We describe the delineation of three distinct structural domains of the DnaB helicase of Escherichia coli: domain alpha, amino acid residues (aa) 1-156; domain beta, aa 157-302; and domain gamma, aa 303-471. Using mutants with deletion in these domains, we have examined their role(s) in hexamer formation, DNA-dependent ATPase, and DNA helicase activities. The mutant DnaBbetagamma protein, in which domain alpha was deleted, formed a hexamer; whereas the mutant DnaBalphabeta, in which domain gamma was deleted, could form only dimers. The dimerization of DnaBalphabeta was Mg(2+) dependent. These data suggest that the oligomerization of DnaB helicase involves at least two distinct protein-protein interaction sites; one of these sites is located primarily within domain beta (site 1), while the other interaction site is located within domain gamma (site 2). The mutant DnaBbeta, a polypeptide of 147 aa, where both domains alpha and gamma were deleted, displayed a completely functional ATPase activity. This domain, thus, constitutes the "central catalytic domain" for ATPase activity. The ATPase activity of DnaBalphabeta was kinetically comparable to that of DnaBbeta, indicating that domain alpha had little or no influence on the ATPase activity. In both cases, the ATPase activities were DNA independent. DnaBbetagamma had a DNA-dependent ATPase activity that was kinetically comparable to the ATPase activity of wild-type DnaB protein (wtDnaB), indicating a specific role for C-terminal domain gamma in enhancement of the ATPase activity of domain beta as well as in DNA binding. Mutant DnaBbetagamma, which lacked domain alpha, was devoid of any helicase activity pointing to a significant role for domain alpha. The major findings of this study are (i) domain beta contained a functional ATPase active site; (ii) domain gamma appeared to be the DNA binding domain and a positive regulator of the ATPase activity of domain beta; (iii) although domain alpha did not have any significant effect on the ATPase, DNA binding activities, or hexamer formation, it definitely plays a pivotal role in transducing the energy of ATP hydrolysis to DNA unwinding by the hexamer; and (iv) all three domains are required for helicase activity.

We have analyzed the contributions of specific domains of DnaB helicase to its quaternary structure and multienzyme activities. Highly purified tryptic fragments containing various domains of DnaB helicase were prepared. Fragment I lacks 14 amino acid (aa) residues from the N-terminal of DnaB helicase. Fragments II and III are 33-kDa C-terminal and 12-kDa N-terminal polypeptides, respectively, of fragment I. The single-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase and DNA helicase activities of DnaB helicase and its fragments were examined in detail. The ATPase activities of native DnaB helicase and fragment I were comparable; however, the ATPase activity of fragment II was somewhat diminished. Unlike the ATPase activity, the DNA helicase activity was totally abolished in fragment II and was not complemented by the addition of equimolar fragment III. Consequently, the N-terminal 17-kDa domain appeared to have an indispensable role in the DNA helicase action, but not in other enzymatic activities. Fragment I had a hexameric structure similar to that observed with DnaB helicase in both size exclusion HPLC (SE-HPLC) and chemical cross-linking studies. SE-HPLC analysis indicated that fragment II had an apparent hexameric form. However, a detailed chemical cross-linking analysis showed that it formed stable dimers but the formation of a stable hexamer was severely impaired. Thus, the N-terminal domain appeared to have a strong influence on the hexamer formation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The mechanism of nucleotide binding and hydrolysis by dnaB protein and dnaB X dnaC protein complex has been studied by using fluorescent nucleotide analogues. Binding of trinitrophenyladenosine triphosphate (TNP-ATP) or the corresponding diphosphate (TNP-ADP) results in a blue shift of the emission maximum and a severalfold amplification of the fluorescence emission of the nucleotide analogues. Scatchard analysis of TNP-ATP binding indicates that TNP-ATP binds with a high affinity (Kd = 0.87 microM) and a 8.5-fold enhancement of fluorescence emission of the nucleotide. Only three molecules of TNP-ATP or TNP-ADP bind per hexamer of dnaB protein in contrast to six molecules of ATP or ADP binding to a dnaB hexamer. TNP-ATP and TNP-ADP are both competitive inhibitors of single-stranded (SS) DNA-dependent ATPase activity of dnaB protein. TNP-AMP neither binds to dnaB protein nor inhibits the ATPase activity. Formation of dnaB X dnaC complex by dnaC protein results in diminution of the TNP-ATP fluorescence enhancement and a concomitant decrease in the SS DNA-dependent ATPase activity. Kinetic analysis of the ATPase activity of dnaB X dnaC complex indicates that the decrease in the ATPase activity on complex formation is due to a reduction of the maximal velocity (Vmax). The dnaB protein hydrolyzes both TNP-ATP and dATP, however, with an extremely slow rate in the presence of single-stranded M13 DNA. The 2'-OH group of the nucleotide most likely plays an important role in the hydrolysis reaction but not in the nucleotide binding.

Primase is an essential DNA replication enzyme in Escherichia coli and responsible for primer synthesis during lagging strand DNA replication. Although the interaction of primase with single-stranded DNA plays an important role in primer RNA and Okazaki fragment synthesis, the mechanism of DNA binding and site selection for primer synthesis remains unknown. We have analyzed the energetics of DNA binding and the mechanism of site selection for the initiation of primer RNA synthesis on the lagging strand of the replication fork. Quantitative analysis of DNA binding by primase was carried out using a number of oligonucleotide sequences: oligo(dT)(25) and a 30 bp oligonucleotide derived from bacteriophage G4 origin (G4ori-wt). Primase bound both sequences with moderate affinity (K(d) = 1.2-1.4 x 10(-)(7) M); however, binding was stronger for G4ori-wt. G4ori-wt contained a CTG trinucleotide, which is a preferred site for initiation of primer synthesis. Analysis of DNA binding isotherms derived from primase binding to the oligonucleotide sequences by fluorescence anisotropy indicated that primase bound to DNA as a dimer, and this finding was further substantiated by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) and UV cross-linking of the primase-DNA complex. Dissection of the energetics involved in the primase-DNA interaction revealed a higher affinity of primase for DNA sequences containing the CTG triplet. This sequence preference of primase may likely be responsible for the initiation of primer synthesis in the CTG triplet sites in the E. coli lagging strand as well as in the origin of replication of bacteriophage G4.

We have analyzed the mechanism of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding mediated by the C-terminal domain gamma of the DnaB helicase of Escherichia coli. Sequence analysis of this domain indicated a specific basic region, "RSRARR", and a leucine zipper motif that are likely involved in ssDNA binding. We have carried out deletion as well as in vitro mutagenesis of specific amino acid residues in this region in order to determine their function(s) in DNA binding. The functions of the RSRARR domain in DNA binding were analyzed by site-directed mutagenesis. DnaBMut1, with mutations R(328)A and R(329)A, had a significant decrease in the DNA dependence of ATPase activity and lost its DNA helicase activity completely, indicating the important roles of these residues in DNA binding and helicase activities. DnaBMut2, with mutations R(324)A and R(326)A, had significantly attenuated DNA binding as well as DNA-dependent ATPase and DNA helicase activities, indicating that these residues also play a role in DNA binding and helicase activities. The role(s) of the leucine zipper dimerization motif was (were) determined by deletion analysis. The DnaB Delta 1 mutant with a 55 amino acid C-terminal deletion, which left the leucine zipper and basic DNA binding regions intact, retained DNA binding as well as DNA helicase activities. However, the DnaB Delta 2 mutant with a 113 amino acid C-terminal deletion that included the leucine zipper dimerization motif, but not the RSRARR sequence, lost DNA binding, DNA helicase activities, and hexamer formation. The major findings of this study are (i) the leucine zipper dimerization domain, I(361)-L(389), is absolutely required for (a) dimerization and (b) ssDNA binding; (ii) the base-rich RSRARR sequence is required for DNA binding; (iii) three regions of domain gamma (gamma I, gamma II, and gamma III) differentially regulate the ATPase activity; (iv) there are likely three ssDNA binding sites per hexamer; and (v) a working model of DNA unwinding by the DnaB hexamer is proposed.