J Biol Chem, Vol. 275, Issue 10, 7327-7336, March 10, 2000
A Unique Organization of the Protein Subunits of the DNA
Polymerase Clamp Loader in the Archaeon Methanobacterium
thermoautotrophicum
H*
Zvi
Kelman
and
Jerard
Hurwitz§
From the Department of Molecular Biology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021
Replication factor C (RFC, also called activator
1), in conjunction with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), is
responsible for processive DNA synthesis catalyzed by the eukaryotic
replicative DNA polymerases
and
. Here we report the isolation
and characterization of homologues of RFC and PCNA from the archaeon,
Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum
H. In contrast to
the five subunit RFC complex isolated from eukaryotic cells, the mthRFC
contains only two subunits. The two genes encoding the RFC subunits
called, mthRFC1 and mthRFC3, were cloned, and the proteins (54.4 and
36.8 kDa, respectively) were overexpressed in Escherichia
coli and purified individually and as a complex. The gene
encoding PCNA was also cloned, and the protein was purified after
overexpression in E. coli. Based on sizing column elution
and subunit composition, the mthRFC complex appears to be a hexamer
consisting of two mthRFC1 protomers and four mthRFC3
protomers. Although mthRFC differs in organization from its eukaryotic
counterpart, it was shown to be functionally similar to eukaryotic RFC
in: (i) catalyzing DNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis; (ii)
binding preferentially to DNA primer ends; (iii) loading mthPCNA onto
singly nicked circular DNA; and (iv) supporting mthPolB-catalyzed
PCNA-dependent DNA chain elongation. The importance and
roles of RFC and PCNA in M. thermoautotrophicum
H
replication are discussed.
*
This work was supported by National Institutes of Health
Grant GM 38559 (to J. H.).The costs of publication of this
article were defrayed in part by the
payment of page charges. The article must therefore be hereby marked
"advertisement" in
accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section
1734 solely to indicate this fact.