An iron-sulfur cluster is essential for the binding of broken DNA by AddAB-type helicase-nucleases

Cyanobacterial Argonautes and Cas4 family nucleases cooperate to interfere with invading DNA

Prokaryotic Argonaute proteins (pAgos) from the long-A clade are stand-alone immune systems that use small interfering DNA (siDNA) guides to recognize and cleave invading plasmid and virus DNA. Certain long-A pAgos are co-encoded with accessory proteins with unknown functions. Here, we show that cyanobacterial long-A pAgos act in conjunction with Argonaute-associated Cas4 family enzyme 1 (ACE1). Structural and biochemical analyses reveal that ACE1-associated pAgos mediate siDNA-guided DNA interference, akin to stand-alone pAgos. ACE1 is structurally homologous to the nuclease domain of bacterial DNA repair complexes and acts as a single-stranded DNA endonuclease that processes siDNA guides. pAgo and ACE1 form a heterodimeric long-A pAgo-ACE1 (APACE1) complex, which modulates ACE1 activity. Although ACE1-associated pAgos alone interfere with plasmids and bacteriophages, plasmid interference is boosted when pAgo and ACE1 are co-expressed. Our study reveals that pAgo-mediated immunity is enhanced by accessory proteins and broadens our mechanistic understanding of how pAgo systems interfere with invading DNA.

Structure, function and evolution of the bacterial DinG-like proteins

The damage-inducible G (DinG)-like proteins represent a widespread superfamily 2 (SF2) of DNA helicases, exhibiting remarkable diversity in domain architecture, substrate specificity, regulatory mechanisms, biological functions, interaction partners, and taxonomic distribution. Many characterized DinG-like proteins play critical roles in bacterial stress responses and immunity, including the SOS response, DNA repair, and phage interference. This review aims to provide a summary of bacterial DinG-like proteins, categorizing them into subgroups such as DinG, YoaA, CasDinG, CasDinG-HNH, ExoDinG, pExoDinG, EndoDinG, RadC-like DinG, sDinG, and others. This classification provides an analysis of sequence-structure-function relationships within this superfamily. Further sequence clustering revealed inter-cluster relationships and subgroup heterogeneity, suggesting potential functional divergence. Integrating sequence analysis, domain architecture, structural data, and genomic context enabled functional predictions for these DinG-like protein subgroups, shedding light on their evolutionary and biological significance.

Control of Replication Stress Response by Cytosolic Fe-S Cluster Assembly (CIA) Machinery

Accurate DNA replication is essential for the maintenance of genome stability and the generation of healthy offspring. When DNA replication is challenged, signals accumulate at blocked replication forks that elicit a multifaceted cellular response, orchestrating DNA replication, DNA repair and cell cycle progression. This replication stress response promotes the recovery of DNA replication, maintaining chromosome integrity and preventing mutations. Defects in this response are linked to heightened genetic instability, which contributes to tumorigenesis and genetic disorders. Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are emerging as important cofactors in supporting the response to replication stress. These clusters are assembled and delivered to target proteins that function in the cytosol and nucleus via the conserved cytosolic Fe-S cluster assembly (CIA) machinery and the CIA targeting complex. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the structure and function of the CIA machinery in yeast and mammals, emphasizing the critical role of Fe-S clusters in the replication stress response.

Maintenance of genome integrity by the late-acting cytoplasmic iron-sulfur assembly (CIA) complex

Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are unique, redox-active co-factors ubiquitous throughout cellular metabolism. Fe-S cluster synthesis, trafficking, and coordination result from highly coordinated, evolutionarily conserved biosynthetic processes. The initial Fe-S cluster synthesis occurs within the mitochondria; however, the maturation of Fe-S clusters culminating in their ultimate insertion into appropriate cytosolic/nuclear proteins is coordinated by a late-acting cytosolic iron-sulfur assembly (CIA) complex in the cytosol. Several nuclear proteins involved in DNA replication and repair interact with the CIA complex and contain Fe-S clusters necessary for proper enzymatic activity. Moreover, it is currently hypothesized that the late-acting CIA complex regulates the maintenance of genome integrity and is an integral feature of DNA metabolism. This review describes the late-acting CIA complex and several [4Fe-4S] DNA metabolic enzymes associated with maintaining genome stability.

Iron Chelator DIBI Suppresses Formation of Ciprofloxacin-Induced Antibiotic Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

Antibiotic resistance of bacterial pathogens results from their exposure to antibiotics and this has become a serious growing problem that limits effective use of antibiotics. Resistance can arise from mutations induced by antibiotic-mediated damage with these mutants possessing reduced target sensitivity. We have studied ciprofloxacin (CIP)-mediated killing of Staphylococcus aureus and the influence of the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) inactivator, thiourea and the iron chelator DIBI, on initial killing by CIP and their effects on survival and outgrowth upon prolonged exposure to CIP. CIP at 2× MIC caused a rapid initial killing which was not influenced by initial bacterial iron status and which was followed by robust recovery growth over 96 h exposure. Thiourea and DIBI did slow the initial rate of CIP killing but the overall extent of kill by 24 h exposure was like CIP alone. Thiourea permitted recovery growth whereas this was strongly suppressed by DIBI. Small Colony Variant (SCV) survivors were progressively enriched in the survivor population during CIP exposure, and these were found to have stable slow-growth phenotype and acquired resistance to CIP and moxifloxacin but not to other non-related antibiotics. DIBI totally suppressed SCV formation with all survivors remaining sensitive to CIP and to DIBI. DIBI exposure did not promote resistance to DIBI. Our evidence indicates a high potential for DIBI as an adjunct to CIP and other antibiotics to both improve antibiotic efficacy and to thwart antibiotic resistance development.

Species-specific partial gene duplication in Arabidopsis thaliana evolved novel phenotypic effects on morphological traits under strong positive selection

Gene duplication is increasingly recognized as an important mechanism for the origination of new genes, as revealed by comparative genomic analysis. However, how new duplicate genes contribute to phenotypic evolution remains largely unknown, especially in plants. Here, we identified the new gene EXOV, derived from a partial gene duplication of its parental gene EXOVL in Arabidopsis thaliana. EXOV is a species-specific gene that originated within the last 3.5 million years and shows strong signals of positive selection. Unexpectedly, RNA-sequencing analyses revealed that, despite its young age, EXOV has acquired many novel direct and indirect interactions in which the parental gene does not engage. This observation is consistent with the high, selection-driven substitution rate of its encoded protein, in contrast to the slowly evolving EXOVL, suggesting an important role for EXOV in phenotypic evolution. We observed significant differentiation of morphological changes for all phenotypes assessed in genome-edited and T-DNA insertional single mutants and in double T-DNA insertion mutants in EXOV and EXOVL. We discovered a substantial divergence of phenotypic effects by principal component analyses, suggesting neofunctionalization of the new gene. These results reveal a young gene that plays critical roles in biological processes that underlie morphological evolution in A. thaliana.

Implications of Membrane Binding by the Fe-S Cluster-Containing N-Terminal Domain in the Drosophila Mitochondrial Replicative DNA Helicase

Recent evidence suggests that iron-sulfur clusters (ISCs) in DNA replicative proteins sense DNA-mediated charge transfer to modulate nuclear DNA replication. In the mitochondrial DNA replisome, only the replicative DNA helicase (mtDNA helicase) from Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) has been shown to contain an ISC in its N-terminal, primase-like domain (NTD). In this report, we confirm the presence of the ISC and demonstrate the importance of a metal cofactor in the structural stability of the Dm mtDNA helicase. Further, we show that the NTD also serves a role in membrane binding. We demonstrate that the NTD binds to asolectin liposomes, which mimic phospholipid membranes, through electrostatic interactions. Notably, membrane binding is more specific with increasing cardiolipin content, which is characteristically high in the mitochondrial inner membrane (MIM). We suggest that the N-terminal domain of the mtDNA helicase interacts with the MIM to recruit mtDNA and initiate mtDNA replication. Furthermore, Dm NUBPL, the known ISC donor for respiratory complex I and a putative donor for Dm mtDNA helicase, was identified as a peripheral membrane protein that is likely to execute membrane-mediated ISC delivery to its target proteins.

The CRISPR-associated Cas4 protein from Leptospira interrogans demonstrate versatile nuclease activity

The Cas4 protein is one of the core CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins implicated in the adaptation module in many variants of the CRISPR-Cas system in prokaryotes against the invading genetic elements. Cas4 is recognized as a DNA exonuclease that contains a RecB nuclease domain and a Fe-S cluster-binding module. In Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain Fiocruz L1-130, the cas4 gene is functionally transcribed as an active component of the CRISPR-Cas I-B system. Investigation of nuclease activity of Cas4 (LinCas4) of the L. interrogans illustrated divalent-metal cofactor (Mn2+ or Mg2+) dependent endonuclease activity on the DNA substrate. In agreement, mutation of the selective metal interacting residues (Asp74 and Glu87) curtails the DNA cleavage activity in LinCas4. Computational modeling shows metal-ion interacting residues (Asp74 and Glu87) in the LinCas4 to be a part of the RecB motifs II and III, the same as other Cas4 orthologs. The mutation of a potential DNA interacting residue in the LinCas4 (LinCas4Y132A) or one of the four cysteine residues (LinCas4C18A) involved in coordinating the 4Fe-4S cluster did not perturb its DNase activity. Iron chelation assay of the purified LinCas4 demonstrated it in the apostate conformation. Reconstitution of the Fe-S cluster in the LinCas4 under in vitro condition displayed its coordination with four iron atoms per LinCas4 monomer and was confirmed by the UV and CD spectroscopy studies.

Biogenesis of Iron-Sulfur Clusters and Their Role in DNA Metabolism

Iron–sulfur (Fe/S) clusters (ISCs) are redox-active protein cofactors that their synthesis, transfer, and insertion into target proteins require many components. Mitochondrial ISC assembly is the foundation of all cellular ISCs in eukaryotic cells. The mitochondrial ISC cooperates with the cytosolic Fe/S protein assembly (CIA) systems to accomplish the cytosolic and nuclear Fe/S clusters maturation. ISCs are needed for diverse cellular functions, including nitrogen fixation, oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial respiratory pathways, and ribosome assembly. Recent research advances have confirmed the existence of different ISCs in enzymes that regulate DNA metabolism, including helicases, nucleases, primases, DNA polymerases, and glycosylases. Here we outline the synthesis of mitochondrial, cytosolic and nuclear ISCs and highlight their functions in DNA metabolism.

Virus-associated organosulfur metabolism in human and environmental systems

Viruses influence the fate of nutrients and human health by killing microorganisms and altering metabolic processes. Organosulfur metabolism and biologically derived hydrogen sulfide play dynamic roles in manifestation of diseases, infrastructure degradation, and essential biological processes. Although microbial organosulfur metabolism is well studied, the role of viruses in organosulfur metabolism is unknown. Here, we report the discovery of 39 gene families involved in organosulfur metabolism encoded by 3,749 viruses from diverse ecosystems, including human microbiomes. The viruses infect organisms from all three domains of life. Six gene families encode for enzymes that degrade organosulfur compounds into sulfide, whereas others manipulate organosulfur compounds and may influence sulfide production. We show that viral metabolic genes encode key enzymatic domains, are translated into protein, and are maintained after recombination, and sulfide provides a fitness advantage to viruses. Our results reveal viruses as drivers of organosulfur metabolism with important implications for human and environmental health.

EXO5-DNA structure and BLM interactions direct DNA resection critical for ATR-dependent replication restart

Stalled DNA replication fork restart after stress as orchestrated by ATR kinase, BLM helicase, and structure-specific nucleases enables replication, cell survival, and genome stability. Here we unveil human exonuclease V (EXO5) as an ATR-regulated DNA structure-specific nuclease and BLM partner for replication fork restart. We find that elevated EXO5 in tumors correlates with increased mutation loads and poor patient survival, suggesting that EXO5 upregulation has oncogenic potential. Structural, mechanistic, and mutational analyses of EXO5 and EXO5-DNA complexes reveal a single-stranded DNA binding channel with an adjacent ATR phosphorylation motif (T88Q89) that regulates EXO5 nuclease activity and BLM binding identified by mass spectrometric analysis. EXO5 phospho-mimetic mutant rescues the restart defect from EXO5 depletion that decreases fork progression, DNA damage repair, and cell survival. EXO5 depletion furthermore rescues survival of FANCA-deficient cells and indicates EXO5 functions epistatically with SMARCAL1 and BLM. Thus, an EXO5 axis connects ATR and BLM in directing replication fork restart.

Identification of a Novel Class of Photolyases as Possible Ancestors of Their Family

UV irradiation induces the formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and 6-4 photoproducts in DNA. These two types of lesions can be directly photorepaired by CPD photolyases and 6-4 photolyases, respectively. Recently, a new class of 6-4 photolyases named iron–sulfur bacterial cryptochromes and photolyases (FeS-BCPs) were found, which were considered as the ancestors of all photolyases and their homologs—cryptochromes. However, a controversy exists regarding 6-4 photoproducts only constituting ∼10–30% of the total UV-induced lesions that primordial organisms would hardly survive without a CPD repair enzyme. By extensive phylogenetic analyses, we identified a novel class of proteins, all from eubacteria. They have relatively high similarity to class I/III CPD photolyases, especially in the putative substrate-binding and FAD-binding regions. However, these proteins are shorter, and they lack the “N-terminal α/β domain” of normal photolyases. Therefore, we named them short photolyase-like. Nevertheless, similar to FeS-BCPs, some of short photolyase-likes also contain four conserved cysteines, which may also coordinate an iron–sulfur cluster as FeS-BCPs. A member from Rhodococcus fascians was cloned and expressed. It was demonstrated that the protein contains a FAD cofactor and an iron–sulfur cluster, and has CPD repair activity. It was speculated that this novel class of photolyases may be the real ancestors of the cryptochrome/photolyase family.

Streptococcus mutans Lacking sufCDSUB Is Viable, but Displays Major Defects in Growth, Stress Tolerance Responses and Biofilm Formation

Streptococcus mutans appears to possess a sole iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster biosynthesis system encoded by the sufCDSUB cluster. This study was designed to examine the role of sufCDSUB in S. mutans physiology. Allelic exchange mutants deficient of the whole sufCDSUB cluster and in individual genes were constructed. Compared to the wild-type, UA159, the sufCDSUB-deficient mutant, Δsuf::kan^r, had a significantly reduced growth rate, especially in medium with the absence of isoleucine, leucine or glutamate/glutamine, amino acids that require Fe-S clusters for biosynthesis and when grown with medium adjusted to pH 6.0 and under oxidative and nitrosative stress conditions. Relative to UA159, Δsuf::kan^r had major defects in stress tolerance responses with reduced survival rate of > 2-logs following incubation at low pH environment or after hydrogen peroxide challenge. When compared to UA159, Δsuf::kan^r tended to form aggregates in broth medium and accumulated significantly less biofilm. As shown by luciferase reporter fusion assays, the expression of sufCDSUB was elevated by > 5.4-fold when the reporter strain was transferred from iron sufficient medium to iron-limiting medium. Oxidative stress induced by methyl viologen increased sufCDSUB expression by > 2-fold, and incubation in a low pH environment led to reduction of sufCDSUB expression by > 7-fold. These results suggest that lacking of SufCDSUB in S. mutans causes major defects in various cellular processes of the deficient mutant, including growth, stress tolerance responses and biofilm formation. In addition, the viability of the deficient mutant also suggests that SUF, the sole Fe-S cluster machinery identified is non-essential in S. mutans, which is not known in any other bacterium lacking the NIF and/or ISC system. However, how the bacterium compensates the Fe-S deficiency and if any novel Fe-S assembly systems exist in this bacterium await further investigation.

Gene atlas of iron-containing proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana

Iron (Fe) is an essential element for the development and physiology of plants, owing to its presence in numerous proteins involved in central biological processes. Here, we established an exhaustive, manually curated inventory of genes encoding Fe-containing proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana, and summarized their subcellular localization, spatiotemporal expression and evolutionary age. We have currently identified 1068 genes encoding potential Fe-containing proteins, including 204 iron-sulfur (Fe-S) proteins, 446 haem proteins and 330 non-Fe-S/non-haem Fe proteins (updates of this atlas are available at https://conf.arabidopsis.org/display/COM/Atlas+of+Fe+containing+proteins). A fourth class, containing 88 genes for which iron binding is uncertain, is indexed as 'unclear'. The proteins are distributed in diverse subcellular compartments with strong differences per category. Interestingly, analysis of the gene age index showed that most genes were acquired early in plant evolutionary history and have progressively gained regulatory elements, to support the complex organ-specific and development-specific functions necessitated by the emergence of terrestrial plants. With this gene atlas, we provide a valuable and updateable tool for the research community that supports the characterization of the molecular actors and mechanisms important for Fe metabolism in plants. This will also help in selecting relevant targets for breeding or biotechnological approaches aiming at Fe biofortification in crops.

Bulk and single-molecule analysis of a bacterial DNA2-like helicase-nuclease reveals a single-stranded DNA looping motor

DNA2 is an essential enzyme involved in DNA replication and repair in eukaryotes. In a search for homologues of this protein, we identified and characterised Geobacillus stearothermophilus Bad, a bacterial DNA helicase-nuclease with similarity to human DNA2. We show that Bad contains an Fe-S cluster and identify four cysteine residues that are likely to co-ordinate the cluster by analogy to DNA2. The purified enzyme specifically recognises ss-dsDNA junctions and possesses ssDNA-dependent ATPase, ssDNA binding, ssDNA endonuclease, 5' to 3' ssDNA translocase and 5' to 3' helicase activity. Single molecule analysis reveals that Bad is a processive DNA motor capable of moving along DNA for distances of >4 kb at a rate of ∼200 bp per second at room temperature. Interestingly, as reported for the homologous human and yeast DNA2 proteins, the DNA unwinding activity of Bad is cryptic and can be unmasked by inactivating the intrinsic nuclease activity. Strikingly, our experiments show that the enzyme loops DNA while translocating, which is an emerging feature of processive DNA unwinding enzymes. The bacterial Bad enzymes will provide an excellent model system for understanding the biochemical properties of DNA2-like helicase-nucleases and DNA looping motor proteins in general.

UvrC Coordinates an O2-Sensitive [4Fe4S] Cofactor

Recent advances have led to numerous landmark discoveries of [4Fe4S] clusters coordinated by essential enzymes in repair, replication, and transcription across all domains of life. The cofactor has notably been challenging to observe for many nucleic acid processing enzymes due to several factors, including a weak bioinformatic signature of the coordinating cysteines and lability of the metal cofactor. To overcome these challenges, we have used sequence alignments, an anaerobic purification method, iron quantification, and UV-visible and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies to investigate UvrC, the dual-incision endonuclease in the bacterial nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. The characteristics of UvrC are consistent with [4Fe4S] coordination with 60-70% cofactor incorporation, and additionally, we show that, bound to UvrC, the [4Fe4S] cofactor is susceptible to oxidative degradation with aggregation of apo species. Importantly, in its holo form with the cofactor bound, UvrC forms high affinity complexes with duplexed DNA substrates; the apparent dissociation constants to well-matched and damaged duplex substrates are 100 ± 20 nM and 80 ± 30 nM, respectively. This high affinity DNA binding contrasts reports made for isolated protein lacking the cofactor. Moreover, using DNA electrochemistry, we find that the cluster coordinated by UvrC is redox-active and participates in DNA-mediated charge transport chemistry with a DNA-bound midpoint potential of 90 mV vs NHE. This work highlights that the [4Fe4S] center is critical to UvrC.

The iron-sulphur cluster in human DNA2 is required for all biochemical activities of DNA2

The nuclease/helicase DNA2 plays important roles in DNA replication, repair and processing of stalled replication forks. DNA2 contains an iron-sulphur (FeS) cluster, conserved in eukaryotes and in a related bacterial nuclease. FeS clusters in DNA maintenance proteins are required for structural integrity and/or act as redox-sensors. Here, we demonstrate that loss of the FeS cluster affects binding of human DNA2 to specific DNA substrates, likely through a conformational change that distorts the central DNA binding tunnel. Moreover, we show that the FeS cluster is required for DNA2’s nuclease, helicase and ATPase activities. Our data also establish that oxidation of DNA2 impairs DNA binding in vitro, an effect that is reversible upon reduction. Unexpectedly, though, this redox-regulation is independent of the presence of the FeS cluster. Together, our study establishes an important structural role for the FeS cluster in human DNA2 and discovers a redox-regulatory mechanism to control DNA binding.

Mariotti et al. show that the iron-sulphur cluster in human DNA2 is required for its nuclease, helicase and ATPase activities. This study highlights the structural importance of the iron-sulphur cluster in human DNA2 and presents a separate redox-regulatory mechanism that controls DNA binding.

Structural evidence for an essential Fe-S cluster in the catalytic core domain of DNA polymerase ϵ

DNA polymerase ϵ (Pol ϵ), the major leading-strand DNA polymerase in eukaryotes, has a catalytic subunit (Pol2) and three non-catalytic subunits. The N-terminal half of Pol2 (Pol2_CORE) exhibits both polymerase and exonuclease activity. It has been suggested that both the non-catalytic C-terminal domain of Pol2 (with the two cysteine motifs CysA and CysB) and Pol2_CORE (with the CysX cysteine motif) are likely to coordinate an Fe–S cluster. Here, we present two new crystal structures of Pol2_CORE with an Fe–S cluster bound to the CysX motif, supported by an anomalous signal at that position. Furthermore we show that purified four-subunit Pol ϵ, Pol ϵ CysA_MUT (C2111S/C2133S), and Pol ϵ CysB_MUT (C2167S/C2181S) all have an Fe–S cluster that is not present in Pol ϵ CysX_MUT (C665S/C668S). Pol ϵ CysA_MUT and Pol ϵ CysB_MUT behave similarly to wild-type Pol ϵ in in vitro assays, but Pol ϵ CysX_MUT has severely compromised DNA polymerase activity that is not the result of an excessive exonuclease activity. Tetrad analyses show that haploid yeast strains carrying CysX_MUT are inviable. In conclusion, Pol ϵ has a single Fe–S cluster bound at the base of the P-domain, and this Fe–S cluster is essential for cell viability and polymerase activity.

The roles of fission yeast exonuclease 5 in nuclear and mitochondrial genome stability

The Exo5 family consists of bi-directional, single-stranded DNA-specific exonucleases that contain an iron-sulfur cluster as a structural motif and have multiple roles in DNA metabolism. S. cerevisiae Exo5 is essential for mitochondrial genome maintenance, while the human ortholog is important for nuclear genome stability and DNA repair. Here, we identify the Exo5 ortholog in Schizosaccharomyes pombe (spExo5). The activity of spExo5 is highly similar to that of the human enzyme. When the single-stranded DNA is coated with single-stranded DNA binding protein RPA, spExo5 become a 5'-specific exonuclease. Exo5Δ mutants are sensitive to various DNA damaging agents, particularly interstrand crosslinking agents. An epistasis analysis places exo5⁺ in the Fanconi pathway for interstrand crosslink repair. Exo5⁺ is in a redundant pathway with rad2⁺, which encodes the flap endonuclease FEN1, for mitochondrial genome maintenance. Deletion of both genes lead to severe depletion of the mitochondrial genome, and defects in respiration, indicating that either spExo5 or spFEN1 is necessary for mitochondrial DNA metabolism.

A comprehensive mechanistic model of iron metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The ironome of budding yeast (circa 2019) consists of approximately 139 proteins and 5 nonproteinaceous species. These proteins were grouped according to location in the cell, type of iron center(s), and cellular function. The resulting 27 groups were used, along with an additional 13 nonprotein components, to develop a mesoscale mechanistic model that describes the import, trafficking, metallation, and regulation of iron within growing yeast cells. The model was designed to be simultaneously mutually autocatalytic and mutually autoinhibitory - a property called autocatinhibitory that should be most realistic for simulating cellular biochemical processes. The model was assessed at the systems' level. General conclusions are presented, including a new perspective on understanding regulatory mechanisms in cellular systems. Some unsettled issues are described. This model, once fully developed, has the potential to mimic the phenotype (at a coarse-grain level) of all iron-related genetic mutations in this simple and well-studied eukaryote.

Structure-Function Studies of the Bacillus subtilis Ric Proteins Identify the Fe-S Cluster-Ligating Residues and Their Roles in Development and RNA Processing

In Bacillus subtilis, the RicA (YmcA), RicF (YlbF), and RicT (YaaT) proteins accelerate the phosphorylation of the transcription factor Spo0A, contributing to genetic competence, sporulation, and biofilm formation, and are also essential for the correct maturation of several protein-encoding and riboswitch RNAs. These proteins form a stable complex (RicAFT) that carries two [4Fe-4S]+2 clusters. We show here that the complex is a 1:1:1 heterotrimer, and we present the X-ray crystal structures of a RicAF heterotetramer and of a RicA dimer. We also demonstrate that one of the Fe-S clusters (cluster 1) is ligated by cysteine residues donated exclusively by RicT and can be retained when the RicT monomer is purified by itself. Cluster 2 is ligated by C167 from RicT, by C134 and C146 located near the C terminus of RicF, and by C141 at the C terminus of RicA. These findings imply the following novel arrangement: adjacent RicT residues C166 and 167 ligate clusters 1 and 2, respectively, while cluster 2 is ligated by cysteine residues from RicT, RicA, and RicF. Thus, the two clusters must lie close to one another and at the interface of the RicAFT protomers. We also show that the cluster-ligating cysteine residues, and therefore most likely both Fe-S clusters, are essential for cggR-gapA mRNA maturation, for the regulation of ricF transcript stability, and for several Ric-associated developmental phenotypes, including competence for transformation, biofilm formation, and sporulation. Finally, we present evidence that RicAFT, RicAF, and RicA and the RicT monomer may play distinct regulatory roles in vivoIMPORTANCE The RicA, RicF, and RicT proteins are widely conserved among the firmicute bacteria and play multiple roles in Bacillus subtilis Among the phenotypes associated with the inactivation of these proteins are the inability to be genetically transformed or to form biofilms, a decrease in sporulation frequency, and changes in the stability and maturation of multiple RNA species. Despite their importance, the molecular mechanisms of Ric protein activities have not been elucidated and the roles of the two iron-sulfur clusters on the complex of the three proteins are not understood. To unravel the mechanisms of Ric action, molecular characterization of the complex and of its constituent proteins is essential. This report represents a major step toward understanding the structures of the Ric proteins, the arrangement and roles of the Fe-S clusters, and the phenotypes associated with Ric mutations.

Redox Chemistry in the Genome: Emergence of the [4Fe4S] Cofactor in Repair and Replication

Many DNA-processing enzymes have been shown to contain a [4Fe4S] cluster, a common redox cofactor in biology. Using DNA electrochemistry, we find that binding of the DNA polyanion promotes a negative shift in [4Fe4S] cluster potential, which corresponds thermodynamically to a ∼500-fold increase in DNA-binding affinity for the oxidized [4Fe4S]3+ cluster versus the reduced [4Fe4S]2+ cluster. This redox switch can be activated from a distance using DNA charge transport (DNA CT) chemistry. DNA-processing proteins containing the [4Fe4S] cluster are enumerated, with possible roles for the redox switch highlighted. A model is described where repair proteins may signal one another using DNA-mediated charge transport as a first step in their search for lesions. The redox switch in eukaryotic DNA primases appears to regulate polymerase handoff, and in DNA polymerase δ, the redox switch provides a means to modulate replication in response to oxidative stress. We thus describe redox signaling interactions of DNA-processing [4Fe4S] enzymes, as well as the most interesting potential players to consider in delineating new DNA-mediated redox signaling networks.

Iron-sulfur clusters in nucleic acid metabolism: Varying roles of ancient cofactors

Despite their relative simplicity, iron-sulfur clusters have been omnipresent as cofactors in myriad cellular processes such as oxidative phosphorylation and other respiratory pathways. Recent research advances confirm the presence of different clusters in enzymes involved in nucleic acid metabolism. Iron-sulfur clusters can therefore be considered hallmarks of cellular metabolism. Helicases, nucleases, glycosylases, DNA polymerases and transcription factors, among others, incorporate various types of clusters that serve differing roles. In this chapter, we review our current understanding of the identity and functions of iron-sulfur clusters in DNA and RNA metabolizing enzymes, highlighting their importance as regulators of cellular function.

The elemental role of iron in DNA synthesis and repair

Iron is an essential redox element that functions as a cofactor in many metabolic pathways. Critical enzymes in DNA metabolism, including multiple DNA repair enzymes (helicases, nucleases, glycosylases, demethylases) and ribonucleotide reductase, use iron as an indispensable cofactor to function. Recent striking results have revealed that the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerases also contains conserved cysteine-rich motifs that bind iron-sulfur (Fe/S) clusters that are essential for the formation of stable and active complexes. In line with this, mitochondrial and cytoplasmic defects in Fe/S cluster biogenesis and insertion into the nuclear iron-requiring enzymes involved in DNA synthesis and repair lead to DNA damage and genome instability. Recent studies have shown that yeast cells possess multi-layered mechanisms that regulate the ribonucleotide reductase function in response to fluctuations in iron bioavailability to maintain optimal deoxyribonucleotide concentrations. Finally, a fascinating DNA charge transport model indicates how the redox active Fe/S centers present in DNA repair machinery components are critical for detecting and repairing DNA mismatches along the genome by long-range charge transfers through double-stranded DNA. These unexpected connections between iron and DNA replication and repair have to be considered to properly understand cancer, aging and other DNA-related diseases.

Methods to Study DNA End Resection I: Recombinant Protein Purification

Accurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is carried out by homologous recombination. In order to repair DNA breaks by the recombination pathway, the 5'-terminated DNA strand at DSB sites must be first nucleolytically processed to produce 3'-overhang. The process is termed DNA end resection and involves the interplay of several nuclease complexes. DNA end resection commits DSB repair to the recombination pathway including a process termed single-strand annealing, as resected DNA ends are generally nonligatable by the competing nonhomologous end-joining machinery. Biochemical reconstitution experiments provided invaluable mechanistic insights into the DNA end resection pathways. In this chapter, we describe preparation procedures of key proteins involved in DNA end resection in human cells, including the MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 complex, phosphorylated variant of CtIP, the DNA2 nuclease-helicase with its helicase partners Bloom (BLM) or Werner (WRN), as well as the single-stranded DNA-binding protein replication protein A. The availability of recombinant DNA end resection factors will help to further elucidate resection mechanisms and regulatory processes that may involve novel protein partners and posttranslational modifications.

The helicase DinG responds to stress due to DNA double strand breaks

Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) is a Gram-negative nasopharyngeal commensal that can cause septicaemia and meningitis. The neisserial DNA damage-inducible protein DinG is a helicase related to the mammalian helicases XPD and FANCJ. These helicases belong to superfamily 2, are ATP dependent and exert 5′ → 3′ directionality. To better understand the role of DinG in neisserial genome maintenance, the Nm DinG (DinG_Nm) enzymatic activities were assessed in vitro and phenotypical characterization of a dinG null mutant (NmΔdinG) was performed. Like its homologues, DinG_Nm possesses 5′ → 3′ directionality and prefers DNA substrates containing a 5′-overhang. ATPase activity of DinG_Nm is strictly DNA-dependent and DNA unwinding activity requires nucleoside triphosphate and divalent metal cations. DinG_Nm directly binds SSB_Nm with a K_d of 313 nM. Genotoxic stress analysis demonstrated that NmΔdinG was more sensitive to double-strand DNA breaks (DSB) induced by mitomycin C (MMC) than the Nm wildtype, defining the role of neisserial DinG in DSB repair. Notably, when NmΔdinG cells grown under MMC stress assessed by quantitative mass spectrometry, 134 proteins were shown to be differentially abundant (DA) compared to unstressed NmΔdinG cells. Among the DNA replication, repair and recombination proteins affected, polymerase III subunits and recombinational repair proteins RuvA, RuvB, RecB and RecD were significantly down regulated while TopA and SSB were upregulated under stress condition. Most of the other DA proteins detected are involved in metabolic functions. The present study shows that the helicase DinG is probably involved in regulating metabolic pathways as well as in genome maintenance.

The Suf Iron-Sulfur Cluster Biosynthetic System Is Essential in Staphylococcus aureus, and Decreased Suf Function Results in Global Metabolic Defects and Reduced Survival in Human Neutrophils

Staphylococcus aureus remains a causative agent for morbidity and mortality worldwide. This is in part a result of antimicrobial resistance, highlighting the need to uncover novel antibiotic targets and to discover new therapeutic agents. In the present study, we explored the possibility that iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster synthesis is a viable antimicrobial target. RNA interference studies established that Suf (sulfur mobilization)-dependent Fe-S cluster synthesis is essential in S. aureus We found that sufCDSUB were cotranscribed and that suf transcription was positively influenced by sigma factor B. We characterized an S. aureus strain that contained a transposon inserted in the intergenic space between sufC and sufD (sufD*), resulting in decreased transcription of sufSUB Consistent with the transcriptional data, the sufD* strain had multiple phenotypes associated with impaired Fe-S protein maturation. They included decreased activities of Fe-S cluster-dependent enzymes, decreased growth in media lacking metabolites that require Fe-S proteins for synthesis, and decreased flux through the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Decreased Fe-S cluster synthesis resulted in sensitivity to reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species, as well as increased DNA damage and impaired DNA repair. The sufD* strain also exhibited perturbed intracellular nonchelated Fe pools. Importantly, the sufD* strain did not exhibit altered exoprotein production or altered biofilm formation, but it was attenuated for survival upon challenge by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The results presented are consistent with the hypothesis that Fe-S cluster synthesis is a viable target for antimicrobial development.

The motor activity of DNA2 functions as an ssDNA translocase to promote DNA end resection

Here, Levikova et al. show that the motor activity of both recombinant yeast and human DNA2 promotes efficient degradation of long stretches of ssDNA, particularly in the presence of the replication protein A. Their results support a model of DNA2 and the RecQ family helicase partner forming a bidirectional motor machine in which the RecQ family helicase is the lead helicase, and the motor of DNA2 functions as a ssDNA translocase to promote degradation of 5′-terminated DNA.

DNA2 nuclease–helicase functions in DNA replication and recombination. This requires the nuclease of DNA2, while, in contrast, the role of the helicase activity has been unclear. We now show that the motor activity of both recombinant yeast and human DNA2 promotes efficient degradation of long stretches of ssDNA, particularly in the presence of the replication protein A. This degradation is further stimulated by a direct interaction with a cognate RecQ family helicase, which functions with DNA2 in DNA end resection to initiate homologous recombination. Consequently, helicase-deficient yeast dna2 K1080E cells display reduced resection speed of HO-induced DNA double-strand breaks. These results support a model of DNA2 and the RecQ family helicase partner forming a bidirectional motor machine, where the RecQ family helicase is the lead helicase, and the motor of DNA2 functions as a ssDNA translocase to promote degradation of 5′-terminated DNA.

Iron-Sulfur Clusters in Mitochondrial Metabolism: Multifaceted Roles of a Simple Cofactor

Iron-sulfur metabolism is essential for cellular function and is a key process in mitochondria. In this review, we focus on the structure and assembly of mitochondrial iron-sulfur clusters and their roles in various metabolic processes that occur in mitochondria. Iron-sulfur clusters are crucial in mitochondrial respiration, in which they are required for the assembly, stability, and function of respiratory complexes I, II, and III. They also serve important functions in the citric acid cycle, DNA metabolism, and apoptosis. Whereas the identification of iron-sulfur containing proteins and their roles in numerous aspects of cellular function has been a long-standing research area, that in mitochondria is comparatively recent, and it is likely that their roles within mitochondria have been only partially revealed. We review the status of the field and provide examples of other cellular iron-sulfur proteins to highlight their multifarious roles.

Human DNA2 possesses a cryptic DNA unwinding activity that functionally integrates with BLM or WRN helicases

Human DNA2 (hDNA2) contains both a helicase and a nuclease domain within the same polypeptide. The nuclease of hDNA2 is involved in a variety of DNA metabolic processes. Little is known about the role of the hDNA2 helicase. Using bulk and single-molecule approaches, we show that hDNA2 is a processive helicase capable of unwinding kilobases of dsDNA in length. The nuclease activity prevents the engagement of the helicase by competing for the same substrate, hence prominent DNA unwinding by hDNA2 alone can only be observed using the nuclease-deficient variant. We show that the helicase of hDNA2 functionally integrates with BLM or WRN helicases to promote dsDNA degradation by forming a heterodimeric molecular machine. This collectively suggests that the hDNA2 motor promotes the enzyme's capacity to degrade dsDNA in conjunction with BLM or WRN and thus promote the repair of broken DNA.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18574.001

The DUF59 Containing Protein SufT Is Involved in the Maturation of Iron-Sulfur (FeS) Proteins during Conditions of High FeS Cofactor Demand in Staphylococcus aureus

Proteins containing DUF59 domains have roles in iron-sulfur (FeS) cluster assembly and are widespread throughout Eukarya, Bacteria, and Archaea. However, the function(s) of this domain is unknown. Staphylococcus aureus SufT is composed solely of a DUF59 domain. We noted that sufT is often co-localized with sufBC, which encode for the Suf FeS cluster biosynthetic machinery. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that sufT was recruited to the suf operon, suggesting a role for SufT in FeS cluster assembly. A S. aureus ΔsufT mutant was defective in the assembly of FeS proteins. The DUF59 protein Rv1466 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis partially corrected the phenotypes of a ΔsufT mutant, consistent with a widespread role for DUF59 in FeS protein maturation. SufT was dispensable for FeS protein maturation during conditions that imposed a low cellular demand for FeS cluster assembly. In contrast, the role of SufT was maximal during conditions imposing a high demand for FeS cluster assembly. SufT was not involved in the repair of FeS clusters damaged by reactive oxygen species or in the physical protection of FeS clusters from oxidants. Nfu is a FeS cluster carrier and nfu displayed synergy with sufT. Furthermore, introduction of nfu upon a multicopy plasmid partially corrected the phenotypes of the ΔsufT mutant. Biofilm formation and exoprotein production are critical for S. aureus pathogenesis and vancomycin is a drug of last-resort to treat staphylococcal infections. Defective FeS protein maturation resulted in increased biofilm formation, decreased production of exoproteins, increased resistance to vancomycin, and the appearance of phenotypes consistent with vancomycin-intermediate resistant S. aureus. We propose that SufT, and by extension the DUF59 domain, is an accessory factor that functions in the maturation of FeS proteins. In S. aureus, the involvement of SufT is maximal during conditions of high demand for FeS proteins.

Quantitative proteomic analysis of cell envelope preparations under iron starvation stress in Aeromonas hydrophila

Background

Iron homeostasis is an essential process over the entire lives of both hosts and bacterial pathogens, and also plays roles in many other metabolic functions. Currently, knowledge is limited on the iron scavenging mechanism of the cell envelope in the aquatic pathogen, Aeromonas hydrophila. To understand the iron homeostasis mechanism in A. hydrophila, a dimethyl labelling based quantitative proteomics method was used to compare the differential expression of cell envelope proteins under iron starvation.

Results

A total of 542 cell envelope proteins were identified by LC-MS/MS, with 66 down-regulated and 104 up-regulated proteins. Bioinformatics analysis showed that outer membrane siderophores, heme and iron receptors, periplasmic iron binding proteins, inner membrane ABC transporters and H⁺-ATP synthase subunits increased in abundance while iron-cluster proteins, electron transport chain and redox proteins were down-regulated. Further q-PCR validation, in vivo addition of exogenous metabolites, and an enzyme inhibition assay revealed that redox, the energy generation process, and ATP synthase elevated the susceptibility of A. hydrophila to iron starvation.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that the redox and energy generation process, and ATP synthase in A. hydrophila may play critical roles in iron acquisition under conditions of iron-stress. An understanding of the iron scavenging mechanism may be helpful for the development of strategies for preventing and treating A. hydrophila infection.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12866-016-0769-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Chi hotspots trigger a conformational change in the helicase-like domain of AddAB to activate homologous recombination

In bacteria, the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks is modulated by Chi sequences. These are recognised by helicase-nuclease complexes that process DNA ends for homologous recombination. Chi activates recombination by changing the biochemical properties of the helicase-nuclease, transforming it from a destructive exonuclease into a recombination-promoting repair enzyme. This transition is thought to be controlled by the Chi-dependent opening of a molecular latch, which enables part of the DNA substrate to evade degradation beyond Chi. Here, we show that disruption of the latch improves Chi recognition efficiency and stabilizes the interaction of AddAB with Chi, even in mutants that are impaired for Chi binding. Chi recognition elicits a structural change in AddAB that maps to a region of AddB which resembles a helicase domain, and which harbours both the Chi recognition locus and the latch. Mutation of the latch potentiates the change and moderately reduces the duration of a translocation pause at Chi. However, this mutant displays properties of Chi-modified AddAB even in the complete absence of bona fide hotspot sequences. The results are used to develop a model for AddAB regulation in which allosteric communication between Chi binding and latch opening ensures quality control during recombination hotspot recognition.

Dispensability of the [4Fe-4S] cluster in novel homologues of adenine glycosylase MutY

7,8-Dihydro-8-deoxyguanine (8oG) is one of the most common oxidative lesions in DNA. DNA polymerases misincorporate an adenine across from this lesion. Thus, 8oG is a highly mutagenic lesion responsible for G:C→T:A transversions. MutY is an adenine glycosylase, part of the base excision repair pathway that removes adenines, when mispaired with 8oG or guanine. Its catalytic domain includes a [4Fe-4S] cluster motif coordinated by cysteinyl ligands. When this cluster is absent, MutY activity is depleted and several studies concluded that the [4Fe-4S] cluster motif is an indispensable component for DNA binding, substrate recognition and enzymatic activity. In the present study, we identified 46 MutY homologues that lack the canonical cysteinyl ligands, suggesting an absence of the [4Fe-4S] cluster. A phylogenetic analysis groups these novel MutYs into two different clades. One clade is exclusive of the order Lactobacillales and another clade has a mixed composition of anaerobic and microaerophilic bacteria and species from the protozoan genus Entamoeba. Structural modeling and sequence analysis suggests that the loss of the [4Fe-4S] cluster is compensated by a convergent solution in which bulky amino acids substitute the [4Fe-4S] cluster. We functionally characterized MutYs from Lactobacillus brevis and Entamoeba histolytica as representative members from each clade and found that both enzymes are active adenine glycosylases. Furthermore, chimeric glycosylases, in which the [4Fe-4S] cluster of Escherichia coli MutY is replaced by the corresponding amino acids of LbY and EhY, are also active. Our data indicates that the [4Fe-4S] cluster plays a structural role in MutYs and evidences the existence of alternative functional solutions in nature.

Dna2 nuclease-helicase structure, mechanism and regulation by Rpa

The Dna2 nuclease-helicase maintains genomic integrity by processing DNA double-strand breaks, Okazaki fragments and stalled replication forks. Dna2 requires ssDNA ends, and is dependent on the ssDNA-binding protein Rpa, which controls cleavage polarity. Here we present the 2.3 Å structure of intact mouse Dna2 bound to a 15-nucleotide ssDNA. The nuclease active site is embedded in a long, narrow tunnel through which the DNA has to thread. The helicase domain is required for DNA binding but not threading. We also present the structure of a flexibly-tethered Dna2-Rpa interaction that recruits Dna2 to Rpa-coated DNA. We establish that a second Dna2-Rpa interaction is mutually exclusive with Rpa-DNA interactions and mediates the displacement of Rpa from ssDNA. This interaction occurs at the nuclease tunnel entrance and the 5’ end of the Rpa-DNA complex. Hence, it only displaces Rpa from the 5’ but not 3’ end, explaining how Rpa regulates cleavage polarity.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09832.001

DNA carries the genetic information that is essential for organisms to survive and reproduce. It is made of two strands that twist together to form a double helix. However, these strands can be damaged when the DNA is copied before a cell divides, or by exposure to radiation or hazardous chemicals. To prevent this damage from causing serious harm to an organism, cells activate processes that rapidly repair the damaged DNA.

“Homologous recombination” is one way in which cells can repair damage that has caused both strands of the DNA to break in a particular place. In the first step, several enzymes trim one of the two DNA strands at each broken end to leave single stranded “tails”. Dna2 is one enzyme that is involved in making these tails, but it can only bind to single-stranded DNA so it only acts after another enzyme has made some initial cuts. The exposed single stranded DNA then searches for an intact copy of itself elsewhere in the genome, which promotes its repair. It is important that only one of the two DNA strands is trimmed at each end otherwise the repair will fail. A protein called Rpa is bound to the DNA and is required for Dna2 to correctly trim the DNA. However, it is not clear exactly how Rpa2 regulates Dna2.

Zhou et al. used a technique called X-ray crystallography to analyze the three-dimensional structures of Dna2 when it is bound to single stranded DNA and when it is bound to Rpa. The experiments show that Dna2 adopts a cylindrical shape with a tunnel through which the single-stranded DNA passes through. The region of Dna2 that is capable of trimming DNA – which is called the nuclease domain – is embedded within the tunnel. The entrance to the tunnel is too narrow to allow double-stranded DNA to enter, so this explains why Dna2 can only act on double-stranded DNA that already has a small single-stranded section at the end.

Inside the tunnel, Dna2 displaces Rpa from one of the strands, which allows Dna2 to trim the DNA. However, other molecules of Rpa remain firmly bound to the other strand to protect it from Dna2. These enzymes also act in a similar way to trim DNA before it is copied in preparation for cell division. Zhou et al.’s findings provide an explanation for how Rpa determines which strand of DNA is trimmed by Dna2. Further work is needed to understand how Dna2 and Rpa work with other enzymes to trim DNA.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09832.002

An Overview of the Molecular Mechanisms of Recombinational DNA Repair

Recombinational DNA repair is a universal aspect of DNA metabolism and is essential for genomic integrity. It is a template-directed process that uses a second chromosomal copy (sister, daughter, or homolog) to ensure proper repair of broken chromosomes. The key steps of recombination are conserved from phage through human, and an overview of those steps is provided in this review. The first step is resection by helicases and nucleases to produce single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) that defines the homologous locus. The ssDNA is a scaffold for assembly of the RecA/RAD51 filament, which promotes the homology search. On finding homology, the nucleoprotein filament catalyzes exchange of DNA strands to form a joint molecule. Recombination is controlled by regulating the fate of both RecA/RAD51 filaments and DNA pairing intermediates. Finally, intermediates that mature into Holliday structures are disjoined by either nucleolytic resolution or topological dissolution.

Translocation-coupled DNA cleavage by the Type ISP restriction-modification enzymes

Production of endonucleolytic double-strand DNA breaks requires separate strand cleavage events. Although catalytic mechanisms for simple, dimeric endonucleases are known, there are many complex nuclease machines that are poorly understood. Here we studied the single polypeptide Type ISP restriction-modification (RM) enzymes, which cleave random DNA between distant target sites when two enzymes collide after convergent ATP-driven translocation. We report the 2.7-Å resolution X-ray crystal structure of a Type ISP enzyme-DNA complex, revealing that both the helicase-like ATPase and nuclease are located upstream of the direction of translocation, an observation inconsistent with simple nuclease-domain dimerization. Using single-molecule and biochemical techniques, we demonstrate that each ATPase remodels its DNA-protein complex and translocates along DNA without looping it, leading to a collision complex in which the nuclease domains are distal. Sequencing of the products of single cleavage events suggests a previously undescribed endonuclease model, where multiple, stochastic strand-nicking events combine to produce DNA scission.

Probing DNA helicase kinetics with temperature-controlled magnetic tweezers

Motor protein functions like adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis or translocation along molecular substrates take place at nanometric scales and consequently depend on the amount of available thermal energy. The associated rates can hence be investigated by actively varying the temperature conditions. In this article, a thermally controlled magnetic tweezers (MT) system for single-molecule experiments at up to 40 °C is presented. Its compact thermostat module yields a precision of 0.1 °C and can in principle be tailored to any other surface-coupled microscopy technique, such as tethered particle motion (TPM), nanopore-based sensing of biomolecules, or super-resolution fluorescence imaging. The instrument is used to examine the temperature dependence of translocation along double-stranded (ds)DNA by individual copies of the protein complex AddAB, a helicase-nuclease motor involved in dsDNA break repair. Despite moderately lower mean velocities measured at sub-saturating ATP concentrations, almost identical estimates of the enzymatic reaction barrier (around 21-24 k(B)T) are obtained by comparing results from MT and stopped-flow bulk assays. Single-molecule rates approach ensemble values at optimized chemical energy conditions near the motor, which can withstand opposing loads of up to 14 piconewtons (pN). Having proven its reliability, the temperature-controlled MT described herein will eventually represent a routinely applied method within the toolbox for nano-biotechnology.

Essential role of the iron-sulfur cluster binding domain of the primase regulatory subunit Pri2 in DNA replication initiation

DNA primase catalyzes de novo synthesis of a short RNA primer that is further extended by replicative DNA polymerases during initiation of DNA replication. The eukaryotic primase is a heterodimeric enzyme comprising a catalytic subunit Pri1 and a regulatory subunit Pri2. Pri2 is responsible for facilitating optimal RNA primer synthesis by Pri1 and mediating interaction between Pri1 and DNA polymerase α for transition from RNA synthesis to DNA elongation. All eukaryotic Pri2 proteins contain a conserved C-terminal iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster-binding domain that is critical for primase catalytic activity in vitro. Here we show that mutations at conserved cysteine ligands for the Pri2 Fe-S cluster markedly decrease the protein stability, thereby causing S phase arrest at the restrictive temperature. Furthermore, Pri2 cysteine mutants are defective in loading of the entire DNA pol α-primase complex onto early replication origins resulting in defective initiation. Importantly, assembly of the Fe-S cluster in Pri2 is impaired not only by mutations at the conserved cysteine ligands but also by increased oxidative stress in the sod1Δ mutant lacking the Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase. Together these findings highlight the critical role of Pri2's Fe-S cluster domain in replication initiation in vivo and suggest a molecular basis for how DNA replication can be influenced by changes in cellular redox state.

Nfu facilitates the maturation of iron-sulfur proteins and participates in virulence in Staphylococcus aureus

The acquisition and metabolism of iron (Fe) by the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is critical for disease progression. S. aureus requires Fe to synthesize inorganic cofactors called iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters, which are required for functional Fe-S proteins. In this study we investigated the mechanisms utilized by S. aureus to metabolize Fe-S clusters. We identified that S. aureus utilizes the Suf biosynthetic system to synthesize Fe-S clusters and we provide genetic evidence suggesting that the sufU and sufB gene products are essential. Additional biochemical and genetic analyses identified Nfu as an Fe-S cluster carrier, which aids in the maturation of Fe-S proteins. We find that deletion of the nfu gene negatively impacts staphylococcal physiology and pathogenicity. A nfu mutant accumulates both increased intracellular non-incorporated Fe and endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in DNA damage. In addition, a strain lacking Nfu is sensitive to exogenously supplied ROS and reactive nitrogen species. Congruous with ex vivo findings, a nfu mutant strain is more susceptible to oxidative killing by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and displays decreased tissue colonization in a murine model of infection. We conclude that Nfu is necessary for staphylococcal pathogenesis and establish Fe-S cluster metabolism as an attractive antimicrobial target.

DNA charge transport within the cell

The unique characteristics of DNA charge transport (CT) have prompted an examination of roles for this chemistry within a biological context. Not only can DNA CT facilitate long-range oxidative damage of DNA, but redox-active proteins can couple to the DNA base stack and participate in long-range redox reactions using DNA CT. DNA transcription factors with redox-active moieties such as SoxR and p53 can use DNA CT as a form of redox sensing. DNA CT chemistry also provides a means to monitor the integrity of the DNA, given the sensitivity of DNA CT to perturbations in base stacking as arise with mismatches and lesions. Enzymes that utilize this chemistry include an interesting and ever-growing class of DNA-processing enzymes involved in DNA repair, replication, and transcription that have been found to contain 4Fe-4S clusters. DNA repair enzymes containing 4Fe-4S clusters, that include endonuclease III (EndoIII), MutY, and DinG from bacteria, as well as XPD from archaea, have been shown to be redox-active when bound to DNA, share a DNA-bound redox potential, and can be reduced and oxidized at long-range via DNA CT. Interactions between DNA and these proteins in solution, in addition to genetics experiments within Escherichia coli, suggest that DNA-mediated CT can be used as a means of cooperative signaling among DNA repair proteins that contain 4Fe-4S clusters as a first step in finding DNA damage, even within cells. On the basis of these data, we can consider also how DNA-mediated CT may be used as a means of signaling to coordinate DNA processing across the genome.

Biogenesis of cytosolic and nuclear iron-sulfur proteins and their role in genome stability

Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are versatile protein cofactors that require numerous components for their synthesis and insertion into apoproteins. In eukaryotes, maturation of cytosolic and nuclear Fe-S proteins is accomplished by cooperation of the mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) assembly and export machineries, and the cytosolic iron-sulfur protein assembly (CIA) system. Currently, nine CIA proteins are known to specifically assist the two major steps of the biogenesis reaction. They are essential for cell viability and conserved from yeast to man. The essential character of this biosynthetic process is explained by the involvement of Fe-S proteins in central processes of life, e.g., protein translation and numerous steps of nuclear DNA metabolism such as DNA replication and repair. Malfunctioning of these latter Fe-S enzymes leads to genome instability, a hallmark of cancer. This review is focused on the maturation and biological function of cytosolic and nuclear Fe-S proteins, a topic of central interest for both basic and medical research. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Fe/S proteins: Analysis, structure, function, biogenesis and diseases.

The CRISPR-associated Cas4 protein Pcal_0546 from Pyrobaculum calidifontis contains a [2Fe-2S] cluster: crystal structure and nuclease activity

Cas4 nucleases constitute a core family of CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) associated proteins, but little is known about their structure and activity. Here we report the crystal structure of the Cas4 protein Pcal_0546 from Pyrobaculum calidifontis, which revealed a monomeric protein with a RecB-like fold and one [2Fe-2S] cluster coordinated by four conserved Cys residues. Pcal_0546 exhibits metal-dependent 5' to 3' exonuclease activity against ssDNA substrates, whereas the Cas4 protein SSO1391 from Sulfolobus solfataricus can cleave ssDNA in both the 5' to 3' and 3' to 5' directions. The active site of Pcal_0546 contains a bound metal ion coordinated by the side chains of Asp123, Glu136, His146, and the main chain carbonyl of Ile137. Site-directed mutagenesis of Pcal_0546 and SSO1391 revealed that the residues of RecB motifs II, III and QhXXY are critical for nuclease activity, whereas mutations of the conserved Cys residues resulted in a loss of the iron-sulfur cluster, but had no effect on DNA cleavage. Our results revealed the biochemical diversity of Cas4 nucleases, which can have different oligomeric states, contain [4Fe-4S] or [2Fe-2S] clusters, and cleave single stranded DNA in different directions producing single-stranded DNA overhangs, which are potential intermediates for the synthesis of new CRISPR spacers.

Assessment of ligand binding site predictions in CASP10

The identification of amino acid residues in proteins involved in binding small molecule ligands is an important step for their functional characterization, as the function of a protein often depends on specific interactions with other molecules. The accuracy of computational methods aiming to predict such binding residues was evaluated within the "function prediction (prediction of binding sites, FN)" category of the critical assessment of protein structure prediction (CASP) experiment. In the last edition of the experiment (CASP10), 17 research groups participated in this category, and their predictions were evaluated on 13 prediction targets containing biologically relevant ligands. The results of this experiment indicate that several methods achieved an overall good performance, showing the usefulness of such methods in predicting ligand binding residues. As in previous years, methods based on a homology transfer approach were dominating. In comparison to CASP9, a larger fraction of the top predictors are automated servers. However, due to the small number of targets and the characteristics of the prediction format, the differences observed among the first ten methods were not statistically significant and it was also not possible to analyze differences in accuracy for different ligand types or overall structure, difficulty. To overcome these limitations and to allow for a more detailed evaluation, in future editions of CASP, methods in the FN category will no longer be evaluated on the "normal" CASP targets, but assessed continuously by CAMEO (continuous automated model evaluation) based on weekly prereleased sequences from the PDB.

Grip it and rip it: structural mechanisms of DNA helicase substrate binding and unwinding

Maintenance and faithful transmission of genomic information depends on the efficient execution of numerous DNA replication, recombination, and repair pathways. Many of the enzymes that catalyze steps within these pathways require access to sequence information that is buried in the interior of the DNA double helix, which makes DNA unwinding an essential cellular reaction. The unwinding process is mediated by specialized molecular motors called DNA helicases that couple the chemical energy derived from nucleoside triphosphate hydrolysis to the otherwise non-spontaneous unwinding reaction. An impressive number of high-resolution helicase structures are now available that, together with equally important mechanistic studies, have begun to define the features that allow this class of enzymes to function as molecular motors. In this review, we explore the structural features within DNA helicases that are used to bind and unwind DNA. We focus in particular on "aromatic-rich loops" that allow some helicases to couple single-stranded DNA binding to ATP hydrolysis and "wedge/pin" elements that provide mechanical tools for DNA strand separation when connected to translocating motor domains.

Structural studies of DNA end detection and resection in homologous recombination

DNA double-strand breaks are repaired by two major pathways, homologous recombination or nonhomologous end joining. The commitment to one or the other pathway proceeds via different steps of resection of the DNA ends, which is controlled and executed by a set of DNA double-strand break sensors, endo- and exonucleases, helicases, and DNA damage response factors. The molecular choreography of the underlying protein machinery is beginning to emerge. In this review, we discuss the early steps of genetic recombination and double-strand break sensing with an emphasis on structural and molecular studies.

The N-terminal domain of human DNA helicase Rtel1 contains a redox active iron-sulfur cluster

Human telomere length regulator Rtel1 is a superfamily II DNA helicase and is essential for maintaining proper length of telomeres in chromosomes. Here we report that the N-terminal domain of human Rtel1 (RtelN) expressed in Escherichia coli cells produces a protein that contains a redox active iron-sulfur cluster with the redox midpoint potential of −248 ± 10 mV (pH 8.0). The iron-sulfur cluster in RtelN is sensitive to hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide, indicating that reactive oxygen/nitrogen species may modulate the DNA helicase activity of Rtel1 via modification of its iron-sulfur cluster. Purified RtelN retains a weak binding affinity for the single-stranded (ss) and double-stranded (ds) DNA in vitro. However, modification of the iron-sulfur cluster by hydrogen peroxide or nitric oxide does not significantly affect the DNA binding activity of RtelN, suggesting that the iron-sulfur cluster is not directly involved in the DNA interaction in the N-terminal domain of Rtel1.