The stabilized Pol31-Pol3 interface counteracts Pol32 ablation with differential effects on repair

DNA polymerase delta, which contains the catalytic subunit, Pol3, Pol31, and Pol32, contributes both to DNA replication and repair. The deletion of pol31 is lethal, and compromising the Pol3-Pol31 interaction domains confers hypersensitivity to cold, hydroxyurea (HU), and methyl methanesulfonate, phenocopying pol32 Delta. We have identified alanine-substitutions in pol31 that suppress these deficiencies in pol32 Delta cells. We characterize two mutants, pol31-T415A and pol31-W417A, which map to a solvent-exposed loop that mediates Pol31-Pol3 and Pol31-Rev3 interactions. The pol31-T415A substitution compromises binding to the Pol3 CysB domain, whereas Pol31-W417A improves it. Importantly, loss of Pol32, such as pol31-T415A, leads to reduced Pol3 and Pol31 protein levels, which are restored by pol31-W417A. The mutations have differential effects on recovery from acute HU, break-induced replication and trans-lesion synthesis repair pathways. Unlike trans-lesion synthesis and growth on HU, the loss of break-induced replication in pol32 Delta cells is not restored by pol31-W417A, highlighting pathway-specific roles for Pol32 in fork-related repair. Intriguingly, CHIP analyses of replication forks on HU showed that pol32 Delta and pol31-T415A indirectly destabilize DNA pol alpha and pol epsilon at stalled forks.

Automated summary

The study investigates mutations in the Pol31 segment of DNA polymerase delta, identifying substitutions that can restore deficiencies in pol32 Delta cells. These mutations not only affect DNA replication and repair processes but also impact recovery from pathways such as hydroxyurea, break-induced replication, and trans-lesion synthesis repair.