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The [4Fe–4S] cluster is an important cofactor of the base excision repair (BER) adenine DNA glycosylase MutY to prevent mutations associated with 8-oxoguanine (OG). Several MutYs lacking the [4Fe–4S] cofactor have been identified. Phylogenetic analysis shows that clusterless MutYs are distributed in two clades suggesting cofactor loss has occurred in multiple independent evolutionary events. Herein, we determined the first crystal structure of a clusterless MutY complexed with DNA. On the basis of the dramatic structural divergence from canonical MutYs, we refer to this as representative of a clusterless MutY subgroup “MutYX.” Interestingly, MutYX compensates for the missing [4Fe–4S] cofactor to maintain positioning of catalytic residues by expanding a pre-existing α-helix and acquisition of a new α-helix. Surprisingly, MutYX also acquired a new C-terminal domain that uniquely recognizes OG using residues Gln201 and Arg209. Adenine glycosylase assays and binding affinity measurements indicate that Arg209 is the primary residue responsible for OG:A lesion specificity, while Gln201 assists by bridging OG and Arg209. Surprisingly, replacement of Arg209 and Gln201 with Ala increased activity toward G:A mismatches. The MutYX structure serves as an example of devolution, capturing structural features required to retain function in the absence of a metal cofactor considered indispensable. 

Abstract The [4Fe-4S] cluster is an important cofactor of the base excision repair (BER) adenine DNA glycosylase MutY to prevent mutations associated with 8-oxoguanine (OG). Several MutYs lacking the [4Fe-4S] cofactor have been identified. Phylogenetic analysis shows that clusterless MutYs are distributed in two clades suggesting cofactor loss in two independent evolutionary events. Herein, we determined the first crystal structure of a clusterless MutY complexed with DNA. On the basis of the dramatic structural divergence from canonical MutYs, we refer to this as representative of a clusterless MutY subgroup “MutYX”. Interestingly, MutYX compensates for the missing [4Fe-4S] cofactor to maintain positioning of catalytic residues by expanding a pre-existing α-helix and acquisition of the new α-helix. Surprisingly, MutYX also acquired a new C-terminal domain that uniquely recognizes OG using residue Gln201 and Arg209. Adenine glycosylase assays and binding affinity measurements indicate that Arg209 is the primary residue responsible to specificity for OG:A lesions, while Gln201 bridges OG and Arg209. Surprisingly, replacement of Arg209 and Gln201 with Ala increases activity toward G:A mismatches. The MutYX structure serves as an example of devolution, capturing structural features required to retain function in the absence of a metal cofactor considered indispensable. 

MutY excises adenine (A) from 8-oxo-guanine:adenine (OG:A) lesions in DNA to initiate base excision repair (BER) and thereby prevent mutations. A catalytic Glu, found at position 43 in the enzyme fromGeobacillus stearothermophilus(GsMutY), protonates the nucleobase at N⁷to labilize the N-glycosidic bond. The resulting oxocarbenium ion transition state is stabilized by a covalent DNA-enzyme intermediate and resolved by nucleophilic attack to yield thebeta-anomer abasic AP site product. The retaining SN1 mechanism for MutY posits deprotonation of the nucleophile by the catalytic Glu. Here we tested kinetic and structural consequences of Glu replacement and found that E43Q and E43S substitution variants were severely impaired, retained measurable activity, but engage the substrate nucleobase in ananticonformation, rotated by 180° from thesynconformation seen in previous substrate complexes. The enzyme-generated AP product is observed in itsalpha-anomer configuration for these Glu-replacement variants. Comparison with inverting adenine glycosylases that act on RNA or nucleosides shows that MutY's mechanism is uniquely reliant on one catalytic residue for both leaving group and nucleophile activation, a situation that may serve to ensure only rare adenines paired with OG are excised. 

Abstract MUTYH is a clinically important DNA glycosylase that thwarts mutations by initiating base-excision repair at 8-oxoguanine (OG):A lesions. The roles for its [4Fe-4S] cofactor in DNA repair remain enigmatic. Functional profiling of cancer-associated variants near the [4Fe-4S] cofactor reveals that most variations abrogate both retention of the cofactor and enzyme activity. Surprisingly, R241Q and N238S retained the metal cluster and bound substrate DNA tightly, but were completely inactive. We determine the crystal structure of human MUTYH bound to a transition state mimic and this shows that Arg241 and Asn238 build an H-bond network connecting the [4Fe-4S] cluster to the catalytic Asp236 that mediates base excision. The structure of the bacterial MutY variant R149Q, along with molecular dynamics simulations of the human enzyme, support a model in which the cofactor functions to position and activate the catalytic Asp. These results suggest that allosteric cross-talk between the DNA binding [4Fe-4S] cofactor and the base excision site of MUTYH regulate its DNA repair function. 

Base excision repair (BER) enzymes are genomic superheroes that stealthly and accurately identify and remove chemically modified DNA bases. DNA base modifications erode the informational content of DNA and underly many disease phenotypes, most conspicuously, cancer. The “OG” of oxidative base damage, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (OG), is particularly insidious due to its miscoding ability that leads to formation of rare pro-mutagenic OG:A mismatches. Thwarting mutagenesis relies on capture of OG:A mismatches prior to DNA replication and removal of the mis-inserted adenine by MutY glycosylases to initiate BER. The threat of OG and the importance of its repair is underscored by the association between inherited dysfunctional variants of the MutY human homolog MUTYH and colorectal cancer, known as MUTYH-associated polyposis (MAP). Our functional studies of the two founder MUTYH variants revealed that both have a compromised activity and reduced affinity for OG:A mismatches. Indeed, these studies underscored the challenge of recognition of OG:A mismatches that are only subtlely structurally different than T:A base-pairs. Since the original discovery of MAP, many MUTYH variants have been reported, with most considered “variants of uncertain significance.” To reveal features associated with damage recognition and adenine excision by MutY and MUTYH, we have developed a multi-pronged chemical biology approach combining enzyme kinetics, X-ray crystallography, single-molecule visualization, and cellular repair assays. In this review, we highlight recent work in our laboratory where we defined MutY structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies using synthetic analogs of OG and A in cellular and in vitro assays. Our studies revealed the 2-amino group of OG as the key distinguishing feature of OG:A mismatches. Indeed, the unique position of the 2-amino group in the major groove of OGsyn:Aanti mismatches provides a means for its rapid detection among a large excess of highly abundant and structurally similar canonical base pairs. Furthermore, site-directed mutagenesis and structural analysis showed that a conserved C-terminal domain β-hairpin “FSH'' loop is critical for OG recognition with the “His” serving as the lesion detector. Notably, MUTYH variants located within and near the FSH loop have been associated with different forms of cancer. Uncovering the role(s) of this loop in lesion recognition provided a detailed understanding of the search and repair process of MutY. Such insights are also useful to identify mutational hotspots and pathogenic variants, that may improve the ability of physicians to diagnose the likelihood of diseases onset and prognosis. The critical importance of the “FSH” loop in lesion detection suggests that it may serve as a unique locus for targeting of probes or inhibitors of MutY/MUTYH to provide new chemical biology tools, and avenues for therapeutic development. 

Abstract DNA glycosylase MutY plays a critical role in suppression of mutations resulted from oxidative damage, as highlighted by cancer-association of the human enzyme. MutY requires a highly conserved catalytic Asp residue for excision of adenines misinserted opposite 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (OG). A nearby Asn residue hydrogen bonds to the catalytic Asp in structures of MutY and its mutation to Ser is an inherited variant in human MUTYH associated with colorectal cancer. We captured structural snapshots of N146S Geobacillus stearothermophilus MutY bound to DNA containing a substrate, a transition state analog and enzyme-catalyzed abasic site products to provide insight into the base excision mechanism of MutY and the role of Asn. Surprisingly, despite the ability of N146S to excise adenine and purine (P) in vitro, albeit at slow rates, N146S-OG:P complex showed a calcium coordinated to the purine base altering its conformation to inhibit hydrolysis. We obtained crystal structures of N146S Gs MutY bound to its abasic site product by removing the calcium from crystals of N146S-OG:P complex to initiate catalysis in crystallo or by crystallization in the absence of calcium. The product structures of N146S feature enzyme-generated β-anomer abasic sites that support a retaining mechanism for MutY-catalyzed base excision.