Open AccessPurification of Host Cell Enzymes Involved in Adeno-Associated Virus DNA Replication
Author(s) -
Kevin Nash,
Weijun Chen,
William F. McDonald,
Xi Zhou,
Nicholas Muzyczka
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.617
H-Index - 292
eISSN - 1070-6321
pISSN - 0022-538X
DOI - 10.1128/jvi.02651-06
Subject(s) - biology , dna polymerase delta , replication factor c , dna polymerase , dna replication , proliferating cell nuclear antigen , dna polymerase ii , eukaryotic dna replication , microbiology and biotechnology , dna clamp , control of chromosome duplication , polymerase , dna , replication protein a , dna polymerase i , s phase , dna binding protein , biochemistry , reverse transcriptase , polymerase chain reaction , gene , transcription factor
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) replicates its DNA by a modified rolling-circle mechanism that exclusively uses leading strand displacement synthesis. To identify the enzymes directly involved in AAV DNA replication, we fractionated adenovirus-infected crude extracts and tested them in an in vitro replication system that required the presence of the AAV-encoded Rep protein and the AAV origins of DNA replication, thus faithfully reproducing in vivo viral DNA replication. Fractions that contained replication factor C (RFC) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were found to be essential for reconstituting AAV DNA replication. These could be replaced by purified PCNA and RFC to retain full activity. We also found that fractions containing polymerase δ, but not polymerase ε or α, were capable of replicating AAV DNA in vitro. This was confirmed when highly purified polymerase δ complex purified from baculovirus expression clones was used. Curiously, as the components of the DNA replication system were purified, neither the cellular single-stranded DNA binding protein (RPA) nor the adenovirus-encoded DNA binding protein was found to be essential for DNA replication; both only modestly stimulated DNA synthesis on an AAV template. Also, in addition to polymerase δ, RFC, and PCNA, an as yet unidentified factor(s) is required for AAV DNA replication, which appeared to be enriched in adenovirus-infected cells. Finally, the absence of any apparent cellular DNA helicase requirement led us to develop an artificial AAV replication system in which polymerase δ, RFC, and PCNA were replaced with T4 DNA polymerase and gp32 protein. This system was capable of supporting AAV DNA replication, demonstrating that under some conditions the Rep helicase activity can function to unwind duplex DNA during strand displacement synthesis.