CDKL5 kinase controls transcription-coupled responses to DNA damage.

Mutations in the gene encoding the CDKL5 kinase are among the most common genetic causes of childhood epilepsy and can also give rise to the severe neurodevelopmental condition CDD (CDKL5 deficiency disorder). Despite its importance for human health, the phosphorylation targets and cellular roles of CDKL5 are poorly understood, especially in the cell nucleus. Here, we report that CDKL5 is recruited to sites of DNA damage in actively transcribed regions of the nucleus. A quantitative phosphoproteomic screen for nuclear CDKL5 substrates reveals a network of transcriptional regulators including Elongin A (ELOA), phosphorylated on a specific CDKL5 consensus motif. Recruitment of CDKL5 and ELOA to damaged DNA, and subsequent phosphorylation of ELOA, requires both active transcription and the synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR), to which CDKL5 can bind. Critically, CDKL5 kinase activity is essential for the transcriptional silencing of genes induced by DNA double-strand breaks. Thus, CDKL5 is a DNA damage-sensing, PAR-controlled transcriptional modulator, a finding with implications for understanding the molecular basis of CDKL5-related diseases.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Endonuclease VIII 2 (Nei2) forms a prereplicative BER complex with DnaN: Identification, characterization, and disruption of complex formation.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Nei2 (Rv3297) is a BER glycosylase that removes oxidized base lesions from ssDNA and replication fork-mimicking substrates. We show that Endonuclease VIII 2 (Nei2) forms a BER complex with the ß-clamp (DnaN, Rv0002) with a KD of 170 nM. The Nei2-ß-clamp interactions enhance Nei2's activities up to several folds. SEC analysis shows that one molecule of Nei2 binds to a single ß-clamp dimer. Nei2 interacts with subsites I and II of the ß-clamp via a noncanonical 223 QGCRRCGTLIAY239 Clamp Interacting Protein (CIP) motif in the C-terminal zinc-finger domain, which was previously shown by us to be dispensable for intrinsic Nei2 activity. The 12-mer peptide alone exhibited a KD of 10.28 nM, suggesting that the motif is a key mediator of Nei2-ß-clamp interactions. Finally, we identified inhibitors of Nei2-ß-clamp interactions using rational methods, in vitro disruption, and SPR assays after querying a database of natural products. We found that Tubulosine, Fumitremorgin C, Toyocamycin, and Aleuritic acid exhibit IC50 values of 94.47, 83.49, 109.7, and 71.49 µM, respectively. They act by disrupting Nei2-ß-clamp interactions and do not affect intrinsic Nei2 activity. Among other things, the present study gives insights into the role of Nei2 in bacterial prereplicative BER.

M. tuberculosis class II apurinic/ apyrimidinic-endonuclease/3'-5' exonuclease (XthA) engages with NAD+-dependent DNA ligase A (LigA) to counter futile cleavage and ligation cycles in base excision repair.

Class-II AP-endonuclease (XthA) and NAD+-dependent DNA ligase (LigA) are involved in initial and terminal stages of bacterial DNA base excision repair (BER), respectively. XthA acts on abasic sites of damaged DNA to create nicks with 3'OH and 5'-deoxyribose phosphate (5'-dRP) moieties. Co-immunoprecipitation using mycobacterial cell-lysate, identified MtbLigA-MtbXthA complex formation. Pull-down experiments using purified wild-type, and domain-deleted MtbLigA mutants show that LigA-XthA interactions are mediated by the BRCT-domain of LigA. Small-Angle-X-ray scattering, 15N/1H-HSQC chemical shift perturbation experiments and mutational analysis identified the BRCT-domain region that interacts with a novel 104DGQPSWSGKP113 motif on XthA for complex-formation. Isothermal-titration calorimetry experiments show that a synthetic peptide with this sequence interacts with MtbLigA and disrupts XthA-LigA interactions. In vitro assays involving DNA substrate and product analogs show that LigA can efficiently reseal 3'OH and 5'dRP DNA termini created by XthA at abasic sites. Assays and SAXS experiments performed in the presence and absence of DNA, show that XthA inhibits LigA by specifically engaging with the latter's BRCT-domain to prevent it from encircling substrate DNA. Overall, the study suggests a coordinating function for XthA whereby it engages initially with LigA to prevent the undesirable consequences of futile cleavage and ligation cycles that might derail bacterial BER.

Critical determinants for substrate recognition and catalysis in the M. tuberculosis class II AP-endonuclease/3'-5' exonuclease III.

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis AP-endonuclease/3'-5' exodeoxyribonuclease (MtbXthA) is an important player in DNA base excision repair (BER). We demonstrate that the enzyme has robust apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease activity, 3'-5' exonuclease, phosphatase, and phosphodiesterase activities. The enzyme functions as an AP-endonuclease at high ionic environments, while the 3'-5'-exonuclease activity is predominant at low ionic environments. Our molecular modelling and mutational experiments show that E57 and D251 are critical for catalysis. Although nicked DNA and gapped DNA are fair substrates of MtbXthA, the gap-size did not affect the excision activity and furthermore, a substrate with a recessed 3'-end is preferred. To understand the determinants of abasic-site recognition, we examined the possible roles of (i) the base opposite the abasic site, (ii) the abasic ribose ring itself, (iii) local distortions in the AP-site, and (iv) conserved residues located near the active site. Our experiments demonstrate that the first three determinants do not play a role in MtbXthA, and in fact the enzyme exhibits robust endonucleolytic activity against single-stranded AP DNA also. Regarding the fourth determinant, it is known that the catalytic-site of AP endonucleases is surrounded by conserved aromatic residues and intriguingly, the exact residues that are directly involved in abasic site recognition vary with the individual proteins. We therefore, used a combination of mutational analysis, kinetic assays, and structure-based modelling, to identify that Y237, supported by Y137, mediates the formation of the MtbXthA-AP-DNA complex and AP-site incision.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis class II apurinic/apyrimidinic-endonuclease/3'-5' exonuclease III exhibits DNA regulated modes of interaction with the sliding DNA ß-clamp.

The class-II AP-endonuclease (XthA) acts on abasic sites of damaged DNA in bacterial base excision repair. We identified that the sliding DNA ß-clamp forms in vivo and in vitro complexes with XthA in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A novel 239 QLRFPKK245 motif in the DNA-binding domain of XthA was found to be important for the interactions. Likewise, the peptide binding-groove (PBG) and the C-terminal of ß-clamp located on different domains interact with XthA. The ß-clamp-XthA complex can be disrupted by clamp binding peptides and also by a specific bacterial clamp inhibitor that binds at the PBG. We also identified that ß-clamp stimulates the activities of XthA primarily by increasing its affinity for the substrate and its processivity. Additionally, loading of the ß-clamp onto DNA is required for activity stimulation. A reduction in XthA activity stimulation was observed in the presence of ß-clamp binding peptides supporting that direct interactions between the proteins are necessary to cause stimulation. Finally, we found that in the absence of DNA, the PBG located on the second domain of the ß-clamp is important for interactions with XthA, while the C-terminal domain predominantly mediates functional interactions in the substrate's presence.

Tricyclic dihydrobenzoxazepine and tetracyclic indole derivatives can specifically target bacterial DNA ligases and can distinguish them from human DNA ligase I.

DNA ligases are critical components for DNA metabolism in all organisms. NAD(+)-dependent DNA ligases (LigA) found exclusively in bacteria and certain entomopoxviruses are drawing increasing attention as therapeutic targets as they differ in their cofactor requirement from ATP-dependent eukaryotic homologs. Due to the similarities in the cofactor binding sites of the two classes of DNA ligases, it is necessary to find determinants that can distinguish between them for the exploitation of LigA as an anti-bacterial target. In the present endeavour, we have synthesized and evaluated a series of tricyclic dihydrobenzoxazepine and tetracyclic indole derivatives for their ability to distinguish between bacterial and human DNA ligases. The in vivo inhibition assays that employed LigA deficient E. coli GR501 and S. typhimurium LT2 bacterial strains, rescued by ATP-dependent T4 DNA ligase or Mycobacterium tuberculosis NAD(+)-dependent DNA ligase (Mtb LigA), respectively, showed that the compounds can specifically inhibit bacterial LigA. The in vitro enzyme inhibition assays using purified MtbLigA, human DNA ligase I & T4 DNA ligase showed specific inhibition of MtbLigA at low micromolar range. Our results demonstrate that tricyclic dihydrobenzoxazepine and tetracyclic indole derivatives can distinguish between bacterial and human DNA ligases by ∼5-folds. In silico docking and enzyme inhibition assays identified that the compounds bind to the cofactor binding site and compete with the cofactor. Ethidium bromide displacement and gel-shift assays showed that the inhibitors do not exhibit any unwanted general interactions with the substrate DNA. These results set the stage for the detailed exploration of this compound class for development as antibacterials.

Regulation of futile ligation during early steps of BER in M. tuberculosis is carried out by a ß-clamp-XthA-LigA tri-component complex.

The Class-II AP-endonuclease (XthA) is a mycobacterial DNA base excision repair (BER) pathway enzyme that functions in the initial steps. It acts on DNA substrates that contain abasic sites to create nicks with 3'-hydroxyl (OH) and 5'-deoxyribose phosphate (5'-dRP) moieties. The NAD+-dependent DNA ligase (LigA) is the terminal player in mycobacterial BER and seals such nicks efficiently. Here, we demonstrate that the Mtbß-clamp-MtbXthA complex that exists in the initial steps of BER engages with MtbLigA to form a novel tri-component BER complex. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) experiments analysis show that the three proteins interact with equimolar stoichiometry. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis and associated studies reveal that the apo tri-component BER-complex adopts an extended conformation where MtbXthA is sandwiched between the Mtbß-clamp and MtbLigA. The studies support that in the apo-complex MtbXthA binds subsite-I of Mtbß-clamp through 239QLRFPKK245 motif and to MtbLigA by 104DGQPSWSGKP113 motif simultaneously. However, the complex adopts a less-extended conformation in the presence of substrate DNA, where MtbXthA interactions switch from predominantly subsite-I to subsite-II of the Mtbß-clamp. Overall, the novel tri-component complex prevents futile ligation activity of MtbLigA on the product of MtbXthA and ensures forward progression of the pathway and productive mycobacterial BER interactions.

M. tuberculosis sliding ß-clamp does not interact directly with the NAD+-dependent DNA ligase.

The sliding ß-clamp, an important component of the DNA replication and repair machinery, is drawing increasing attention as a therapeutic target. We report the crystal structure of the M. tuberculosis ß-clamp (Mtbß-clamp) to 3.0 Å resolution. The protein crystallized in the space group C222(1) with cell-dimensions a = 72.7, b = 234.9 & c = 125.1 Å respectively. Mtbß-clamp is a dimer, and exhibits head-to-tail association similar to other bacterial clamps. Each monomer folds into three domains with similar structures respectively and associates with its dimeric partner through 6 salt-bridges and about 21 polar interactions. Affinity experiments involving a blunt DNA duplex, primed-DNA and nicked DNA respectively show that Mtbß-clamp binds specifically to primed DNA about 1.8 times stronger compared to the other two substrates and with an apparent K(d) of 300 nM. In bacteria like E. coli, the ß-clamp is known to interact with subunits of the clamp loader, NAD(+)-dependent DNA ligase (LigA) and other partners. We tested the interactions of the Mtbß-clamp with MtbLigA and the γ-clamp loader subunit through radioactive gel shift assays, size exclusion chromatography, yeast-two hybrid experiments and also functionally. Intriguingly while Mtbß-clamp interacts in vitro with the γ-clamp loader, it does not interact with MtbLigA unlike in bacteria like E. coli where it does. Modeling studies involving earlier peptide complexes reveal that the peptide-binding site is largely conserved despite lower sequence identity between bacterial clamps. Overall the results suggest that other as-yet-unidentified factors may mediate interactions between the clamp, LigA and DNA in mycobacteria.