Mutations in DNA polymerase β (pol β) have been associated with approximately 30% of human tumors. The E295K mutation of pol β has been linked to gastric carcinoma via interference with base excision repair. To interpret the different behavior of E295K compared to wild-type pol β in atomic and energetic detail, we resolve a binary crystal complex of E295K at 2.5 Å and apply transition path sampling (TPS) to delineate the closing pathway of the E295K pol β mutant. Conformational changes are important components in the enzymatic pathway that lead to and ready the enzyme for the chemical reaction. Our analyses show that the closing pathway of E295K mutant differs from the wild-type pol β in terms of the individual transition states along the pathway, associated energies, and the active site conformation in the final closed form of the mutant. In particular, the closed state of E295K has a more distorted active site than the active site in the wild-type pol β. In addition, the total energy barrier in the conformational closing pathway is 65 ± 11 kJ/mol, much higher than that estimated for both correct (e.g., G:C) and incorrect (e.g., G:A) wild-type pol β systems (42 ± 8 kJ/mol and 45 ± 7 kJ/mol, respectively). In particular, the rotation of Arg258 is the rate-limiting step in the conformational pathway of E295K due to unfavorable electrostatic and steric interactions. The distorted active site in the closed relative to open state and the high energy barrier in the conformational pathway may explain in part why the E295K mutant is observed to be inactive. Interestingly, however, following the closing of the thumb but prior to the rotation of Arg258, the E295K mutant complex has a similar energy level compared to the wild-type pol β. This suggests that the E295K mutant may associate with DNA with similar affinity, but it may be hampered in continuing the process of chemistry. Supporting experimental data come from the observation that the catalytic activity of wild-type pol β is hampered when E295K is present: this may arise from the competition between E295K and wild-type enzyme for the DNA. These combined results suggest that the low insertion efficiency of E295K mutant compared to wild-type pol β may be related to a closed-form distorted by unfavorable electrostatic and steric interactions between Arg258 and other key residues. The active site is thus less competent for proceeding to the chemical reaction, which may also involve a higher reaction barrier than the wild-type or may not be possible in this mutant. Our analysis also suggests further experiments for other mutants to test the above hypothesis and dissect the roles of steric and electrostatic factors on enzyme behavior.

The I260Q variant of DNA polymerase β is an efficient mutator polymerase with fairly indiscriminate misincorporation activities opposite all template bases. Previous modeling studies have suggested that I260Q harbors structural variations in its hinge region. Here, we present the crystal structures of wild type and I260Q rat polymerase β in the presence and absence of substrates. Both the I260Q apoenzyme structure and the closed ternary complex with double-stranded DNA and ddTTP show ordered water molecules in the hydrophobic hinge near Gln260, whereas this is not the case in the wild type polymerase. Compared to wild type polymerase β ternary complexes, there are subtle movements around residues 260, 272, 295, and 296 in the mutant. The rearrangements in this region, coupled with side chain movements in the immediate neighborhood of the dNTP-binding pocket, namely, residues 258 and 272, provide an explanation for the altered activity and fidelity profiles observed in the I260Q mutator polymerase.

Rotavirus, a cause of pediatric gastroenteritis, has a genome consisting of 11 segments of double-stranded (ds)RNA surrounded by a triple-layered protein capsid. The rotavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, VP1, synthesizes both dsRNA and plus-strand RNA (+RNA) within subviral particles. Structural analyses of the rotavirus capsid and polymerase, combined with functional studies of purified capsid proteins, indicate that the inner capsid protein controls the initiation of RNA synthesis by VP1. Whether VP1 directs dsRNA versus +RNA synthesis may be regulated by the impact of the viral RNA capping enzyme on the position of the polymerase plug, a flexible element that inserts into one of the polymerase’s RNA exit tunnels. This review discusses recent findings and ideas into the mechanisms used by rotavirus capsid proteins to control the activities of its viral polymerase and to coordinate RNA synthesis with the assembly of virus particles.