Aberrant DNA repair and DNA replication due to an inherited enzymatic defect in human DNA ligase I.

Two missense mutations in different alleles of the DNA ligase I gene have been described in a patient (46BR) with immunodeficiencies and cellular hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. One of the mutant alleles produces an inactive protein, while the other encodes an enzyme with some residual activity. A subline of identical phenotype that is homozygous (or hemizygous) for the mutant allele encoding this partially active enzyme has facilitated characterization of the enzymatic defect in 46BR. This subline retains only 3 to 5% of normal DNA ligase I activity. The intermediates in the ligation reaction, DNA ligase I-AMP and nicked DNA-AMP, accumulate in vitro and in vivo. The defect of the 46BR enzyme lies primarily in conversion of nicked DNA-AMP into the final ligated DNA product. Assays of DNA repair in 46BR cell extracts and of DNA replication in permeabilized cells have clarified functional roles of DNA ligase I. The initial rate of ligation of Okazaki fragments during DNA replication is apparently normal in 46BR cells, but 25 to 30% of the fragments remain in low-molecular-weight form for prolonged times. DNA base excision repair by 46BR cell extracts shows a delay in ligation and an anomalously long repair patch size that is reduced upon addition of purified normal DNA ligase I.     

Segregation of relaxed replicated dimers when DNA ligase and DNA polymerase I are limited during oriC-specific DNA replication.

An in vitro Escherichia coli oriC-specific DNA replication system was used to investigate the DNA replication pathways of oriC plasmids. When this system was perturbed by the DNA ligase inhibitor nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), alterations occurred in the initiation of DNA synthesis and processing of intermediates and DNA products. Addition of high concentrations of NMN soon after initiation resulted in the accumulation of open circular dimers (OC-OC). These dimers were decatenated to open circular monomers (form II or OC), which were then processed to closed circular supercoiled monomers (form I or CC) products. After a delay, limited ligation of the interlinked dimers (OC-OC to CC-OC and CC-CC) also occurred. Similar results were obtained with replication protein extracts from polA mutants. The presence of NMN before any initiation events took place prolonged the existence of nicked template DNA and promoted, without a lag period, limited incorporation into form II molecules. This DNA synthesis was nonspecific with respect to oriC, as judged by DnaA protein dependence, and presumably occurred at nicks in the template DNA. These results are consistent with oriC-specific initiation requiring closed supercoiled molecules dependent on DNA ligase activity. The results also show that decatenation of dimers occurs readily on nicked dimer and represents an efficient pathway for processing replication intermediates in vitro.     

Mechanism of stimulation of DNA replication by bacteriophage phi 29 single-stranded DNA-binding protein p5

Protein p5 is a Bacillus subtilis phage phi 29-encoded protein required for phi 29 DNA replication in vivo. Protein p5 has single-stranded DNA binding (SSB) capacity and stimulates in vitro DNA replication severalfold when phi 29 DNA polymerase is used to replicate either the natural phi 29 DNA template or primed M13 single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). Furthermore, other SSB proteins, including Escherichia coli SSB, T4 gp32, adenovirus DNA-binding protein, and human replication factor A, can functionally substitute for protein p5. The stimulatory effect of phi 29 protein p5 is not due to an increase of the DNA replication rate. When both phi 29 DNA template and M13 competitor ssDNA are added simultaneously to the replication reaction, phi 29 DNA replication is strongly inhibited. This inhibition is fully overcome by adding protein p5, suggesting that protein p5-coated M13 ssDNA is no longer able to compete for replication factors, probably phi 29 DNA polymerase, which has a strong affinity for ssDNA. Electron microscopy demonstrates that protein p5 binds to M13 ssDNA forming saturated complexes with a smoothly contoured appearance and producing a 2-fold reduction of the DNA length. Protein p5 also binds to ssDNA in the phi 29 replicative intermediates produced in vitro, which are similar in structure to those observed in vivo. Our results strongly suggest that phi 29 protein p5 is the phi 29 SSB protein active during phi 29 DNA replication.     

Mechanism of stimulation of human DNA ligase I by the Rad9-rad1-Hus1 checkpoint complex

Accumulating evidence suggests that the Rad9-Rad1-Hus1 (9-1-1) checkpoint complex, known to be a sensor of DNA damage, is also a component of DNA repair systems. Recent results show that 9-1-1 interacts with several base excision repair proteins. It binds the DNA glycosylase MutY homolog, and stimulates DNA polymerase beta, flap endonuclease 1, and DNA ligase I. 9-1-1 resembles proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which stimulates some of these same repair enzymes, and is loaded onto DNA in a similar manner. The complex of 9-1-1 with DNA ligase I can be immunoprecipitated from human cells. Moreover, UV irradiation stimulates 9-1-1.ligase I complex formation, suggesting a role for 9-1-1 in DNA repair. Examining the nature of 9-1-1 interaction with DNA ligase I, we show that there is a similar degree of stimulation on ligation substrates with different structures, and that there is specificity for DNA ligase I. 9-1-1 improves the binding of DNA ligase I to nicked double strand DNA. Furthermore, although high concentrations of casein kinase II strongly inhibits DNA ligase I activity, it does not affect the ability of 9-1-1 to stimulate. This suggests that 9-1-1 is also an activator of DNA ligase I during DNA damage. Unlike PCNA, 9-1-1 stimulates DNA ligase I activity to the same extent on both linear and circular substrates, indicating that encirclement is not a requirement for stimulation. These data are consistent with a direct role for 9-1-1 in DNA repair, but possibly employing a different mechanism than PCNA.     

DNA ligase I and Nbs1 proteins associate in a complex and colocalize at replication factories

DNA ligase I is the main DNA ligase activity involved in eukaryotic DNA replication acting in the joining of Okazaki fragments. This enzyme is also implicated in nucleotide excision repair and in the long-patch base excision repair while its role in the recombinational repair pathways is poorly understood. DNA ligase I is phosphorylated during cell cycle at several serine and threonine residues that regulate its participation in different DNA transactions by modulating the interaction with different protein partners. Here we use an antibody-based array method to identify novel DNA ligase-interacting partners. We show that DNA ligase I participates in several multiprotein complexes with proteins involved in DNA replication and repair, cell cycle control, and protein modification. In particular we demonstrate that DNA ligase I complexes with Nbs1, a core component of the MRN complex critical for detection, processing and repair of double-stranded DNA breaks. The analysis of epitope tagged DNA ligase I mutants demonstrates that the association is mediated by the catalytic fragment of the enzyme. DNA ligase I and Nbs1 colocalize at replication factories during unperturbed replication and after treatment with DNA damaging agents. Since MRN complex is involved in the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks by homologous recombination at stalled replication forks our data support the notion that DNA ligase I participates in homology dependent pathways that deal with replication-associated lesions generated when replication fork encounters DNA damage.     

DNA ligase I from Xenopus laevis eggs.

We have purified the major DNA ligase from Xenopus laevis eggs and raised antibodies against it. Estimates from SDS PAGE indicate that this DNA ligase is a 180 kDa protein. This enzyme is similar to the mammalian type I DNA ligase which is presumed to be involved in DNA replication. We have also analysed DNA ligase activity during X. laevis early development. Unfertilized eggs contain the highest level of activity reflecting the requirement for a large amount of DNA replicative enzymes for the period of intense replication following fertilization. In contrast with previous studies on the amphibians axolotl and Pleurodeles, the major DNA ligase activity detected during X. laevis early development is catalysed by a single enzyme: DNA ligase I. And the presence of this DNA ligase I in Xenopus egg before fertilization clearly demonstrates that the exclusion process of two forms of DNA ligase does not occur during X. laevis early development.     

Discontinuous replication of colicin E1 plasmid DNA in a cell extract containing thermolabile DNA ligase.

A cell extract prepared from the lig-ts7 mutant of Escherichia coli is able to carry out a complete round of DNA replication of colicin E1 plasmid at 25 °C. However, the apparent rate of elongation of the progeny strands at this temperature is much smaller than in an extract from the thermoresistant revertant cells. Chain elongation in the lig-ts extract is depressed by raising the incubation temperature from 25 °C to 32 °C, whereas that in the lig⁺ revertant extract is not. The rate of closure of the progeny strands of newly formed open circular molecules is also reduced in the lig-ts extract, even at 25 °C.The DNA pulse-labelled with the lig-ts extract for 30 seconds at 32 °C contains a large amount of short DNA fragments of approximately 7 S, in addition to DNA chains of various sizes between 7 S and 17 S (unit length). Most of these replicating molecules are converted to completely replicated closed circular molecules upon chasing with a lig⁺ extract. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments show that molecules replicated to various extents contain 7 S DNA fragments of both strands, but more of the L-strand component, whose 5′-to-3′ direction corresponds to the overall direction of unidirectional replication. The longer DNA chains are enriched in the H-strand component.The cell extracts used for the plasmid DNA replication have an activity which converts alkali-labile closed circular plasmid DNA containing apurinic sites to alkali-stable closed circular molecules. Addition of nicotinamide mononucleotide leads to conversion of the alkali-labile DNA to open circular molecules. In the replication system with the cell extract, however, the compound does not interfere with elongation of progeny strands. Chain elongation in the lig-ts extract at 25 °C is not significantly affected by nicotinamide mononucleotide. Thus, the 7 S DNA fragments formed with the lig-ts extract are unlikely to be generated as a result of incomplete repair of misincorporated nucleotides. We conclude that both strands of colicin E1 plasmid DNA replicate discontinuously.     

Mechanism of protein priming DNA replication of B.subtilis phage M2.

B.subtilis phage M2 uses a protein, instead of RNA, as the primer of its DNA replication. Hence this protein encoded in the phage genome is called as the primer protein (PP). At the initiation of DNA replication, a hetero dimer complex with its own DNA polymerase and the PP supposed to interact with the terminal protein (TP), which is covalently bound to the template DNA (TP-DNA). PP contained an important adhesive amino acid sequence, Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD), near the carboxyl terminal. We have recently showed that the synthetic RGD peptide inhibited the transfection of phage M2. By site-directed mutagenesis, we introduced different amino acid into the RGD site of PP. These altered PP decreased obviously the priming activity in vitro.     

Structure-activity relationships among DNA ligase inhibitors: Characterization of a selective uncompetitive DNA ligase I inhibitor

In human cells, there are three genes that encode DNA ligase polypeptides with distinct but overlapping functions. Previously small molecule inhibitors of human DNA ligases were identified using a structure-based approach. Three of these inhibitors, L82, a DNA ligase I (LigI)-selective inhibitor, and L67, an inhibitor of LigI and DNA ligases III (LigIII), and L189, an inhibitor of all three human DNA ligases, have related structures that are composed of two 6-member aromatic rings separated by different linkers. Here we have performed a structure-activity analysis to identify determinants of activity and selectivity. The majority of the LigI-selective inhibitors had a pyridazine ring whereas the LigI/III- and LigIII-selective inhibitors did not. In addition, the aromatic rings in LigI-selective inhibitors had either arylhydrazone or acylhydrazone, but not vinyl linkers. Among the LigI-selective inhibitors, L82-G17 exhibited increased activity against and selectivity for LigI compared with L82. Notably. L82-G17 is an uncompetitive inhibitor of the third step of the ligation reaction, phosphodiester bond formation. Cells expressing LigI were more sensitive to L82-G17 than isogenic LIG1 null cells. Furthermore, cells lacking nuclear LigIIIα, which can substitute for LigI in DNA replication, were also more sensitive to L82-G17 than isogenic parental cells. Together, our results demonstrate that L82-G17 is a LigI-selective inhibitor with utility as a probe of the catalytic activity and cellular functions of LigI and provide a framework for the future design of DNA ligase inhibitors.     

A geminivirus replication protein is a sequence-specific DNA binding protein.

The genome of the geminivirus tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV) consists of two circular DNA molecules designated as components A and B. The A component encodes the only viral protein, AL1, that is required for viral replication. We showed that AL1 interacts specifically with TGMV A and B DNA by using an immunoprecipitation assay for AL1:DNA complex formation. In this assay, a monoclonal antibody against AL1 precipitated AL1:TGMV DNA complexes, whereas an unrelated antibody failed to precipitate the complexes. Competition assays with homologous and heterologous DNAs established the specificity of AL1:DNA binding. AL1 produced by transgenic tobacco plants and by baculovirus-infected insect cells exhibited similar DNA binding activity. The AL1 binding site maps to 52 bp on the left side of the common region, a 235-bp region that is highly conserved between the two TGMV genome components. The AL1:DNA binding site does not include the putative hairpin structure that is conserved in the common regions or the equivalent 5' intergenic regions of all geminiviruses. These studies demonstrate that a geminivirus replication protein is a sequence-specific DNA binding protein, and the studies have important implications for the role of this protein in virus replication.     

Mammalian DNA ligases. Catalytic domain and size of DNA ligase I.

DNA ligase I is the major DNA ligase activity in proliferating mammalian cells. The protein has been purified to apparent homogeneity from calf thymus. It has a monomeric structure and a blocked N-terminal residue. DNA ligase I is a 125-kDa polypeptide as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis and by gel chromatography under denaturing conditions, whereas hydrodynamic measurements indicate that the enzyme is an asymmetric 98-kDa protein. Immunoblotting with rabbit polyclonal antibodies to the enzyme revealed a single polypeptide of 125 kDa in freshly prepared crude cell extracts of calf thymus. Limited digestion of the purified DNA ligase I with several reagent proteolytic enzymes generated a relatively protease-resistant 85-kDa fragment. This domain retained full catalytic activity. Similar results were obtained with partially purified human DNA ligase I. The active large fragment represents the C-terminal part of the intact protein, and contains an epitope conserved between mammalian DNA ligase I and yeast and vaccinia virus DNA ligases. The function of the N-terminal region of DNA ligase I is unknown.     

Mammalian DNA ligases. Biosynthesis and intracellular localization of DNA ligase I

Mammalian DNA ligase I is presumed to act in DNA replication. Rabbit antibodies against the homogeneous enzyme from calf thymus inhibited DNA ligase I activity and consistently recognized a single polypeptide of 125 kDa when cells from an established bovine kidney cell line (MDBK) were lysed rapidly by a variety of procedures and subjected to immunoblotting analysis. After biosynthetic labeling of MDBK cells with [35S]methionine, immunoprecipitation experiments revealed a polypeptide of 125 kDa that did not appear when purified calf thymus DNA ligase I was used in competition. A 125-kDa polypeptide was adenylated when immunoprecipitated protein from MDBK cells was incubated with [alpha-32P]ATP. Thus, the apparent molecular mass of the initial translation product is identical or nearly so to that of the purified enzyme. The half-life of the protein is 7 h as determined by pulse-chase experiments in asynchronous MDBK cells. Immunocytochemistry and indirect immunofluorescence experiments showed that DNA ligase I is localized to cell nuclei.     

A tetrapyrrole-regulated ubiquitin ligase controls algal nuclear DNA replication

In plant cells, organelle DNA replication (ODR) is coordinated with nuclear DNA replication (NDR), with ODR preceding NDR during cell cycle progression. We previously showed that the occurrence of ODR is signalled by a tetrapyrrole compound, most likely Mg-protoporphyrin IX (Mg-ProtoIX), resulting in the activation of cyclin-dependent kinase A (CDKA) and consequent initiation of NDR (refs 1, 2, 3). Here we identify an F-box protein of SCF-type E3 ubiquitin ligase (Fbx3) in the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae, which inhibits CDKA by ubiquitylating the relevant cyclin and inducing its degradation. Mg-ProtoIX binds to Fbx3 and inhibits cyclin ubiquitylation. Thus, these observations indicate that Fbx3 serves as the receptor for the plastid-to-nucleus retrograde signal Mg-ProtoIX and thereby contributes to a checkpoint mechanism ensuring coordination of ODR and NDR.     

Knockdown of DNA ligase IV/XRCC4 by RNA interference inhibits herpes simplex virus type I DNA replication

Herpes simplex virus has a linear double-stranded DNA genome with directly repeated terminal sequences needed for cleavage and packaging of replicated DNA. In infected cells, linear genomes rapidly become endless. It is currently a matter of discussion whether the endless genomes are circles supporting rolling circle replication or arise by recombination of linear genomes forming concatemers. Here, we have examined the role of mammalian DNA ligases in the herpes simplex virus, type I (HSV-1) life cycle by employing RNA interference (RNAi) in human 1BR.3.N fibroblasts. We find that RNAi-mediated knockdown of DNA ligase IV and its co-factor XRCC4 causes a hundred-fold reduction of virus yield, a small plaque phenotype, and reduced DNA synthesis. The effect is specific because RNAi against DNA ligase I or DNA ligase III fail to reduce HSV-1 replication. Furthermore, RNAi against DNA ligase IV and XRCC4 does not affect replication of adenovirus. In addition, high multiplicity infections of HSV-1 in human DNA ligase IV-deficient cells reveal a pronounced delay of production of infectious virus. Finally, we demonstrate that formation of endless genomes is inhibited by RNAi-mediated depletion of DNA ligase IV and XRCC4. Our results suggests that DNA ligase IV/XRCC4 serves an important role in the replication cycle of herpes viruses and is likely to be required for the formation of the endless genomes early during productive infection.     

DNA ligase I is recruited to sites of DNA replication by an interaction with proliferating cell nuclear antigen: identification of a common targeting mechanism for the assembly of replication factories.

In mammalian cells, DNA replication occurs at discrete nuclear sites termed replication factories. Here we demonstrate that DNA ligase I and the large subunit of replication factor C (RF-C p140) have a homologous sequence of approximately 20 amino acids at their N-termini that functions as a replication factory targeting sequence (RFTS). This motif consists of two boxes: box 1 contains the sequence IxxFF whereas box 2 is rich in positively charged residues. N-terminal fragments of DNA ligase I and the RF-C large subunit that contain the RFTS both interact with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in vitro. Moreover, the RFTS of DNA ligase I and of the RF-C large subunit is necessary and sufficient for the interaction with PCNA. Both subnuclear targeting and PCNA binding by the DNA ligase I RFTS are abolished by replacement of the adjacent phenylalanine residues within box 1. Since sequences similar to the RFTS/PCNA-binding motif have been identified in other DNA replication enzymes and in p21(CIP1/WAF1), we propose that, in addition to functioning as a DNA polymerase processivity factor, PCNA plays a central role in the recruitment and stable association of DNA replication proteins at replication factories.     

The N-terminal domain of human DNA ligase I contains the nuclear localization signal and directs the enzyme to sites of DNA replication.

DNA replication in mammalian cells occurs in discrete nuclear foci called 'replication factories'. Here we show that DNA ligase I, the main DNA ligase activity in proliferating cells, associates with the factories during S phase but displays a diffuse nucleoplasmic distribution in non-S phase nuclei. Immunolocalization analysis of both chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT)-DNA ligase I fusion proteins and epitope tagged DNA ligase I mutants allowed the identification of a 13 amino acid functional nuclear localization signal (NLS) located in the N-terminal regulatory domain of the protein. Furthermore, the NLS is immediately preceded by a 115 amino acid region required for the association of the enzyme with the replication factories. We propose that in vivo the activity of DNA ligase I could be modulated through the control of its sub-nuclear compartmentalization.     

DNA ligase I mediates essential functions in mammalian cells.

DNA replication, repair, and recombination are essential processes in mammalian cells. Hence, the application of gene targeting to the study of these DNA metabolic pathways requires the creation of nonnull mutations. We have developed a method for introducing partially defective mutants in murine embryonic stem cells that circumvents the problem of cellular lethality of targeted mutations at essential loci. Using this approach, we have determined that mammalian DNA ligase I is essential for cell viability. Thus, DNA ligases II and III are not redundant with DNA ligase I for the function(s) associated with cell proliferation. Partial complementation of the lethal DNA ligase I null mutation allowed the creation of deficient embryonic stem cell lines. We found that a wild-type DNA ligase I cDNA, as well as a variant DNA ligase I cDNA, was able to rescue the lethality of the homozygous null mutation, whereas an N-terminal deletion mutant consisting of the minimal DNA ligase I catalytic domain was not. This observation demonstrates that sequences outside the DNA ligase I catalytic domain are essential for DNA ligase I function in vivo.