Document Type
Article
Abstract
DNA polymerases must accurately replicate DNA to maintain genome integrity. Carcinogenic adducts, such as 2-aminofluorene (AF) and N-acetyl-2-aminofluorene (AAF), covalently bind DNA bases and promote mutagenesis near the adduct site. The mechanism by which carcinogenic adducts inhibit DNA synthesis and cause mutagenesis remains unclear. Here, we measure interactions between a DNA polymerase and carcinogenic DNA adducts in real-time by single-molecule fluorescence. We find the degree to which an adduct affects polymerase binding to the DNA depends on the adduct location with respect to the primer terminus, the adduct structure and the nucleotides present in the solution. Not only do the adducts influence the polymerase dwell time on the DNA but also its binding position and orientation. Finally, we have directly observed an adduct- and mismatch-induced intermediate state, which may be an obligatory step in the DNA polymerase proofreading mechanism.
Disciplines
Biochemistry | Chemistry | Molecular Genetics
Recommended Citation
Vrtis KB, Markiewicz RP, Romano LJ, Rueda D. (2013). Carcinogenic adducts induce distinct DNA polymerase binding orientations. Nucleic Acids Research 41(16): 7843-7853. doi:10.1093/nar/gkt554
Included in
Biochemistry Commons, Chemistry Commons, Molecular Genetics Commons
Comments
© The Author(s) 2013. Published by Oxford University Press at http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/content/41/16/7843. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.