본 연구에서는 유전자 복제기작을 생화학적, 분자생물학적 방법을 사용하여 bacteriphage T7을 대상으로 연구하였다. Bacteriophage T7의 유전자 복제, 재조합, 수선시 필수 단백질로 작용하는 gene 2.5 단백질의 생체내 기능에 대한 유전학적 연구와 단백질을 분리 정제하여 복제 단백질들과의 상호작용에 대한 연구를 수행하였다. 연구결과 gene 2.5 단백질은 DNA복제시 필수 구성단백질로 작용하며, 복제과정에서 유전자 복제에 관여하는 핵심 단백질들인 DNA polymerase, helicase/primase와 직접 단백질-단백질 상호 협동 작용을 하는 r것을 증명하였다. 특히 gene 2.5 단백질의 C-terminal domain이 절편된 변이체의 경우 복제 단백질들과 상호작용이 결여되었다. 따라서 C-terminal domain이 gene 2.5 단백질의 기능에 필수적으로 관여함을 입증하였다.
Bacteriophage T7 gene 2.5 protein, a single-stranded DNA binding protein, has been implicated in T7 DNA replication, recombination, and repair. Purified gene 2.5 protein has been shown to interact with the phage encoded gene 5 protein (DNA polymerase) and gene 4 proteins (helicase and primase) and stimulates their activities. Genetic analysis of T7 phage defective in gene 2.5 shows that the gene 2.5 protein is essential for T7 DNA replication and growth. T7 phage that contain null mutants of gene 2.5 were constructed by homologous recombination. These mutant phage $(T7Delta2.5)$ cannot grow in Escherichia coli. After infection of E. coli with $T7Delta2.5$, host DNA synthesis is shut off, and $T7Delta2.5$ DNA synthesis is reduced to less than $1\%$ of wild-type phage DNA synthesis (Kim and Richardson, 1993, Proc. Natl. Aca. Sci. USA, 90, 10173-10177). A truncated gene 2.5 protein $(GP2.5-Delta21C)$ deleted the 21 carboxyl terminal amino acids was constructed by in vitro mutagenesis. $GP2.5-Delta21C$ cannot substitute for wild-type gene 2.5 protein in vivo; the phage are not viable and exhibit less than $1\%$ of the DNA synthesis observed in wild-type phage-infected cells. $GP2.5-Delta21C$ has been purified to apparent homogeneity from cells overexpressing its cloned gene. Purified $GP2.5-Delta21C$ does not physically into「act with T1 gene 4 protein as measured by affinity chromatography and immunoblot analysis. The mutant protein cannot stimulate T7 gene 4 protein activity on RNA-primed DNA synthesis and primer synthesis. These results suggest that C-terminal domain of gene 2.5 protein is essential for protein-protein interactions.
