Abstract
RAD3 functions in DNA repair and transcription in Saccharomyces and particular rad3 alleles confer a mutator phenotype, possibly as a consequences of defective mismatch correction. We assessed the potential involvement of the Rad3 protein in mismatch correction by comparing heteroduplex repair in isogenic rad3-1 and wild-type strains. The rad3-1 allele increased the spontaneous mutation rate but did not prevent heteroduplex repair or bias its directionality. Instead, the efficiency of mismatch correction was enhanced in the rad3-1 strain. This surprising result prompted us to examine expression of yeast mismatch repair genes. We determined that MSH2, but not MLH1, is transcriptionally regulated during the cell-cycle like PMS1, and that rad3-1 does not increase the transcript levels for these genes in log phase cells. These observations suggest that the rad3- 1 mutation gives rise to an enhanced efficiency of mismatch correction via a process that does not involved transcriptional regulation of mismatch repair. Interestingly, mismatch repair also was more efficient when error-editing by yeast DNA polymerase δ was eliminated. We discuss our results in relation to possible mechanisms that may link the rad3-1 mutation to mismatch correction efficiency.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 459-466 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Genetics |
Volume | 144 |
Issue number | 2 |
State | Published - Oct 9 1996 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Genetics