Structural basis of DNA synthesis opposite 8-oxoguanine by human PrimPol primase-polymerase

Abstract

The human DNA primase and DNA polymerase PrimPol replicates through the major oxidative DNA damage lesion 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (oxoG) via translesion synthesis in a mostly error-free manner thus suppressing oxoG-induced mutagenesis in mitochondria and the nucleus. Here, the authors present crystal structures of PrimPol in complex with an oxoG lesion in different contexts that provide mechanistic insights into how PrimPol performs predominantly accurate synthesis on oxidative-damaged DNAs in human cells.