Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III tau- and gamma-subunit conserved residues required for activity in vivo and in vitro

The Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III tau and gamma subunits are single-s trand DNA-dependent ATPases (the latter requires the delta and delta' subun its for significant ATPase activity) involved in loading processivity clamp beta. They are homologous to clamp-loading proteins of many organisms from phages to humans. Alignment of 27 prokaryotic tau/gamma homologs and 1 euk aryotic tau/gamma homolog has refined the sequences of nine previously defi ned identity and functional motifs. Mutational analysis has defined highly conserved residues required for activity in vivo and in vitro. Specifically , mutations introduced into highly conserved residues within three of those motifs, the P loop, the DExx region, and the SRC region, inactivated compl ementing activity in vivo and clamp loading in vitro and reduced ATPase cat alytic efficiency in vitro. Mutation of a highly conserved residue within a fourth motif, VIc, inactivated clamp-loading activity and reduced ATPase a ctivity in vitro, but the mutant gene, on a multicopy plasmid, retained com plementing activity in vivo and the mutant gene also supported apparently n ormal replication and growth as a haploid, chromosomal allele.