Title
Thermus thermophilus Argonaute Functions in the Completion of DNA Replication
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology; RNA Therapeutics Institute; Department of Radiology, Division of Cell Biology and Imaging; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Publication Date
2020-09-17
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins | Bacteria | Biochemistry | Genetic Phenomena | Genetics and Genomics | Investigative Techniques
Abstract
In many eukaryotes, Argonaute proteins, guided by short RNA sequences, defend cells against transposons and viruses. In the eubacterium Thermus thermophilus, the DNA-guided Argonaute TtAgo defends against transformation by DNA plasmids. Here, we report that TtAgo also participates in DNA replication. In vivo, TtAgo binds 15- to 18-nt DNA guides derived from the chromosomal region where replication terminates and associates with proteins known to act in DNA replication. When gyrase, the sole T. thermophilus type II topoisomerase, is inhibited, TtAgo allows the bacterium to finish replicating its circular genome. In contrast, loss of gyrase and TtAgo activity slows growth and produces long sausage-like filaments in which the individual bacteria are linked by DNA. Finally, wild-type T. thermophilus outcompetes an otherwise isogenic strain lacking TtAgo. We propose that the primary role of TtAgo is to help T. thermophilus disentangle the catenated circular chromosomes generated by DNA replication.
Keywords
Argonaute, DNA replication, RNA silencing, Thermus thermophilus, TtAgo, decatenation, gyrase, pAGO, terminus of replication, topoisomerase
DOI of Published Version
10.1016/j.cell.2020.07.036
Source
Jolly SM, Gainetdinov I, Jouravleva K, Zhang H, Strittmatter L, Bailey SM, Hendricks GM, Dhabaria A, Ueberheide B, Zamore PD. Thermus thermophilus Argonaute Functions in the Completion of DNA Replication. Cell. 2020 Sep 17;182(6):1545-1559.e18. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.07.036. Epub 2020 Aug 25. PMID: 32846159; PMCID: PMC7502556. Link to article on publisher's site
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Cell
Related Resources
PubMed ID
32846159
Repository Citation
Jolly SM, I, , Zhang H, Strittmatter L, Bailey SM, Hendricks GM, Dhabaria A, Ueberheide B, Zamore PD. (2020). Thermus thermophilus Argonaute Functions in the Completion of DNA Replication. Radiology Publications. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.07.036. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/radiology_pubs/557