Skip to main content
PMC home page
The EMBO Journal logoLink to The EMBO Journal
. 1993 Dec;12(12):4555–4566. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1993.tb06144.x

The role of the 70 kDa subunit of human DNA polymerase alpha in DNA replication.

K L Collins 1, A A Russo 1, B Y Tseng 1, T J Kelly 1
PMCID: PMC413886  PMID: 8223465

Abstract

DNA polymerase alpha is the only enzyme in eukaryotic cells capable of starting DNA chains de novo and is required for the initiation of SV40 DNA replication in vitro. We have cloned the 70 kDa subunit of human DNA polymerase alpha (hereafter referred to as the B subunit) and expressed it as a fusion protein in bacteria. The purified fusion protein forms a stable complex with SV40 T antigen, both in solution and when T antigen is bound to the SV40 origin of DNA replication. Analysis of mutant forms of the B subunit indicates that the N-terminal 240 amino acids are sufficient to mediate complex formation. The B subunit fusion protein promotes formation of a complex containing T antigen and the catalytic subunit (subunit A) of DNA polymerase alpha, suggesting that it serves to tether the two proteins. These physical interactions are functionally significant, since the ability of T antigen to stimulate the activity of the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase alpha is highly dependent upon the B subunit. We suggest that the interactions mediated by the B subunit play an important role in SV40 DNA replication by promoting DNA chain initiation at the origin and/or facilitating the subsequent priming and synthesis of DNA chains on the lagging strand template. The protein may play similar roles in cellular DNA replication.

Full text

PDF

Images in this article

4558Image
on p.4558
4558Image
on p.4558
4560Image
on p.4560
4561Image
on p.4561
4561Image
on p.4561
4562Image
on p.4562

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bell S. P., Stillman B. ATP-dependent recognition of eukaryotic origins of DNA replication by a multiprotein complex. Nature. 1992 May 14;357(6374):128–134. doi: 10.1038/357128a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bredt D. S., Hwang P. M., Glatt C. E., Lowenstein C., Reed R. R., Snyder S. H. Cloned and expressed nitric oxide synthase structurally resembles cytochrome P-450 reductase. Nature. 1991 Jun 27;351(6329):714–718. doi: 10.1038/351714a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brooke R. G., Dumas L. B. Reconstitution of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA primase-DNA polymerase protein complex in vitro. The 86-kDa subunit facilitates but is not required for complex formation. J Biol Chem. 1991 Jun 5;266(16):10093–10098. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brooke R. G., Singhal R., Hinkle D. C., Dumas L. B. Purification and characterization of the 180- and 86-kilodalton subunits of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA primase-DNA polymerase protein complex. The 180-kilodalton subunit has both DNA polymerase and 3'----5'-exonuclease activities. J Biol Chem. 1991 Feb 15;266(5):3005–3015. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Challberg M. D., Kelly T. J. Animal virus DNA replication. Annu Rev Biochem. 1989;58:671–717. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.58.070189.003323. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Collins K. L., Kelly T. J. Effects of T antigen and replication protein A on the initiation of DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase alpha-primase. Mol Cell Biol. 1991 Apr;11(4):2108–2115. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.4.2108. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Copeland W. C., Wang T. S. Catalytic subunit of human DNA polymerase alpha overproduced from baculovirus-infected insect cells. Structural and enzymological characterization. J Biol Chem. 1991 Nov 25;266(33):22739–22748. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cotterill S., Lehman I. R., McLachlan P. Cloning of the gene for the 73 kD subunit of the DNA polymerase alpha primase of Drosophila melanogaster. Nucleic Acids Res. 1992 Aug 25;20(16):4325–4330. doi: 10.1093/nar/20.16.4325. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dean F. B., Bullock P., Murakami Y., Wobbe C. R., Weissbach L., Hurwitz J. Simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA replication: SV40 large T antigen unwinds DNA containing the SV40 origin of replication. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Jan;84(1):16–20. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.1.16. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Dean F. B., Dodson M., Echols H., Hurwitz J. ATP-dependent formation of a specialized nucleoprotein structure by simian virus 40 (SV40) large tumor antigen at the SV40 replication origin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Dec;84(24):8981–8985. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.24.8981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Dodson M., Dean F. B., Bullock P., Echols H., Hurwitz J. Unwinding of duplex DNA from the SV40 origin of replication by T antigen. Science. 1987 Nov 13;238(4829):964–967. doi: 10.1126/science.2823389. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Dornreiter I., Copeland W. C., Wang T. S. Initiation of simian virus 40 DNA replication requires the interaction of a specific domain of human DNA polymerase alpha with large T antigen. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Feb;13(2):809–820. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.2.809. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Dornreiter I., Erdile L. F., Gilbert I. U., von Winkler D., Kelly T. J., Fanning E. Interaction of DNA polymerase alpha-primase with cellular replication protein A and SV40 T antigen. EMBO J. 1992 Feb;11(2):769–776. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05110.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Dornreiter I., Höss A., Arthur A. K., Fanning E. SV40 T antigen binds directly to the large subunit of purified DNA polymerase alpha. EMBO J. 1990 Oct;9(10):3329–3336. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb07533.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Erdile L. F., Collins K. L., Russo A., Simancek P., Small D., Umbricht C., Virshup D., Cheng L., Randall S., Weinberg D. Initiation of SV40 DNA replication: mechanism and control. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1991;56:303–313. doi: 10.1101/sqb.1991.056.01.037. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Fanning E., Knippers R. Structure and function of simian virus 40 large tumor antigen. Annu Rev Biochem. 1992;61:55–85. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.61.070192.000415. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Foiani M., Santocanale C., Plevani P., Lucchini G. A single essential gene, PRI2, encodes the large subunit of DNA primase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Cell Biol. 1989 Jul;9(7):3081–3087. doi: 10.1128/mcb.9.7.3081. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Gannon J. V., Lane D. P. Interactions between SV40 T antigen and DNA polymerase alpha. New Biol. 1990 Jan;2(1):84–92. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Gannon J. V., Lane D. P. p53 and DNA polymerase alpha compete for binding to SV40 T antigen. Nature. 1987 Oct 1;329(6138):456–458. doi: 10.1038/329456a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Hurwitz J., Dean F. B., Kwong A. D., Lee S. H. The in vitro replication of DNA containing the SV40 origin. J Biol Chem. 1990 Oct 25;265(30):18043–18046. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Ishimi Y., Claude A., Bullock P., Hurwitz J. Complete enzymatic synthesis of DNA containing the SV40 origin of replication. J Biol Chem. 1988 Dec 25;263(36):19723–19733. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Kaguni L. S., Rossignol J. M., Conaway R. C., Banks G. R., Lehman I. R. Association of DNA primase with the beta/gamma subunits of DNA polymerase alpha from Drosophila melanogaster embryos. J Biol Chem. 1983 Aug 10;258(15):9037–9039. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Lee S. H., Eki T., Hurwitz J. Synthesis of DNA containing the simian virus 40 origin of replication by the combined action of DNA polymerases alpha and delta. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Oct;86(19):7361–7365. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.19.7361. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Lehman I. R., Kaguni L. S. DNA polymerase alpha. J Biol Chem. 1989 Mar 15;264(8):4265–4268. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Li J. J., Kelly T. J. Simian virus 40 DNA replication in vitro. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Nov;81(22):6973–6977. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.22.6973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Lucchini G., Francesconi S., Foiani M., Badaracco G., Plevani P. Yeast DNA polymerase--DNA primase complex; cloning of PRI 1, a single essential gene related to DNA primase activity. EMBO J. 1987 Mar;6(3):737–742. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb04815.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Mastrangelo I. A., Hough P. V., Wall J. S., Dodson M., Dean F. B., Hurwitz J. ATP-dependent assembly of double hexamers of SV40 T antigen at the viral origin of DNA replication. Nature. 1989 Apr 20;338(6217):658–662. doi: 10.1038/338658a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Melendy T., Stillman B. An interaction between replication protein A and SV40 T antigen appears essential for primosome assembly during SV40 DNA replication. J Biol Chem. 1993 Feb 15;268(5):3389–3395. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Miyazawa H., Izumi M., Tada S., Takada R., Masutani M., Ui M., Hanaoka F. Molecular cloning of the cDNAs for the four subunits of mouse DNA polymerase alpha-primase complex and their gene expression during cell proliferation and the cell cycle. J Biol Chem. 1993 Apr 15;268(11):8111–8122. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Murakami Y., Wobbe C. R., Weissbach L., Dean F. B., Hurwitz J. Role of DNA polymerase alpha and DNA primase in simian virus 40 DNA replication in vitro. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 May;83(9):2869–2873. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.9.2869. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Nasheuer H. P., Moore A., Wahl A. F., Wang T. S. Cell cycle-dependent phosphorylation of human DNA polymerase alpha. J Biol Chem. 1991 Apr 25;266(12):7893–7903. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Nigg E. A. The substrates of the cdc2 kinase. Semin Cell Biol. 1991 Aug;2(4):261–270. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Parsons R. E., Stenger J. E., Ray S., Welker R., Anderson M. E., Tegtmeyer P. Cooperative assembly of simian virus 40 T-antigen hexamers on functional halves of the replication origin. J Virol. 1991 Jun;65(6):2798–2806. doi: 10.1128/jvi.65.6.2798-2806.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Pizzagalli A., Valsasnini P., Plevani P., Lucchini G. DNA polymerase I gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: nucleotide sequence, mapping of a temperature-sensitive mutation, and protein homology with other DNA polymerases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Jun;85(11):3772–3776. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.11.3772. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Plevani P., Francesconi S., Lucchini G. The nucleotide sequence of the PRI1 gene related to DNA primase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Nucleic Acids Res. 1987 Oct 12;15(19):7975–7989. doi: 10.1093/nar/15.19.7975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Prussak C. E., Almazan M. T., Tseng B. Y. Peptide production from proteins separated by sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Anal Biochem. 1989 May 1;178(2):233–238. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(89)90630-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Prussak C. E., Tseng B. Y. Isolation of the DNA polymerase alpha core enzyme from mouse cells. J Biol Chem. 1987 May 5;262(13):6018–6022. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Smale S. T., Tjian R. T-antigen-DNA polymerase alpha complex implicated in simian virus 40 DNA replication. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Nov;6(11):4077–4087. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.11.4077. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Smith D. B., Johnson K. S. Single-step purification of polypeptides expressed in Escherichia coli as fusions with glutathione S-transferase. Gene. 1988 Jul 15;67(1):31–40. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(88)90005-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Stillman B. Initiation of eukaryotic DNA replication in vitro. Annu Rev Cell Biol. 1989;5:197–245. doi: 10.1146/annurev.cb.05.110189.001213. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Tseng B. Y., Ahlem C. N. A DNA primase from mouse cells. Purification and partial characterization. J Biol Chem. 1983 Aug 25;258(16):9845–9849. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Tseng B. Y., Ahlem C. N. Mouse primase initiation sites in the origin region of simian virus 40. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Apr;81(8):2342–2346. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.8.2342. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Tsurimoto T., Melendy T., Stillman B. Sequential initiation of lagging and leading strand synthesis by two different polymerase complexes at the SV40 DNA replication origin. Nature. 1990 Aug 9;346(6284):534–539. doi: 10.1038/346534a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Virshup D. M., Russo A. A., Kelly T. J. Mechanism of activation of simian virus 40 DNA replication by protein phosphatase 2A. Mol Cell Biol. 1992 Nov;12(11):4883–4895. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.11.4883. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Weinberg D. H., Collins K. L., Simancek P., Russo A., Wold M. S., Virshup D. M., Kelly T. J. Reconstitution of simian virus 40 DNA replication with purified proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Nov;87(22):8692–8696. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.22.8692. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Wiekowski M., Dröge P., Stahl H. Monoclonal antibodies as probes for a function of large T antigen during the elongation process of simian virus 40 DNA replication. J Virol. 1987 Feb;61(2):411–418. doi: 10.1128/jvi.61.2.411-418.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Wold M. S., Li J. J., Kelly T. J. Initiation of simian virus 40 DNA replication in vitro: large-tumor-antigen- and origin-dependent unwinding of the template. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Jun;84(11):3643–3647. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.11.3643. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Wold M. S., Weinberg D. H., Virshup D. M., Li J. J., Kelly T. J. Identification of cellular proteins required for simian virus 40 DNA replication. J Biol Chem. 1989 Feb 15;264(5):2801–2809. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Wong S. W., Paborsky L. R., Fisher P. A., Wang T. S., Korn D. Structural and enzymological characterization of immunoaffinity-purified DNA polymerase alpha.DNA primase complex from KB cells. J Biol Chem. 1986 Jun 15;261(17):7958–7968. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Wong S. W., Wahl A. F., Yuan P. M., Arai N., Pearson B. E., Arai K., Korn D., Hunkapiller M. W., Wang T. S. Human DNA polymerase alpha gene expression is cell proliferation dependent and its primary structure is similar to both prokaryotic and eukaryotic replicative DNA polymerases. EMBO J. 1988 Jan;7(1):37–47. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb02781.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The EMBO Journal are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

RESOURCES