Jennifer D. Hall's research while affiliated with The University of Arizona and other places

The UVH6 gene from Arabidopsis thaliana is predicted to function in transcription regulation, based on known activities of its human and yeast homologs. In this study, we show that uvh6-1 mutants are ultra-sensitive to cold and suggest that this defect results from reduced expression of cold-stress genes. Comparison of mRNA levels in cold-treated wild-type and uvh6-1 plants reveals that expression of two cold-stress genes (Cor6.6 and Cor15a) is impaired in the mutant. In contrast, the mutant shows normal cold induction of three transcription factor genes (CBF1, 2, 3), which regulate these Cor genes, and normal induction of several additional CBF-targeted genes. Thus, we propose that UVH6 promotes cold resistance by specifically regulating transcription of Cor6.6 and Cor15a genes. We further find features among the regulatory sites in the Cor6.6 and Cor15a promoters which suggest unique regulation of these genes.

To investigate the importance of different processes to heat stress tolerance, 45 Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants and one transgenic line were tested for basal and acquired thermotolerance at different stages of growth. Plants tested were defective in signaling pathways (abscisic acid, salicylic acid, ethylene, and oxidative burst signaling) and in reactive oxygen metabolism (ascorbic acid or glutathione production, catalase) or had previously been found to have temperature-related phenotypes (e.g. fatty acid desaturase mutants, uvh6). Mutants were assessed for thermotolerance defects in seed germination, hypocotyl elongation, root growth, and seedling survival. To assess oxidative damage and alterations in the heat shock response, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, heat shock protein 101, and small heat shock protein levels were determined. Fifteen mutants showed significant phenotypes. Abscisic acid (ABA) signaling mutants (abi1 and abi2) and the UV-sensitive mutant, uvh6, showed the strongest defects in acquired thermotolerance of root growth and seedling survival. Mutations in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase homolog genes (atrbohB and D), ABA biosynthesis mutants (aba1, aba2, and aba3), and NahG transgenic lines (salicylic acid deficient) showed weaker defects. Ethylene signaling mutants (ein2 and etr1) and reactive oxygen metabolism mutants (vtc1, vtc2, npq1, and cad2) were more defective in basal than acquired thermotolerance, especially under high light. All mutants accumulated wild-type levels of heat shock protein 101 and small heat shock proteins. These data indicate that, separate from heat shock protein induction, ABA, active oxygen species, and salicylic acid pathways are involved in acquired thermotolerance and that UVH6 plays a significant role in temperature responses in addition to its role in UV stress.

In an effort to identify host proteins involved in herpes simplex virus type 1 replication, monkey and human cellular protein activities (called OF-1) that bind the viral replication origin, oriS, have been described. We show by mass spectrometry that the DNA-binding component of human OF-1 contains Ku70 and Ku80 proteins.

To evaluate the genetic control of stress responses in Arabidopsis, we have analyzed a mutant (uvh6-1) that exhibits increased sensitivity to UV light, a yellow-green leaf coloration, and mild growth defects. We have mapped the uvh6-1 locus to chromosome I and have identified a candidate gene, AtXPD, within the corresponding region. This gene shows sequence similarity to the human (Homo sapiens) XPD and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) RAD3 genes required for nucleotide excision repair. We propose that UVH6 is equivalent to AtXPD because uvh6-1 mutants carry a mutation in a conserved residue of AtXPD and because transformation of uvh6-1 mutants with wild-type AtXPD DNA suppresses both UV sensitivity and other defective phenotypes. Furthermore, the UVH6/AtXPD protein appears to play a role in repair of UV photoproducts because the uvh6-1 mutant exhibits a moderate defect in the excision of UV photoproducts. This defect is also suppressed by transformation with UVH6/AtXPD DNA. We have further identified a T-DNA insertion in the UVH6/AtXPD gene (uvh6-2). Plants carrying homozygous insertions were not detected in analyses of progeny from plants heterozygous for the insertion. Thus, homozygous insertions appear to be lethal. We conclude that the UVH6/AtXPD gene is required for UV resistance and is an essential gene in Arabidopsis.

To identify mechanisms of DNA repair in Arabidopsis thaliana, we have analyzed a mutant (uvh3) which exhibits increased sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) light, H2O2 and ionizing radiation and displays a premature senescence phenotype. The uvh3 locus was mapped within chromosome III to the GL1 locus. A cosmid contig of the GL1 region was constructed, and individual cosmids were used to transform uvh3 mutant plants. Cosmid N9 was found to confer UV-resistance, H2O2-resistance and a normal senescence phenotype following transformation, indicating that the UVH3 gene is located on this cosmid and that all three phenotypes are due to the same mutation. Analysis of cosmid N9 sequences identified a gene showing strong similarity to two homologous repair genes, RAD2 (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and XPG (human), which encode an endonuclease required for nucleotide excision repair of UV-damage. The uvh3 mutant was shown to carry a nonsense mutation in the coding region of the AtRAD2/XPG gene, thus revealing that the UVH3 gene encodes the AtRAD2/XPG gene product. In humans, the homologous XPG protein is also involved in removal of oxygen-damaged nucleotides by base excision repair. We discuss the possibility that the increased sensitivity of the uvh3 mutant to H2O2 and the premature senescence phenotype might result from failure to repair oxygen damage in plant tissues. Finally, we show that the AtRAD2/XPG gene is expressed at moderate levels in all plant tissues.

A human cellular factor (OF-1) has been previously implicated in replication of herpes simplex virus, type 1. This protein binds to three conserved regions (Boxes I, II, and III) in the viral replication origin and appears to be required for viral DNA synthesis (Dabrowski, C. C., Carmillo, P. J., and Schaffer, P. A. (1994) Mol. Cell. Biol. 14, 2545–2555). In the present study, we have partially purified and characterized OF-1 from human cells. This protein appears to consist of a tetramer composed of two heterodimers with subunits of 73 and 90 kDa. The smaller subunit contains the DNA binding activity. We have investigated the binding specificity of OF-1 using a mobility shift analysis. These studies reveal that binding is specific for both duplex and single-stranded Box I sequences and that the strongest preference is for the bottom strand of Box I. We present evidence suggesting that the binding of OF-1 to Box I DNA is enhanced in the presence of the herpes simplex-encoded UL9 protein, which also binds to Box I in oriS and is required for viral replication. Implications of these findings for the initiation step in viral replication are discussed.

The D368A mutation within the 3′-5′-exonuclease domain of the herpes simplex type 1 DNA polymerase inactivates this nuclease and severely interferes with virus viability. Compared with the wild type enzyme, the D368A mutant exhibits substantially elevated rates of incorrect nucleotide incorporation, as measured in a LacZ reversion assay. This high rate occurs in the presence of high levels of dNTPs, a condition that forces the enzyme to extend mismatched primers. Hence, the mutant fails to correct many misincorporations that are removed in the wild type. In addition, the mutant shows a much reduced ability to replicate DNA templates primed with a 3′-mismatch as compared with wild type. This extension defect also appears more severe than observed for replicases which naturally lack editing nucleases. Based on these findings, we suggest that the inability of the D368A herpes simplex mutant polymerase to replicate beyond a mismatched base pair severely inhibits viral replication.