Mutations in the gene 5 DNA polymerase of bacteriophage T7 suppress the dominant lethal phenotype of gene 2.5 ssDNA binding protein lacking the C-terminal phenylalanine

Gp2.5, the multifunctional bacteriophage T7 single-stranded DNA binding protein

The essential bacteriophage T7-encoded single-stranded DNA binding protein is the nexus of T7 DNA metabolism. Multiple layers of macromolecular interactions mediate its function in replication, recombination, repair, and the maturation of viral genomes. In addition to binding ssDNA, the protein binds to DNA polymerase and DNA helicase, regulating their activities. The protein displays potent homologous DNA annealing activity, underscoring its role in recombination.

It seems like only yesterday

I spent my childhood and adolescence in North and South Carolina, attended Duke University, and then entered Duke Medical School. One year in the laboratory of George Schwert in the biochemistry department kindled my interest in biochemistry. After one year of residency on the medical service of Duke Hospital, chaired by Eugene Stead, I joined the group of Arthur Kornberg at Stanford Medical School as a postdoctoral fellow. Two years later I accepted a faculty position at Harvard Medical School, where I remain today. During these 50 years, together with an outstanding group of students, postdoctoral fellows, and collaborators, I have pursued studies on DNA replication. I have experienced the excitement of discovering a number of important enzymes in DNA replication that, in turn, triggered an interest in the dynamics of a replisome. My associations with industry have been stimulating and fostered new friendships. I could not have chosen a better career.

Bacteriophage protein-protein interactions

Bacteriophages T7, λ, P22, and P2/P4 (from Escherichia coli), as well as ϕ29 (from Bacillus subtilis), are among the best-studied bacterial viruses. This chapter summarizes published protein interaction data of intraviral protein interactions, as well as known phage-host protein interactions of these phages retrieved from the literature. We also review the published results of comprehensive protein interaction analyses of Pneumococcus phages Dp-1 and Cp-1, as well as coliphages λ and T7. For example, the ≈55 proteins encoded by the T7 genome are connected by ≈43 interactions with another ≈15 between the phage and its host. The chapter compiles published interactions for the well-studied phages λ (33 intra-phage/22 phage-host), P22 (38/9), P2/P4 (14/3), and ϕ29 (20/2). We discuss whether different interaction patterns reflect different phage lifestyles or whether they may be artifacts of sampling. Phages that infect the same host can interact with different host target proteins, as exemplified by E. coli phage λ and T7. Despite decades of intensive investigation, only a fraction of these phage interactomes are known. Technical limitations and a lack of depth in many studies explain the gaps in our knowledge. Strategies to complete current interactome maps are described. Although limited space precludes detailed overviews of phage molecular biology, this compilation will allow future studies to put interaction data into the context of phage biology.

Choreography of bacteriophage T7 DNA replication

The replication system of phage T7 provides a model for DNA replication. Biochemical, structural, and single-molecule analyses together provide insight into replisome mechanics. A complex of polymerase, a processivity factor, and helicase mediates leading strand synthesis. Establishment of the complex requires an interaction of the C-terminal tail of the helicase with the polymerase. During synthesis the complex is stabilized by other interactions to provide for a processivity of 5 kilobase (kb). The C-terminal tail also interacts with a distinct region of the polymerase to captures dissociating polymerase to increase the processivity to >17kb. The lagging strand is synthesized discontinuously within a loop that forms and resolves during each cycle of Okazaki fragment synthesis. The synthesis of a primer as well as the termination of a fragment signal loop resolution.

Two modes of interaction of the single-stranded DNA-binding protein of bacteriophage T7 with the DNA polymerase-thioredoxin complex

The DNA polymerase encoded by bacteriophage T7 has low processivity. Escherichia coli thioredoxin binds to a segment of 76 residues in the thumb subdomain of the polymerase and increases the processivity. The binding of thioredoxin leads to the formation of two basic loops, loops A and B, located within the thioredoxin-binding domain (TBD). Both loops interact with the acidic C terminus of the T7 helicase. A relatively weak electrostatic mode involves the C-terminal tail of the helicase and the TBD, whereas a high affinity interaction that does not involve the C-terminal tail occurs when the polymerase is in a polymerization mode. T7 gene 2.5 single-stranded DNA-binding protein (gp2.5) also has an acidic C-terminal tail. gp2.5 also has two modes of interaction with the polymerase, but both involve the C-terminal tail of gp2.5. An electrostatic interaction requires the basic residues in loops A and B, and gp2.5 binds to both loops with similar affinity as measured by surface plasmon resonance. When the polymerase is in a polymerization mode, the C terminus of gene 2.5 protein interacts with the polymerase in regions outside the TBD. gp2.5 increases the processivity of the polymerase-helicase complex during leading strand synthesis. When loop B of the TBD is altered, abortive DNA products are observed during leading strand synthesis. Loop B appears to play an important role in communication with the helicase and gp2.5, whereas loop A plays a stabilizing role in these interactions.

C-terminal phenylalanine of bacteriophage T7 single-stranded DNA-binding protein is essential for strand displacement synthesis by T7 DNA polymerase at a nick in DNA

Single-stranded DNA-binding protein (gp2.5), encoded by gene 2.5 of bacteriophage T7, plays an essential role in DNA replication. Not only does it remove impediments of secondary structure in the DNA, it also modulates the activities of the other replication proteins. The acidic C-terminal tail of gp2.5, bearing a C-terminal phenylalanine, physically and functionally interacts with the helicase and DNA polymerase. Deletion of the phenylalanine or substitution with a nonaromatic amino acid gives rise to a dominant lethal phenotype, and the altered gp2.5 has reduced affinity for T7 DNA polymerase. Suppressors of the dominant lethal phenotype have led to the identification of mutations in gene 5 that encodes the T7 DNA polymerase. The altered residues in the polymerase are solvent-exposed and lie in regions that are adjacent to the bound DNA. gp2.5 lacking the C-terminal phenylalanine has a lower affinity for gp5-thioredoxin relative to the wild-type gp2.5, and this affinity is partially restored by the suppressor mutations in DNA polymerase. gp2.5 enables T7 DNA polymerase to catalyze strand displacement DNA synthesis at a nick in DNA. The resulting 5'-single-stranded DNA tail provides a loading site for T7 DNA helicase. gp2.5 lacking the C-terminal phenylalanine does not support this event with wild-type DNA polymerase but does to a limited extent with T7 DNA polymerase harboring the suppressor mutations.