Molecular basis for DNA repair synthesis on short gaps by mycobacterial Primase-Polymerase C

Nigel Brissett, Katerina Zabrady, Przemyslaw Plocinski, Julie Bianchi, Małgorzata Korycka-Machała, Anna Brzostek, Jarosław Dziadek, Aidan J. Doherty

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Cells utilise specialized polymerases from the Primase-Polymerase (Prim-Pol) superfamily to maintain genome stability. Prim-Pol's function in genome maintenance pathways including replication, repair and damage tolerance. Mycobacteria contain multiple Prim-Pols required for lesion repair, including Prim-PolC that performs short gap repair synthesis during excision repair. To understand the molecular basis of Prim-PolC's gap recognition and synthesis activities, we elucidated crystal structures of pre- and post-catalytic complexes bound to gapped DNA substrates. These intermediates explain its binding preference for short gaps and reveal a distinctive modus operandi called Synthesis-dependent Template Displacement (STD). This mechanism enables Prim-PolC to couple primer extension with template base dislocation, ensuring that the unpaired templating bases in the gap are ushered into the active site in an ordered manner. Insights provided by these structures establishes the molecular basis of Prim-PolC's gap recognition and extension activities, while also illuminating the mechanisms of primer extension utilised by closely related Prim-Pols.
    Original languageEnglish
    Article number4196
    JournalNature Communications
    Volume11
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 21 Aug 2020

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