Jean-Paul Raffin

Replication factor C from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus abyssi does not need ATP hydrolysis for clamp-loading and contains a functionally conserved RFC PCNA-binding domain

The molecular organization of the replication complex in archaea is similar to that in eukaryotes. Only two proteins homologous to subunits of eukaryotic replication factor C (RFC) have been detected in Pyrococcus abyssi (Pab). The genes encoding these two proteins are arranged in tandem. We cloned these two genes and co-expressed the corresponding recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. Two inteins present in the gene encoding the small subunit (PabRFC-small) were removed during cloning. The recombinant protein complex was purified by anion-exchange and hydroxyapatite chromatography. Also, the PabRFC-small subunit could be purified, while the large subunit (PabRFC-large) alone was completely insoluble. The highly purified PabRFC complex possessed an ATPase activity, which was not enhanced by DNA. The Pab proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) activated the PabRFC complex in a DNA-dependent manner, but the PabRFC-small ATPase activity was neither DNA-dependent nor PCNA-dependent. The PabRFC complex was able to stimulate PabPCNA-dependent DNA synthesis by the Pabfamily D heterodimeric DNA polymerase. Finally, (i) the PabRFC-large fraction cross-reacted with anti-human-RFC PCNA-binding domain antibody, corroborating the conservation of the protein sequence, (ii) the human PCNA stimulated the PabRFC complex ATPase activity in a DNA-dependent way and (iii) the PabRFC complex could load human PCNA onto primed single-stranded circular DNA, suggesting that the PCNA-binding domain of RFC has been functionally conserved during evolution. In addition, ATP hydrolysis was not required either for DNA polymerase stimulation or PCNA-loading in vitro.

Intrinsic properties of the two replicative DNA polymerases of Pyrococcus abyssi in replicating abasic sites: possible role in DNA damage tolerance?

Spontaneous and induced abasic sites in hyperthermophiles DNA have long been suspected to occur at high frequency. Here, Pyrococcus abyssi was used as an attractive model to analyse the impact of such lesions onto the maintenance of genome integrity. We demonstrated that endogenous AP sites persist at a slightly higher level in P. abyssi genome compared with Escherichia coli. Then, the two replicative DNA polymerases, PabpolB and PabpolD, were characterized in presence of DNA containing abasic sites. Both Pabpols had abortive DNA synthesis upon encountering AP sites. Under running start conditions, PabpolB could incorporate in front of the damage and even replicate to the full‐length oligonucleotides containing a specific AP site, but only when present at a molar excess. Conversely, bypassing activity of PabpolD was strictly inhibited. The tight regulation of nucleotide incorporation opposite the AP site was assigned to the efficiency of the proof‐reading function, because exonuclease‐deficient enzymes exhibited effective TLS. Steady‐state kinetics reinforced that Pabpols are high‐fidelity DNA polymerases onto undamaged DNA. Moreover, Pabpols preferentially inserted dAMP opposite an AP site, albeit inefficiently. While the template sequence of the oligonucleotides did not influence the nucleotide insertion, the DNA topology could impact on the progression of Pabpols. Our results are interpreted in terms of DNA damage tolerance.

Partial characterization of the gene encoding myoadenylate deaminase from the teleost fish Platichthys flesus

AMP-deaminase (AMPD, EC 3.5.4.6), which catalyzes the irreversible hydrolytic deamination of AMP to IMP and ammonia, is an important energy-related enzyme. The partial genomic sequence of the gene encoding myoadenylate deaminase (AMPD1) from the teleost fish Platichthys flesus was determined. The amino acid sequence of P. flesus AMPD1 shows 82% homology with that of the teleost fish Danio rerio. Comparison of genomic sequences of P. flesus and Rattus norvegicus reveals a high degree of conservation of both sequence and structural organization. A phylogenetic analysis of AMPD sequences shows that bony fish and mammalian AMPD1s arise by duplication of a common primordial gene.

Purification and characterization of a new DNA polymerase modulator from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus fumicolans

During purification of the native alpha-like DNA polymerase from the hyperthermophilic euryarchaeote Thermococcus fumicolans, two activity peaks were detected after cation-exchange chromatography. One of the peaks (Ppol) was identified as the T. fumicolans DNA polymerase and the second peak (Pf) was shown to contain a factor which increased the DNA polymerase activity over 70-fold when tested with activated calf thymus DNA as substrate. The factor also stimulated nucleotide incorporation when using primed lambda DNA as substrate (approximately 8-fold), while inducing a very large decrease in the turnover rate of the enzyme. The factor, therefore, maximizes the ability of the DNA polymerase to synthesize small fragments, which is compatible with DNA repair or lagging strand DNA replication.