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DNA polymerase switching: II. Replication factor C abrogates primer synthesis by DNA polymerase alpha at a critical length.


Mossi, R; Keller, R C; Ferrari, E; Hübscher, U (2000). DNA polymerase switching: II. Replication factor C abrogates primer synthesis by DNA polymerase alpha at a critical length. Journal of Molecular Biology, 295(4):803-814.

Abstract

A crucial event in DNA replication is the polymerase switch from the synthesis of a short RNA/DNA primer by DNA polymerase alpha/primase to the pro?cessive elongation by DNA polymerase delta. In order to shed light on the role of replication factor C (RF-C) in this process, the effects of RF-C on DNA polymerase alpha were investigated. We show that RF-C stalls DNA polymerase alpha after synthesis of approximately 30 nucleotides, while not inhibiting the polymerase activity per se. This suggested that RF-C and the length of the primer may be two important factors contributing to the polymerase switch. Furthermore the DNA binding properties of RF-C were tested. Band shift experiments indicated that RF-C has a preference for 5' recessed ends and double-stranded DNA over 3' ends. Finally PCNA can be loaded onto a DNA template carrying a RNA primer, suggesting that a DNA moiety is not necessarily required for the loading of the clamp. Thus we propose a model where RF-C, upon binding to the RNA/DNA primer, influences primer synthesis and sets the conditions for a polymerase switch after recruiting PCNA to DNA.

Abstract

A crucial event in DNA replication is the polymerase switch from the synthesis of a short RNA/DNA primer by DNA polymerase alpha/primase to the pro?cessive elongation by DNA polymerase delta. In order to shed light on the role of replication factor C (RF-C) in this process, the effects of RF-C on DNA polymerase alpha were investigated. We show that RF-C stalls DNA polymerase alpha after synthesis of approximately 30 nucleotides, while not inhibiting the polymerase activity per se. This suggested that RF-C and the length of the primer may be two important factors contributing to the polymerase switch. Furthermore the DNA binding properties of RF-C were tested. Band shift experiments indicated that RF-C has a preference for 5' recessed ends and double-stranded DNA over 3' ends. Finally PCNA can be loaded onto a DNA template carrying a RNA primer, suggesting that a DNA moiety is not necessarily required for the loading of the clamp. Thus we propose a model where RF-C, upon binding to the RNA/DNA primer, influences primer synthesis and sets the conditions for a polymerase switch after recruiting PCNA to DNA.

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Additional indexing

Item Type:Journal Article, refereed
Communities & Collections:05 Vetsuisse Faculty > Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease
07 Faculty of Science > Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease
Dewey Decimal Classification:570 Life sciences; biology
Scopus Subject Areas:Life Sciences > Structural Biology
Life Sciences > Molecular Biology
Language:English
Date:28 January 2000
Deposited On:11 Feb 2008 12:18
Last Modified:01 Nov 2023 02:40
Publisher:Elsevier
ISSN:0022-2836
OA Status:Closed
Publisher DOI:https://doi.org/10.1006/jmbi.1999.3395
PubMed ID:10656792
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