Genetic Factors Affecting the Impact of DNA Polymerase Proofreading Activity on Mutation Avoidance in Yeast

Corresponding author: Michael A. Resnick, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 111 TW Alexander Dr., P.O. Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709., resnick{at}niehs.nih.gov (E-mail)

Communicating editor: L. S. SYMINGTON

Base selectivity, proofreading, and postreplication mismatch repair are important for replication fidelity. Because proofreading plays an important role in error correction, we have investigated factors that influence its impact in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have utilized a sensitive mutation detection system based on homonucleotide runs of 4 to 14 bases to examine the impact of DNA polymerase proofreading on mutation avoidance. The contribution of DNA polymerase proofreading on error avoidance was found to be similar to that of DNA polymerase proofreading in short homonucleotide runs (A₄ and A₅) but much greater than the contribution of DNA polymerase proofreading in longer runs. We have identified an intraprotein interaction affecting mutation prevention that results from mutations in the replication and the proofreading regions, resulting in an antimutator phenotype relative to a proofreading defect. Finally, a diploid strain with a defect in DNA polymerase proofreading exhibits a higher mutation rate than a haploid strain. We suggest that in the diploid population of proofreading defective cells there exists a transiently hypermutable fraction that would be inviable if cells were haploids.

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