Fidelity consequences of the impaired interaction between DNA polymerase epsilon and the GINS complex

DNA polymerase epsilon interacts with the CMG (Cdc45-MCM-GINS) complex by Dpb2p, the non-catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase epsilon. It is postulated that CMG is responsible for targeting of Pol ɛ to the leading strand. We isolated a mutator dpb2-100 allele which encodes the mutant form of Dpb2p. We showed previously that Dpb2-100p has impaired interactions with Pol2p, the catalytic subunit of Pol ɛ. Here, we present that Dpb2-100p has strongly impaired interaction with the Psf1 and Psf3 subunits of the GINS complex. Our in vitro results suggest that while dpb2-100 does not alter Pol ɛ’s biochemical properties including catalytic efficiency, processivity or proofreading activity – it moderately decreases the fidelity of DNA synthesis. As the in vitro results did not explain the strong in vivo mutator effect of the dpb2-100 allele we analyzed the mutation spectrum in vivo. The analysis of the mutation rates in the dpb2-100 mutant indicated an increased participation of the error-prone DNA polymerase zeta in replication. However, even in the absence of Pol ζ activity the presence of the dpb2-100 allele was mutagenic, indicating that a significant part of mutagenesis is Pol ζ-independent. A strong synergistic mutator effect observed for transversions in the triple mutant dpb2-100 pol2-4 rev3Δ as compared to pol2-4 rev3Δ and dpb2-100 rev3Δ suggests that in the presence of the dpb2-100 allele the number of replication errors is enhanced. We hypothesize that in the dpb2-100 strain, where the interaction between Pol ɛ and GINS is weakened, the access of Pol δ to the leading strand may be increased. The increased participation of Pol δ on the leading strand in the dpb2-100 mutant may explain the synergistic mutator effect observed in the dpb2-100 pol3-5DV double mutant.