title: Structure-function relationship of the eukaryotic DNA replication factor, proliferating cell nuclear antigen.
abstract: Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is essential for eukaryotic DNA replication and functions as a processivity factor of DNA polymerase delta (pol delta). Due to the functional and structural similarity with the beta-subunit of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III, it has been proposed that PCNA would act as a molecular clamp during DNA synthesis. By site-directed mutagenesis and biochemical analyses, we have studied the functional domains of human PCNA required for stimulation of replication factor C (RF-C) ATPase and DNA synthesis by pol delta. Short deletions from either the N or C termini caused drastic changes in extraction and chromatographic behaviors, suggesting that both of these terminal regions are crucial to fold the tertiary structure of PCNA. The short C-terminal stretch from Lys254 to Glu256 is necessary for stimulation of RF-C ATPase activity, but not for stimulation of DNA synthesis by pol delta. Nine basic amino acids that are essential for activating DNA synthesis by pol delta are positioned at the internal alpha-helices of PCNA. This result is in good agreement with the observation that PCNA has a ring structure similar to the beta-subunit and clamps a template DNA through this positively charged internal surface. Several other charged amino acids are also required to stimulate either RF-C ATPase or pol delta DNA synthesis. Some of them are positioned at loops which are exposed on one of the side surface of PCNA adjacent to the C-terminal loop. In addition, the beta-sheets composing the intermolecular interface of the trimeric PCNA are important for interaction with pol delta. Therefore, the outer surface of PCNA has multiple functional surfaces which are responsible for the interaction with multiple factors. Furthermore, the two side surfaces seem to be functionally distinguishable, and this may determine the orientation of tracking PCNA along the DNA.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Morioka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imajou
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ohtsuka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsurimoto
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004258:DNA Polymerase III; D004261:DNA Replication; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D004330:Drosophila; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D006801:Humans; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D012275:Oryza; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051818:Replication Protein C; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: C096816:BCL2-related protein A1; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C096063:MATA1 protein, S cerevisiae; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D004258:DNA Polymerase III; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D051818:Replication Protein C