DNA ligase 1 is an
enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''LIG1''
gene
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...
. DNA ligase I is the only known eukaryotic DNA ligase involved in both DNA replication and repair, making it the most studied of the
ligases.
Discovery
It was known that DNA replication occurred through the breakage of the double DNA strand, but the enzyme responsible for ligating the strands back together, and mechanism of action, was unknown until Lehman, Gellert, Richardson, and Hurwitz laboratories, made significant contributions to the discovery of DNA ligase in 1967.
Recruitment and regulation
The LIG1 gene encodes a, 120kDa enzyme, 919
residue
Residue may refer to:
Chemistry and biology
* An amino acid, within a peptide chain
* Crop residue, materials left after agricultural processes
* Pesticide residue, refers to the pesticides that may remain on or in food after they are applied ...
s long, known as DNA ligase I. The DNA ligase I polypeptide contains an
N-terminal
The N-terminus (also known as the amino-terminus, NH2-terminus, N-terminal end or amine-terminus) is the start of a protein or polypeptide, referring to the free amine group (-NH2) located at the end of a polypeptide. Within a peptide, the ami ...
replication factory-targeting sequence (RFTS), followed by a
nuclear localization sequence A nuclear localization signal ''or'' sequence (NLS) is an amino acid sequence that 'tags' a protein for import into the cell nucleus by nuclear transport. Typically, this signal consists of one or more short sequences of positively charged lysines o ...
(NLS), and three functional domains.
The three domains consist of an N-terminal
DNA binding domain
A DNA-binding domain (DBD) is an independently folded protein domain that contains at least one structural motif that recognizes double- or single-stranded DNA. A DBD can recognize a specific DNA sequence (a recognition sequence) or have a genera ...
(DBD), and catalytic
nucleotidyltransferase (NTase), and
C-terminal oligonucleotide /
oligosaccharide
An oligosaccharide (/ˌɑlɪgoʊˈsækəˌɹaɪd/; from the Greek ὀλίγος ''olígos'', "a few", and σάκχαρ ''sácchar'', "sugar") is a saccharide polymer containing a small number (typically two to ten) of monosaccharides (simple sugar ...
binding (OB) domains. Although the N-terminus of the peptide has no catalytic activity it is needed for activity within the cells. The N-terminus of the protein contains a replication factory-targeting sequence that is used to recruit it to sites of DNA replication known as replication factories.
Activation and recruitment of DNA ligase I seem to be associated with posttranslational modifications. N-terminal domain is completed through
phosphorylation
In chemistry, phosphorylation is the attachment of a phosphate group to a molecule or an ion. This process and its inverse, dephosphorylation, are common in biology and could be driven by natural selection. Text was copied from this source, wh ...
of four
serine
Serine (symbol Ser or S) is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. It contains an α-amino group (which is in the protonated − form under biological conditions), a carboxyl group (which is in the deprotonated − form un ...
residues on this domain, Ser51, Ser76, and Ser91 by
cyclin-dependent kinase
Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are the families of protein kinases first discovered for their role in regulating the cell cycle. They are also involved in regulating transcription, mRNA processing, and the differentiation of nerve cells. They a ...
(CDK) and Ser66 by
casein kinase II (CKII). Phosphorylation of these residues (Ser66 in particular) has been shown to possibly regulate the interaction between the RFTS to the
proliferating cell nuclear antigen
Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a DNA clamp that acts as a processivity factor for DNA polymerase δ in eukaryotic cells and is essential for replication. PCNA is a homotrimer and achieves its processivity by encircling the DNA, whe ...
(PCNA) when ligase I is recruited to the replication factories during
S-phase.
Rossi et al. proposed that when Ser66 is dephosphorylated, the RFTS of ligase I interact with PCNA, which was confirmed in vitro by Tom et al. Both data sets provide plausible evidence the N-terminal region of ligase I plays a regulatory role in the enzymes in vivo function in the nucleus.
Moreover, the identification of a cyclin binding (Cy) motif in the catalytic C-terminus domain was shown by mutational analysis to play a role in the phosphorylation of serines 91 and 76. Together, the N-terminal serines are substrates of the CDK and CKII, which appear to play an important regulatory role DNA ligase I recruitment to the replication factory during S-phase of the
cell cycle
The cell cycle, or cell-division cycle, is the series of events that take place in a cell that cause it to divide into two daughter cells. These events include the duplication of its DNA (DNA replication) and some of its organelles, and subs ...
.
Function and mechanism
LIG1 encodes DNA ligase I, which functions in
DNA replication and the
base excision repair
Base excision repair (BER) is a cellular mechanism, studied in the fields of biochemistry and genetics, that repairs damaged DNA throughout the cell cycle. It is responsible primarily for removing small, non-helix-distorting base lesions from t ...
process.
Eukaryotic DNA ligase 1 catalyzes a reaction that is chemically universal to all ligases. DNA ligase 1 utilizes
adenosine triphosphate
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an organic compound that provides energy to drive many processes in living cells, such as muscle contraction, nerve impulse propagation, condensate dissolution, and chemical synthesis. Found in all known forms of ...
(ATP) to catalyze the energetically favorable ligation events in both
DNA replication
In molecular biology, DNA replication is the biological process of producing two identical replicas of DNA from one original DNA molecule. DNA replication occurs in all living organisms acting as the most essential part for biological inheritanc ...
and
repair. During the
synthesis phase
S phase (Synthesis Phase) is the phase of the cell cycle in which DNA is replicated, occurring between G1 phase and G2 phase. Since accurate duplication of the genome is critical to successful cell division, the processes that occur during ...
(S-phase) of the eukaryotic
cell cycle
The cell cycle, or cell-division cycle, is the series of events that take place in a cell that cause it to divide into two daughter cells. These events include the duplication of its DNA (DNA replication) and some of its organelles, and subs ...
, DNA replication occurs. DNA ligase 1 is responsible for joining
Okazaki fragments formed during discontinuous DNA synthesis on the DNA's lagging strand after
DNA polymerase δ
A DNA polymerase is a member of a family of enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of DNA molecules from nucleoside triphosphates, the molecular precursors of DNA. These enzymes are essential for DNA replication and usually work in groups to create ...
has replaced the RNA primer nucleotides with DNA nucleotides. If the Okazaki fragments are not properly ligated together, the unligated DNA (containing a ‘nick’) could easily degrade to a
double strand break
DNA repair is a collection of processes by which a cell (biology), cell identifies and corrects damage to the DNA molecules that encode its genome. In human cells, both normal metabolism, metabolic activities and environmental factors such as r ...
, a phenomenon known to cause genetic mutations. In order to ligate these fragments together, the ligase progresses through three steps:
# Addition of an
adenosine monophosphate (AMP) group to the enzyme, referred to as adenylylation,
# Adenosine monophosphate transfer to the DNA and
# Nick sealing, or phosphodiester bond formation.
![Ligase nick repair mecanism](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Ligase_nick_repair_mecanism.jpg)
During
adenylylation, there is a
nucleophilic attack
In chemistry, a nucleophile is a chemical species that forms bonds by donating an electron pair. All molecules and ions with a free pair of electrons or at least one pi bond can act as nucleophiles. Because nucleophiles donate electrons, they are ...
on the alpha phosphate of ATP from a catalytic
lysine
Lysine (symbol Lys or K) is an α-amino acid that is a precursor to many proteins. It contains an α-amino group (which is in the protonated form under biological conditions), an α-carboxylic acid group (which is in the deprotonated −C ...
resulting in the production of inorganic
pyrophosphate (PPi) and a covalently bound lysine-AMP intermediate in the active site of DNA ligase 1.
During the AMP transfer step, the DNA ligase becomes associated with the DNA, locates a nick and catalyzes a reaction at the 5’ phosphate site of the DNA nick. An anionic oxygen on the 5’ phosphate of the DNA nick serves as the nucleophile, attacking the alpha phosphate of the covalently bound AMP causing the AMP to be covalently bound intermediate (DNA-AMP intermediate).
In order for the phosphodiester bond to be formed, the DNA-AMP intermediate must be cleaved off. To accomplish this task, there is a nucleophilic attack on the 5’-phosphate from the upstream 3’-hydroxyl which results in the formation of the phosphodiester bond. During this nucleophilic attack, the AMP group is pushed off the 5’ phosphate as the leaving group allowing for the nick to seal and the AMP to be released, completing one cycle of DNA ligation.
Under suboptimal conditions the ligase can disassociate from the DNA before the full reaction is complete. It has been shown that
magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...
levels can slow the nick sealing process, causing the ligase to disassociate from the DNA, leaving an aborted adenylylated intermediate incapable of being fixed without the aid of a
phosphodiesterase
A phosphodiesterase (PDE) is an enzyme that breaks a phosphodiester bond. Usually, ''phosphodiesterase'' refers to cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases, which have great clinical significance and are described below. However, there are many oth ...
.
Aprataxin (a phosphodiesterase) has been shown to act on aborted DNA intermediates via hydrolysis of the AMP-phosphate bond, restoring the DNA to its initial state before the ligase had reacted.
Role in damaged base repair
![BER basic pathway](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/BER_basic_pathway.svg)
DNA ligase I functions to ligate single stranded DNA breaks in the final step of the
base excision repair
Base excision repair (BER) is a cellular mechanism, studied in the fields of biochemistry and genetics, that repairs damaged DNA throughout the cell cycle. It is responsible primarily for removing small, non-helix-distorting base lesions from t ...
(BER) pathway.
The nitrogenous bases of DNA are commonly damaged by environmental hazards such as
reactive oxygen species, toxins, and
ionizing radiation
Ionizing radiation (or ionising radiation), including nuclear radiation, consists of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that have sufficient energy to ionize atoms or molecules by detaching electrons from them. Some particles can travel ...
. BER is the major repair pathway responsible for excising and replacing damaged bases. Ligase I is involved in the LP-BER pathway, whereas
ligase III is involved in the major SN-BER pathway(2).
LP-BER proceeds in 4 catalytic steps. First, a
DNA glycosylase cleaves the
N-glycosidic bond
A glycosidic bond or glycosidic linkage is a type of covalent bond that joins a carbohydrate (sugar) molecule to another group, which may or may not be another carbohydrate.
A glycosidic bond is formed between the hemiacetal or hemiketal group ...
, releasing the damaged base and creating an AP site– a site that lacks a
purine
Purine is a heterocyclic compound, heterocyclic aromatic organic compound that consists of two rings (pyrimidine and imidazole) fused together. It is water-soluble. Purine also gives its name to the wider class of molecules, purines, which includ ...
or
pyrimidine
Pyrimidine (; ) is an aromatic, heterocyclic, organic compound similar to pyridine (). One of the three diazines (six-membered heterocyclics with two nitrogen atoms in the ring), it has nitrogen atoms at positions 1 and 3 in the ring. The other ...
base. In the next step, an AP endonuclease creates a nick at the 5' end of the AP site, generating a hanging
deoxyribose phosphate (dRP) residue in place of the AP site.
DNA polymerase
A DNA polymerase is a member of a family of enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of DNA molecules from nucleoside triphosphates, the molecular precursors of DNA. These enzymes are essential for DNA replication and usually work in groups to create ...
then synthesizes several new bases in the 5' to 3' direction, generating a hanging stretch of DNA with the dRP at its 5' end. It is at this step that SN-BER and LP-BER diverge in mechanism – in SNBER, only a single nucleotide is added and DNA Polymerase acts as a lyase to excise the AP site. In LP-BER, several bases are synthesized, generating a hanging flap of DNA, which is cleaved by a
flap endonuclease Flap endonucleases (FENs, also known as 5' durgs in older references) are a class of nucleolytic enzymes that act as both 5'-3' exonucleases and structure-specific endonucleases on specialised DNA structures that occur during the biological proc ...
. This leaves behind a nicked DNA strand that is sensed and ligated by DNA ligase.
The action of ligase I is stimulated by other LP-BER enzymes, particularly AP-endonuclease and DNA polymerase.
Clinical significance
Mutations in LIG1 that lead to DNA ligase I deficiency result in
immunodeficiency
Immunodeficiency, also known as immunocompromisation, is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious diseases and cancer is compromised or entirely absent. Most cases are acquired ("secondary") due to extrinsic factors that a ...
and increased sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents.
There are rare reports of patients exhibiting ligase I deficiency which resulted from inherited mutant alleles. The first case manifested as stunted growth and development and an immunodeficiency. A mouse model was made based on cell lines derived from the patient, confirming that the mutant ligase confers replication errors leading to
genomic instability. Notably the mutant mice also showed increases in
tumorigenesis
Carcinogenesis, also called oncogenesis or tumorigenesis, is the formation of a cancer, whereby normal cells are transformed into cancer cells. The process is characterized by changes at the cellular, genetic, and epigenetic levels and abno ...
.
Molecular, cellular, and clinical features of 5 patients from 3 kindreds with biallelic mutations were reported. The patients exhibited hypogammaglobulinemia, lymphopenia, increased proportions of circulating γδT cells, and very large red cells (macrocytosis.) Clinical severity ranged from a mild antibody deficiency to a combined immunodeficiency requiring hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Chemical and radiation defects were demonstrated to impair the DNA repair pathways. Defects in DNA ligase 1 can thus lead to different forms of autosomal recessive, partial DNA ligase 1 deficiency leading to an immunodeficiency of variable severity.
Ligase I has also been found to be upregulated in proliferating tumor cells, as opposed to benign tumor cell lines and normal human cells. Furthermore, it has been shown that inhibiting ligase I expression in these cells can have a cytotoxic effect, suggesting that ligase I inhibitors may be viable chemotherapeutic agents.
Deficiencies in
aprataxin, a
phosphodiesterase
A phosphodiesterase (PDE) is an enzyme that breaks a phosphodiester bond. Usually, ''phosphodiesterase'' refers to cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases, which have great clinical significance and are described below. However, there are many oth ...
responsible for reconditioning the DNA (after DNA ligase I aborts the adenylylated DNA intermediate), has been linked to
neurodegeneration
A neurodegenerative disease is caused by the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, in the process known as neurodegeneration. Such neuronal damage may ultimately involve cell death. Neurodegenerative diseases include amyotrophic ...
. This suggests that DNA is incapable of reentering the repair pathway without additional back-up machinery to correct for ligase errors.
With the structure of DNA being well known and many of the components necessary for its manipulation, repair, and usage becoming identified and characterized, researchers are beginning to look into the development of nanoscopic machinery that would be incorporated into a living organism that would possess the ability to treat diseases, fight cancer, and release medications based on a biological stimulus provided by the organism to the nanosocpic machinery. DNA ligase would most likely have to be incorporated into such a machine.
References
Further reading
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