Bacterial type I restriction-modification systems are composed of three different subunits: one HsdS subunit is required for identification of target sequence and anchoring the enzyme complex on DNA; two HsdM subunits in the methyl-transferase complex serve for host genome modification accomplishing a protective function against self-degradation; two HsdR (or motor) subunits house ATP-dependent translocation and consequent cleavage of double stranded DNA activities. The crystal structure of the 120 kDa HsdR subunit of the Type I restriction-modification system EcoR124I in complex with ATP was recently reported. HsdR is organized into four approximately globular structural domains in a nearly square-planar arrangement: the N-terminal endonuclease domain, the RecA-like helicase domains 1 and 2 and the C-terminal helical domain. The near-planar arrangement of globular domains creates prominent grooves between each domain pair. The two helicase-like domains form a canonical helicase cleft in which double-stranded B-form DNA can be accommodated without steric clash. The helical domain, probably involved in complex assembly, exhibits only a few specific interactions with helicase 2 domain. Molecular mechanism of dsDNA translocation, cleavage and ATP hydrolysis has not been yet structurally investigated. Here we propose a translocation cycle of the restriction-modification system EcoR124I based on analysis of available crystal structures of superfamily 2 helicases, strutural modeling and complementary biochemical characterization of mutations introduced in sites potentially inportant for translocation in the HsdR motor subunit. Also a role of the extended region of the helicase motif III in ATPase activity of EcoR124I was probed.

Semester project deals with the processing of data from TEM and their analysis (to- mography, single particle analysis). The main aim of this work is to determine the 3D structure of the studied enzyme. As a test sample with low symmetry is used restriction endonuclease EcoR124I.

EcoR124I is a Type I restrictionmodification (RM) enzyme and as such forms multifunctional pentameric complexes with DNA cleavage and ATP-dependent DNA translocation activities located on the motor subunit HsdR. When non-methylated invading DNA is recognized by the complex, two HsdR endonuclease/motor subunits start to translocate dsDNA without strand separation activity up to thousands base pairs towards the stationary enzyme while consuming ~1 molecule of ATP per base pair advanced. Whenever translocation is stalled the HsdR subunits cleave the dsDNA nonspecifically far from recognition site. The X-ray crystal structure of HsdR of EcoR124I bound to ATP gave a first insight of structural/functional correlation in the HsdR subunit. The four domains within the subunit were found to be in a square planer arrangement. Computational modeling including molecular dynamics in combination with crystallography, point mutations, in vivo and in vitro assays reveals how interactions between these four domains contribute to ATP-dependent DNA translocation, DNA cleavage or inter-domain communication between the translocase and endonuclease activities.