Bacteriophage T7 Gene 2.5 Protein: an Essential Protein for DNA Replication (DNA Binding Protein/Recombination/T7 DNA Polymerase) YOUNG TAE KIM* and CHARLES C
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Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 90, pp. 10173-10177, November 1993 Biochemistry Bacteriophage T7 gene 2.5 protein: An essential protein for DNA replication (DNA binding protein/recombination/T7 DNA polymerase) YOUNG TAE KIM* AND CHARLES C. RICHARDSON Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 Contributed by Charles C. Richardson, July 22, 1993 ABSTRACT The product of gene 2.5 of bacteriophage T7, 15). Both direct and indirect evidence support an interaction a single-stranded DNA binding protein, physically interacts with between these essential replication proteins and the T7 gene the phage-encoded gene S protein (DNA polymerase) and gene 2.5 protein. 4 proteins (helicase and primase) and stimulates their activities. T7 gene 2.5 protein stimulates DNA synthesis catalyzed by Genetic analysis ofT7 phage defective in gene 2.5 shows that the the T7 DNA polymerase/thioredoxin complex on single- gene 2.5 protein is essential for T7 DNA replication and growth. stranded DNA templates (4, 5, 11, 14) and increases the T7 phages thatcontain null mutants ofgene2.5 were constructed processivity ofthe reaction (11). It has been shown by affinity by homologous recombination. These gene 2.5 null mutants chromatography and fluorescence emission anisotropy that contain either a deletion ofgene2.5 (T7A2.5) or an insertion into T7 DNA polymerase and gene 2.5 protein physically interact gene 2.5 and cannot grow in Escherichia coli (efficiency of with a dissociation constant of 1.1 ,uM (11). Similarly, inter- plating, <10-8). After infection of E. coli with T7A2.5, host action of the T7 helicase/primase with gene 2.5 protein has DNA synthesis is shut off, and phage DNA synthesis is reduced been inferred from the ability ofgene 2.5 protein to stimulate to <1% ofphage DNA synthesis in wild-type T7-infected E. coli synthesis of primers (10, 16). The T7 helicase/primase-gene cells as measured by incorporation of [3H]thymidine. In con- 2.5 protein interaction has also been confirmed by affinity trast, RNA synthesis is essentially normal in T7A2.5-infected chromatography (11). We have recently found (unpublished cells. The defects in growth and DNA replication are overcome data) that the C-terminal acidic domain of gene 2.5 protein is by wild-type gene 2.5 protein expressed from a plasmid har- required for T7 growth in vivo and it participates in gene 2.5 boring the T7 gene 2.5. dimerization and protein-protein interactions. The role ofgene 2.5 protein in recombination is not as well Single-stranded DNA binding proteins (SSBs), such as Esch- understood. Sadowski et al. (17) demonstrated that extracts erichia coli SSB and T4 gene 32 protein, are essential of T7 phage-infected cells contain an activity that promotes components of DNA metabolism in prokaryotic cells (1-3). renaturation of complementary single strands and suggested The gene 2.5 protein of bacteriophage T7, originally isolated that this activity resided in the T7 SSB. Recent studies (S. based on its strong affinity for single-stranded DNA and its Tabor and C.C.R., unpublished results) have, in fact, dem- stimulate DNA T7 DNA onstrated that the gene 2.5 protein facilitates renaturation of ability to synthesis by polymerase homologous single-stranded DNA even more efficiently than (4, 5), is thought to be analogous to these well characterized does E. coli recA protein, E. coli SSB, or T4 gene 32 protein. SSBs. Like E. coli SSB and T4 gene 32 protein, gene 2.5 A determination of the definitive role of the T7 gene 2.5 protein has been implicated in T7 DNA replication, recom- protein in DNA replication and recombination in vivo is bination, and repair (6-11). We purified gene 2.5 protein from dependent on genetic analysis of gene 2.5 mutants. Previ- cells overexpressing the gene and characterized its physical ously, T7 phage containing mutations in gene 2.5 have been properties and interactions with DNA (6). Gene 2.5 protein isolated based on their inability to grow on E. coli strains that exists as a dimer of two identical subunits of Mr 25,562. It have a defective SSB (8). These T7 mutant phages contain an binds specifically to single-stranded DNA with a stoichiom- amber mutation in gene 2.5 that leads to synthesis of a etry of -7 nt bound per monomer of gene 2.5 protein and shortened polypeptide -90% of the length of the wild-type extends the length of the DNA molecules as measured by protein (9). These gene 2.5 mutant phages can grow on electron microscopy. The binding constant of gene 2.5 pro- wild-type E. coli strains but not on strains expressing a tein for single-stranded DNA is -2.5 x 106 M-1, as deter- temperature-sensitive SSB at the nonpermissive tempera- mined by fluorescence quenching and nitrocellulose filter ture. Furthermore, these T7 phages are defective in recom- binding assays (6). Fluorescence studies suggest that tyrosine bination (8). Recently, however, a mutational analysis has residue(s) on gene 2.5 protein interacts with single-stranded identified T7 gene 2.5 mutants that cannot grow even in E. DNA, whereas tryptophan residues do not (6). coli strains producing wild-type SSB (F. W. Studier, per- In T7 DNA replication, the gene 2.5 protein has the sonal communication). We show that T7 phages with a potential to play one of several essential roles. At the T7 deletion ofgene 2.5 (T7A2.5) do not grow in wild-type E. coli replication fork, three proteins, the products of T7 genes 4 and have no detectable T7 DNA replication; the T7A2.5 and 5 and the host trxA gene, account for the fundamental phages grow normally in E. coli strains expressing wild-type reactions (12, 13). Gene 5 protein is a DNA polymerase, gene 2.5 from a plasmid. catalyzing the polymerization of nucleotides with low pro- cessivity (14, 15). E. coli thioredoxin, the product ofthe trxA MATERIALS AND METHODS gene, binds to gene S protein in a 1:1 stoichiometry and Bacterial Strains. E. coli HMS157 (F- recB21 recC22 confers processivity on the polymerization reaction by in- sbcA5 endA gal thi sup) (laboratory collection), E. coli creasing the affinity ofthe enzyme for a primer/template (14, Abbreviations: SSB, single-stranded DNA binding protein; moi, The publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page charge multiplicity of infection. payment. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" *Present address: Department of Microbiology, National Fisheries in accordance with 18 U.S.C. §1734 solely to indicate this fact. University of Pusan, Pusan, 608-737, Korea. 10173 Downloaded by guest on September 29, 2021 10174 Biochemistry: Kim and Richardson Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90 (1993) HMS174 (F- hsdR rK,2- mKj2+ recAl) (18), E. coli HB101 using two primers with an EcoRI site within both primers [F- A(mcrCmrr) leu supE44 aral4 galK2 lacYl proA2 (5'-CGACGAATTCTAAGTGGAACTGCGGG-3' and 5'- rpsL20(Strr) xyl-5 mtl-l recA13] (19), E. coli HMS262 (F- CGACGAATTCCCTTTAGCGCCGTAAC-3'). The PCR- hsdR pro leu-lac-thi-supE tonA-trxA) (laboratory collec- generated fragment of T7 gene 2 was cloned into BamHI- tion), E. coli JH21(F- pcnB80, AtrxA307) (20), and E. coli linearized pBR322 to generate pGP2. pGP2 was digested by AN1(F- AtrxA307, metE::TnlO), a derivative ofE. coli C600 EcoRI, and the PCR-generated gene 2.8 fragment was cloned (21) with P1 transduction (22) have been described. Growth into the EcoRI site of pGP2. The resulting plasmid is pGP2- and manipulation of bacteriophage T7 and E. coli were 2.8. Finally, the trxA DNA was cloned into performed as described (23, 24). PCR-produced Construction of Gene 2.5 Plasmids. DNA fragments were pGP2-2.8 that had been digested with Sma I at the junction prepared and cloned by standard procedures (25). E. coli ofgenes 2 and 2.8. The isolation ofa plasmid containing gene HB101 was transformed with the designated plasmids (26). 2-trxA-gene 2.8 was determined by PCR with suitable prim- Three different plasmids containing a wild-type gene 2.5 were ers. The resulting plasmid, pGP2T2.8, expresses a functional constructed by a standard PCR protocol (27). To construct thioredoxin. pGP2.5::trxA and pGP2T2.8 were transformed the first plasmid, two primers, a 5'-end primer with an Nde toE. coli HMS157, generating E. coli HMS157/pGP2.5::trxA I site (5'-CGTAGGATCCATATGGCTAAGAAGATTT- and E. coli HMS157/pGP2T2.8, respectively. E. coli TCACCTC-3') and a 3'-end primer with a BamHI site (5'- HMS157/pGP2T2.8 was grown in LB medium at 37°C with CGTAGGATCCACTTAGAAGTCTCCGTC-3'), were used vigorous shaking to A600 = 0.5 and infected [multiplicity of to amplify T7 DNA sequences 9157-9862 containing gene 2.5 infection (moi) = 0.1] with wild-type T7 phage. After cell coding sequence (28). PCR-generated DNA fragments were lysis, phages were harvested as described (31). To select and incubated with the large fragment ofE. coli DNA polymerase amplify the recombinant (T7A2.5::trxA), HMS262 cells con- I in the presence of the four nucleoside 5'-triphosphates, and taining pGP2.5-1 that supplements wild-type gene 2.5 protein the resulting fragments containing blunt ends were then were grown to midexponential phase and infected with the ligated into the EcoRV site of plasmid pBR322 (29). The lysate produced from wild-type T7 infection of E. coli resulting plasmid pGP2.5-1 contains the gene 2.5 protein HMS157/pGP2T2.8. After cell lysis, amplified T7A2.5::trxA coding sequence under control of the pBR322 tetracycline was plated onE.