Sin Nombre hantavirus nucleocapsid protein exhibits a metal-dependent DNA-specific endonucleolytic activity.
We demonstrate that the nucleocapsid protein of Sin Nombre hantavirus (SNV-N) has a DNA-specific endonuclease activity. Upon incubation of SNV-N with DNA in the presence of magnesium or manganese, we observed DNA digestion in sequence-unspecific manner. In contrast, RNA was not affected under the same conditions. Moreover, pre-treatment of SNV-N with RNase before DNA cleavage increased the endonucleolytic activity. Structure-based protein fold prediction using known structures from the PDB database revealed that Asp residues in positions 88 and 103 of SNV-N show sequence similarity with the active site of the restriction endonuclease HindIII. Crystal structure of HindIII predicts that residues Asp93 and Asp108 are essential for coordination of the metal ions required for HindIII DNA cleavage. Therefore, we hypothesized that homologous residues in SNV-N, Asp88 and Asp103, may have a similar function. Replacing Asp88 and Asp103 by alanine led to an SNV-N protein almost completely abrogated for endonuclease activity.
Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Elisabeth
E
Möncke-Buchner
Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Michal
M
Szczepek
Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Marcel
M
Bokelmann
Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Patrick
P
Heinemann
Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Martin J
MJ
Raftery
Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Detlev H
DH
Krüger
Institute of Medical Virology, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: monika.reuter@charite.de.
Monika
M
Reuter
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002412:Cations / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D015870:Gene Expression; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009154:Mutation; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D029261:Sin Nombre virus / Q000502:physiology*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
D002412:Cations; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D008670:Metals; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; D012260:Ribonucleases
DNA-specific endonuclease activity; Hantavirus; Nucleocapsid protein; Site-specific mutagenesis