A bacterial PriB with weak single-stranded DNA binding activity can stimulate the DNA unwinding activity of its cognate PriA helicase

Developing a crop- wild-reservoir pathogen system to understand pathogen evolution and emergence

Crop pathogens reduce yield and contribute to global malnourishment. Surveillance not only detects presence/absence but also reveals genetic diversity, which can inform our understanding of rapid adaptation and control measures. An often neglected aspect is that pathogens may also use crop wild relatives as alternative hosts. This study develops the beet (Beta vulgaris) rust (Uromyces beticola) system to explore how crop pathogens evolve to evade resistance using a wild reservoir. We test predictions that crop selection will drive virulence gene differentiation and affect rates of sex between crop- and wild-host rust populations. We sequenced, assembled, and annotated the 588 Mb beet rust genome, developed a novel leaf peel pathogen DNA extraction protocol, and analysed genetic diversity in 42 wild and crop isolates. We found evidence for two populations: one containing exclusively wild-host isolates; the other containing all crop-host isolates, plus five wild isolates. Effectors showed greater diversity in the exclusively wild population and greater differentiation between populations. Preliminary evidence suggests the rates of sexual reproduction may differ between populations. This study highlights how differences in pathogen populations might be used to identify genes important for survival on crops and how reproduction might impact adaptation. These findings are relevant to all crop-reservoir systems and will remain unnoticed without comparison to wild reservoirs.

Deinococcus radiodurans PriA is a Pseudohelicase

Reactivation of repaired DNA replication forks in bacteria is catalyzed by PriA helicase. This broadly-conserved bacterial enzyme can remodel the structure of DNA at a repaired DNA replication fork by unwinding small portions of duplex DNA to prepare the fork for replisome reloading. While PriA's helicase activity is not strictly required for cell viability in E. coli, the sequence motifs that confer helicase activity upon PriA are well-conserved among sequenced bacterial priA genes, suggesting that PriA's duplex DNA unwinding activity confers a selective advantage upon cells. However, these helicase sequence motifs are not well-conserved among priA genes from the Deinococcus-Thermus phylum. Here, we show that PriA from a highly radiation-resistant member of that phylum, Deinococcus radiodurans, lacks the ability to hydrolyze ATP and unwind duplex DNA, thus qualifying D. radiodurans PriA as a pseudohelicase. Despite the lack of helicase activity, D. radiodurans PriA has retained the DNA binding activity expected of a typical PriA helicase, and we present evidence for a physical interaction between D. radiodurans PriA and its cognate replicative helicase, DnaB. This suggests that PriA has retained a role in replisome reloading onto repaired DNA replication forks in D. radiodurans despite its lack of helicase activity.

Structural insight into the DNA-binding mode of the primosomal proteins PriA, PriB, and DnaT

Replication restart primosome is a complex dynamic system that is essential for bacterial survival. This system uses various proteins to reinitiate chromosomal DNA replication to maintain genetic integrity after DNA damage. The replication restart primosome in Escherichia coli is composed of PriA helicase, PriB, PriC, DnaT, DnaC, DnaB helicase, and DnaG primase. The assembly of the protein complexes within the forked DNA responsible for reloading the replicative DnaB helicase anywhere on the chromosome for genome duplication requires the coordination of transient biomolecular interactions. Over the last decade, investigations on the structure and mechanism of these nucleoproteins have provided considerable insight into primosome assembly. In this review, we summarize and discuss our current knowledge and recent advances on the DNA-binding mode of the primosomal proteins PriA, PriB, and DnaT.

Involvement of histidine in complex formation of PriB and single-stranded DNA

PriB is a basic 10-kDa protein that acts as a facilitator in PriA-dependent replication restart in Escherichia coli. PriB has an OB-fold dimer structure and exhibits single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding activities similar to single-stranded binding protein (SSB). In this study, we examined PriB's interaction with ssDNA (oligo-dT35, -dT15, and -dT7) using heteronuclear NMR analysis. Interestingly, (1)H or (15)N chemical shift changes of the PriB main-chain showed two distinct modes using oligo-dT35. The chemical shift perturbation sites in the primary mode were consistent with the main contact site in PriB-ssDNA, which was previously determined by crystal structure analysis. The results also suggested that approximately 8nt in ssDNA was the main contact site to PriB. In the secondary mode, residues in the α-helix region (His57-Ser65) and in β4-loop3-β5 were mainly perturbed. On the other hand, we examined the state of ssDNA by FRET using 5'-Cy3- and 3'-Cy5-modified oligo-dT35. As the PriB concentration increased, two-step saturation curves were observed in the FRET assay, suggesting a compact structure of ssDNA. Moreover, we confirmed two-step PriB binding to oligo-dT35 using EMSA. The pH dependence of FRET suggested contribution of the His residues. Therefore, we prepared His mutants of PriB and found that His64 in the α-helix region contributed to the second interaction between PriB and ssDNA using FRET and EMSA. Thus, from a structural standpoint, we suggested the role of His64 on the compactness of the PriB-ssDNA complex and on the positive cooperativity of PriB.

Identification of a small molecule PriA helicase inhibitor

PriA helicase catalyzes the initial steps of replisome reloading onto repaired DNA replication forks in bacterial DNA replication restart pathways. We have used a high-throughput screen to identify a small molecule inhibitor of PriA-catalyzed duplex DNA unwinding. The compound, CGS 15943, targets Neisseria gonorrhoeae PriA helicase with an IC(50) of 114 ± 24 μM. The PriA helicase of Escherichia coli is also inhibited, although to a lesser extent than N. gonorrhoeae PriA. CGS 15943 decreases rates of PriA-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis and reduces the affinity with which PriA binds DNA. Steady-state kinetic data indicate that CGS 15943 inhibits PriA through a mixed mode of inhibition with respect to ATP and with respect to DNA, indicating that it binds to a site on PriA that participates in both substrate binding and catalysis. Inhibitor binding constants derived from steady-state kinetic experiments reveal that CGS 15943 has the highest binding affinity for the PriA·PriB·ATP complex, intermediate binding affinity for the PriA·PriB·DNA complex, and the lowest binding affinity for the PriA·PriB·DNA·ATP complex, suggesting that PriA assumes different conformations in each of these complexes. We propose that CGS 15943 binds to PriA at a site distinct from the DNA and primary ATP binding sites, perhaps at PriA's weak nucleotide binding site, and induces a conformational change in PriA that renders it less catalytically proficient or prevents conformational changes in PriA that are necessary for ATP hydrolysis and duplex DNA unwinding.

A single residue determines the cooperative binding property of a primosomal DNA replication protein, PriB, to single-stranded DNA

PriB is a primosomal protein required for re-initiation of replication in bacteria. We characterized and compared the DNA-binding properties of PriB from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 (StPriB) and Escherichia coli (EcPriB). Only one residue of EcPriB, V6, was different in StPriB (replaced by A6). Previous structural information revealed that this residue is located on the putative dimer-dimer interface of PriB and is not involved in single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding. The cooperative binding mechanism of StPriB to DNA is, however, very different from that of EcPriB. Unlike EcPriB, which forms a single complex with ssDNAs of various lengths, StPriB forms two or more distinct complexes. Based on these results, as well as information on structure, binding modes for forming a stable complex of PriB with ssDNA of 25 nucleotides (nt), (EcPriB)25, and (StPriB)25 are proposed.

Crystal structure and DNA-binding mode of Klebsiella pneumoniae primosomal PriB protein

PriB is a primosomal DNA replication protein required for the re-initiation of replication in bacteria. In this study, we investigated the gene expression of PriB in Klebsiella pneumoniae (KpPriB) and characterized the gene product through crystal structural and functional analyses. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis (Q-PCR) indicated that the 104-aa priB was expressed in K. pneumoniae with a C(T) value of 22.4. The crystal structure of KpPriB (Protein Data Bank entry: 4APV) determined at a resolution of 2.1 Å was similar to that of Escherichia coli PriB (EcPriB). KpPriB formed a single complex with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) of different lengths, suggesting a highly cooperative process. Structure-based mutational analysis revealed that substitution at K18, F42, R44, W47, K82, K84, or K89 but not R34 in KpPriB had a significant effect on both ssDNA and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) binding. Based on these findings, the known ssDNA interaction sites of PriB were expanded to include R44 and F42, thus allowing nucleic acids to wrap around the whole PriB protein.