Replication of O6-methylguanine-containing DNA by repair and replicative DNA polymerases.

The biological consequences of O6-methylguanine (m6G) in DNA are well recognized. When template m6G is encountered by DNA polymerases, replication is hindered and trans-lesion replication results in the preferential incorporation of dTMP opposite template m6G. Thus, unrepaired m6G in DNA is both cytotoxic and mutagenic.

Dynamics of bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase function: identification of amino acid residues that affect switching between polymerase and 3' --> 5' exonuclease activities.

Many DNA polymerases are multifunctional with the ability to replicate DNA as well as to proofread misincorporated nucleotides. Since polymerase and 3'--> 5' exonuclease activities appear to reside in spatially distinct active centers, there must be some mechanism for coordinating replication with proofreading and for transferring DNA between the two active centers. We have designed a genetic selection scheme to isolate bacteriophage T4 mutant DNA polymerases that are defective in "switching" between polymerase and exonuclease activities.

Motif A of bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase: role in primer extension and DNA replication fidelity. Isolation of new antimutator and mutator DNA polymerases.

Polymerases in general share only a few regions of amino acid similarity. One of the most conserved regions, called motif A, has the sequence DXXSLYPSII or a similar sequence in many eukaryotic and viral DNA polymerases and in bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase. We designed genetic techniques to isolate mutant T4 DNA polymerases with amino acid substitutions in this highly conserved motif.

Genetic and biochemical studies of bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase 3'-->5'-exonuclease activity.

DNA polymerase exonucleolytic proofreading is important in attaining high fidelity DNA replication. One of the most well characterized proofreading activities is the 3'-->5'-exonuclease activity of bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase. We have used genetic analyses and protein sequence comparisons to Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I to identify amino acids in the N-terminal region of T4 DNA polymerase that are required for exonucleolytic proofreading.

Bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase mutations that confer sensitivity to the PPi analog phosphonoacetic acid.

Mutations that conferred sensitivity to the pyrophosphate analog phosphonoacetic acid in bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase were identified. The mutations were loosely clustered in four regions of the gene. As found for herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase, T4 mutations that altered sensitivity to phosphonoacetic acid also altered sensitivity to nucleotide analogs.