title: Construction and characterization of a bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase deficient in 3'-->5' exonuclease activity.
abstract: Bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase has a proofreading 3'-->5' exonuclease that plays an important role in maintaining the accuracy of DNA replication. We have constructed a T4 DNA polymerase deficient in this exonuclease by converting Asp-219 to Ala. The exonuclease activity of the mutant T4 DNA polymerase has been reduced by a factor of at least 10(7), but it retains a polymerase activity whose kinetic parameters, kcat, Kd DNA, and Kd dATP, are very close to those of the wild-type enzyme. Bacteriophage T4 with the mutant polymerase gene has a markedly increased mutation frequency. Asp-219 in T4 DNA polymerase is within a sequence similar to those surrounding Asp residues previously shown to be essential for the exonuclease activities of the Klenow fragment of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (Asp-424), bacteriophage phi 29 DNA polymerase (Asp-66), and Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase delta (Asp-405). Thus, these studies support the proposal that there are similar sequences in the active sites for the proofreading exonucleases of these and related DNA polymerases.
authors: Pennsylvania State University, Department of Chemistry, Davey Laboratory, University Park 16802.
authors: M W
authors: MW
authors: Frey
authors: N G
authors: NG
authors: Nossal
authors: T L
authors: TL
authors: Capson
authors: S J
authors: SJ
authors: Benkovic
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017122:Bacteriophage T4 / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003838:Deoxyadenine Nucleotides / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D043211:Exodeoxyribonuclease V; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005814:Genes, Viral; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D015183:Restriction Mapping
chemical_list: D003838:Deoxyadenine Nucleotides; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases; D043211:Exodeoxyribonuclease V; C026600:2'-deoxyadenosine triphosphate