Structural Insight into Processive Human Mitochondrial DNA Synthesis and Disease-Related Polymerase Mutations
Human mitochondrial DNA polymerase (Pol {gamma}) is the sole replicase in mitochondria. Pol {gamma} is vulnerable to nonselective antiretroviral drugs and is increasingly associated with mutations found in patients with mitochondriopathies. We determined crystal structures of the human heterotrimeric Pol {gamma} holoenzyme and, separately, a variant of its processivity factor, Pol {gamma}B. The holoenzyme structure reveals an unexpected assembly of the mitochondrial DNA replicase where the catalytic subunit Pol {gamma}A interacts with its processivity factor primarily via a domain that is absent in all other DNA polymerases. This domain provides a structural module for supporting both the intrinsic processivity of the catalytic subunit alone and the enhanced processivity of holoenzyme. The Pol {gamma} structure also provides a context for interpreting the phenotypes of disease-related mutations in the polymerase and establishes a foundation for understanding the molecular basis of toxicity of anti-retroviral drugs targeting HIV reverse transcriptase.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 1006174
- Journal Information:
- Cell, Vol. 139, Issue (2) ; 10, 2009; ISSN 0092-8674
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
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