Evidence for direct contact between the RPA3 subunit of the human replication protein A and single-stranded DNA

Nucleic Acids Res. 2009 Jan;37(1):38-46. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkn895. Epub 2008 Nov 14.

Abstract

Replication Protein A is a single-stranded (ss) DNA-binding protein that is highly conserved in eukaryotes and plays essential roles in many aspects of nucleic acid metabolism, including replication, recombination, DNA repair and telomere maintenance. It is a heterotrimeric complex consisting of three subunits: RPA1, RPA2 and RPA3. It possesses four DNA-binding domains (DBD), DBD-A, DBD-B and DBD-C in RPA1 and DBD-D in RPA2, and it binds ssDNA via a multistep pathway. Unlike the RPA1 and RPA2 subunits, no ssDNA-RPA3 interaction has as yet been observed although RPA3 contains a structural motif found in the other DBDs. We show here using 4-thiothymine residues as photoaffinity probe that RPA3 interacts directly with ssDNA on the 3'-side on a 31 nt ssDNA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • DNA, Single-Stranded / chemistry
  • DNA, Single-Stranded / metabolism*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Oligonucleotides / chemistry
  • Oligonucleotides / metabolism
  • Oligonucleotides / radiation effects
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Subunits / chemistry
  • Protein Subunits / metabolism
  • Replication Protein A / metabolism*
  • Thymidine / analogs & derivatives
  • Thymidine / chemistry
  • Thymidine / radiation effects

Substances

  • 4-thiothymidine
  • DNA, Single-Stranded
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Oligonucleotides
  • Protein Subunits
  • RPA3 protein, human
  • Replication Protein A
  • Thymidine