title: DNA strand transfer catalyzed by vaccinia topoisomerase: ligation of DNAs containing a 3' mononucleotide overhang.
abstract: The specificity of vaccinia topoisomerase for transesterification to DNA at the sequence 5'-CCCTT and its versatility in strand transfer have illuminated the recombinogenic properties of type IB topoisomerases and spawned topoisomerase-based strategies for DNA cloning. Here we characterize a pathway of topoisomerase-mediated DNA ligation in which enzyme bound covalently to a CCCTT end with an unpaired +1T nucleotide rapidly and efficiently joins the CCCTT strand to a duplex DNA containing a 3' A overhang. The joining reaction occurs with high efficiency, albeit slowly, to duplex DNAs containing 3' G, T or C overhangs. Strand transfer can be restricted to the correctly paired 3' A overhang by including 0.5 M NaCl in the ligation reaction mixture. The effects of base mismatches and increased ionic strength on the rates of 3' overhang ligation provide a quantitative picture of the relative contributions of +1 T:A base pairing and electrostatic interactions downstream of the scissile phosphate to the productive binding of an unlinked acceptor DNA to the active site. The results clarify the biochemistry underlying topoisomerase-cloning of PCR products with non-templated 3' overhangs.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shuman
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020029:Base Pairing; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / Q000378:metabolism*; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013942:Thymine Nucleotides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D013942:Thymine Nucleotides; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D004247:DNA; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I