Mutations at the Subunit Interface of Yeast Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen Reveal a Versatile Regulatory Domain

PLoS One. 2016 Aug 18;11(8):e0161307. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161307. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) plays a key role in many cellular processes and due to that it interacts with a plethora of proteins. The main interacting surfaces of Saccharomyces cerevisiae PCNA have been mapped to the interdomain connecting loop and to the carboxy-terminal domain. Here we report that the subunit interface of yeast PCNA also has regulatory roles in the function of several DNA damage response pathways. Using site-directed mutagenesis we engineered mutations at both sides of the interface and investigated the effect of these alleles on DNA damage response. Genetic experiments with strains bearing the mutant alleles revealed that mutagenic translesion synthesis, nucleotide excision repair, and homologous recombination are all regulated through residues at the subunit interface. Moreover, genetic characterization of one of our mutants identifies a new sub-branch of nucleotide excision repair. Based on these results we conclude that residues at the subunit boundary of PCNA are not only important for the formation of the trimer structure of PCNA, but they constitute a regulatory protein domain that mediates different DNA damage response pathways, as well.

MeSH terms

  • DNA Damage / genetics
  • DNA Damage / physiology
  • DNA Repair / genetics
  • DNA Repair / physiology
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Mutation / physiology
  • Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / genetics*
  • Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / physiology
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / growth & development
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / physiology
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / physiology
  • Transcription, Genetic / genetics
  • Transcription, Genetic / physiology

Substances

  • POL30 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Hungarian Science Foundation Grant OTKA 109521 and National Research Development and Innovation Office GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00001. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.