow fragment.

DNA polymerase photoprobes 2-[(4-azidophenacyl)thio]-2'-deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate (1), 2-[(4-azidophenylsulfenyl)thio]-2'-deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate (2), and 2-[(4-azido-2-nitrophenyl)-thio]-2'-deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate (3) were designed from a thermodynamic model of DNA polymerase 1-substrate interactions such that the triphosphate would anchor the inhibitor and allow the phenyl azide to interact with the complementary template binding site. Photoprobes 1-3 were synthesized by condensation of 2-thio-2'-deoxyadenosine or its phosphate with p-azidophenacyl bromide, N-(4-azidophenylsulfenyl)phthalimide, and 4-azido-1-fluoro-2-nitrobenzene, respectively, and characterized as reversible and photoinduced irreversible inhibitors of the DNA polymerase I Klenow fragment and HIV I reverse transcriptase. The aryl azides decomposed with irradiation at 300 and 350 nm with half-lives ranging from 0.98 to 2.33 min and 2.15 to 5.38 min, respectively, with quantum efficiencies ranging from 0.29 to 0.55 and no apparent photodecomposition of the 2-thio-2'-deoxyadenosine nucleotide. Photoprobes 1-3 showed mixed noncompetitive inhibition of the Klenow fragment polymerase activity versus poly(dA).(T)10 as variable substrate with apparent competitive inhibition constants of 2.1, 36, and 29 microM, respectively, evidence suggesting that these photoprobes bind to both the free enzyme form and the enzyme-template-primer binary complex. Of the three photoprobes, only nucleotide 1 photoinactivates the Klenow fragment; in the presence of a 200-fold excess of nitrene scavenger, photoprobe 1 inactivates 92% of the Klenow fragment polymerase activity with saturation observed at 9.7 microM and an IC50 of about 2 microM. This evidence demonstrates that photoprobe 1 does bind to the Klenow fragment in the absence of template-primer and that it is an efficient photoprobe.

In vitro replication by prokaryotic and eukaryotic polymerases on DNA templates containing site-specific and stereospecific benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide adducts.

DNA adducts of the environmental carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) interact stereospecifically with prokaryotic and eukaryotic polymerases in vitro. Toward understanding the capacity to replicate past different diastereomers of BPDE at specific sites in DNA, six deoxyoligonucleotides, each 33 bases long, were constructed with stereochemically defined BPDE adducts on adenine N6 at position two of the human N-ras codon 61. Four polymerases that were studied under single encounters with the template-primer complex terminated synthesis one base 3' to the lesion with all the adducted templates. When multiple encounters between polymerase and substrate were permitted, each of the polymerases analyzed revealed a unique pattern for a given adducted template. The general replication pattern was encompassed under two categories, reflecting the significance of the R and S configurations of C10 of the pyrenyl ring attached to the single-stranded DNA template. Furthermore, within each of these categories, every polymerase demonstrated distinct quantitative differences in product accumulation at a given site, for the various adducted templates. Among the polymerases utilized in this study, exonuclease-deficient Klenow fragment of polymerase I (exo- KF) exhibited the most efficient translesion synthesis resulting in approximately 16% full-length products with the modified templates bearing adducts with C10-S configuration. In contrast, chain elongation with bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase bearing an active 3'-->5' exonucleolytic activity was most strongly inhibited by all six BPDE-adducted templates. Misincorporation of A opposite the adduct occurred in all the templates when polymerized with Sequenase, whereas exo- KF preferentially incorporated C opposite the C10-R BPDE adducts and A opposite the C10-S BPDE adducts.

DNA sequence effects on single base deletions arising during DNA polymerization in vitro by Escherichia coli Klenow fragment polymerase.

Most single base deletions detected after DNA polymerization in vitro directed by either Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I or its Klenow fragment are opposite Pu in the template. The most frequent mutations were previously found to be associated with the consensus template context 5'-PyTPu-3'. In this study, the predictive power of the consensus sequence on single base deletion frequencies was directly tested by parallel comparison of mutations arising in four related DNAs differing by a single base. G, a deletion hotspot within the template context 5'-TTGA-3', was substituted by each of the 3 other bases. Previous studies had shown that deletions opposite the G were frequent but that deletions opposite its neighboring A were never detected. Based on the predictions of the consensus, the substitution of T for G should produce frequent deletions opposite the neighboring A due to its new 5'-TTTA-3' template context. This prediction was fulfilled; no deletions of this A were detected in the other templates. The consensus further predicted that deletions opposite template C would be lower than those opposite either A or G at the same site and this prediction was also fulfilled. The C substitution also produced a new hotspot for 1 bp deletions 14 bp away. The new hotspot depends on quasi-palindromic misalignment of the newly synthesized DNA strand during polymerization; accurate, but ectopically templated synthesis is responsible for this mutagenesis. Mutations templated by quasi-palindromic misalignments have previously been recognized when they produced complex sequence changes; here we show that this mechanism can produce frequent single base deletions. The unique stimulation of misalignment mutagenesis by the C substitution in the template is consistent with the singular ability of C at that site to contribute to extended complementary pairing during the DNA misalignment that precedes mutagenesis.

An attempt to unify the structure of polymerases

With the great availability of sequences from RNA- and DNA-dependent RNA and DNA polymerases, it has become possible to delineate a few highly conserved regions for various polymerase types. In this work a DNA polymerase sequence from bacteriophage SPO2 was found to be homologous to the polymerase domain of the Klenow fragment of polymerase I from Escherichia coli, which is known to be closely related to those from Staphylococcus pneumoniae, Thermus aquaticus and bacteriophages T7 and T5. The alignment of the SPO2 polymerase with the other five sequences considerably narrowed the conserved motifs in these proteins. Three of the motifs matched reasonably all the conserved motifs of another DNA polymerase type, characterized by human polymerase alpha. It is also possible to find these three motifs in monomeric DNA-dependent RNA polymerases and two of them in DNA polymerase beta and DNA terminal transferases. These latter two motifs also matched two of the four motifs recently identified in 84 RNA-dependent polymerases. From the known tertiary architecture of the Klenow fragment of E. coli pol I, a spatial arrangement can be implied for these motifs. In addition, numerous biochemical experiments suggesting a role for the motifs in a common function (dNTP binding) also support these inferences. This speculative hypothesis, attempting to unify polymerase structure at least locally, if not globally, under the pol I fold, should provide a useful model to direct mutagenesis experiments to probe template and substrate specificity in polymerases.

Fidelity of DNA polymerases in DNA amplification.

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was used to separate and isolate the products of DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The strategy permitted direct enumeration and identification of point mutations created by T4, modified T7, Klenow fragment of polymerase I, and Thermus aquaticus (Taq) DNA polymerases. Incorrectly synthesized sequences were separated from the wild type by DGGE as mutant/wild-type heteroduplexes and the heteroduplex fraction was used to calculate the average error rate (mutations per base duplication). The error rate induced in the 104-base-pair low-temperature melting domain of exon 3 of the human hypoxanthine/guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene was approximately 3.4 x 10(-5) for modified T7, 1.3 x 10(-4) for Klenow fragment, and 2.1 x 10(-4) for Taq polymerases after a 10(6)-fold amplification. The error rate for T4 DNA polymerase was not more than 3 x 10(-6) error per base duplication. The predominant mutations were sequenced and found to be transitions of G.C to A.T for T4 and modified T7 DNA polymerases, and A.T to G.C for Taq polymerase. Klenow fragment induced both possible transitions and deletions of 2 and 4 base pairs.

Ring-opened 7-methylguanine residues in DNA are a block to in vitro DNA synthesis

Single-stranded M13mp18 phage DNA was methylated with dimethylsulfate (DMS), and further treated with alkali to ring-open N7-methylguanine residues and yield 2-6-diamino-4-hydroxy-5N-methylformamidopyrimidine (Fapy) residues. Nucleotide incorporation during in vitro DNA synthesis on methylated template using E. coli DNA polymerase Klenow fragment (Kf polymerase) was reduced compared to the unmethylated template. Additional treatment of the methylated template with NaOH to generate Fapy residues, further reduced in vitro DNA synthesis compared to the synthesis on methylated templates, which suggested that Fapy residues were a block to in vitro DNA synthesis. Analysis of the termination products on sequencing gels, assuming that synthesis stops one base before a blocking lesion, indicated that arrest of DNA synthesis upon direct alkylation of single-stranded DNA occurred 1 base 3' to template adenine residues in the case of Kf polymerase and 1 base 3' to adenine and cystosine residues for T4 polymerase. When the alkylated templates were treated with NaOH to produce a template which converted all the N7-methylguanine residues to Fapy residues, the blocks to DNA synthesis were still observed one base before adenine residues. In addition to the stops previously observed for the methylated templates, however, new stops occurred one base 3' to template guanine residues for synthesis using both Kf polymerase and T4 polymerase. Fapy residues, therefore, represent a potential lethal lesion which may also arrest in vivo DNA synthesis if not repaired.

Optimal conditions for supercoil DNA sequencing with the Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I large fragment

Sequencing ladders produced from supercoiled DNA templates with the Escherichia coli DNA polymerase Klenow fragment are often unreadable because of a high background and misincorporated nucleotides. This study showed that contaminating RNA molecules can interfere with template: primer hybridization. Procedures are provided for the purification of template DNA and stringent conditions for primer-template hybridization that overcome these problems.

Use of lambda exonuclease for efficient oligonucleotide-mediated site-directed deletion and point mutation of double-stranded DNA.

A novel approach to oligonucleotide-mediated, site-directed in vitro mutagenesis is described that allows for the efficient generation of sequence modifications on double-stranded substrates without the need for subcloning into special vectors. Site-directed deletions as well as point mutations were introduced into the genes encoding human tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase gene using lambda exonuclease to enzymatically degrade DNA 5' to 3' in order to generate a single-stranded template in the immediate vicinity of the oligonucleotide annealing site. The mutagenizing oligonucleotide, used both to redefine the 5' end of the molecule and to introduce base changes, was annealed to the single-stranded target sequence producing substrates for both the exonucleolytic and polymerizing activities of DNA polymerase Klenow fragment. Resolution of the resultant heteroduplex by Escherichia coli resulted in the generation of the desired deletion point mutation in the tPA sequence with an efficiency of 38% as determined by differential hybridization and 32% as determined by restriction analysis, with final verification by sequence data. As a further test of the method, two point mutations were introduced simultaneously with the desired sequence deletion into the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase gene, generating a Pst I restriction site at the junction of the DNA encoding the signal peptide and the mature enzyme with an efficiency of 0.3% as determined by sequence data of hybridization-positive/Pst I-positive clones. The lambda exonuclease procedure is designed for use in situations where site-directed deletions must be introduced efficiently alone or with single or double point mutations.

The effect of the 3',5' thiophosphoryl linkage on the exonuclease activities of T4 polymerase and the Klenow fragment.

The 3'----5' exonuclease activities of T4 DNA polymerase and the Klenow fragment of Polymerase I towards the phosphoryl and thiophosphoryl 3',5' linkage were examined under comparable conditions of idling-turnover, duplex hydrolysis and turnover during polymerization. With the T4 enzyme there is a negligible effect of thiosubstitution on these activities; with the Klenow fragment there is a greater than one hundred-fold reduction in rate with the thiolinkage for the exonuclease but not polymerization activities. This inability to hydrolyze rapidly the thiophosphoryl linkage extends to the hydrolytic activity of Exonuclease III. The quantitation of the exonuclease activities of these three proteins under various conditions should aid in the successful employment of thiophosphoryl nucleoside triphosphates for their incorporation into DNA.