HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Namekawa, S. Articles by Sakaguchi, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Namekawa, S. Articles by Sakaguchi, K. Agricola Articles by Namekawa, S. Articles by Sakaguchi, K.

DNA ligase IV from a basidiomycete, Coprinus cinereus, and its expression during meiosis

Takayuki Nara^1,

¹ Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda-shi, Chiba-ken 278-8510, Japan
² Department of Pathological Biochemistry, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan

Correspondence
Kengo Sakaguchi
kengo{at}rs.noda.tus.ac.jp

DNA ligase IV is thought to be involved in DNA double-strand break repair and DNA non-homologous end-joining pathways, but these mechanisms are still unclear. To investigate the roles of DNA ligase IV from a biologically functional viewpoint, the authors studied its relationship to meiosis in a basidiomycete, Coprinus cinereus, which shows a highly synchronous meiotic cell cycle. The C. cinereus cDNA homologue of DNA ligase IV (CcLIG4) was successfully cloned. The 3·2 kb clone including the ORF encoded a predicted product of 1025 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 117 kDa. A specific inserted sequence composed of 95 amino acids rich in aspartic acid and glutamic acid could be detected between tandem BRCT domains. The inserted sequence had no sequence identity with other eukaryotic counterparts of DNA ligase IV or with another aspartic acid and glutamic acid rich sequence inserted in C. cinereus proliferating cell nuclear antigen (CcPCNA), although the length and the percentages of aspartic and glutamic acids were similar. In addition, the recombinant CcLIG4 protein not only showed ATP-dependent ligase activity, but also used (dT)₁₆/poly(dA) and (dT)₁₆/poly(rA) as substrates, and had double-strand ligation activity, like human DNA ligase IV. Northern hybridization analysis and in situ hybridization indicated that CcLIG4 was expressed not only at the pre-meiotic S phase but also at meiotic prophase I. Intense signals were observed in leptotene and zygotene. Based on these observations, the possible role(s) of C. cinereus DNA ligase IV during meiosis are discussed.

The GenBank accession number for the sequence of CcLIG4 is AB098474.

Present address: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. H. Namekawa, K. Iwabata, H. Sugawara, F. N. Hamada, A. Koshiyama, H. Chiku, T. Kamada, and K. Sakaguchi Knockdown of LIM15/DMC1 in the mushroom Coprinus cinereus by double-stranded RNA-mediated gene silencing Microbiology, November 1, 2005; 151(11): 3669 - 3678. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]