DNA Sequence Recognition by DNA Primase Using High-Throughput Primase Profiling

Summary

Protein binding microarray (PBM) experiments combined with biochemical assays link the binding and catalytic properties of DNA primase, an enzyme that synthesizes RNA primers on template DNA. This method, designated as high-throughput primase profiling (HTPP), can be used to reveal DNA-binding patterns of a variety of enzymes.

Abstract

DNA primase synthesizes short RNA primers that initiate DNA synthesis of Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand by DNA polymerase during DNA replication. The binding of prokaryotic DnaG-like primases to DNA occurs at a specific trinucleotide recognition sequence. It is a pivotal step in the formation of Okazaki fragments. Conventional biochemical tools that are used to determine the DNA recognition sequence of DNA primase provide only limited information. Using a high-throughput microarray-based binding assay and consecutive biochemical analyses, it has been shown that 1) the specific binding context (flanking sequences of the recognition site) influences the binding strength of the DNA primase to its template DNA, and 2) stronger binding of primase to the DNA yields longer RNA primers, indicating higher processivity of the enzyme. This method combines PBM and primase activity assay and is designated as high-throughput primase profiling (HTPP), and it allows characterization of specific sequence recognition by DNA primase in unprecedented time and scalability. 

Introduction

HTPP makes use of DNA binding microarray technology combined with biochemical analysis (Figure 1) to statistically identify specific features of DNA templates that affect the enzymatic activity of DNA primase. Therefore, HTPP provides a technological platform that facilitates a knowledge leap in the field. The classical tools used to determine primase recognition sites do not have the ability to yield massive amount of data, whereas HTPP does.

PBM is a technique routinely used to determine the binding preferences of transcription factors to DNA^1,2; howe....

Protocol

1. Design of microarray

NOTE: DNA probes represent custom 36-nucleotide sequences, consisting of the recognition site for T7 DNA primase (GTC) located between two variable flanking regions, followed by a constant 24-nucleotide sequence tethered to a glass slide³. We used a 4 x 180,000 microarray format, which enabled spotting of each DNA sequence in six replicates, randomly distributed on the slide.

1. Design of DNA library for primases with known recognition sequences
   1. Ensure that each sequence is composed of 60 nucleotides. Keep the first 24 nucleotides constant (to be attached....

Results

This technological advance for mapping the primase binding sites allows the obtaining of DNA binding properties that are difficult, if not impossible, to observe using classical tools. More importantly, HTPP enables the revisiting of the traditional understanding of primase binding sites. Specifically, HTPP reveals binding specificities in addition to known 5'-GTC-3' recognition sequences, which leads to changes in functional activities of T7 DNA primase. Namely, two groups of seq.......

Discussion

The PBM method has been widely used to investigate binding properties of transcription factors and can also be applied to DNA processing enzymes, such as DNA primase, that bind to DNA with low affinity. However, certain modifications of experimental procedures are required. The microarray experiment involves several steps: design of the DNA library, preparation of the chip, binding of the protein target, fluorescent labeling, and scanning. Mild washing steps are critical, since the long washes with solutions containing d.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
40% acrylamide-bisacrylamide (19:1) solution	Merck	1006401000
95% formamide	Sigma-Aldrich	F9037-100ML
Alexa 488-conjugated anti-his antibody	Qiagen	35310
Ammonuium persulfate (APS)	Sigma-Aldrich	A3678-100G
ATP, [α-32P] – 3000 Ci/mmol	Perkin Elmer	NEG003H250UC
Boric acid, granular	Glentham Life Sciences	GE4425
Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA)	Roche	10735094001
Bromophenol blue	Sigma-Aldrich	B0126-25G
Coplin jar
Dithiothreitol (DTT)	Sigma-Aldrich	D0632-25G
DNA microarray	Agilent		4x180K (AMADID #78366) https://www.agilent.com
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)	Acros Organics	AC118430010
Fujifilm FLA-5100 phosphorimager	FUJIFILM Life Science
Glass slide staining rack	Thermo Scientific	12869995	If several slides are used
Lab rotator	Thermo Scientific	88880025
Magnesium chloride	Sigma-Aldrich	63064-500G
Microarray Hybridization Chamber	Agilent	G2534A	https://www.agilent.com/cs/library/usermanuals/Public/G2534-90004_HybridizationChamber_User.pdf
Microarray scanner (GenePix 4400A)	Molecular Devices
Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS)	Sigma-Aldrich	P4417-100TAB
Potassium glutamate	Alfa Aesar	A172232
Ribonucleotide Solution Mix (rNTPs)	New England BioLabs	N0466S
Salmon testes DNA	Sigma-Aldrich	D1626-1G
Skim milk powder	Sigma-Aldrich	70166-500G
Staining dish	Thermo Scientific	12657696
Tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED)	Bio-Rad	1610800
Tris base (2-Amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol)	Sigma-Aldrich	93362-500G
Triton X-100	Sigma-Aldrich	X100-500ML
Tween-20	Sigma-Aldrich	P9416-50ML
Urea	Sigma-Aldrich	U6504-1KG
Xylene cyanol	Alfa Aesar	B21530