Abstract
A major factor in removing RNA primers during the processing of Okazaki fragments is DNA polymerase I (Pol I). Pol I is thought to remove the RNA primers and to fill the resulting gaps simultaneously. RNase H, encoded by rnh genes, is another factor in removing the RNA primers, and there is disagreement with respect to the essentiality of both the polA and rnh genes. In a previous study, we looked for the synthetic lethality of paralogs in Bacillus subtilis and detected several essential doublet paralogs, including the polA ypcP pair. YpcP consists of only the 5′-3′ exonuclease domain. In the current study, we first confirmed that the polA genes of both Escherichia coli and B. subtilis could be completely deleted. We found that the 5′-3′ exonuclease activity encoded by either polA or ypcP xni was required for the growth of B. subtilis and E. coli. Also, the 5′-3′ exonuclease activity of Pol I was indispensable in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. These results suggest that a 5′-3′ exonuclease activity is essential in these organisms. Our success in constructing a B. subtilis strain that lacked all RNase H genes indicates that the enzymatic activity is dispensable, at least in the wild type. Increasing the 5′-3′ exonuclease activity partially compensated for a defective phenotype of an RNase H-deficient mutant, suggesting cooperative functions for the two enzyme systems. Our search for the distribution of the 5′-3′ exonuclease domain among 250 bacterial genomes resulted in the finding that all eubacteria, but not archaea, possess this domain.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 8575-8583 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Bacteriology |
| Volume | 189 |
| Issue number | 23 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2007 Dec |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
- Immunology
Cite this
Reassessment of the in vivo functions of DNA polymerase I and RNase H in bacterial cell growth. / Fukushima, Sanae; Itaya, Mitsuhiro; Kato, Hiroaki; Ogasawara, Naotake; Yoshikawa, Hirofumi.
In: Journal of Bacteriology, Vol. 189, No. 23, 12.2007, p. 8575-8583.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Reassessment of the in vivo functions of DNA polymerase I and RNase H in bacterial cell growth
AU - Fukushima, Sanae
AU - Itaya, Mitsuhiro
AU - Kato, Hiroaki
AU - Ogasawara, Naotake
AU - Yoshikawa, Hirofumi
PY - 2007/12
Y1 - 2007/12
N2 - A major factor in removing RNA primers during the processing of Okazaki fragments is DNA polymerase I (Pol I). Pol I is thought to remove the RNA primers and to fill the resulting gaps simultaneously. RNase H, encoded by rnh genes, is another factor in removing the RNA primers, and there is disagreement with respect to the essentiality of both the polA and rnh genes. In a previous study, we looked for the synthetic lethality of paralogs in Bacillus subtilis and detected several essential doublet paralogs, including the polA ypcP pair. YpcP consists of only the 5′-3′ exonuclease domain. In the current study, we first confirmed that the polA genes of both Escherichia coli and B. subtilis could be completely deleted. We found that the 5′-3′ exonuclease activity encoded by either polA or ypcP xni was required for the growth of B. subtilis and E. coli. Also, the 5′-3′ exonuclease activity of Pol I was indispensable in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. These results suggest that a 5′-3′ exonuclease activity is essential in these organisms. Our success in constructing a B. subtilis strain that lacked all RNase H genes indicates that the enzymatic activity is dispensable, at least in the wild type. Increasing the 5′-3′ exonuclease activity partially compensated for a defective phenotype of an RNase H-deficient mutant, suggesting cooperative functions for the two enzyme systems. Our search for the distribution of the 5′-3′ exonuclease domain among 250 bacterial genomes resulted in the finding that all eubacteria, but not archaea, possess this domain.
AB - A major factor in removing RNA primers during the processing of Okazaki fragments is DNA polymerase I (Pol I). Pol I is thought to remove the RNA primers and to fill the resulting gaps simultaneously. RNase H, encoded by rnh genes, is another factor in removing the RNA primers, and there is disagreement with respect to the essentiality of both the polA and rnh genes. In a previous study, we looked for the synthetic lethality of paralogs in Bacillus subtilis and detected several essential doublet paralogs, including the polA ypcP pair. YpcP consists of only the 5′-3′ exonuclease domain. In the current study, we first confirmed that the polA genes of both Escherichia coli and B. subtilis could be completely deleted. We found that the 5′-3′ exonuclease activity encoded by either polA or ypcP xni was required for the growth of B. subtilis and E. coli. Also, the 5′-3′ exonuclease activity of Pol I was indispensable in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. These results suggest that a 5′-3′ exonuclease activity is essential in these organisms. Our success in constructing a B. subtilis strain that lacked all RNase H genes indicates that the enzymatic activity is dispensable, at least in the wild type. Increasing the 5′-3′ exonuclease activity partially compensated for a defective phenotype of an RNase H-deficient mutant, suggesting cooperative functions for the two enzyme systems. Our search for the distribution of the 5′-3′ exonuclease domain among 250 bacterial genomes resulted in the finding that all eubacteria, but not archaea, possess this domain.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=36749062371&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1128/JB.00653-07
DO - 10.1128/JB.00653-07
M3 - Article
C2 - 17905985
AN - SCOPUS:36749062371
VL - 189
SP - 8575
EP - 8583
JO - Journal of Bacteriology
JF - Journal of Bacteriology
SN - 0021-9193
IS - 23
ER -