Characterization of cold-active uracil-DNA glycosylase from Bacillus sp. HJ171 and its use for contamination control in PCR

In this study, the gene encoding Bacillus sp. HJ171 uracil-DNA glycosylase (Bsp HJ171 UDG) was cloned and sequenced. The Bsp HJ171 UDG gene consists of a 738-bp DNA sequence, which encodes for a protein that is 245-amino-acid residues in length. The deduced amino acid sequence of the Bsp HJ171 UDG had a high sequence similarity with other bacterial UDGs. The molecular mass of the protein derived from this amino acid sequence was 27.218 kDa. The Bsp HJ171 UDG gene was expressed under the control of a T7lac promoter in the pTYB1 plasmid in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The expressed enzyme was purified in one step using the Intein Mediated Purification with an Affinity Chitin-binding Tag purification system. The optimal temperature range, pH, NaCl concentration, and KCl concentration of the purified enzyme was 20–25°C, 8.0, 25 and 25 mM, respectively. The half-life of the enzyme at 40°C and 50°C were approximately 131 and 45 s, respectively. These heat-labile characteristics enabled Bsp HJ171 UDG to control carry-over contamination in the polymerase chain reaction product (PCR) without losing the PCR product. G.A. Kim and M.S. Lee contributed equally to this work.     

Properties of cold-active uracil-DNA glycosylase from Photobacterium aplysiae GMD509, and its PCR application for carryover contamination control

Owing to its selective uracil-excision property, uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG) has been widely utilized in diagnostic PCR applications as an effective decontamination method. Since mesophilic UDGs in PCR has been shown to degrade not just contaminant DNA but also target amplicon, there has been an increase in demand for cold-active UDGs. We characterized UDG from Photobacterium aplysiae GMD509 (Pap GMD509 UDG) expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The optimal temperature range of the enzyme was 25–30 °C, which is considerably lower than any other reported UDG, and the half-life of the enzyme at 40 °C and 50 °C was approximately 77 s and 33 s, respectively. These results clearly demonstrate the fragility of this enzyme upon heating. In addition, we compared the carryover contamination control property of Pap GMD509 UDG with other commercialized UDGs. The results indicate that Pap GMD509 UDG is capable of degrading contaminant DNA without a preincubation step before the main PCR reaction. These attributes imply that the Pap GMD509 UDG is a highly adequate enzyme to prevent carryover contamination during PCR.     

X-ray analysis of a complex of Escherichia coli uracil DNA glycosylase (EcUDG) with a proteinaceous inhibitor. The structure elucidation of a prokaryotic UDG.

Uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG), a key highly conserved DNA repair enzyme involved in uracil excision repair, was discovered in Escherichia coli . The Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage, PBS-1 and PBS-2, which contain dUMP residues in their DNA, express a UDG inhibitor protein, Ugi which binds to UDG very tightly to form a physiologically irreversible complex. The X-ray analysis of the E. coli UDG ( Ec UDG)-Ugi complex at 3.2 A resolution, leads to the first structure elucidation of a bacterial UDG molecule. This structure is similar to the enzymes from human and viral sources. A comparison of the available structures involving UDG permits the delineation of the constant and the variable regions of the molecule. Structural comparison and mutational analysis also indicate that the mode of action of the enzyme from these sources are the same. The crystal structure shows a remarkable spatial conservation of the active site residues involved in DNA binding in spite of significant differences in the structure of the enzyme-inhibitor complex, in comparison with those from the mammalian and viral sources. Ec UDG could serve as a prototype for UDGs from pathogenic prokaryotes, and provide a framework for possible drug development against such pathogens with emphasis on features of the molecule that differ from those in the human enzyme.     

A novel uracil-DNA glycosylase with broad substrate specificity and an unusual active site

Uracil-DNA glycosylases (UDGs) catalyse the removal of uracil by flipping it out of the double helix into their binding pockets, where the glycosidic bond is hydrolysed by a water molecule activated by a polar amino acid. Interestingly, the four known UDG families differ in their active site make-up. The activating residues in UNG and SMUG enzymes are aspartates, thermostable UDGs resemble UNG-type enzymes, but carry glutamate rather than aspartate residues in their active sites, and the less active MUG/TDG enzymes contain an active site asparagine. We now describe the first member of a fifth UDG family, Pa-UDGb from the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon Pyrobaculum aerophilum, the active site of which lacks the polar residue that was hitherto thought to be essential for catalysis. Moreover, Pa-UDGb is the first member of the UDG family that efficiently catalyses the removal of an aberrant purine, hypoxanthine, from DNA. We postulate that this enzyme has evolved to counteract the mutagenic threat of cytosine and adenine deamination, which becomes particularly acute in organisms living at elevated temperatures.     

Biochemical properties of single-stranded DNA-binding protein from Mycobacterium smegmatis,a fast-growing mycobacterium and its physical and functional interaction with uracil DNA glycosylases

The single-stranded DNA-binding proteins (SSBs) are vital to virtually all DNA functions. Here, we report on the biochemical properties of SSB from a fast-growing mycobacteria, Mycobacterium smegmatis, and the interaction of the homotetrameric SSBs with uracil DNA glycosylases (UDGs) from M. smegmatis (Msm), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtu) and Escherichia coli (Eco). UDG is a crucial DNA repair enzyme, which removes the promutagenic uracil residues. MsmSSB stimulates activity of the homologous Msm UDG and of the heterologous Mtu-, and Eco-UDGs. On the contrary, while the MtuSSB stimulates the Mtu UDG, it inhibits the other two UDGs. Although the MsmSSB shares 84% identity with MtuSSB, the two are strikingly different, in that MsmSSB contains a glycine-rich segment (11 out of 13 residues) in the spacer connecting the N-terminal DNA-binding domain with the C-terminal acidic tail. While the DNA-binding properties of MsmSSB, such as its affinity to oligomeric DNA, requirement of minimum size DNA and the modes of interaction are indistinguishable from those of Eco-, and Mtu-SSBs, it is unclear if the glycine-rich segment confers structural advantage to MsmSSB, responsible for its stimulatory effect on all UDGs tested. More importantly, by using a small polypeptide inhibitor of UDGs, and the deletion mutants of SSBs, we suggest that the C-terminal acidic tail of the SSBs interacts within the DNA-binding groove of the UDGs, and propose a role for SSBs in the recruitment of UDGs to the damaged DNA.     

Crystal structure of a family 4 uracil-DNA glycosylase from Thermus thermophilus HB8

Uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG; EC 3.2.2.-) removes uracil from DNA to initiate DNA base excision repair. Since hydrolytic deamination of cytosine to uracil is one of the most frequent DNA-damaging events in all cells, UDG is an essential enzyme for maintaining the integrity of genomic information. For the first time, we report the crystal structure of a family 4 UDG from Thermus thermophilus HB8 (TthUDG) complexed with uracil, solved at 1.5 angstroms resolution. As opposed to UDG enzymes in its other families, TthUDG possesses a [4Fe-4S] cluster. This iron-sulfur cluster, which is distant from the active site, interacts with loop structures and has been suggested to be unessential to the activity but necessary for stabilizing the loop structures. In addition to the iron-sulfur cluster, salt-bridges and ion pairs on the molecular surface and the presence of proline on loops and turns is thought to contribute to the enzyme's thermostability. Despite very low levels of sequence identity with Escherichia coli and human UDGs (family 1) and E.coli G:T/U mismatch-specific DNA glycosylase (MUG) (family 2), the topology and order of secondary structures of TthUDG are similar to those of these distant relatives. Furthermore, the coordinates of the core structure formed by beta-strands are almost the same. Positive charge is distributed over the active-site groove, where TthUDG would bind DNA strands, as do UDG enzymes in other families. TthUDG recognizes uracil specifically in the same manner as does human UDG (family 1), rather than guanine in the complementary strand DNA, as does E.coli MUG (family 2). These results suggest that the mechanism by which family 4 UDGs remove uracils from DNA is similar to that of family 1 enzymes.     

A novel type of uracil-DNA glycosylase mediating repair of hydrolytic DNA damage in the extremely thermophilic eubacterium Thermus thermophilus

Spontaneous hydrolytic deamination of DNA cytosine and 5-methyl-cytosine residues is an abundant source of C/G (5-meC/G) to T/A transition mutations. As a result of this pressure, at least six different families of enzymes have evolved that initiate repair at U/G (T/G) mispairs, the relevant pre-mutagenic intermediates. The necessarily higher rate of the process at elevated temperatures must pose a correspondingly accentuated problem to contemporary thermophilic organisms and may have been a serious bottleneck in early evolution when life passed through a phase of very high ambient temperatures. Here we show that Thermus thermophilus, an aerobic, Gram-negative eubacterium thriving at up to 85°C, harbors two uracil-DNA glycosylases (UDGs), termed TTUDGA and TTUDGB. According to both amino acid sequence and enzymatic properties, TTUDGA clearly belongs to the family of ‘thermostable UDGs’. TTUDGB shares with TTUDGA 23% sequence identity, but differs from it in profound functional aspects. TTUDGB, unlike TTUDGA, does not act upon uracil residues in the context of single-stranded DNA whereas both enzymes process various double-stranded substrates, albeit with different preferences. TTUDGB shows a number of sequence features characteristic of the UDG superfamily, but surprisingly lacks any polar residue within its so-called motif 1 (GLAPG-X₁₀-F). This finding is in conflict with a previously assumed crucial catalytic role of motif 1 in water activation and supports a more recently suggested alternative of a dissociative (‘S_N1-type’) reaction mechanism. Together, the characteristics of TTUDGB and its homologs in other organisms define a novel family of UDG repair enzymes.     

An iron-sulfur cluster in the family 4 uracil-DNA glycosylases

The 25-kDa Family 4 uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG) from Pyrobaculum aerophilum has been expressed and purified in large quantities for structural analysis. In the process we observed it to be colored and subsequently found that it contained iron. Here we demonstrate that P. aerophilum UDG has an iron-sulfur center with the EPR characteristics typical of a 4Fe4S high potential iron protein. Interestingly, it does not share any sequence similarity with the classic iron-sulfur proteins, although four cysteines (which are strongly conserved in the thermophilic members of Family 4 UDGs) may represent the metal coordinating residues. The conservation of these residues in other members of the family suggest that 4Fe4S clusters are a common feature. Although 4Fe4S clusters have been observed previously in Nth/MutY DNA repair enzymes, this is the first observation of such a feature in the UDG structural superfamily. Similar to the Nth/MutY enzymes, the Family 4 UDG centers probably play a structural rather than a catalytic role.     

Contrasting effects of mutating active site residues, aspartic acid 64 and histidine 187 of Escherichia coli uracil-DNA glycosylase on uracil excision and interaction with an inhibitor protein

Uracil, a promutagenic base, arises in DNA by spontaneous deamination of cytosine or by the malfunctioning of DNA polymerases. To maintain the genomic integrity, cells possess a highly conserved base excision repair enzyme, uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG). UDGs have a notably high turnover number and strict specificity for uracil in DNA. UDGs are inhibited by a small proteinaceous inhibitor, Ugi, which acts as a transition state substrate mimic. Crystal structure studies have identified the residues crucial in catalysis, and in their interaction with Ugi. Here, we report on the mutational analyses of D64 (D64H and D64N) and H187 (H187C, H187L and H187R) in the active site pocket of Escherichia coli UDG. The mutants were compromised in uracil excision by approximately 200-25,000 fold when compared to the native protein. In contrast, our analysis of the in vivo formed UDG-Ugi complexes on urea gels shows that D64 and H187 contribute minimally to the interaction of the two proteins. Thus, our findings provide further evidence to the primary function of D64 and H187 in catalysis.     

Consensus sequences for good and poor removal of uracil from double stranded DNA by uracil-DNA glycosylase.

We have purified uracil DNA-glycosylase (UDG) from calf thymus 32,000-fold and studied its biochemical properties, including sequence specificity. The enzyme is apparently closely related to human UDG, since it was recognised by a polyclonal antibody directed towards human UDG. SDS-PAGE and western analysis indicate an apparent M(r) = 27,500. Bovine UDG has a 1.7-fold preference for single stranded over double stranded DNA as a substrate. Sequence specificity for uracil removal from dsDNA was examined for bovine and Escherichia coli UDG, using DNA containing less than one dUMP residue per 100 nucleotides and synthetic oligonucleotides containing one dUMP residue. Comparative studies involving about 40 uracil sites indicated similar specificities for both UDGs. We found more than a 10-fold difference in rates of uracil removal between different sequences. 5'-G/CUT-3' and 5'-G/CUG/C-3' were consensus sequences for poor repair whereas 5'-A/TUAA/T-3' was a consensus for good repair. Sequence specificity was verified in double stranded oligonucleotides, but not in single stranded ones, suggesting that the structure of the double stranded DNA helix has influence on sequence specificity. Rate of uracil removal appeared to be slightly faster from U:A base pairs as compared to U:G mis-matches. The results indicate that sequence specific repair may be a determinant to be considered in mutagenesis.     

极端嗜热古菌尿嘧啶DNA糖苷酶的研究进展

高温会加快碱基脱氨基反应形成损伤碱基的速率,进一步对脱氨基的碱基进行复制会导致突变。因此,极端嗜热古菌基因组的稳定性面临着其生存高温环境的挑战。胞嘧啶脱氨基形成尿嘧啶,是常见的脱碱基类型,复制DNA中尿嘧啶会造成GC→AT的突变。尿嘧啶DNA糖苷酶(Uracil DNA glycosylase,UDG)是修复DNA中尿嘧啶的关键酶。基于识别底物的特异性,UDG分为6个家族,广泛分布在细菌、古菌、真核生物以及一些病毒中。基因组序列显示,极端嗜热古菌至少编码一种UDG。目前,对于细菌和真核生物的UDG已进行了大量的研究,但是关于极端嗜热古菌UDG的研究相对较少,尚处于初期阶段。本文综述了极端嗜热古菌UDG的研究进展,并对今后的研究提出了展望。     

Substitutions at tyrosine 66 of Escherichia coli uracil DNA glycosylase lead to characterization of an efficient enzyme that is recalcitrant to product inhibition

Uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG), a ubiquitous and highly specific enzyme, commences the uracil excision repair pathway. Structural studies have shown that the tyrosine in a highly conserved GQDPY water-activating loop of UDGs blocks the entry of thymine or purines into the active site pocket. To further understand the role of this tyrosine (Y66 in Escherichia coli UDG), we have overproduced and characterized Y66F, Y66H, Y66L and Y66W mutants. The complexes of the wild-type, Y66F, Y66H and Y66L UDGs with uracil DNA glycosylase inhibitor (Ugi) (a proteinaceous substrate mimic) were stable to 8 M urea. However, some dissociation of the complex involving the Y66W UDG occurred at this concentration of urea. The catalytic efficiencies (V_max / K_m) of the Y66L and Y66F mutants were similar to those of the wild-type UDG. However, the Y66W and Y66H mutants were ~7- and ~173-fold compromised, respectively, in their activities. Interestingly, the Y66W mutation has resulted in an enzyme which is resistant to product inhibition. Preferential utilization of a substrate enabling a long range contact between the –5 phosphate (upstream to the scissile uracil) and the enzyme, and the results of modeling studies showing that the uracil-binding cavity of Y66W is wider than those of the wild type and other mutant UDGs, suggest a weaker interaction between uracil and the Y66W mutant. Furthermore, the fluorescence spectroscopy of UDGs and their complexes with Ugi, in the presence of uracil or its analog, 5-bromouracil, suggests compromised binding of uracil in the active site pocket of the Y66W mutant. Lack of inhibition of the Y66W UDG by apyrimidinic DNA (AP-DNA) is discussed to highlight a potential additional role of Y66 in shielding the toxic effects of AP-DNA, by lowering the rate of its release for subsequent recognition by an AP endonuclease.     

A unique uracil-DNA binding protein of the uracil DNA glycosylase superfamily

Uracil DNA glycosylases (UDGs) are an important group of DNA repair enzymes, which pioneer the base excision repair pathway by recognizing and excising uracil from DNA. Based on two short conserved sequences (motifs A and B), UDGs have been classified into six families. Here we report a novel UDG, UdgX, from Mycobacterium smegmatis and other organisms. UdgX specifically recognizes uracil in DNA, forms a tight complex stable to sodium dodecyl sulphate, 2-mercaptoethanol, urea and heat treatment, and shows no detectable uracil excision. UdgX shares highest homology to family 4 UDGs possessing Fe-S cluster. UdgX possesses a conserved sequence, KRRIH, which forms a flexible loop playing an important role in its activity. Mutations of H in the KRRIH sequence to S, G, A or Q lead to gain of uracil excision activity in MsmUdgX, establishing it as a novel member of the UDG superfamily. Our observations suggest that UdgX marks the uracil-DNA for its repair by a RecA dependent process. Finally, we observed that the tight binding activity of UdgX is useful in detecting uracils in the genomes.     

NADP+-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase in the Antarctic psychrotolerant bacterium Psychrobacter sp. TAD1. Characterization, protein and DNA sequence, and relationship to other glutamate dehydrogenases.

The Antarctic psychrotolerant bacterium Psychrobacter sp. TAD1 contains two distinct glutamate dehydrogenases (GDH), each specific for either NADP+ or NAD+. This feature is quite unusual in bacteria, which generally have a single GDH. NADP+-dependent GDH has been purified to homogeneity and the gene encoding GDH has been cloned and expressed. The enzyme has a hexameric structure. The amino acid sequence determined by peptide and gene analyses comprises 447 residues, yielding a protein with a molecular mass of 49 285 Da. The sequence shows homology with hexameric GDHs, with identity levels of 52% and 49% with Escherichia coli and Clostridium symbiosum GDH, respectively. The coenzyme-binding fingerprint motif GXGXXG/A (common to all GDHs) has Ser at the last position in this enzyme. The overall hydrophilic character is increased and a five-residue insertion in a loop between two alpha-helices may contribute to the increase in protein flexibility. Psychrobacter sp. TAD1 GDH apparent temperature optimum is shifted towards low temperatures, whereas irreversible heat inactivation occurs at temperatures similar to those of E. coli GDH. The catalytic efficiency in the temperature range 10-30 degrees C is similar or lower than that of E. coli GDH. Unlike E. coli GDH the enzyme exhibits marked positive cooperativity towards 2-oxoglutarate and NADPH. This feature is generally absent in prokaryotic GDHs. These observations suggest a regulatory role for this GDH, the most crucial feature being the structural/functional properties required for fine regulation of activity, rather than the high catalytic efficiency and thermolability encountered in several cold-active enzymes.     

Phylogenomic analysis of the uracil-DNA glycosylase superfamily

The spontaneous deamination of cytosine produces uracil mispaired with guanine in DNA, which will produce a mutation, unless repaired. In all domains of life, uracil-DNA glycosylases (UDGs) are responsible for the elimination of uracil from DNA. Thus, UDGs contribute to the integrity of the genetic information and their loss results in mutator phenotypes. We are interested in understanding the role of UDG genes in the evolutionary variation of the rate and the spectrum of spontaneous mutations. To this end, we determined the presence or absence of the five main UDG families in more than 1,000 completely sequenced genomes and analyzed their patterns of gene loss and gain in eubacterial lineages. We observe nonindependent patterns of gene loss and gain between UDG families in Eubacteria, suggesting extensive functional overlap in an evolutionary timescale. Given that UDGs prevent transitions at G:C sites, we expected the loss of UDG genes to bias the mutational spectrum toward a lower equilibrium G + C content. To test this hypothesis, we used phylogenetically independent contrasts to compare the G + C content at intergenic and 4-fold redundant sites between lineages where UDG genes have been lost and their sister clades. None of the main UDG families present in Eubacteria was associated with a higher G + C content at intergenic or 4-fold redundant sites. We discuss the reasons of this negative result and report several features of the evolution of the UDG superfamily with implications for their functional study. uracil-DNA glycosylase, mutation rate evolution, mutational bias, GC content, DNA repair, mutator gene.     

Chimeras between single-stranded DNA-binding proteins from Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis reveal that their C-terminal domains interact with uracil DNA glycosylases

Uracil, a promutagenic base in DNA can arise by spontaneous deamination of cytosine or incorporation of dUMP by DNA polymerase. Uracil is removed from DNA by uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG), the first enzyme in the uracil excision repair pathway. We recently reported that the Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) facilitated uracil excision from certain structured substrates by E. coli UDG (EcoUDG) and suggested the existence of interaction between SSB and UDG. In this study, we have made use of the chimeric proteins obtained by fusion of N- and C-terminal domains of SSBs from E. coli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis to investigate interactions between SSBs and UDGs. The EcoSSB or a chimera containing its C-terminal domain interacts with EcoUDG in a binary (SSB-UDG) or a ternary (DNA-SSB-UDG) complex. However, the chimera containing the N-terminal domain from EcoSSB showed no interactions with EcoUDG. Thus, the C-terminal domain (48 amino acids) of EcoSSB is necessary and sufficient for interaction with EcoUDG. The data also suggest that the C-terminal domain (34 amino acids) of MtuSSB is a predominant determinant for mediating its interaction with MtuUDG. The mechanism of how the interactions between SSB and UDG could be important in uracil excision repair pathway has been discussed.     

Purification, characterization, and sequencing of an extracellular cold-active aminopeptidase produced by marine psychrophile Colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34H

The limited database on cold-active extracellular proteases from marine bacteria was expanded by successful purification and initial biochemical and structural characterization of a family M1 aminopeptidase (designated ColAP) produced by the marine psychrophile Colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34H. The 71-kDa enzyme displayed a low optimum temperature (19 degrees C) and narrow pH range (pH 6 to 8.5) for activity and greater thermolability than other extracellular proteases. Sequencing of the gene encoding ColAP revealed a predicted amino acid sequence with the highest levels of identity (45 to 55%) to M1 aminopeptidases from mesophilic members of the gamma subclass of the Proteobacteria and the next highest levels of identity (35 to 36%) to leukotriene A(4) hydrolases from mammalian sources. Compared to mesophilic homologs, ColAP had structural differences thought to increase the flexibility for activity in the cold; for example, it had fewer proline residues, fewer ion pairs, and a lower hydrophobic residue content. In addition to intrinsic properties that determine enzyme activity and stability, we also investigated effects of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from spent culture medium of strain 34H on ColAP activity at an environmentally relevant temperature (0 degrees C) and at 45 degrees C (the maximum temperature for activity). In both cases, ColAP stability increased significantly in the presence of EPS, indicating the importance of considering environmentally relevant extrinsic factors when enzyme structure and function are investigated.     

Crystal structure of vaccinia virus uracil-DNA glycosylase reveals dimeric assembly

Background  

Uracil-DNA glycosylases (UDGs) catalyze excision of uracil from DNA. Vaccinia virus, which is the prototype of poxviruses, encodes a UDG (vvUDG) that is significantly different from the UDGs of other organisms in primary, secondary and tertiary structure and characteristic motifs. It adopted a novel catalysis-independent role in DNA replication that involves interaction with a viral protein, A20, to form the processivity factor. UDG:A20 association is essential for assembling of the processive DNA polymerase complex. The structure of the protein must have provisions for such interactions with A20. This paper provides the first glimpse into the structure of a poxvirus UDG.     

Arabidopsis Uracil DNA Glycosylase (UNG) Is Required for Base Excision Repair of Uracil and Increases Plant Sensitivity to 5-Fluorouracil

Uracil in DNA arises by misincorporation of dUMP during replication and by hydrolytic deamination of cytosine. This common lesion is actively removed through a base excision repair (BER) pathway initiated by a uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG) activity that excises the damage as a free base. UDGs are classified into different families differentially distributed across eubacteria, archaea, yeast, and animals, but remain to be unambiguously identified in plants. We report here the molecular characterization of AtUNG (Arabidopsis thaliana uracil DNA glycosylase), a plant member of the Family-1 of UDGs typified by Escherichia coli Ung. AtUNG exhibits the narrow substrate specificity and single-stranded DNA preference that are characteristic of Ung homologues. Cell extracts from atung^−/− mutants are devoid of UDG activity, and lack the capacity to initiate BER on uracil residues. AtUNG-deficient plants do not display any apparent phenotype, but show increased resistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a cytostatic drug that favors dUMP misincorporation into DNA. The resistance of atung^−/− mutants to 5-FU is accompanied by the accumulation of uracil residues in DNA. These results suggest that AtUNG excises uracil in vivo but generates toxic AP sites when processing abundant U:A pairs in dTTP-depleted cells. Altogether, our findings point to AtUNG as the major UDG activity in Arabidopsis.     

Effects of mutations at tyrosine 66 and asparagine 123 in the active site pocket of Escherichia coli uracil DNA glycosylase on uracil excision from synthetic DNA oligomers: evidence for the occurrence of long-range interactions between the enzyme and substrate

Uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG), a highly conserved DNA repair enzyme, excises uracil from DNA. Crystal structures of several UDGs have identified residues important for their exquisite specificity in detection and removal of uracil. Of these, Y66 and N123 in Escherichia coli UDG have been proposed to restrict the entry of non-uracil residues into the active site pocket. In this study, we show that the uracil excision activity of the Y66F mutant was similar to that of the wild-type protein, whereas the activities of the other mutants (Y66C, Y66S, N123D, N123E and N123Q) were compromised approximately 1000-fold. The latter class of mutants showed an increased dependence on the substrate chain length and suggested the existence of long-range interactions of the substrate with UDG. Investigation of the phosphate interactions by the ethylation interference assay reaffirmed the key importance of the -1, +1 and +2 phosphates (with respect to the scissile uracil) to the enzyme activity. Interestingly, this assay also revealed an additional interference at the -5 position phosphate, whose presence in the substrate had a positive effect on substrate utilisation by the mutants that do not possess a full complement of interactions in the active site pocket. Such long-range interactions may be crucial even for the wild-type enzyme under in vivo conditions. Further, our results suggest that the role of Y66 and N123 in UDG is not restricted merely to preventing the entry of non-uracil residues. We discuss their additional roles in conferring stability to the transition state enzyme-substrate complex and/or enhancing the leaving group quality of the uracilate anion during catalysis.