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Title: Crystal structures of a natural DNA polymerase that functions as an XNA reverse transcriptase

Journal Article · · Nucleic Acids Research
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkz513 · OSTI ID:1525514

Replicative DNA polymerases are highly efficient enzymes that maintain stringent geometric control over shape and orientation of the template and incoming nucleoside triphosphate. In a surprising twist to this paradigm, a naturally occurring bacterial DNA polymerase I member isolated from Geobacillus stearothermophilus (Bst) exhibits an innate ability to reverse transcribe RNA and other synthetic congeners (XNAs) into DNA. This observation raises the interesting question of how a replicative DNA polymerase is able to recognize templates of diverse chemical composition. Here, we present crystal structures of natural Bst DNA polymerase that capture the post-translocated product of DNA synthesis on templates composed entirely of 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-β-D-arabino nucleic acid (FANA) and α-L-threofuranosyl nucleic acid (TNA). Analysis of the enzyme active site reveals the importance of structural plasticity as a possible mechanism for XNA-dependent DNA synthesis and provides insights into the construction of variants with improved activity.

Research Organization:
Univ. of California, Irvine, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF); Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; N66001-16-2-4061; 1607111; R25GM055246; T34GM069337
OSTI ID:
1525514
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1903842
Journal Information:
Nucleic Acids Research, Vol. 47, Issue 13; ISSN 0305-1048
Publisher:
Oxford University PressCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 23 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Processive DNA synthesis observed in a polymerase crystal suggests a mechanism for the prevention of frameshift mutations journal March 2003
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Crystal structures of open and closed forms of binary and ternary complexes of the large fragment of Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase I: structural basis for nucleotide incorporation journal December 1998
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