The Role of Dbf4-Dependent Protein Kinase in DNA Polymerase ζ-Dependent Mutagenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The yeast Dbf4-dependent kinase (DDK) (composed of Dbf4 and Cdc7 subunits) is an essential, conserved Ser/Thr protein kinase that regulates multiple processes in the cell, including DNA replication, recombination and induced mutagenesis. Only DDK substrates important for replication and recombination have been identified. Consequently, the mechanism by which DDK regulates mutagenesis is unknown. The yeast mcm5-bob1 mutation that bypasses DDK’s essential role in DNA replication was used here to examine whether loss of DDK affects spontaneous as well as induced mutagenesis. Using the sensitive lys2ΔA746 frameshift reversion assay, we show DDK is required to generate “complex” spontaneous mutations, which are a hallmark of the Polζ translesion synthesis DNA polymerase. DDK co-immunoprecipitated with the Rev7 regulatory, but not with the Rev3 polymerase subunit of Polζ. Conversely, Rev7 bound mainly to the Cdc7 kinase subunit and not to Dbf4. The Rev7 subunit of Polζ may be regulated by DDK phosphorylation as immunoprecipitates of yeast Cdc7 and also recombinant Xenopus DDK phosphorylated GST-Rev7 in vitro. In addition to promoting Polζ-dependent mutagenesis, DDK was also important for generating Polζ-independent large deletions that revert the lys2ΔA746 allele. The decrease in large deletions observed in the absence of DDK likely results from an increase in the rate of replication fork restart after an encounter with spontaneous DNA damage. Finally, nonepistatic, additive/synergistic UV sensitivity was observed in cdc7Δ pol32Δ and cdc7Δ pol30-K127R,K164R double mutants, suggesting that DDK may regulate Rev7 protein during postreplication “gap filling” rather than during “polymerase switching” by ubiquitinated and sumoylated modified Pol30 (PCNA) and Pol32.     

Aggregate Clearance of α-Synuclein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Depends More on Autophagosome and Vacuole Function Than on the Proteasome

Parkinson disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. The molecular hallmark is the accumulation of proteinaceous inclusions termed Lewy bodies containing misfolded and aggregated α-synuclein. The molecular mechanism of clearance of α-synuclein aggregates was addressed using the bakers' yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the model. Overexpression of wild type α-synuclein or the genetic variant A53T integrated into one genomic locus resulted in a gene copy-dependent manner in cytoplasmic proteinaceous inclusions reminiscent of the pathogenesis of the disease. In contrast, overexpression of the genetic variant A30P resulted only in transient aggregation, whereas the designer mutant A30P/A36P/A76P neither caused aggregation nor impaired yeast growth. The α-synuclein accumulation can be cleared after promoter shut-off by a combination of autophagy and vacuolar protein degradation. Whereas the proteasomal inhibitor MG-132 did not significantly inhibit aggregate clearance, treatment with phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, an inhibitor of vacuolar proteases, resulted in significant reduction in clearance. Consistently, a cim3-1 yeast mutant restricted in the 19 S proteasome regulatory subunit was unaffected in clearance, whereas an Δatg1 yeast mutant deficient in autophagy showed a delayed aggregate clearance response. A cim3-1Δatg1 double mutant was still able to clear aggregates, suggesting additional cellular mechanisms for α-synuclein clearance. Our data provide insight into the mechanisms yeast cells use for clearing different species of α-synuclein and demonstrate a higher contribution of the autophagy/vacuole than the proteasome system. This contributes to the understanding of how cells can cope with toxic and/or aggregated proteins and may ultimately enable the development of novel strategies for therapeutic intervention.     

Dbf4 and Cdc7 Proteins Promote DNA Replication through Interactions with Distinct Mcm2–7 Protein Subunits

The essential cell cycle target of the Dbf4/Cdc7 kinase (DDK) is the Mcm2–7 helicase complex. Although Mcm4 has been identified as the critical DDK phosphorylation target for DNA replication, it is not well understood which of the six Mcm2–7 subunits actually mediate(s) docking of this kinase complex. We systematically examined the interaction between each Mcm2–7 subunit with Dbf4 and Cdc7 through two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation analyses. Strikingly different binding patterns were observed, as Dbf4 interacted most strongly with Mcm2, whereas Cdc7 displayed association with both Mcm4 and Mcm5. We identified an N-terminal Mcm2 region required for interaction with Dbf4. Cells expressing either an Mcm2 mutant lacking this docking domain (Mcm2ΔDDD) or an Mcm4 mutant lacking a previously identified DDK docking domain (Mcm4ΔDDD) displayed modest DNA replication and growth defects. In contrast, combining these two mutations resulted in synthetic lethality, suggesting that Mcm2 and Mcm4 play overlapping roles in the association of DDK with MCM rings at replication origins. Consistent with this model, growth inhibition could be induced in Mcm4ΔDDD cells through Mcm2 overexpression as a means of titrating the Dbf4-MCM ring interaction. This growth inhibition was exacerbated by exposing the cells to either hydroxyurea or methyl methanesulfonate, lending support for a DDK role in stabilizing or restarting replication forks under S phase checkpoint conditions. Finally, constitutive overexpression of each individual MCM subunit was examined, and genotoxic sensitivity was found to be specific to Mcm2 or Mcm4 overexpression, further pointing to the importance of the DDK-MCM ring interaction.     

Context-Dependent Remodeling of Rad51–DNA Complexes by Srs2 Is Mediated by a Specific Protein–Protein Interaction

The yeast Srs2 helicase removes Rad51 nucleoprotein filaments from single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), preventing DNA strand invasion and exchange by homologous recombination. This activity requires a physical interaction between Srs2 and Rad51, which stimulates ATP turnover in the Rad51 nucleoprotein filament and causes dissociation of Rad51 from ssDNA. Srs2 also possesses a DNA unwinding activity and here we show that assembly of more than one Srs2 molecule on the 3′ ssDNA overhang is required to initiate DNA unwinding. When Rad51 is bound on the double-stranded DNA, its interaction with Srs2 blocks the helicase (DNA unwinding) activity of Srs2. Thus, in different DNA contexts, the physical interaction of Rad51 with Srs2 can either stimulate or inhibit the remodeling functions of Srs2, providing a means for tailoring DNA strand exchange activities to enhance the fidelity of recombination.     

Suppressors of thermosensitive mutations in the DNA polymerase δ gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DNA polymerases (Pol) α, δ and ε are necessary for replication of nuclear DNA. Po1δ interacts permanently or transiently with numerous accessory proteins whose identification may shed light on the function(s) of Po18. In vitro mutagenesis was used to induce thermosensitive (ts) mutations in the DNA polymerase δ gene (POL3). We have attempted to clone two recessive extragenic suppressors of such is mutants (sdp1 for mutation pol3-14 and sdp5-1 for mutation pol3-11) by transforming thermoresistant haploid strains pol3-14 sdpl and pol3-11 sdp5-1 with wild-type genomic libraries in singlecopy or multicopy vectors. None of the thermosensitive transformants so obtained was identified as being sdp1 or sdp5-1. Instead, three genes were cloned whose products interfere with the activity of suppressors. One of them is the type 1 protein phosphatase gene, D1S2. Another is a novel gene, ASM4, whose gene product is rich in asparagine and glutamine residues.     

The effect of non-permissive temperature on met-tRNA synthetase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae temperature-sensitive mutant ts 7–45

The effects of incubation of yeast spheroplasts at elevated temperature (40°C) on a number of activities involved in protein biosynthesis have been examined in preparations obtained from wild-type cells (wt A364A) and a temperature-sensitive mutant (ts 7–45) derived from it. With wild-type cells, preincubation of spheroplasts at the elevated temperature had little or no effect on the following: (1) the ribosomal subunit-polysome pattern; (2) the translation of exogenous natural mRNA in postpolysomal extracts devoid of endogenous mRNA; (3) the translation of poly(U) in postpolysomal extracts; (4) the incorporation of methionine into 40 S preinitiation and 80 S initiation complexes; (5) the synthesis of Met-tRNA in postribosomal (cytosol) extracts; and (6) the formation of eIF-2·GTP·Met-tRNA_f ternary complex in the cytosol. With temperature-sensitive spheroplasts that had not been preincubated at the elevated temperature, the concentration of free, native 40 S subunits appeared to be lower and that of 60 S subunits higher than in wild-type cells; translation of exogenous natural mRNA in postpolysomal extracts was somewhat lower than in wild-type preparations, but all of the other reactions and components measured were comparable to those in wild-type preparations. Preincubation of temperature-sensitive spheroplasts at 40°C resulted in: (1) a further decrease in the level of 40 S subunits; (2) disaggregation of polysomes; (3) loss of ability to translate natural mRNA but not poly(U); (4) decreased ability to form 40 S preinitiation intermediates; and (5) production of an activity, found in the cytosol, that inhibited Met-tRNA synthetase reversibly. The inhibitor had the characteristics of a protein and did not appear to be a proteinase, nuclease, or nucleotidase.     

Induction of direct repeat recombination by psoralen–DNA adducts in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Defects in DNA repair increase gene copy number variation

Psoralen photoreaction produces covalent monoadducts and interstrand crosslinks in DNA. The interstrand DNA crosslinks are complex double strand lesions that require the involvement of multiple pathways for repair. Homologous recombination, which can carry out error-free repair, is a major pathway for crosslink repair; however, some recombination pathways can also produce DNA rearrangements. Psoralen photoreaction-induced recombination in yeast was measured using direct repeat substrates that can detect gene conversions, a form of conservative recombination, as well as deletions and triplications, which generate gene copy number changes. In repair-proficient cells the major products of recombination were gene conversions, along with substantial fractions of deletions. Deficiencies in DNA repair pathways increased non-conservative recombination products. Homologous recombination-deficient rad51, rad54, and rad57 strains had low levels of crosslink-induced recombination, and most products were deletions produced by single strand annealing. Nucleotide excision repair-deficient rad1 and rad2 yeast had increased levels of triplications, and rad1 cells had lower crosslink-induced recombination. Deficiencies in post-replication repair increased crosslink-induced recombination and gene copy number changes. Loss of REV3 function, in the error-prone branch, and of RAD5 and UBC13, in the error-free branch, produced moderate increases in deletions and triplications; rad18 cells, deficient in both post-replication repair sub-pathways, exhibited hyperrecombination, with primarily non-conservative products. Proper functioning of all the DNA repair pathways tested was required to maintain genomic stability and avoid gene copy number variation in response to interstrand crosslinks.     

Simian Virus 40 Activates ATR-Δp53 Signaling To Override Cell Cycle and DNA Replication Control

During infection, simian virus 40 (SV40) attempts to take hold of the cell, while the host responds with various defense systems, including the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated/ATM-Rad3 related (ATM/ATR)-mediated DNA damage response pathways. Here we show that upon viral infection, ATR directly activates the p53 isoform Δp53, leading to upregulation of the Cdk inhibitor p21 and downregulation of cyclin A-Cdk2/1 (AK) activity, which force the host to stay in the replicative S phase. Moreover, downregulation of AK activity is a prerequisite for the generation of hypophosphorylated, origin-competent DNA polymerase α-primase (hypo-Polα), which is, unlike AK-phosphorylated Polα (P-Polα), recruited by SV40 large T antigen (T-Ag) to initiate viral DNA replication. Prevention of the downregulation of AK activity by inactivation of ATR-Δp53-p21 signaling significantly reduced the T-Ag-interacting hypo-Polα population and, accordingly, SV40 replication efficiency. Moreover, the ATR-Δp53 pathway facilitates the proteasomal degradation of the 180-kDa catalytic subunit of the non-T-Ag-interacting P-Polα, giving rise to T-Ag-interacting hypo-Polα. Thus, the purpose of activating the ATR-Δp53-p21-mediated intra-S checkpoint is to maintain the host in S phase, an optimal environment for SV40 replication, and to modulate the host DNA replicase, which is indispensable for viral amplification.Infection of quiescent CV-1 cells with the primate polyomavirus simian virus 40 (SV40) induces cell cycle progression and stimulates host cell DNA replication, which is mandatory for viral amplification. SV40 uses only a single viral protein, T antigen (T-Ag), for its own replication; all other components have to be provided by the host. Initially, a specifically phosphorylated subclass of T-Ag binds to a palindromic sequence in the SV40 origin (43), and in the presence of ATP, T-Ag forms a double-hexamer nucleoprotein complex leading to structural distortion and unwinding of origin DNA sequences (5). In concert with the cellular single-strand DNA binding protein RPA and topoisomerase I, the DNA helicase activity of T-Ag promotes more-extensive origin unwinding, forming a preinitiation complex (pre-RC), resulting in an initiation complex (53). Once the initiation complex forms, the primase activity of the heterotetrameric DNA polymerase α-primase (Polα) complex, consisting of the p180 catalytic subunit, the p70 regulatory subunit, and the p48/58 primase subunits, synthesizes a short RNA primer on each template strand, which is extended by the DNA polymerase activity of Polα (6, 17). Immediately after the first nascent RNA/DNA primer is synthesized, the complete replication machinery is assembled, and elongation at both forks by the processive DNA polymerase δ ensues (62). Thus, during the initiation of SV40 replication, T-Ag performs many of the functions attributed to the eukaryotic pre-RC complex proteins, including Orc, Cdc6, Cdt1, and kinase-independent cyclin E, which facilitates loading of the putative replication helicase Mcm2-7 onto the eukaryotic origin (4, 18). Biochemical evidence shows that initiation of SV40 and eukaryotic DNA replication occurs by the physical interaction of Polα with the appropriate pre-RC in the immediate vicinity of the origin. In SV40, Polα is loaded onto the origin by direct physical contact between the helicase T-Ag and its p180 N-terminal domain C (14, 15, 16). In eukaryotes, Cdc45, Mcm10, and And-1 cooperate to recruit Polα to the origin-initiation complex, thereby tethering the replicase to the origin-loaded Mcm2-7 helicase (34, 61).Although SV40 and chromosomal DNA replication share the same essential replication factors that are recruited to the appropriate pre-RC, there are noticeable differences between the SV40 and eukaryotic replication systems. The viral system allows unregulated multiple firing of the origin, whereas in the eukaryotic system, origin-dependent initiation of replication is regulated and restricted to firing only once per cell cycle. Reinitiation at origins within a cell cycle is prevented by the inactivation of pre-RC components in S and G₂. The cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) play a central role in establishing a block to rereplication through phosphorylation of each of the components. At present, several proteins of the mammalian pre-RC, such as Orc1, Cdt1, Cdc6, and the Mcm complex are phosphorylated by cyclin A (cycA)-Cdk2/1 (AK) and, as a result, are degraded or inactivated (1, 26, 30, 33, 40). Nevertheless, not all of the pre-RC components mentioned above are utilized by SV40, and accordingly, not all are involved in viral initiation control. However, in both replication systems, DNA synthesis is initiated by Polα and its initiation activity is regulated by Cdks (55). Moreover, AK-phosphorylated Polα is not recruited to mammalian origins in vivo (13) and is unable to initiate SV40 replication in vitro (47, 57, 58). Considering that cellular mechanisms blocking the rereplication of DNA act by AK phosphorylation of the replication factors mentioned above, especially Polα, it is feasible to suggest that downregulation or even inhibition of this kinase activity promotes dysregulation of replication control in SV40-infected cells.One pathway that leads to downregulation of AK activity in response to cellular stress is the intra-S checkpoint, which employs the novel p53 isoform Δp53 (45). In UV-damaged S-phase cells, ATR (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated [ATM]-Rad3 related)-activated Δp53 upregulates the Cdk inhibitor p21, resulting in a transient reduction in AK activity and decelerated S-phase progression (45). Here we demonstrate that SV40 lytic infection triggers the ATR signaling cascade, leading to the activation of Δp53 and accordingly a p21-mediated drop in AK activity to prevent AK-catalyzed inactivation of the hypophosphorylated, T-Ag-interacting Polα (hypo-Polα) subclass, which is essential for the initiation of viral DNA replication.     

Defect of Dpb2p, a noncatalytic subunit of DNA polymerase ɛ, promotes error prone replication of undamaged chromosomal DNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The biological consequences of clusters containing a single strand break and base lesion(s) remain largely unknown. In the present study we determined the mutagenicities of two- and three-lesion clustered damage sites containing a 1-nucleotide gap (GAP) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine(s) (8-oxoG(s)) in Escherichia coli. The mutation frequencies (MFs) of bi-stranded two-lesion clusters (GAP/8-oxoG), especially in mutY-deficient strains, were high and were similar to those for bi-stranded clusters with 8-oxoG and base lesions/AP sites, suggesting that the GAP is processed with an efficiency similar to the efficiency of processing a base lesion or an AP site within a cluster. The MFs of tandem two-lesion clusters comprised of a GAP and an 8-oxoG on the same strand were comparable to or less than the MF of a single 8-oxoG. The mutagenic potential of three-lesion clusters, which were comprised of a tandem lesion (a GAP and an 8-oxoG) and an opposing single 8-oxoG, was higher than that of a single 8-oxoG, but was no more than that of a bi-stranded 8-oxoGs. We suggest that incorporation of a nucleotide opposite 8-oxoG is less mutagenic when a GAP is present in a cluster than when a GAP is absent. Our observations indicate that the repair of a GAP is retarded by an opposing 8-oxoG, but not by a tandem 8-oxoG, and that the extent of GAP repair determines the biological consequences.     

3'' -> 5'' Exonucleases of DNA Polymerases ε and δ Correct Base Analog Induced DNA Replication Errors on opposite DNA Strands in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

The base analog 6-N-hydroxylaminopurine (HAP) induces bidirectional GC -> AT and AT -> GC transitions that are enhanced in DNA polymerase ε and δ 3' -> 5' exonuclease-deficient yeast mutants, pol2-4 and pol3-01, respectively. We have constructed a set of isogenic strains to determine whether the DNA polymerases δ and ε contribute equally to proofreading of replication errors provoked by HAP during leading and lagging strand DNA synthesis. Site-specific GC -> AT and AT -> GC transitions in a Pol(+), pol2-4 or pol3-01 genetic background were scored as reversions of ura3 missense alleles. At each site, reversion was increased in only one proofreading-deficient mutant, either pol2-4 or pol3-01, depending on the DNA strand in which HAP incorporation presumably occurred. Measurement of the HAP-induced reversion frequency of the ura3 alleles placed into chromosome III near to the defined active replication origin ARS306 in two orientations indicated that DNA polymerases ε and δ correct HAP-induced DNA replication errors on opposite DNA strands.     

N-glycosylation deficiency enhanced heterologous production of a Bacillus licheniformis thermostable α-amylase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Expression of foreign enzymes in yeast is a traditional genetic engineering approach; however, useful secretory enzymes are not produced in every case. The hyperthermostable α-amylase encoded by the AmyL gene of Bacillus licheniformis was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae; however, it was only weakly produced and was degraded by the proteasome. To determine the cause of low α-amylase production, AmyL was expressed in a panel of yeast mutants harboring knockouts in non-essential genes. Elevated AmyL production was observed in 44 mutants. The knockout genes were classified into six functional categories. Remarkably, all non-essential genes required for N-linked oligosaccharide synthesis and a gene encoding an oligosaccharyl transferase subunit were identified. Immunoblotting demonstrated that differently underglycosylated forms of AmyL were secreted from oligosaccharide synthesis-deficient mutants, while a fully glycosylated form was produced by wild-type yeast, suggesting that N-linked glycosylation of AmyL inhibited its secretion in yeast. Mutational analysis of six potential N-glycosylation sites in AmyL revealed that the N33Q and N309Q mutations remarkably affected AmyL production. To achieve higher AmyL production in yeast, all six N-glycosylation sites of AmyL were mutated. In wild-type yeast, production of the resulting non-glycosylated form of AmyL was threefold higher than that of the glycosylated form.     

Spatial telomere organization and clustering in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae nucleus is generated by a random dynamics of aggregation–dissociation

Spatial and temporal behavior of chromosomes and their regulatory proteins is a key control mechanism in genomic function. This is exemplified by the clustering of the 32 budding yeast telomeres that form foci in which silencing factors concentrate. To uncover the determinants of telomere distribution, we compare live-cell imaging with a stochastic model of telomere dynamics that we developed. We show that random encounters alone are inadequate to produce the clustering observed in vivo. In contrast, telomere dynamics observed in vivo in both haploid and diploid cells follows a process of dissociation–aggregation. We determine the time that two telomeres spend in the same cluster for the telomere distribution observed in cells expressing different levels of the silencing factor Sir3 protein, limiting for telomere clustering. We conclude that telomere clusters, their dynamics, and their nuclear distribution result from random motion, aggregation, and dissociation of telomeric regions, specifically determined by the amount of Sir3.     

DNA Polymerase ζ-Dependent Lesion Bypass in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Is Accompanied by Error-Prone Copying of Long Stretches of Adjacent DNA

Translesion synthesis (TLS) helps cells to accomplish chromosomal replication in the presence of unrepaired DNA lesions. In eukaryotes, the bypass of most lesions involves a nucleotide insertion opposite the lesion by either a replicative or a specialized DNA polymerase, followed by extension of the resulting distorted primer terminus by DNA polymerase ζ (Polζ). The subsequent events leading to disengagement of the error-prone Polζ from the primer terminus and its replacement with an accurate replicative DNA polymerase remain largely unknown. As a first step toward understanding these events, we aimed to determine the length of DNA stretches synthesized in an error-prone manner during the Polζ-dependent lesion bypass. We developed new in vivo assays to identify the products of mutagenic TLS through a plasmid-borne tetrahydrofuran lesion and a UV-induced chromosomal lesion. We then surveyed the region downstream of the lesion site (in respect to the direction of TLS) for the presence of mutations indicative of an error-prone polymerase activity. The bypass of both lesions was associated with an approximately 300,000-fold increase in the mutation rate in the adjacent DNA segment, in comparison to the mutation rate during normal replication. The hypermutated tract extended 200 bp from the lesion in the plasmid-based assay and as far as 1 kb from the lesion in the chromosome-based assay. The mutation rate in this region was similar to the rate of errors produced by purified Polζ during copying of undamaged DNA in vitro. Further, no mutations downstream of the lesion were observed in rare TLS products recovered from Polζ-deficient cells. This led us to conclude that error-prone Polζ synthesis continues for several hundred nucleotides after the lesion bypass is completed. These results provide insight into the late steps of TLS and show that error-prone TLS tracts span a substantially larger region than previously appreciated.     

Noncritical Signaling Role of a Kinase–Receptor Interaction Surface in the Escherichia coli Chemosensory Core Complex

In Escherichia coli chemosensory arrays, transmembrane receptors, a histidine autokinase CheA, and a scaffolding protein CheW interact to form an extended hexagonal lattice of signaling complexes. One interaction, previously assigned a crucial signaling role, occurs between chemoreceptors and the CheW-binding P5 domain of CheA. Structural studies showed a receptor helix fitting into a hydrophobic cleft at the boundary between P5 subdomains. Our work aimed to elucidate the in vivo roles of the receptor–P5 interface, employing as a model the interaction between E. coli CheA and Tsr, the serine chemoreceptor. Crosslinking assays confirmed P5 and Tsr contacts in vivo and their strict dependence on CheW. Moreover, the P5 domain only mediated CheA recruitment to polar receptor clusters if CheW was also present. Amino acid replacements at CheA.P5 cleft residues reduced CheA kinase activity, lowered serine response cooperativity, and partially impaired chemotaxis. Pseudoreversion studies identified suppressors of P5 cleft defects at other P5 groove residues or at surface-exposed residues in P5 subdomain 1, which interacts with CheW in signaling complexes. Our results indicate that a high-affinity P5–receptor binding interaction is not essential for core complex function. Rather, P5 groove residues are probably required for proper cleft structure and/or dynamic behavior, which likely impact conformational communication between P5 subdomains and the strong binding interaction with CheW that is necessary for kinase activation. We propose a model for signal transmission in chemotaxis signaling complexes in which the CheW–receptor interface plays the key role in conveying signaling-related conformational changes from receptors to the CheA kinase.     

Ddc1 checkpoint protein and DNA polymerase ɛ interact with nick-containing DNA repair intermediate in cell free extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

To characterize proteins that interact with base excision/single-strand interruption repair DNA intermediates in cell free extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we used a combination of photoaffinity labeling with the protein identification by MALDI-TOF-MS peptide mapping. Photoreactive analogue of dCTP, namely exo-N-[4-(4-azido-2,3,5,6,-tetrafluorobenzylidenehydrazinocarbonyl)-butylcarbamoyl]-2'-deoxycytidine-5'-triphosphate, and [(32)P]-labeled DNA duplex containing one nucleotide gap were used to generate nick-containing DNA with a photoreactive dCMP residue at the 3'-margin of the nick. This photoreactive DNA derivative was incubated with the yeast cell extract and after UV irradiation a number of proteins were labeled. Two of the crosslinked proteins were identified as the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase ? and Ddc1 checkpoint protein. Labeling of DNA polymerase ? catalytic subunit with the nick-containing DNA repair intermediate indicates that the DNA polymerase is involved in the DNA repair synthesis in yeast, at least at DNA single-strand interruptions. Crosslinking of Ddc1 to DNA nicks took place independently of the other components of checkpoint clamp, Mec3 and Rad17, suggesting that the protein alone is able to recognize DNA single-strand breaks. Indeed, purified GST-tagged Ddc1 protein was efficiently crosslinked to nick-containing DNA. The interaction of Ddc1 with DNA nicks may provide a link between the DNA damage checkpoint and DNA base excision/single-strand breaks repair pathways in yeast. In addition, we found that absence of Ddc1 protein greatly influences the overall pattern of other proteins crosslinked to DNA nick. We suggested that this last effect of Ddc1 is at least partially due to its capacity to prevent proteolytic degradation of the DNA-protein adducts.     

Ubiquitin-dependent 26S proteasomal pathway: a role in the degradation of native human liver CYP3A4 expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae?

Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and ammonium sulfate fractionation were employed in series to purify and concentrate a 12.5-kDa protein fragment with a periodic (24-min period) proteinase K-resistant and drug-unresponsive NADH oxidase (CNOX) activity from pooled sera from healthy volunteers. The activity was unresponsive to capsaicin to distinguish it from the previously isolated cancer-associated NOX form (tNOX). Polyclonal antisera generated to the CNOX fragment cross-reacted with 20.5- to 24-kDa proteins of human sera, human lymphocytes, and plasma membranes from Escherichia coli with the molecular weight depending on source and conditions of treatment with proteinase K.     

Characterization of messenger-like ribonucleic acid from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the use of chromatography on methylated albumin–kieselguhr

Chromatography on methylated albumin–kieselguhr of RNA from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to separate stable RNA from a tenaciously bound DNA-like RNA fraction. The tenaciously bound RNA, which was eluted with a dilute solution of sodium dodecyl sulphate, was characterized as messenger-like RNA by its sedimentation behaviour, nucleotide composition, lack of methylated bases and labelling kinetics. Chromatography of purified ribosomal RNA indicated a minor contamination of the tenaciously bound fraction with ribosomal RNA. On the other hand, a large portion of pulse-labelled polyribosomal RNA from protoplasts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was tenaciously bound to the columns. The `chase' of isotopic label from the messenger-like RNA was found to be retarded during inhibition of protein synthesis both by cycloheximide and by starvation for a carbon source.