Vaccinia topoisomerase catalyzes DNA cleavage and rejoining via transesterification to pentapyrimidine recognition site 5-(C/T)CCTT2 in duplex DNA. The proposed reaction mechanism involves general-base catalysis of the attack by active site nucleophile Tyr-274 on the scissile phosphodiester and general-acid catalysis of the expulsion of the 5-deoxyribose oxygen on the leaving DNA strand. The pK a values suggest histidine and cysteine side chains as candidates for the roles of proton acceptor and donor, respectively. To test this, we replaced each of the eight histidines and two cysteines of the vaccinia topoisomerase with alanine. Single mutants C100A and C211A and a double mutant C100A-C211A were fully active in DNA relaxation, indicating that a cysteine is not the general acid. Only one histidine mutation, H265A, affected enzyme activity. The rates of DNA relaxation, single-turnover strand cleavage, and single-turnover religation by H265A were 2 orders of magnitude lower than the wild-type rates. Yet the H265A mutation did not alter the dependence of the cleavage rate on pH, indicating that His-265 is not the general base. Replacing His-265 with glutamine or asparagine slowed DNA relaxation and single-turnover cleavage to about one-third of the wild-type rate. All three mutations, H265A, H265N, and H265Q, skewed the cleavagereligation equilibrium in favor of the covalently bound state. His-265 is strictly conserved in every member of the eukaryotic type I topoisomerase family.The eukaryotic type I DNA topoisomerase family includes the nuclear type I enzymes and the topoisomerases encoded by vaccinia and other poxviruses. These proteins relax supercoiled DNA via a common reaction mechanism, which entails noncovalent binding of the topoisomerase to duplex DNA, cleavage of one DNA strand with concomitant formation of a covalent DNA-(3Ј-phosphotyrosyl)-protein intermediate, strand passage, and strand religation (1). A shared structural basis for transesterification and strand passage is inferred from the considerable amino acid sequence conservation found by alignment of the cellular and virus-encoded enzymes (1, 2). Catalytically important residues have been identified via mutational analysis of the 314-amino acid vaccinia virus topoisomerase. Three strategies have been used: (i) random mutagenesis followed by in vivo genetic selection of mutations that adversely affect enzyme activity (3, 4); (ii) site-directed mutagenesis of specific regions of the enzyme (5-7); and (iii) targeted mutagenesis of a specific class of amino acid residues irrespective of their location within the protein. The latter approach was used to identify Tyr-274 as the active site of the vaccinia enzyme, i.e. through systematic replacement of tyrosines by phenylalanines (8).Physical mapping of the active site of yeast TOP1 to Tyr-727 (9, 10), supported by mutational analysis of the yeast, human, and vaccinia enzymes (8 -12), localizes the active site tyrosines within a common sequence element, Ser-Lys-X-X-Tyr, situated near the carboxyl ter...

Vaccinia topoisomerase forms a covalent protein-DNA intermediate at sites containing the sequence 5'-CCCTT. The T nucleotide is linked via a 3'-phosphodiester bond to Tyr-274 of the enzyme. Here, we report that the enzyme catalyzes hydrolysis of the covalent intermediate, resulting in formation of a 3'-phosphate-terminated DNA cleavage product. The hydrolysis reaction is pH-dependent (optimum pH = 9.5) and is slower, by a factor of 10(-5), than the rate of topoisomerase-catalyzed strand transfer to a 5'-OH terminated DNA acceptor strand. Mutants of vaccinia topoisomerase containing serine or threonine in lieu of the active site Tyr-274 form no detectable covalent intermediate and catalyze no detectable DNA hydrolysis. This suggests that hydrolysis occurs subsequent to formation of the covalent protein-DNA adduct and not via direct attack by water on DNA. Vaccinia topoisomerase also catalyzes glycerololysis of the covalent intermediate. The rate of glycerololysis is proportional to glycerol concentration and is optimal at pH 9.5.

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We have identified an Amsacta moorei entomopoxvirus (AmEPV) gene encoding a DNA topoisomerase. The 333-amino acid AmEPV topoisomerase displays instructive sequence similarities to the previously identified topoisomerases encoded by five genera of vertebrate poxviruses. One hundred nine amino acids are identical or conserved among the six proteins. The gene encoding AmEPV topoisomerase was expressed in bacteria and the recombinant enzyme was partially purified. AmEPV topoisomerase is a monomeric enzyme that catalyzes the relaxation of supercoiled DNA. Like the vaccinia, Shope fibroma virus, and Orf virus enzymes, the AmEPV topoisomerase forms a covalent adduct with duplex DNA at the target sequence CCCTT decreases. The kinetic and equilibrium parameters of the DNA cleavage reaction of AmEPV topoisomerase (Kobs = 0.08 sec-1; Kcl = 0.22) are similar to those of the vaccinia virus enzyme.

Vaccinia topoisomerase forms a covalent protein-DNA intermediate at 5'-CCCTT downward arrow sites in duplex DNA. The T downward arrow nucleotide is linked via a 3'-phosphodiester bond to Tyr-274 of the enzyme. Here, we report that mutant enzymes containing glutamate, cysteine or histidine in lieu of Tyr-274 catalyze endonucleolytic cleavage of a 60 bp duplex DNA at the CCCTT downward arrow site to yield a 3' phosphate-terminated product. The Cys-274 mutant forms trace levels of a covalent protein-DNA complex, suggesting that the DNA cleavage reaction may proceed through a cysteinyl-phosphate intermediate. However, the His-274 and Glu-274 mutants evince no detectable accumulation of a covalent protein-DNA adduct. Glu-274 is the most active of the mutants tested. The pH dependence of the endonuclease activity of Glu-274 (optimum pH = 6.5) is distinct from that of the wild-type enzyme in hydrolysis of the covalent adduct (optimum pH = 9.5). At pH 6.5, the Glu-274 endonuclease reaction is slower by 5-6 orders of magnitude than the rate of covalent adduct formation by the wild-type topoisomerase, but is approximately 20 times faster than the rate of hydrolysis by the wild-type covalent adduct. We discuss two potential mechanisms to account for the apparent conversion of a topoisomerase into an endonuclease.