Characterization of RecA424 and RecA670 proteins from Deinococcus radiodurans.

RecA protein is considered to be the most important participant in the radiation resistance of Deinococcus radiodurans. However, it is still unclear how RecA contributes to the resistance. In this study, we identified a new recA mutation (recA424) in the DNA-repair deficient mutant strain KI696, the phenotype of which is remarkably different from mutant strain rec30 carrying recA670. The properties of the gene products from the recA mutants were compared. recA424 could not complement the deficiency in Escherichia coli RecA, as found for recA670. In vitro, neither RecA424 nor RecA670 could promote DNA strand exchange under conditions in which wild-type RecA promoted the reaction, indicating that both RecA424 and Rec670 are defective in recombination activity. RecA424 promoted the autocleavage reaction of LexA in vitro, whereas RecA670 did not. The intracellular LexA level in KI696 was decreased following gamma-irradiation. However, the LexA level in strain rec30 was constant irrespective of irradiation. These results indicate that RecA424 retains co-protease activity, whereas RecA670 does not. While strain rec30 is extremely radiation sensitive, strain KI696 is only slightly sensitive. Together, these observations suggest that the co-protease activity rather than the recombination activity of RecA contributes to radiation resistance in D. radiodurans.     

Role of RecA in DNA damage repair in Deinococcus radiodurans

It has been shown previously that the RecA protein of Deinococcus radiodurans plays a unique role in the repair of DNA damage in this highly DNA damage-resistant organism. Despite the high level of amino-acid identity, previous work has shown that Escherichia coli RecA does not complement D. radiodurans RecA mutants, further suggesting the uniqueness of D. radiodurans RecA. The work presented here shows that E. coli RecA does in fact provide partial complementation to a D. radiodurans RecA null mutant, suggesting that the RecA protein from D. radiodurans may not be as unique as believed previously.     

Production of two different catalase-peroxidases by Deinococcus radiophilus

The production of two kinds of catalase-peroxidase, viz. catalase-2 and catalase-3 of Deinococcus radiophilus varied depending upon growth phases and oxidative stress. A gradual increase in total catalase activity occurred during exponential and stationary phase. Electrophoretic resolution of these catalases in Deinococcal cell extracts revealed the uniform occurrence of catalase-2 and the appearance of catalase-3 only during the late exponential and stationary phase. A substantial increase in total catalase was observed in either hydrogen peroxide- or UV-treated cells. Monitoring of D. radiophilus catalase activity in the oxidative stressed and non-treated cells by gel electrophoresis followed by densitometry revealed the several-fold increase in catalase-3, which is above the constant level of catalase-2. The occurrence of catalase-3 and catalase-2 revealed by fractionation of sucrose-shocked cells suggests that catalase-3 is a cytosolic inducible enzyme whereas catalase-2 is the membrane-associated constitutive enzyme.     

Coexistence of two structurally similar but functionally different PII proteins in Azospirillum brasilense.

The coexistence of two different PII, proteins in Azospirillum brasilense was established by comparing proteins synthesized by the wild-type strain and two null mutants of the characterized glnB gene (encoding PII) adjacent to glnA. Strains were grown under conditions of nitrogen limitation or nitrogen excess. The proteins were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) or isoelectric focusing gel electrophoresis and revealed either by [32P]phosphate or [3H]uracil labeling or by cross-reaction with an anti-A. brasilense PII-antiserum. After SDS-PAGE, a single band of 12.5 kDa revealed by the antiserum in all conditions tested was resolved by isoelectric focusing electrophoresis into two bands in the wild-type strain, one of which was absent in the glnB null mutant strains. The second PII protein, named Pz, was uridylylated under conditions of nitrogen limitation. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the corresponding structural gene, called glnZ, is very similar to that of PII. Null mutants in glnB were impaired in regulation of nitrogen fixation and in their swarming properties but not in glutamine synthetase adenylylation. No glnZ mutant is yet available, but it is clear that PII and Pz are not functionally equivalent, since glnB null mutant strains exhibit phenotypic characters. The two proteins are probably involved in different regulatory steps of the nitrogen metabolism in A. brasilense.     

Major soluble proteome changes in Deinococcus deserti over the earliest stages following gamma-ray irradiation

Background

Deinococcus deserti VCD115 has been isolated from Sahara surface sand. This radiotolerant bacterium represents an experimental model of choice to understand adaptation to harsh conditions encountered in hot arid deserts. We analysed the soluble proteome dynamics in this environmentally relevant model after exposure to 3 kGy gamma radiation, a non-lethal dose that generates massive DNA damages. For this, cells were harvested at different time lapses after irradiation and their soluble proteome contents have been analysed by 2-DE and mass spectrometry.

Results

In the first stage of the time course we observed accumulation of DNA damage response protein DdrB (that shows the highest fold change ~11), SSB, and two different RecA proteins (RecA_P and RecA_C). Induction of DNA repair protein PprA, DNA damage response protein DdrD and the two gyrase subunits (GyrA and GyrB) was also detected. A response regulator of the SarP family, a type II site-specific deoxyribonuclease and a putative N-acetyltransferase are three new proteins found to be induced. In a more delayed stage, we observed accumulation of several proteins related to central metabolism and protein turn-over, as well as helicase UvrD and novel forms of both gyrase subunits differing in terms of isoelectric point and molecular weight.

Conclusions

Post-translational modifications of GyrA (N-terminal methionine removal and acetylation) have been evidenced and their significance discussed. We found that the Deide_02842 restriction enzyme, which is specifically found in D. deserti, is a new potential member of the radiation/desiccation response regulon, highlighting the specificities of D. deserti compared to the D. radiodurans model.     

Alliance of Proteomics and Genomics to Unravel the Specificities of Sahara Bacterium Deinococcus deserti

To better understand adaptation to harsh conditions encountered in hot arid deserts, we report the first complete genome sequence and proteome analysis of a bacterium, Deinococcus deserti VCD115, isolated from Sahara surface sand. Its genome consists of a 2.8-Mb chromosome and three large plasmids of 324 kb, 314 kb, and 396 kb. Accurate primary genome annotation of its 3,455 genes was guided by extensive proteome shotgun analysis. From the large corpus of MS/MS spectra recorded, 1,348 proteins were uncovered and semiquantified by spectral counting. Among the highly detected proteins are several orphans and Deinococcus-specific proteins of unknown function. The alliance of proteomics and genomics high-throughput techniques allowed identification of 15 unpredicted genes and, surprisingly, reversal of incorrectly predicted orientation of 11 genes. Reversal of orientation of two Deinococcus-specific radiation-induced genes, ddrC and ddrH, and identification in D. deserti of supplementary genes involved in manganese import extend our knowledge of the radiotolerance toolbox of Deinococcaceae. Additional genes involved in nutrient import and in DNA repair (i.e., two extra recA, three translesion DNA polymerases, a photolyase) were also identified and found to be expressed under standard growth conditions, and, for these DNA repair genes, after exposure of the cells to UV. The supplementary nutrient import and DNA repair genes are likely important for survival and adaptation of D. deserti to its nutrient-poor, dry, and UV-exposed extreme environment.     

Quantification of RecA protein in Deinococcus radiodurans reveals involvement of RecA,but not LexA,in its regulation

RecA protein is essential for the very high level of resistance of Deinococcus radiodurans to DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation or other DNA-damaging agents. Since the mechanism(s) involved in the control of recA expression and the extent of RecA induction following DNA damage in this species are still unclear, we have performed a genetic analysis of the recA locus and quantified the basal and induced levels of RecA protein in wild type, recA, and lexA mutants. We found that the two genes upstream of recA in the predicted cinA ligT recA operon appear to have no role in the regulation of recA expression or function, despite the fact that the reading frames in the operon overlap. By using a translational fusion of recA to a lacZ reporter gene, we showed that induction began with no delay following exposure to gamma-radiation or treatment with mitomycin, and continued at a constant rate until it reached a plateau. The induction efficiency increased linearly with inducer dose, levelling off at a concentration fourfold above the background. The basal concentration of RecA protein measured by Western blotting corresponded to approximately 11,000 monomers per cell, and the induced concentration to around 44,000 monomers per cell. These levels remained unchanged upon disruption of the lexA gene, indicating that LexA does not plays a role in recA regulation. However, inactivation of lexA caused cells to aggregate, suggesting that LexA may control the activity or expression of as yet undefined membrane functions. Cells bearing the recA670 mutation showed an elevated constitutive expression of recA in the absence of DNA damage. This phenotype did not result from the defect in DNA repair associated with the RecA670 protein, since the increased basal level of recA expression was also found in recA670/ recA(+) diploid cells that are proficient in DNA repair. These results suggest that RecA may be involved in regulating its own expression, possibly by stimulating proteolytic modification of other regulatory proteins.     

RecA protein assures fidelity of DNA repair and genome stability in Deinococcus radiodurans

Deinococcus radiodurans is one of the most radiation-resistant organisms known. It can repair hundreds of radiation-induced double-strand DNA breaks without loss of viability. Genome reassembly in heavily irradiated D. radiodurans is considered to be an error-free process since no genome rearrangements were detected after post-irradiation repair. Here, we describe for the first time conditions that frequently cause erroneous chromosomal assemblies. Gross chromosomal rearrangements have been detected in recA mutant cells that survived exposure to 5 kGy γ-radiation. The recA mutants are prone also to spontaneous DNA rearrangements during normal exponential growth. Some insertion sequences have been identified as dispersed genomic homology blocks that can mediate DNA rearrangements. Whereas the wild-type D. radiodurans appears to repair accurately its genome shattered by 5 kGy γ-radiation, extremely high γ-doses, e.g., 25 kGy, produce frequent genome rearrangements among survivors. Our results show that the RecA protein is quintessential for the fidelity of repair of both spontaneous and γ-radiation-induced DNA breaks and, consequently, for genome stability in D. radiodurans. The mechanisms of decreased genome stability in the absence of RecA are discussed.     

Crystal structures of two functionally different thioredoxins in spinach chloroplasts

Thioredoxins are small ubiquitous proteins which act as general protein disulfide reductases in living cells. Chloroplasts contain two distinct thioredoxins ( f and m) with different phylogenetic origin. Both act as enzyme regulatory proteins but have different specificities towards target enzymes. Thioredoxin f (Trx f), which shares only low sequence identity with thioredoxin m (Trx m) and with all other known thioredoxins, activates enzymes of the Calvin cycle and other photosynthetic processes. Trx m shows high sequence similarity with bacterial thioredoxins and activates other chloroplast enzymes. The here described structural studies of the two chloroplast thioredoxins were carried out in order to gain insight into the structure/function relationships of these proteins. Crystal structures were determined for oxidized, recombinant thioredoxin f (Trx f-L) and at the N terminus truncated form of it (Trx f-S), as well as for oxidized and reduced thioredoxin m (at 2.1 and 2.3 A resolution, respectively). Whereas thioredoxin f crystallized as a monomer, both truncated thioredoxin f and thioredoxin m crystallized as non-covalent dimers. The structures of thioredoxins f and m exhibit the typical thioredoxin fold consisting of a central twisted five-stranded beta-sheet surrounded by four alpha-helices. Thioredoxin f contains an additional alpha-helix at the N terminus and an exposed third cysteine close to the active site. The overall three-dimensional structures of the two chloroplast thioredoxins are quite similar. However, the two proteins have a significantly different surface topology and charge distribution around the active site. An interesting feature which might significantly contribute to the specificity of thioredoxin f is an inherent flexibility of its active site, which has expressed itself crystallographically in two different crystal forms.     

Limited concentration of RecA delays DNA double-strand break repair in Deinococcus radiodurans R1

To evaluate the importance of RecA in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, we examined the effect of low and high RecA concentrations such as 2500 and 100 000 molecules per cell expressed from the inducible Pspac promoter in Deinococcus radiodurans in absence or in presence of IPTG respectively. We showed that at low concentration, RecA has a negligible effect on cell survival after gamma-irradiation when bacteria were immediately plated on TGY agar whereas it significantly decreased the survival to gamma-irradiation of DeltaddrA cells while overexpression of RecA can partially compensate the loss of DdrA protein. In contrast, when cells expressing limited concentration of RecA were allowed to recover in TGY2X liquid medium, they showed a delay in mending DSB, failed to reinitiate DNA replication and were committed to die during incubation. A deletion of irrE resulted in sensitivity to gamma-irradiation and mitomycin C treatment. Interestingly, constitutive high expression of RecA compensates partially the DeltairrE sensitization to mitomycin C. The cells with low RecA content also failed to cleave LexA after DNA damage. However, neither a deletion of the lexA gene nor the expression of a non-cleavable LexA(Ind-) mutant protein had an effect on survival or kinetics of DNA DSB repair compared with their lexA+ counterparts in recA+ as well as in bacteria expressing limiting concentration of RecA, suggesting an absence of relationship between the absence of LexA cleavage and the loss of viability or the delay in the kinetics of DSB repair. Thus, LexA protein seems to play no major role in the recovery processes after gamma-irradiation in D. radiodurans.     

The two paralogue phoN (phosphinothricin acetyl transferase) genes of Pseudomonas putida encode functionally different proteins

Phosphinothricin (PPT) is a non‐specific inhibitor of glutamine synthetase that has been employed as herbicide for selection of transgenic plants expressing cognate resistance genes. While the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440 has been generally considered PPT‐sensitive, inspection of its genome sequence reveals the presence of two highly similar open reading frames (PP_1924 and PP_4846) encoding acetylases with a potential to cause tolerance to the herbicide. To explore this possibility, each of these genes (named phoN1 and phoN2) was separately cloned and their activities examined in vivo and in vitro. Genetic and biochemical evidence indicated that phoN1 encodes a bona fide PPT‐acetyl transferase, the expression of which suffices to make P. putida tolerant to high concentrations of the herbicide. In contrast, PhoN2 does not act on PPT but displays instead activity against methionine sulfoximine (MetSox), another glutamine synthetase inhibitor. When the geometry of the substrate‐binding site of PhoN1 was grafted with the equivalent residues of the predicted PhoN2 structure, the resulting protein increased significantly MetSox resistance of the expression host concomitantly with the loss of activity on PPT. These observations uncover intricate biochemical and genetic interactions among soil microorganisms and how they can be perturbed by exposure to generic herbicides in soil.     

poliota-dependent lesion bypass in vitro

Based upon phylogenetic relationships, the broad Y-family of DNA polymerases can be divided into various subfamilies consisting of UmuC (polV)-like; DinB (polIV/polκ)-like; Rev1-like, Rad30A (polη)-like and Rad30B (polι)-like polymerases. The polIV/polκ-like polymerases are most ubiquitous, having been identified in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. In contrast, the polV-like polymerases appear restricted to bacteria (both Gram positive and Gram negative). Rev1 and polη-like polymerases are found exclusively in eukaryotes, and to date, polι-like polymerases have only been identified in higher eukaryotes. In general, the in vitro properties of polymerases characterized within each sub-family are quite similar. An exception to this rule occurs with the polι-like polymerases, where the enzymatic properties of Drosophila melanogaster polι are more similar to that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human polη than to the related human polι. For example, like polη, Drosophila polι can bypass a cis-syn thymine–thymine dimer both accurately and efficiently, while human polι bypasses the same lesion inefficiently and with low-fidelity. Even in cases where human polι can efficiently insert a base opposite a lesion (such as a synthetic abasic site, the 3′T of a 6-4-thymine–thymine pyrimidine–pyrimidone photoproduct or opposite benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide deoxyadenosine adducts), further extension is often limited. Thus, although polι most likely arose from a genetic duplication of polη millions of years ago as eukaryotes evolved, it would appear that polι from humans (and possibly all mammals) has been further subjected to evolutionary pressures that have “tailored” its enzymatic properties away from lesion bypass and towards other function(s) specific for higher eukaryotes. The identification of such functions and the role that mammalian polι plays in lesion bypass in vivo, should hopefully be forthcoming with the construction of human cell lines deleted for polι and the identification of mice deficient in polι.     

Num1 versus NuMA: insights from two functionally homologous proteins

In both animals and fungi, spindle positioning is dependent upon pulling forces generated by cortically anchored dynein. In animals, cortical anchoring is accomplished by a ternary complex containing the dynein-binding protein NuMA and its cortical attachment machinery. The same function is accomplished by Num1 in budding yeast. While not homologous in primary sequence, NuMA and Num1 appear to share striking similarities in their mechanism of function. Here, we discuss evidence supporting that Num1 in fungi is a functional homolog of NuMA due to their similarity in domain organization and role in the generation of cortical pulling forces.     

Regulation of Deinococcus radiodurans RecA Protein Function via Modulation of Active and Inactive Nucleoprotein Filament States

The RecA protein of Deinococcus radiodurans (DrRecA) has a central role in genome reconstitution after exposure to extreme levels of ionizing radiation. When bound to DNA, filaments of DrRecA protein exhibit active and inactive states that are readily interconverted in response to several sets of stimuli and conditions. At 30 °C, the optimal growth temperature, and at physiological pH 7.5, DrRecA protein binds to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and forms extended helical filaments in the presence of ATP. However, the ATP is not hydrolyzed. ATP hydrolysis of the DrRecA-dsDNA filament is activated by addition of single-stranded DNA, with or without the single-stranded DNA-binding protein. The ATPase function of DrRecA nucleoprotein filaments thus exists in an inactive default state under some conditions. ATPase activity is thus not a reliable indicator of DNA binding for all bacterial RecA proteins. Activation is effected by situations in which the DNA substrates needed to initiate recombinational DNA repair are present. The inactive state can also be activated by decreasing the pH (protonation of multiple ionizable groups is required) or by addition of volume exclusion agents. Single-stranded DNA-binding protein plays a much more central role in DNA pairing and strand exchange catalyzed by DrRecA than is the case for the cognate proteins in Escherichia coli. The data suggest a mechanism to enhance the efficiency of recombinational DNA repair in the context of severe genomic degradation in D. radiodurans.     

RecA Protein from the extremely radioresistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans: expression, purification, and characterization

The RecA protein of Deinococcus radiodurans (RecA(Dr)) is essential for the extreme radiation resistance of this organism. The RecA(Dr) protein has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli and purified from this host. In some respects, the RecA(Dr) protein and the E. coli RecA (RecA(Ec)) proteins are close functional homologues. RecA(Dr) forms filaments on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) that are similar to those formed by the RecA(Ec). The RecA(Dr) protein hydrolyzes ATP and dATP and promotes DNA strand exchange reactions. DNA strand exchange is greatly facilitated by the E. coli SSB protein. As is the case with the E. coli RecA protein, the use of dATP as a cofactor permits more facile displacement of bound SSB protein from ssDNA. However, there are important differences as well. The RecA(Dr) protein promotes ATP- and dATP-dependent reactions with distinctly different pH profiles. Although dATP is hydrolyzed at approximately the same rate at pHs 7.5 and 8.1, dATP supports an efficient DNA strand exchange only at pH 8.1. At both pHs, ATP supports efficient DNA strand exchange through heterologous insertions but dATP does not. Thus, dATP enhances the binding of RecA(Dr) protein to ssDNA and the displacement of ssDNA binding protein, but the hydrolysis of dATP is poorly coupled to DNA strand exchange. The RecA(Dr) protein thus may offer new insights into the role of ATP hydrolysis in the DNA strand exchange reactions promoted by the bacterial RecA proteins. In addition, the RecA(Dr) protein binds much better to duplex DNA than the RecA(Ec) protein, binding preferentially to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) even when ssDNA is present in the solutions. This may be of significance in the pathways for dsDNA break repair in Deinococcus.     

Biochemical and biological function of Escherichia coli RecA protein: behavior of mutant RecA proteins

The recA protein of E coli participates in several diverse biological processes and promotes a variety of complex in vitro reactions. A careful comparison of the phenotypic behavior of E coli recA mutations to the biochemical properties of the corresponding mutant proteins reveals a close parallel both between recombination phenotype and DNA strand exchange and renaturation activities, and between inducible phenomena and repressor cleavage activity. The biochemical alterations manifest by the mutant recA proteins are reflected in the strength of their interaction with ssDNA. The defective mutant recA proteins fail to properly assume the high-affinity DNA-binding state that is characteristic of the wild-type protein and, consequently, form less stable complexes with DNA. The mutant proteins displaying an 'enhanced' activity bind ssDNA with approximately the same affinity as the wild-type protein but, due to altered protein-protein interactions, they associate more rapidly with ssDNA. These changes proportionately affect the ability of recA protein to compete with SSB protein, to interact with dsDNA, and, perhaps, to bind repressor proteins. In turn, the DNA strand exchange, DNA renaturation, and repressor cleavage activities mirror these modifications.