Dynamics in Cre-loxP site-specific recombination.

Cre recombinase is a phage-derived enzyme that has found utility for precise manipulation of DNA sequences. Cre recognizes and recombines pairs of loxP sequences characterized by an inverted repeat and asymmetric spacer. Cre cleaves and religates its DNA targets such that error-prone repair pathways are not required to generate intact DNA products. Major obstacles to broader applications are lack of knowledge of how Cre recognizes its targets, and how its activity is controlled. The picture emerging from high resolution methods is that the dynamic properties of both the enzyme and its DNA target are important determinants of its activity in both sequence recognition and DNA cleavage. Improved understanding of the role of dynamics in the key steps along the pathway of Cre-loxP recombination should significantly advance our ability to both redirect Cre to new sequences and to control its DNA cleavage activity in the test tube and in cells.

Molecular design and evaluation of aza-polycyclic carbamoyl pyridones as HIV-1 integrase strand transfer inhibitors.

Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are the most prescribed anchor drug in antiretroviral therapy. Today, there is an increasing need for long-acting treatment of HIV-1 infection. Improving drug pharmacokinetics and anti-HIV-1 activity are key to developing more robust inhibitors suitable for long-acting formulations, but 2nd-generation INSTIs have chiral centers, making it difficult to conduct further exploration. In this study, we designed aza-tricyclic and aza-bicyclic carbamoyl pyridone scaffolds which are devoid of the problematic hemiaminal stereocenter present in dolutegravir (DTG). This scaffold hopping made it easy to introduce several substituents, and evolving structure-activity studies using these scaffolds resulted in several leads with promising properties.

Engineering spacer specificity of the Cre/loxP system.

Translational research on the Cre/loxP recombination system focuses on enhancing its specificity by modifying Cre/DNA interactions. Despite extensive efforts, the exact mechanisms governing Cre discrimination between substrates remains elusive. Cre recognizes 13 bp inverted repeats, initiating recombination in the 8 bp spacer region. While literature suggests that efficient recombination proceeds between lox sites with non-loxP spacer sequences when both lox sites have matching spacers, experimental validation for this assumption is lacking. To fill this gap, we investigated target site variations of identical pairs of the loxP 8 bp spacer region, screening 6000 unique loxP-like sequences. Approximately 84% of these sites exhibited efficient recombination, affirming the plasticity of spacer sequences for catalysis. However, certain spacers negatively impacted recombination, emphasizing sequence dependence. Directed evolution of Cre on inefficiently recombined spacers not only yielded recombinases with enhanced activity but also mutants with reprogrammed selective activity. Mutations altering spacer specificity were identified, and molecular modelling and dynamics simulations were used to investigate the possible mechanisms behind the specificity switch. Our findings highlight the potential to fine-tune site-specific recombinases for spacer sequence specificity, offering a novel concept to enhance the applied properties of designer-recombinases for genome engineering applications.

Genome expansion by a CRISPR trimmer-integrase.

CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune systems capture DNA fragments from invading mobile genetic elements and integrate them into the host genome to provide a template for RNA-guided immunity1. CRISPR systems maintain genome integrity and avoid autoimmunity by distinguishing between self and non-self, a process for which the CRISPR/Cas1-Cas2 integrase is necessary but not sufficient2-5. In some microorganisms, the Cas4 endonuclease assists CRISPR adaptation6,7, but many CRISPR-Cas systems lack Cas48. Here we show here that an elegant alternative pathway in a type I-E system uses an internal DnaQ-like exonuclease (DEDDh) to select and process DNA for integration using the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM). The natural Cas1-Cas2/exonuclease fusion (trimmer-integrase) catalyses coordinated DNA capture, trimming and integration. Five cryo-electron microscopy structures of the CRISPR trimmer-integrase, visualized both before and during DNA integration, show how asymmetric processing generates size-defined, PAM-containing substrates. Before genome integration, the PAM sequence is released by Cas1 and cleaved by the exonuclease, marking inserted DNA as self and preventing aberrant CRISPR targeting of the host. Together, these data support a model in which CRISPR systems lacking Cas4 use fused or recruited9,10 exonucleases for faithful acquisition of new CRISPR immune sequences.

Molecular determinants for Rous sarcoma virus intasome assemblies involved in retroviral integration.

Integration of retroviral DNA into the host genome involves the formation of integrase (IN)-DNA complexes termed intasomes. Further characterization of these complexes is needed to understand their assembly process. Here, we report the single-particle cryo-EM structure of the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) strand transfer complex (STC) intasome produced with IN and a preassembled viral/target DNA substrate at 3.36 Å resolution. The conserved intasome core region consisting of IN subunits contributing active sites interacting with viral/target DNA has a resolution of 3 Å. Our structure demonstrated the flexibility of the distal IN subunits relative to the IN subunits in the conserved intasome core, similar to results previously shown with the RSV octameric cleaved synaptic complex intasome produced with IN and viral DNA only. An extensive analysis of higher resolution STC structure helped in the identification of nucleoprotein interactions important for intasome assembly. Using structure-function studies, we determined the mechanisms of several IN-DNA interactions critical for assembly of both RSV intasomes. We determined the role of IN residues R244, Y246, and S124 in cleaved synaptic complex and STC intasome assemblies and their catalytic activities, demonstrating differential effects. Taken together, these studies advance our understanding of different RSV intasome structures and molecular determinants involved in their assembly.

Regulation of Escherichia coli fim gene transcription by GadE and other acid tolerance gene products.

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) cause millions of urinary tract infections each year in the United States. Type 1 pili are important for adherence of UPEC to uroepithelial cells in the human and murine urinary tracts where osmolality and pH vary. Previous work has shown that an acidic pH adversely affects the expression of type 1 pili. To determine if acid tolerance gene products may be regulating E. coli fim gene expression, a bank of K-12 strain acid tolerance gene mutants were screened using fimA-lux, fimB-lux, and fimE-lux fusions on single copy number plasmids. We have determined that a mutation in gadE increased transcription of all three fim genes, suggesting that GadE may be acting as a repressor in a low pH environment. Complementation of the gadE mutation restored fim gene transcription to wild-type levels. Moreover, mutations in gadX, gadW, crp, and cya also affected transcription of the three fim genes. To verify the role GadE plays in type 1 pilus expression, the NU149 gadE UPEC strain was tested. The gadE mutant had higher fimE gene transcript levels, a higher frequency of Phase-OFF positioning of fimS, and hemagglutination titres that were lower in strain NU149 gadE cultured in low pH medium as compared to the wild-type bacteria. The data demonstrate that UPEC fim genes are regulated directly or indirectly by the GadE protein and this could have some future bearing on the ability to prevent urinary tract infections by acidifying the urine and shutting off fim gene expression.

Nearest-Neighbor Effects Modulate loxP Spacer DNA Chemical Shifts and Guide Oligonucleotide Design for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies.

The Cre-loxP gene editing tool enables site-specific editing of DNA without leaving lesions that must be repaired by error-prone cellular processes. Cre recombines two 34-bp loxP DNA sites that feature a pair of palindromic recombinase-binding elements flanking an asymmetric 8-bp spacer region, via assembly of a tetrameric intasome complex and formation of a Holliday junction intermediate. Recombination proceeds by coordinated nucleophilic attack by pairs of catalytic tyrosine residues on specific phosphodiester bonds in the spacer regions of opposing strands. Despite not making base-specific contacts with the asymmetric spacer region of the DNA, Cre exhibits a preference for initial cleavage on one of the strands, suggesting that intrinsic properties of the uncontacted 8-bp spacer region give rise to this preference. Furthermore, little is known about the structural and dynamic features of the loxP spacer that make it a suitable target for Cre. To enable NMR spectroscopic studies of the spacer, we have aimed to identify a fragment of the 34-bp loxP site that retains the structural features of the spacer while minimizing the spectral crowding and line-broadening seen in longer oligonucleotides. Sequence-specific chemical shift differences between spacer oligos of different lengths, and of a mutant that inverts strand cleavage order, reveal how both nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor effects dominate the chemical environment experienced by the spacer. We have identified a 16-bp oligonucleotide that preserves the structural environment of the spacer, setting the stage for NMR-based structure determination and dynamics investigations.

Structure and function of retroviral integrase.

A hallmark of retroviral replication is establishment of the proviral state, wherein a DNA copy of the viral RNA genome is stably incorporated into a host cell chromosome. Integrase is the viral enzyme responsible for the catalytic steps involved in this process, and integrase strand transfer inhibitors are widely used to treat people living with HIV. Over the past decade, a series of X-ray crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy studies have revealed the structural basis of retroviral DNA integration. A variable number of integrase molecules congregate on viral DNA ends to assemble a conserved intasome core machine that facilitates integration. The structures additionally informed on the modes of integrase inhibitor action and the means by which HIV acquires drug resistance. Recent years have witnessed the development of allosteric integrase inhibitors, a highly promising class of small molecules that antagonize viral morphogenesis. In this Review, we explore recent insights into the organization and mechanism of the retroviral integration machinery and highlight open questions as well as new directions in the field.

Prototype Foamy Virus Integrase Displays Unique Biochemical Activities among Retroviral Integrases.

Integrases of different retroviruses assemble as functional complexes with varying multimers of the protein. Retroviral integrases require a divalent metal cation to perform one-step transesterification catalysis. Tetrameric prototype foamy virus (PFV) intasomes assembled from purified integrase and viral DNA oligonucleotides were characterized for their activity in the presence of different cations. While most retroviral integrases are inactive in calcium, PFV intasomes appear to be uniquely capable of catalysis in calcium. The PFV intasomes also contrast with other retroviral integrases by displaying an inverse correlation of activity with increasing manganese beginning at relatively low concentrations. The intasomes were found to be significantly more active in the presence of chloride co-ions compared to acetate. While HIV-1 integrase appears to commit to a target DNA within 20 s, PFV intasomes do not commit to target DNA during their reaction lifetime. Together, these data highlight the unique biochemical activities of PFV integrase compared to other retroviral integrases.

Ty1 integrase is composed of an active N-terminal domain and a large disordered C-terminal module dispensable for its activity in vitro.

Long-terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons are genetic elements that, like retroviruses, replicate by reverse transcription of an RNA intermediate into a complementary DNA (cDNA) that is next integrated into the host genome by their own integrase. The Ty1 LTR retrotransposon has proven to be a reliable working model to investigate retroelement integration site preference. However, the low yield of recombinant Ty1 integrase production reported so far has been a major obstacle for structural studies. Here we analyze the biophysical and biochemical properties of a stable and functional recombinant Ty1 integrase highly expressed in E.coli. The recombinant protein is monomeric and has an elongated shape harboring the three-domain structure common to all retroviral integrases at the N-terminal half, an extra folded region, and a large intrinsically disordered region at the C-terminal half. Recombinant Ty1 integrase efficiently catalyzes concerted integration in vitro, and the N-terminal domain displays similar activity. These studies that will facilitate structural analyses may allow elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing Ty1 specific integration into safe places in the genome.

Control of the Serine Integrase Reaction: Roles of the Coiled-Coil and Helix E Regions in DNA Site Synapsis and Recombination.

Bacteriophage serine integrases catalyze highly specific recombination reactions between defined DNA segments called att sites. These reactions are reversible depending upon the presence of a second phage-encoded directionality factor. The bipartite C-terminal DNA-binding region of integrases includes a recombinase domain (RD) connected to a zinc-binding domain (ZD), which contains a long flexible coiled-coil (CC) motif that extends away from the bound DNA. We directly show that the identities of the phage A118 integrase att sites are specified by the DNA spacing between the RD and ZD DNA recognition determinants, which in turn directs the relative trajectories of the CC motifs on each subunit of the att-bound integrase dimer. Recombination between compatible dimer-bound att sites requires minimal-length CC motifs and 14 residues surrounding the tip where the pairing of CC motifs between synapsing dimers occurs. Our alanine-scanning data suggest that molecular interactions between CC motif tips may differ in integrative (attP × attB) and excisive (attL × attR) recombination reactions. We identify mutations in 5 residues within the integrase oligomerization helix that control the remodeling of dimers into tetramers during synaptic complex formation. Whereas most of these gain-of-function mutants still require the CC motifs for synapsis, one mutant efficiently, but indiscriminately, forms synaptic complexes without the CC motifs. However, the CC motifs are still required for recombination, suggesting a function for the CC motifs after the initial assembly of the integrase synaptic tetramer. IMPORTANCE The robust and exquisitely regulated site-specific recombination reactions promoted by serine integrases are integral to the life cycle of temperate bacteriophage and, in the case of the A118 prophage, are an important virulence factor of Listeria monocytogenes. The properties of these recombinases have led to their repurposing into tools for genetic engineering and synthetic biology. In this report, we identify determinants regulating synaptic complex formation between correct DNA sites, including the DNA architecture responsible for specifying the identity of recombination sites, features of the unique coiled-coil structure on the integrase that are required to initiate synapsis, and amino acid residues on the integrase oligomerization helix that control the remodeling of synapsing dimers into a tetramer active for DNA strand exchange.

Structural coordination between active sites of a CRISPR reverse transcriptase-integrase complex.

CRISPR-Cas systems provide adaptive immunity in bacteria and archaea, beginning with integration of foreign sequences into the host CRISPR genomic locus and followed by transcription and maturation of CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs). In some CRISPR systems, a reverse transcriptase (RT) fusion to the Cas1 integrase and Cas6 maturase creates a single protein that enables concerted sequence integration and crRNA production. To elucidate how the RT-integrase organizes distinct enzymatic activities, we present the cryo-EM structure of a Cas6-RT-Cas1-Cas2 CRISPR integrase complex. The structure reveals a heterohexamer in which the RT directly contacts the integrase and maturase domains, suggesting functional coordination between all three active sites. Together with biochemical experiments, our data support a model of sequential enzymatic activities that enable CRISPR sequence acquisition from RNA and DNA substrates. These findings highlight an expanded capacity of some CRISPR systems to acquire diverse sequences that direct CRISPR-mediated interference.

Integrase-derived peptides together with CD24-targeted lentiviral particles inhibit the growth of CD24 expressing cancer cells.

The integration of viral DNA into the host genome is mediated by viral integrase, resulting in the accumulation of double-strand breaks. Integrase-derived peptides (INS and INR) increase the number of integration events, leading to escalated genomic instability that induces apoptosis. CD24 is a surface protein expressed mostly in cancer cells and is very rarely found in normal cells. Here, we propose a novel targeted cancer therapeutic platform based on the lentiviral integrase, stimulated by integrase-derived peptides, that are specifically delivered to cancerous cells via CD24 antigen-antibody targeting. INS and INR were synthesized and humanized and anti-CD24 antibodies were fused to the lentivirus envelope. The activity, permeability, stability, solubility, and toxicity of these components were analyzed. Cell death was measured by fluorescent microscopy and enzymatic assays and potency were tested in vitro and in vivo. Lentivirus particles, containing non-functional DNA led to massive cell death (40-70%). Raltegravir, an antiretroviral drug, inhibited the induction of apoptosis. In vivo, single and repeated administrations of INS/INR were well tolerated without any adverse effects. Tumor development in nude mice was significantly inhibited (by 50%) as compared to the vehicle arm. In summary, a novel and generic therapeutic platform for selective cancer cell eradication with excellent efficacy and safety are presented.

Measurement of large serine integrase enzymatic characteristics in HEK293 cells reveals variability and influence on downstream reporter expression.

Large serine integrases (LSIs) offer tremendous potential for rapid genetic engineering as well as building biological systems capable of responding to stimuli and integrating information. Currently, there is no unified metric for directly measuring the enzymatic characteristics of LSI function, which hinders evaluation of their suitability to specific applications. Here, we present an experimental protocol for recording DNA recombination in HEK293 cells in real-time through fluorophore expression and software which fits the kinetic data to a model tailored to LSI recombination dynamics. Our model captures the activity of LSIs as three parameters: expression level (Kexp ), catalytic rate (kcat ), and substrate affinity (Kd ). The expression level and catalytic rate for phiC31 and Bxb1 varied greatly, suggesting disparate routes to high recombination efficiencies. Moreover, the expression level and substrate affinity jointly impacted downstream reporter expression, potentially by obstructing transcriptional machinery. We validated these observations by swapping between promoters and mutating key recombinase residues and DNA recognition sites to individually modulate each parameter. Our model for identifying key LSI parameters in cellulo provides insight into selecting the optimal recombinase for various applications as well as for guiding the engineering of improved LSIs.

A common binding motif in the ET domain of BRD3 forms polymorphic structural interfaces with host and viral proteins.

The extraterminal (ET) domain of BRD3 is conserved among BET proteins (BRD2, BRD3, BRD4), interacting with multiple host and viral protein-protein networks. Solution NMR structures of complexes formed between the BRD3 ET domain and either the 79-residue murine leukemia virus integrase (IN) C-terminal domain (IN329-408) or its 22-residue IN tail peptide (IN386-407) alone reveal similar intermolecular three-stranded ß-sheet formations. 15N relaxation studies reveal a 10-residue linker region (IN379-388) tethering the SH3 domain (IN329-378) to the ET-binding motif (IN389-405):ET complex. This linker has restricted flexibility, affecting its potential range of orientations in the IN:nucleosome complex. The complex of the ET-binding peptide of the host NSD3 protein (NSD3148-184) and the BRD3 ET domain includes a similar three-stranded ß-sheet interaction, but the orientation of the ß hairpin is flipped compared with the two IN:ET complexes. These studies expand our understanding of molecular recognition polymorphism in complexes of ET-binding motifs with viral and host proteins.

The dimerisable Cre recombinase allows conditional genome editing in the mosquito stages of Plasmodium berghei.

Asexual blood stages of the malaria parasite are readily amenable to genetic modification via homologous recombination, allowing functional studies of parasite genes that are not essential in this part of the life cycle. However, conventional reverse genetics cannot be applied for the functional analysis of genes that are essential during asexual blood-stage replication. Various strategies have been developed for conditional mutagenesis of Plasmodium, including recombinase-based gene deletion, regulatable promoters, and mRNA or protein destabilization systems. Among these, the dimerisable Cre (DiCre) recombinase system has emerged as a powerful approach for conditional gene deletion in P. falciparum. In this system, the bacteriophage Cre is expressed in the form of two separate, enzymatically inactive polypeptides, each fused to a different rapamycin-binding protein. Rapamycin-induced heterodimerization of the two components restores recombinase activity. We have implemented the DiCre system in the rodent malaria parasite P. berghei, and show that rapamycin-induced excision of floxed DNA sequences can be achieved with very high efficiency in both mammalian and mosquito parasite stages. This tool can be used to investigate the function of essential genes not only in asexual blood stages, but also in other parts of the malaria parasite life cycle.

DNA binding induces a cis-to-trans switch in Cre recombinase to enable intasome assembly.

Mechanistic understanding of DNA recombination in the Cre-loxP system has largely been guided by crystallographic structures of tetrameric synaptic complexes. Those studies have suggested a role for protein conformational dynamics that has not been well characterized at the atomic level. We used solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to discover the link between intrinsic flexibility and function in Cre recombinase. Transverse relaxation-optimized spectroscopy (TROSY) NMR spectra show the N-terminal and C-terminal catalytic domains (CreNTD and CreCat) to be structurally independent. Amide 15N relaxation measurements of the CreCat domain reveal fast-timescale dynamics in most regions that exhibit conformational differences in active and inactive Cre protomers in crystallographic tetramers. However, the C-terminal helix αN, implicated in assembly of synaptic complexes and regulation of DNA cleavage activity via trans protein-protein interactions, is unexpectedly rigid in free Cre. Chemical shift perturbations and intra- and intermolecular paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) NMR data reveal an alternative autoinhibitory conformation for the αN region of free Cre, wherein it packs in cis over the protein DNA binding surface and active site. Moreover, binding to loxP DNA induces a conformational change that dislodges the C terminus, resulting in a cis-to-trans switch that is likely to enable protein-protein interactions required for assembly of recombinogenic Cre intasomes. These findings necessitate a reexamination of the mechanisms by which this widely utilized gene-editing tool selects target sites, avoids spurious DNA cleavage activity, and controls DNA recombination efficiency.

Nearest-neighbor amino acids of specificity-determining residues influence the activity of engineered Cre-type recombinases.

The tyrosine-type site-specific DNA recombinase Cre recombines its target site, loxP, with high activity and specificity without cross-recombining the target sites of highly related recombinases. Understanding how Cre achieves this precision is key to be able to rationally engineer site-specific recombinases (SSRs) for genome editing applications. Previous work has revealed key residues for target site selectivity in the Cre/loxP and the related Dre/rox recombinase systems. However, enzymes in which these residues were changed to the respective counterpart only showed weak activity on the foreign target site. Here, we use molecular modeling and dynamics simulation techniques to comprehensively explore the mechanisms by which these residues determine target recognition in the context of their flanking regions in the protein-DNA interface, and we establish a structure-based rationale for the design of improved recombination activities. Our theoretical models reveal that nearest-neighbors to the specificity-determining residues are important players for enhancing SSR activity on the foreign target site. Based on the established rationale, we design new Cre variants with improved rox recombination activities, which we validate experimentally. Our work provides new insights into the target recognition mechanisms of Cre-like recombinases and represents an important step towards the rational design of SSRs for applied genome engineering.

Foamy Virus Integrase in Development of Viral Vector for Gene Therapy.

Due to the broad host suitability of viral vectors and their high gene delivery capacity, many researchers are focusing on viral vector-mediated gene therapy. Among the retroviruses, foamy viruses have been considered potential gene therapy vectors because of their non-pathogenicity. To date, the prototype foamy virus is the only retrovirus that has a high-resolution structure of intasomes, nucleoprotein complexes formed by integrase, and viral DNA. The integration of viral DNA into the host chromosome is an essential step for viral vector development. This process is mediated by virally encoded integrase, which catalyzes unique chemical reactions. Additionally, recent studies on foamy virus integrase elucidated the catalytic functions of its three distinct domains and their effect on viral pathogenicity. This review focuses on recent advancements in biochemical, structural, and functional studies of foamy virus integrase for gene therapy vector research.

A bipartite thermodynamic-kinetic contribution by an activating mutation to RDF-independent excision by a phage serine integrase.

Streptomyces phage ϕC31 integrase (Int)-a large serine site-specific recombinase-is autonomous for phage integration (attP x attB recombination) but is dependent on the phage coded gp3, a recombination directionality factor (RDF), for prophage excision (attL x attR recombination). A previously described activating mutation, E449K, induces Int to perform attL x attR recombination in the absence of gp3, albeit with lower efficiency. E449K has no adverse effect on the competence of Int for attP x attB recombination. Int(E449K) resembles Int in gp3 mediated stimulation of attL x attR recombination and inhibition of attP x attB recombination. Using single-molecule analyses, we examined the mechanism by which E449K activates Int for gp3-independent attL x attR recombination. The contribution of E449K is both thermodynamic and kinetic. First, the mutation modulates the relative abundance of Int bound attL-attR site complexes, favoring pre-synaptic (PS) complexes over non-productively bound complexes. Roughly half of the synaptic complexes formed from Int(E449K) pre-synaptic complexes are recombination competent. By contrast, Int yields only inactive synapses. Second, E449K accelerates the dissociation of non-productively bound complexes and inactive synaptic complexes formed by Int. The extra opportunities afforded to Int(E499K) in reattempting synapse formation enhances the probability of success at fruitful synapsis.