Mechanism of genome instability mediated by human DNA polymerase mu misincorporation

Nat Commun. 2021 Jun 18;12(1):3759. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-24096-7.

Abstract

Pol μ is capable of performing gap-filling repair synthesis in the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway. Together with DNA ligase, misincorporation of dGTP opposite the templating T by Pol μ results in a promutagenic T:G mispair, leading to genomic instability. Here, crystal structures and kinetics of Pol μ substituting dGTP for dATP on gapped DNA substrates containing templating T were determined and compared. Pol μ is highly mutagenic on a 2-nt gapped DNA substrate, with T:dGTP base pairing at the 3' end of the gap. Two residues (Lys438 and Gln441) interact with T:dGTP and fine tune the active site microenvironments. The in-crystal misincorporation reaction of Pol μ revealed an unexpected second dGTP in the active site, suggesting its potential mutagenic role among human X family polymerases in NHEJ.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Pair Mismatch / genetics*
  • Base Pairing / genetics
  • DNA / chemistry
  • DNA Damage / genetics*
  • DNA End-Joining Repair / genetics*
  • DNA Ligases / metabolism
  • DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / genetics
  • DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / metabolism*
  • Genomic Instability / genetics*
  • Guanosine Triphosphate / chemistry
  • Humans

Substances

  • Guanosine Triphosphate
  • DNA
  • DNA polymerase mu
  • DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase
  • DNA Ligases