The BLM helicase associates with the telomere structural proteins TRF1 and TRF2 in immortalized cells using the alternative lengthening of telomere (ALT) pathways. This work focuses on identifying protein partners of BLM in cells using ALT. Mass spectrometry and immunoprecipitation techniques have identified three proteins that bind directly to BLM and TRF2 in ALT cells: telomerase-associated protein 1 (TEP1), heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), and topoisomerase II␣ (TOPOII␣). BLM predominantly co-localizes with these proteins in foci actively synthesizing DNA during late S and G 2 /M phases of the cell cycle when ALT is thought to occur. Immunoprecipitation studies also indicate that only HSP90 and TOPOII␣ are components of a specific complex containing BLM, TRF1, and TRF2 but that this complex does not include TEP1. TEP1, TOPOII␣, and HSP90 interact directly with BLM in vitro and modulate its helicase activity on telomere-like DNA substrates but not on nontelomeric substrates. Initial studies suggest that knockdown of BLM in ALT cells reduces average telomere length but does not do so in cells using telomerase.
Bloom syndrome (BS)4 is a genetic disease caused by mutation of both copies of the human BLM gene. It is characterized by sun sensitivity, small stature, immunodeficiency, male infertility, and an increased susceptibility to cancer of all sites and types. The high incidence of spontaneous chromosome breakage and other unique chromosomal anomalies in cells from BS patients indicate an increase in homologous recombination in somatic cells (1). Another notable feature of non-immortalized and immortalized cells from BS individuals is the presence of telomeric associations (TAs) between homologous chromosomes (2). Work from our group and others have suggested a role for BLM in recombination-mediated mechanisms of telomere elongation or ALT (alternative lengthening of telomeres), processes that maintain/elongate telomeres in the absence of telomerase (3-5). However, the exact mechanism by which BLM contributes to telomere stability is unknown.Several proteins interact with and regulate BLM helicase activity, including two telomere-specific proteins, TRF1 and TRF2 (6, 7). Although TRF2 stimulates BLM unwinding of telomeric and non-telomeric 3Ј-overhang substrates, TRF1 inhibits BLM unwinding of telomeric substrates. TRF2-mediated stimulation of BLM helicase activity on a telomeric substrate is observed when TRF2 is present in excess or with equimolar amount of TRF1 but not when TRF1 is present in molar excess. Both proteins associate with BLM specifically in ALT cells in vivo, suggesting their involvement in the ALT pathways. In addition to TRF1 and TRF2, the telomere single-strand DNAbinding protein POT1 strongly stimulates BLM helicase activity on long telomeric forked duplexes and D-loop structures (8).Other proteins also play an important role in telomere maintenance in telomerase-negative cells, including RAD50, NBS1, and MRE11, which co-localize with TRF1 and TRF2 in specialized ALT-associated promyelocytic ...
Background: A mutation within the 2B subdomain of UvrD increases helicase activity and impacts phenotype. Results: The unwinding processivity is increased in the UvrD303 mutant. Conclusion: The 2B subdomain of UvrD plays an integral role in regulating helicase activity. Significance: Intramolecular interactions mediate proper activity for UvrD in DNA repair processes.
Most processes involving an organism's genetic material, including replication, repair and recombination, require access to single stranded DNA as a template or reaction intermediate. To disrupt the hydrogen bonds between the two strands in double stranded DNA, organisms utilize proteins called DNA helicases. DNA helicases use duplex DNA as a substrate to create single stranded DNA in a reaction that requires ATP hydrolysis. Due to their critical role in cellular function, understanding the reaction catalyzed by helicases is essential to understanding DNA metabolism. Helicases are also important in many disease processes due to their role in DNA maintenance and replication. Here we discuss ways to rapidly purify helicases in sufficient quantity for biochemical analysis. We also briefly discuss potential substrates to use with helicases to establish some of their critical biochemical parameters. Through the use of methods that simplify the study of helicases, our understanding of these essential proteins can be accelerated.
The myb-DNA binding domain is characterized by a 3-alpha helical bundle and three repeats of this domain drive sequence specific DNA-binding of the c-myb transcription factor. Human TRF1 contains a single myb-related domain and as a homodimer, enables the sequence specific binding of telomeric DNA. In this report we provide a kinetic assessment of hTRF1 DNA binding activity. Using intrinsic fluorescence quenching we present evidence that hTRF1 binds to both telomeric and non-telomeric DNA with kinetic discrimination to allow stable binding to telomeric tracts of DNA. The position of telomere repeats does not impact binding though the number of repeats and structure does impact binding. Kinetic analysis of DNA-dependent intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence quenching of hTRF1 revealed a two step binding process that is impacted by telomere repeat length, position, and structure. These data are consistent with existing structural and equilibrium binding data for hTRF1 recognition and binding of telomere DNA.
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