Sensing domain and extension rate of a family B-type DNA polymerase determine the stalling at a deaminated base.

The uracil-sensing domain in archaeal family B-type DNA polymerases recognizes pro-mutagenic uracils in the DNA template, leading to stalling of DNA polymerases. Here, we describe our new findings regarding the molecular mechanism underpinning the stalling of polymerases. We observed that two successive deaminated bases were required to stall TNA1 and KOD1 DNA polymerases, whereas a single deaminated base was enough for stalling Pfu DNA polymerase, in spite of the virtually identical uracil-sensing domains.

Characterization of a dITPase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 and its application in PCR amplification.

In this study, we found that deoxyinosine triphosphate (dITP) could inhibit polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of various family B-type DNA polymerases, and 0.93% dITP was spontaneously generated from deoxyadenosine triphosphate during PCR amplification. Thus, it was hypothesized that the generated dITP might have negative effect on PCR amplification of family B-type DNA polymerases.

Differential stringent responses of Streptomyces coelicolor M600 to starvation of specific nutrients.

This study focused on the involvement of the unusual nucleotide (p)ppGpp, a stringent factor, during the morphological and physiological differentiation of Streptomyces coelicolor. Two genes, relA and rshA, were disrupted to demonstrate the roles of the stringent factor in the differentiation. The intracellular concentration of (p)ppGpp in the wild-type (M600) and disrupted mutants was measured in relation to the intentional starvation of a specific nutrient such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphate or the in situ depletion of nutrients in a batch culture.

Engineering of primary carbohydrate metabolism for increased production of actinorhodin in Streptomyces coelicolor.

The objectives of the current studies were to determine the roles of key enzymes in central carbon metabolism in the context of increased production of antibiotics in Streptomyces coelicolor. Genes for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and phosphoglucomutase (Pgm) were deleted and those for the acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) were overexpressed. Under the conditions tested, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase encoded by zwf2 plays a more important role than that encoded by zwf1 in determining the carbon flux to actinorhodin (Act), while the function of Pgm encoded by SCO7443 is not clearly understood.

Two relA/spoT homologous genes are involved in the morphological and physiological differentiation of Streptomyces clavuligerus.

This study is focused on the involvement of the unusual nucleotide (p)ppGpp during the morphological and physiological differentiation of Streptomyces clavuligerus. In particular, the functional and structural elements of two genes encoding the proteins RelA and Rsh were identified. The relA gene encodes an 843 aa protein (RelA), while the rsh gene encodes a 738 aa protein (Rsh).