Hedglin, M. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2020

Structure of the human clamp loader bound to the sliding clamp: a further twist on AAA+ mechanism

DNA replication requires the sliding clamp, a ring-shaped protein complex that encircles DNA, where it acts as an essential cofactor for DNA polymerases and other proteins. The sliding clamp needs to be actively opened and installed onto DNA by a clamp loader ATPase of the AAA+ family. The human clamp loader Replication Factor C (RFC) and sliding clamp PCNA are both essential and play critical roles in several diseases. Despite decades of study, no structure of human RFC has been resolved. Here, we report the structure of human RFC bound to PCNA by cryo-EM to an overall resolution of ~3.4 [A]. The active sites of RFC are fully bound to ATP analogs, which is expected to induce opening of the sliding clamp. However, we observe the complex in a conformation prior to PCNA opening, with the clamp loader ATPase modules forming an over-twisted spiral that is incapable of binding DNA or hydrolyzing ATP. The autoinhibited conformation observed here has many similarities to a previous yeast RFC:PCNA crystal structure, suggesting that eukaryotic clamp loaders adopt a similar autoinhibited state early on in clamp loading. Our results point to a Limited Change/Induced Fit mechanism in which the clamp first opens, followed by DNA binding inducing opening of the loader to release auto-inhibition. The proposed change from an over-twisted to an active conformation reveals a novel regulatory mechanism for AAA+ ATPases. Finally, our structural analysis of disease mutations leads to a mechanistic explanation for the role of RFC in human health.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2019

Structural basis of reiterative transcription from the pyrG and pyrBI promoters by bacterial RNA polymerase

Reiterative transcription is a non-canonical form of RNA synthesis by RNA polymerase in which a ribonucleotide specified by a single base in the DNA template is repetitively added to the nascent RNA transcript. We previously determined the X-ray crystal structure of the bacterial RNA polymerase engaged in reiterative transcription from the pyrG promoter, which contains 8 poly-G RNA bases synthesized using 3 C bases in the DNA as a template and extends RNA without displacement of the promoter recognition {sigma} factor from the core enzyme. In this study, we determined a series of transcript initiation complex structures from the pyrG promoter using soak trigger freeze X-ray crystallography. We also performed biochemical assays to monitor template DNA translocation during RNA synthesis from the pyrG promoter and in vitro transcription assays to determine the length of poly-G RNA from the pyrG promoter variants. Structures and biochemical assays revealed how the RNA transcript from the pyrG promoter is guided toward the Rifampin-binding pocket then the main channel of RNA polymerase and provided insight into RNA slippage during reiterative transcription of the pyrG promoter. Lastly, we determined a structure of a reiterative transcription complex at the pyrBI promoter and revealed an alternative mechanism of RNA slippage and extension requiring the{sigma} dissociation from the core enzyme.\n\nSIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTRNA polymerase synthesizes multiple bases of RNA using a single base of the template DNA due to slippage between RNA transcript and template DNA. This noncanonical RNA synthesis is called \"reiterative transcription,\" playing several regulatory roles cellular organisms and viruses. In this study, we determined a series of X-ray crystal structures of a bacterial RNA polymerase engaged in reiterative transcription and characterized a role of template DNA during reiterative transcription by biochemical assays. Our study revealed how RNA slips on template DNA and how RNA polymerase and template DNA determine length of reiterative RNA product. We also provide insights into the regulation of gene expression using two alternative ways of reiterative transcription.

molecular biology↗