A hexanucleotide sequence (dC1-dC6 tract) restricts the dC-specific cleavage of single-stranded DNA by endonuclease IV of bacteriophage T4

Endonuclease (Endo) IV encoded by denB of bacteriophage T4 is an enzyme that cleaves single-stranded (ss) DNA in a dC-specific manner. Previously we have demonstrated that a dTdCdA is most preferable for Endo IV when an oligonucleotide substrate having a single dC residue is used. Here we demonstrate that Endo IV cleaves ssDNAs exclusively at the 5′-proximal dC where a sequence comprises dC residues both at the 5′ proximal and 3′ proximal positions (a dCs tract-dependent cleavage). The dCs tract-dependent cleavage is efficient and occurs when a dCs tract has at least 6 bases. Some dCs tracts larger than 6 bases behave as that of 6 bases (an extended dCs tract), while some others do not. One decameric dCs tract was shown to be cleavable in a dCs tract-dependent manner, but that with 13 dCs was not. The dCs tract-dependent cleavage is enhanced by the presence of a third dC residue at least for a 6 or 7 dCs tract. In contrast to the dCs tract-dependent cleavage, a dCs tract-independent one is generally inefficient and if two modes are possible for a substrate DNA, a dCs tract-dependent mode prevails. A model for the dCs tract-dependent cleavage is proposed.     

The Ser176 of T4 endonuclease IV is crucial for the restricted and polarized dC-specific cleavage of single-stranded DNA implicated in restriction of dC-containing DNA in host Escherichia coli

Endonuclease (Endo) IV encoded by denB of bacteriophage T4 is an enzyme that cleaves single-stranded (ss) DNA in a dC-specific manner. Also the growth of dC-substituted T4 phage and host Escherichia coli cells is inhibited by denB expression presumably because of the inhibitory effect on replication of dC-containing DNA. Recently, we have demonstrated that an efficient cleavage by Endo IV occurs exclusively at the 5′-proximal dC (dC₁) within a hexameric or an extended sequence consisting of dC residues at the 5′-proximal and the 3′-proximal positions (dCs tract), in which a third dC residue within the tract affects the polarized cleavage and cleavage rate. Here we isolate and characterize two denB mutants, denB(W88R) and denB(S176N). Both mutant alleles have lost the detrimental effect on the host cell. Endo IV(W88R) shows no enzymatic activity (<0.4% of that of wild-type Endo IV). On the other hand, Endo IV(S176N) retains cleavage activity (17.5% of that of wild-type Endo IV), but has lost the polarized and restricted cleavage of a dCs tract, indicating that the Ser¹⁷⁶ residue of Endo IV is implicated in the polarized cleavage of a dCs tract which brings about a detrimental effect on the replication of dC-containing DNA.     

Purification and substrate specificity of BcmI restriction endonuclease

A strain producing the new specific restriction endonuclease BcmI has been found in the Bacillus generum. The enzyme has been purified by chromatography on the blue sepharose, phosphocellulose PII, heparin sepharose. The analogous purification has been obtained when the blue sepharose has been substituted for the orange sepharose, the home produced sorbent. The BcmI enzyme has been shown by the substrate specificity definition to be an isoschizomer of the restriction endonuclease ClaI.     

Purification and substrate specificity of a T4 phage intron-encoded endonuclease.

The T4 phage td intron-encoded endonuclease (I-Tev I) cleaves the intron-deleted td gene (td delta I) 23 nucleotides upstream of the intron insertion site on the noncoding strand and 25 nucleotides upstream of this site on the coding strand, to generate a 2-base hydroxyl overhang in the 3' end of each DNA strand. I-Tev I-157, a truncated form in which slightly more than one third (88 residues) of the endonuclease is deleted, was purified to homogeneity and shown to possess endonuclease activity similar to that of I-TEV I, the full-length enzyme (245 residues). The minimal length of the td delta I gene that was cleaved by I-Tev I and I-Tev I-157 has been determined to be exactly 39 basepairs, from -27 (upstream in exon1) to +12 (downstream in exon2) relative to the intron insertion site. Similar to the full-length endonuclease, I-Tev I-157 cuts the intronless thymidylate synthase genes from such diverse organisms as Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus casei and the human. The position and nature of the in vitro endonucleolytic cut in these genes are homologous to those in td delta I. Point mutational analysis of the td delta I substrate based on the deduced consensus nucleotide sequence has revealed a very low degree of specificity on either side of the cleavage site, for both the full-length and truncated I-TEV I.     

Cleavage specificity of bacteriophage T4 endonuclease VII and bacteriophage T7 endonuclease I on synthetic branch migratable Holliday junctions

Holliday junctions are intermediate structures that are formed and resolved during the process of genetic recombination. To investigate the interaction of junction-resolving nucleases with synthetic Holliday junctions that contain homologous arm sequences, we constructed substrates in which the junction point was free to branch migrate through 26 base-pairs of homology. In the absence of divalent cations, we found that both phage T4 endonuclease VII and phage T7 endonuclease I bound the synthetic junctions to form specific protein-DNA complexes. Such complexes were not observed in the presence of Mg2+, since the Holliday junctions were resolved by the introduction of symmetrical cuts in strands of like polarity. The major sites of cleavage were identified and found to occur within the boundaries of homology. T4 endonuclease VII showed a cleavage preference for the 3' side of thymine bases, whereas T7 endonuclease I preferentially cut the DNA between two pyrimidine residues. However, cleavage was not observed at all the available sites, indicating that in addition to their structural requirements, the endonucleases show strong site preferences.     

A monomeric mutant of restriction endonuclease EcoRI nicks DNA without sequence specificity

We have mutated the monomer-monomer interface of the restriction endonuclease EcoRI in order to destabilize the homodimer and to stabilize heterodimers. Mutations of Leu158 to charged amino acid residues result in strong destabilization of the dimer. The largest effect was detected for the L158D mutant which is monomeric even at higher concentrations. It unspecifically degrades DNA by cleaving both single strands independently every 15 nucleotides on the average. Although cleavage is reproducible, it is not determined by nucleotide sequence but by general properties like conformation or deformability as has been found for other unspecific nucleases. Mutations of Ile230, which is in direct contact with Leu158 of the other subunit, cause structural changes with the loss of about ten percent alpha-helix content, but interfere only marginally with homodimerization and double strand cleavage. Again the mutation to aspartate shows the strongest effects. Mixtures of single mutants, one containing aspartate at one of the two positions and the other lysine at the corresponding position, form heterodimers. These are mainly stabilized compared to the homodimers by re-establishment of the wild-type hydrophobic interaction at the not mutated residues while an interaction of aspartate and lysine seems energetically unfavorable in this structural context.     

Survey and mapping of restriction endonuclease cleavage sites in bacteriophage T7 DNA.

A survey of restriction endonucleases having different cleavage specificities has identified 10 that do not cut wild-type bacteriophage T7 DNA, 11 that cut at six or fewer sites, four that cut at 18 to 45 sites, and 12 that cut at more than 50 sites. All the cleavage sites for the 13 enzymes that cut at 26 or fewer sites have been mapped. Cleavage sites for each of the 10 enzymes that do not cut T7 DNA would be expected to occur an average of 9 to 10 times in a random nucleotide sequence the length of T7 DNA. A possible explanation for the lack of any cleavage sites for these enzymes might be that T7 encounters enzymes having these specificities in natural hosts, and that the sites have been eliminated from T7 DNA by natural selection. Five restriction endonucleases were found to cut within the terminal repetition of T7 DNA; one of these, KpnI, cuts at only three additional sites in the T7 DNA molecule. The length of the terminal repetition was estimated by two independent means to be approximately 155 to 160 base-pairs.     

In vivo restriction. Sequence and structure of endonuclease II-dependent cleavage sites in bacteriophage T4 DNA.

Endonuclease II of bacteriophage T4 is required for in vivo restriction of cytosine-containing DNA from its host, Escherichia coli, (as well as from phage mutants lacking cytosine modification), normally the first step in the reutilization of host DNA nucleotides for synthesis of phage DNA in infected cells. The phage cytosine-DNA is fragmented incompletely to yield genetically defined fragments. This restriction is different from that of type I, II, or III restriction enzymes. We have located seven major endonuclease II-dependent restriction sites in the T4 genome, of which three were analyzed in detail; in addition, abundant sites were cleaved in less than or equal to 5% of all molecules. Sites I, II, and III shared the sequence 5'-CCGNNTTGGC-3' and were cleaved in about 25% (I and III) and 65% (II) of all molecules, predominantly staggered around the first or second of the central unspecified base pairs to yield fragments with one 5' base. The less frequently cleaved sites I and III deviated from site II in predicted helical structure when viewed from the consensus strand, and in sequence when viewed from the opposite strand. Thus, interaction with a particular helical structure as well as recognition of the bases in DNA appears important for efficient cleavage.     

RNA substrate specificity and structure-guided mutational analysis of bacteriophage T4 RNA ligase 2

Here we report that bacteriophage T4 RNA ligase 2 (Rnl2) is an efficient catalyst of RNA ligation at a 3'-OH/5'-PO(4) nick in a double-stranded RNA or an RNA.DNA hybrid. The critical role of the template strand in approximating the reactive 3'-OH and 5'-PO(4) termini is underscored by the drastic reductions in the RNA-sealing activity of Rnl2 when the duplex substrates contain gaps or flaps instead of nicks. RNA nick joining requires ATP and a divalent cation cofactor (either Mg or Mn). Neither dATP, GTP, CTP, nor UTP can substitute for ATP. We identify by alanine scanning seven functionally important amino acids (Tyr-5, Arg-33, Lys-54, Gln-106, Asp-135, Arg-155, and Ser-170) within the N-terminal nucleotidyl-transferase domain of Rnl2 and impute specific roles for these residues based on the crystal structure of the AMP-bound enzyme. Mutational analysis of 14 conserved residues in the C-terminal domain of Rnl2 identifies 3 amino acids (Arg-266, Asp-292, and Glu-296) as essential for ligase activity. Our findings consolidate the evolutionary connections between bacteriophage Rnl2 and the RNA-editing ligases of kinetoplastid protozoa.     

Studies on the substrate specificity of the T 4 excision repair endonuclease

Previous studies have shown that the v gene of bacteriophage T4 codes for an endonuclease that specifically attacks pyrimidine dimer sites in UV-irradiated DNA. The present studies have examined the role of this endonuclease in the repair of DNA damaged by nitrogen mustard, N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG), mitomycin C and 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide. The observation by Harm that the v gene product of phage T4 facilitates repair of UV damage to the host DNA of excision-repair defective strains enabled us to test whether it does the same with other cellular DNA lesions. It was shown that infection of UV-irradiated E. coliB_s−1 with UV-inactivated phage T4v+ resulted in rescue of a certain fraction of the host cells. However no v gene mediated repair E. coli B_s−1 was observed following treatment with the chemical agents mentioned. Furthermore, though phage T4v₁ is more sensitive to UV-irradiation than phage T4, there was no observed difference in the sensitivity of these phages to nitrogen mustard or NTG. On the basis of these observations it was concluded that the v gene coded endonuclease of T4 is specific for the excision repair of pyrimidine dimers and does not participate in the repair of chemically damaged DNA. In vitro enzymatic degradation of DNA alkylated with nitrogen mustard was observed, but it is probable that this degradation is not part of a repair reaction in vivo.     

Physical mapping of the HindIII, EcoRI, Sal and Sma restriction endonuclease cleavage fragments from bacteriophage T5 DNA.

Summary The DNA of bacteriophage T5⁺ (molecular weight 76×10⁶ dalton) has been dissected by various specific endonucleases. The restriction enzymes HindIII and EcoRI produce 16 and 7 fragments respectively, whereas Sal and Sma produce 4 fragments each. Complete cleavage maps were established for the enzymes EcoRI, Sal and Sma and an almost complete map for HindIII. Furthermore the location and size of the deletions St 20, St 14, b3, St 0 and b1 were determined. The correlation of the genetic and functional map of the phage with the arrangement of fragments produced by the different enzymes has been established.This paper is the 4^rd publication in the series Structure and Function of the Genome of Coliphage T5.     

Mutational specificity of a bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase mutant, mel88

Summary Several bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase mutants have been shown to increase the frequency of spontaneous mutations (Speyer et al. 1966; Freese and Freese 1967; de Vries et al. 1972; Reha-Krantz et al. 1986). In order to determine the molecular basis of the mutator phenotype, it is necessary to characterize the types of mutations produced by the mutator DNA polymerases. We show here that at least one DNA polymerase mutator mutant, mel88, induces an increased number of base substitution mutations compared with wild-type.     

Overexpression, purification, sequence analysis, and characterization of the T4 bacteriophage dda DNA helicase.

The bacteriophage T4 dda protein is a 5'-3' DNA helicase that stimulates DNA replication and recombination reactions in vitro and seems to play a role in the initiation of T4 DNA replication in vivo. Oligonucleotide probes based on NH2-terminal amino acid sequence were used to precisely map the location of the dda gene on the T4 chromosome. Using polymerase chain reaction techniques, the dda gene was then cloned into an expression vector, and the overproduced protein was purified in two chromatography steps. Both the genomic and cloned dda genes were sequenced and found to be identical, encoding a protein of 439 amino acids. The dda protein contains amino acid sequences resembling those of other known helicases, and is most homologous to the Escherichia coli recD protein. Protein affinity chromatography was used to show a direct interaction between the dda protein and the T4 uvsX protein (a rec A-type DNA recombinase).     

Control of bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase synthesis

Analysis of sodium dodecyl sulphate/acrylamide gels of ¹⁴C-labelled proteins from phage-infected bacteria suggests the existence of a self-regulatory control mechanism in bacteriophage T4.Infection of Escherichia coli with phage T4 carrying a mutation in gene 43 (which codes for the phage DNA polymerase) results in a greatly increased rate of synthesis of the gene 43 protein. Such overproduction of defective polymerase occurs in restrictive infections with all gene 43 amber and most gene 43 temperature-sensitive mutants tested. Gene 43 protein synthesis in gene 43⁺ infections or increased synthesis in gene 43^? infections appears to require no additional function of other phage proteins essential for DNA synthesis. Functional gene 43 protein is needed continuously to keep its own levels down to normal.     

In vitro characterization of repair synthesis initiated by T4 endonuclease V on a synthetic DNA substrate.

The size of the repair patch produced by E. coli DNA polymerase (Pol I) following the removal of a pyrimidine dimer from DNA in response to the nicking activity of T4 endonuclease (T4 endo V) was determined. A 48-bp DNA containing a pyrimidine dimer at a defined location was labelled in the damaged strand and incubated with T4 endo V and E. coli endonuclease IV. Subsequently, DNA synthesis by DNA Pol I was carried out in the presence of four dNTPs, ATP and DNA ligase. Analysis of the reaction products on a sequencing gel revealed a ladder of only 4-oligonucleotides, 1-4 nucleotides greater in length than the fragment generated by the combined nicking activities of T4 endo V and E. coli endonuclease IV. Thus we conclude that the in vitro repair patch size of T4 endo V is 4 nucleotides and that in some cases the repaired DNA is not ligated.     

Recognition sequence of a restriction endonuclease from Haemophilus gallinarum

From comparison of the sequences in and around the cleavage sites of restriction endonuclease HgaI isolated from Haemophilus gallinarum, the recognition sequence and cleavage site of this enzyme was deduced as below: (formula: see text) This enzyme recognizes a specific but asymmetric penta-nucleotide sequence, GCGTC, and introduces staggered cleavages at appointed positions away from the recognition sequence, generating protruding 5'-ends of five nucleotides. The sequences surrounding the cleavage sites bear no obvious relation to one another.     

Cloning, sequence analysis, and expression of the bacteriophage T4 cd gene

The cd gene of bacteriophage T4, which encodes the enzyme deoxycytidylate deaminase, was isolated as a 1.9-kilobase DNA fragment and completely sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence was found to be 193 residues long compared with 188 for the corresponding enzyme from bacteriophage T2. There were nine amino acid differences between the two enzymes in addition to a 5-residue insert near the carboxyl terminus of the T4 deaminase which was not present in the T2 deaminase. The cd-containing fragment also contained all of gene 31 (Nivinskas, R., and Black, L. W. (1988) Gene (Amst.) 73, 251-257) and thus precisely locates the two genes relative to one another within the T4 phage genomic map. Attempts to place the cd gene within a high expression vector have not been successful so far due to possible toxic effects of the gene product. However, placement of the gene within pUC18 resulted in a degree of expression which is about 10-20 times that found in T4-infected Escherichia coli. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity and found to possess properties similar to T2 phage deoxycytidylate deaminase.