RecBCD Research Articles

Facilitated Loading of RecA Protein Is Essential to Recombination by RecBCD Enzyme

Although the RecB(2109)CD enzyme retains most of the biochemical functions associated with the wild-type RecBCD enzyme, it is completely defective for genetic recombination. Here, we demonstrate that the mutant enzyme exhibits an aberrant double-stranded DNA exonuclease activity, intrinsically producing a 3'-terminal single-stranded DNA overhang that is an ideal substrate for RecA protein-promoted strand invasion. Thus, the mutant enzyme constitutively processes double-stranded DNA in the same manner as the chi-modified wild-type RecBCD enzyme. However, we further show that the RecB(2109)CD enzyme is unable to coordinate the loading of RecA protein onto the single-stranded DNA produced, and we conclude that this inability results in the recombination-defective phenotype of the recB2109 allele. Our findings argue that the facilitated loading of RecA protein by the chi-activated RecBCD enzyme is essential for RecBCD-mediated homologous recombination in vivo.

A Single Mutation, RecBD1080A, Eliminates RecA Protein Loading but Not Chi Recognition by RecBCD Enzyme

Homologous recombination and double-stranded DNA break repair in Escherichia coli are initiated by the multifunctional RecBCD enzyme. After binding to a double-stranded DNA end, the RecBCD enzyme unwinds and degrades the DNA processively. This processing is regulated by the recombination hot spot, Chi (chi: 5'-GCTGGTGG-3'), which induces a switch in the polarity of DNA degradation and activates RecBCD enzyme to coordinate the loading of the DNA strand exchange protein, RecA, onto the single-stranded DNA products of unwinding. Recently, a single mutation in RecB, Asp-1080 --> Ala, was shown to create an enzyme (RecB(D1080A)CD) that is a processive helicase but not a nuclease. Here we show that the RecB(D1080A)CD enzyme is also unable to coordinate the loading of the RecA protein, regardless of whether chi sites are present in the DNA. However, the RecB(D1080A)CD enzyme does respond to chi sites by inactivating in a chi-dependent manner. These data define a locus of the RecBCD enzyme that is essential not only for nuclease function but also for the coordination of RecA protein loading.

Resolution and reconstitution of the rec BC deoxyribonuclease of Escherichia coli

The inactivation of rec BC nuclease activity and simultaneously the separation of 3 DNA-dependent ATPases and an ATP-independent DNases specific for single-stranded DNA have been observed after DEAE-cellulose chromatography of cell extracts from Escherichia coli. Two of the ATPases catalyze the strand separation of duplex DNA. Reconstitution of ATP-dependent DNase activity has been carried out by the combination of the separation enzymes.

Enhancement of post-ultraviolet killing in Escherichia coli K-12 through the action of gyrase inhibitors: evidence for associated gyrase-recBC deoxyribonuclease function

This work in conjunction with the results presented in an earlier report (M. A. Purdy and K. L. Yielding, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 10:182--184, 1976) showed the following. (i) Nalidixic acid and novobiocin could inhibit post-ultraviolet and post-X-ray survival, implicating gyrase function in deoxyribonucleic acid repair. (ii) The inhibition of post-ultraviolet survival requires the action of functional recBC deoxyribonuclease. (iii) Structural changes in the gyrase could (a) cause recBC mutants to exhibit enhancement of post-ultraviolet killing in the presence of novobiocin, (b) increase the ultraviolet sensitivity of recBC mutants, and (c) enhance the thermal lability of a recBCts mutant.

On the role of ATP in phosphodiester bond hydrolysis catalyzed by the recBC deoxyribonuclease of Escherichia coli.

The deoxyribonuclease specified by the recB and recC genes of Escherichia coli (recBC DNase; exonuclease V) has been purified to near homogeneity by a new procedure. Although hydrolysis of even a single nucleotide from a duplex DNA molecule by the pure enzyme is absolutely dependent upon ATP, the extent of phosphodiester hydrolysis is strongly inhibited by ATP concentrations of 0.2 mm or greater, and the initial rate is unaffected. Under these conditions, the extent of DNA hydrolysis is proportional to enzyme concentration. In contrast, neither the rate nor the extent of hydrolysis of single-stranded DNA nor ATP is affected by high concentrations of ATP. The amount of large single-stranded polynucleotide generated by the action of the recBC DNase increases as the ATP concentration increases and, at 0.5 mM ATP, becomes equivalent to the amount of acid-soluble nucleotide formed. These findings suggest that high intracellular concentrations of ATP affect the mechanism of the recBC DNase so as to limit the extent of hydrolysis of duplex DNA, while at the same time favoring the formation of single-stranded regions within the duplex. Such regions may be essential intermediates in the recombination process.

The recBC deoxyribonuclease of Escherichia coli: isolation and characterization of the subunit proteins and reconstitution of the enzyme.

After dissociation of the E. coli recBc DNase (ATP-dependent DNase) with concentrated NaCl, two subunit proteins were isolated by ion exchange chromatography. Combination and subsequent incubation of the subunits resulted in the appearance of the original DNase. The subunit proteins, designated alpha and beta, have s(20,omega) of 4.1 S and 8.1 S, respectively. The alpha subunit possesses neither the ATP-dependent Dnase nor the DNA-dependent ATPase of the original enzyme. The beta subunit contains a low level of both enzymatic activities in a ratio markedly different from that of the original enzyme. The beta subunit complemented extracts from both recB and recC mutant strains to produce recBC DNase, while the alpha subunit did not complement either extract. These results suggest that recB and recC genes are both required for the production of beta subunit and that the recBC DNase molecule contains a protein component (alpha) that is not determined by either the recB or the recC gene.

Nucleoside triphosphate dependence of repair replication in toluenized Escherichia coli

Ultraviolet irradiation of Escherichia coli stimulates non-conservative DNA synthesis in cells rendered permeable to nucleoside triphosphates by treatment with toluene. This synthesis, like semi-conservative replication, proceeds in the presence of millimolar concentrations of ATP. Unlike semi-conservative replication, the ultraviolet-stimulated DNA synthesis can proceed if other nucleoside triphosphates are substituted for ATP. The selective dependence of semi-conservative replication upon ATP has been used to study the repair mode of synthesis in the absence of the semi-conservative mode and to demonstrate the dependence of ultraviolet-stimulated synthesis upon the uvrA gene product. Studies with recB mutants show that the nucleoside triphosphate-dependent ultravioletstimulated DNA synthesis occurs in strains deficient in the RecBC deoxyribonuclease.