E. coli RecBCD Nuclease Domain Regulates Helicase Activity but not Single Stranded DNA Translocase Activity

Much is still unknown about the mechanisms by which helicases unwind duplex DNA. Whereas structure-based models describe DNA unwinding as a consequence of mechanically pulling the DNA duplex across a wedge domain in the helicase by the single stranded (ss)DNA translocase activity of the ATPase motors, biochemical data indicate that processive DNA unwinding by the E. coli RecBCD helicase can occur in the absence of ssDNA translocation of the canonical RecB and RecD motors. Here, we present evidence that dsDNA unwinding is not a simple consequence of ssDNA translocation by the RecBCD motors. Using stopped-flow fluorescence approaches, we show that a RecB nuclease domain deletion variant (RecB ^ΔNuc CD) unwinds dsDNA at significantly slower rates than RecBCD, while the rate of ssDNA translocation is unaffected. This effect is primarily due to the absence of the nuclease domain and not the absence of the nuclease activity, since a nuclease-dead mutant (RecB ^D1080A CD), which retains the nuclease domain, showed no significant change in rates of ssDNA translocation or dsDNA unwinding relative to RecBCD on short DNA substrates (≤ 60 base pairs). This indicates that ssDNA translocation is not rate-limiting for DNA unwinding. RecB ^ΔNuc CD also initiates unwinding much slower than RecBCD from a blunt-ended DNA, although it binds with higher affinity than RecBCD. RecB ^ΔNuc CD also unwinds DNA ∼two-fold slower than RecBCD on long DNA (∼20 kilo base pair) in single molecule optical tweezer experiments, although the rates for RecB ^D1080A CD unwinding are intermediate between RecBCD and RecB ^ΔNuc CD. Surprisingly, significant pauses occur even in the absence of chi (crossover hotspot instigator) sites. We hypothesize that the nuclease domain influences the rate of DNA base pair melting, rather than DNA translocation, possibly allosterically. Since the rate of DNA unwinding by RecBCD also slows after it recognizes a chi sequence, RecB ^ΔNuc CD may mimic a post- chi state of RecBCD.