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PubMed2025

Decoding nucleoside supplementation: how thymidine outperforms ribonucleosides in accelerating mammalian replication forks.

Disruptions in deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) supply impair DNA replication and lead to genomic instability. While exogenous ribonucleosides (rNuc) have been suggested to alleviate replication stress by increasing dNTP levels, their precise metabolic effects remain unclear. Here, we show that rNuc supplementation primarily elevates CTP and UTP levels, with only modest increases in dCTP, and has minimal impact on replication fork speed across multiple mammalian cell lines. In contrast, thymidine (dThd), either alone or in combination with rNuc-as in EmbryoMax Nucleosides-significantly increases dTTP and dGTP levels, leading to accelerated replication fork progression. Notably, dThd, rather than rNuc, drives fork acceleration and counteracts fork slowdown caused by elevated dUTP, consistent with primer extension assays showing that dUTP transiently inhibits Pol ϵ-mediated DNA synthesis at template adenines. These results clarify the distinct roles of nucleosides in nucleotide metabolism, providing a mechanistic basis for how dThd promotes fork progression and preserves genomic stability.

DNA Replication↗
PubMed1997

Roles of replication protein-A subunits 2 and 3 in DNA replication fork movement in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Replication Protein-A, the eukaryotic SSB, consists of a large subunit (RPA1) with strong ssDNA binding activity and two smaller subunits (RPA2 and 3) that may cooperate with RPA1 to bind ssDNA in a higher-order mode. To determine the in vivo function of the two smaller subunits and the potential role of higher-order ssDNA binding, we isolated an assortment of heat-lethal mutations in the genes encoding RPA2 and RPA3. At the permissive temperature, the mutants show a range of effects on DNA replication fidelity and sensitivities to UV and MMS. At the nonpermissive temperature, four out of five RPA2 mutants show a fast-stop DNA synthesis phenotype typical of a replication fork block. In contrast, the fifth RPA2 mutant and all RPA3 mutants are able to complete at least one round of DNA replication at the nonpermissive temperature. The effect of these mutations on the stability of the RPA complex was tested using a coprecipitation assay. At the nonpermissive temperature, we find that RPA1 and RPA2 are dissociated in the fast-stop mutants, but not in the slow-stop mutants. Thus, replication fork movement in vivo requires the association of at least two subunits of RPA. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that RPA functions in vivo by binding ssDNA in a higher-order mode.

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed2001

Pathways for repair of topoisomerase I covalent complexes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

BACKGROUND: The covalent linkage between DNA and the active site tyrosine of topoisomerase I can be stabilized by chemotherapeutic agents, adjacent DNA lesions, or mutational defects in the topoisomerase itself. Following collision with a replication fork, the covalent complex can be converted to a double-strand break. Tdp1, an enzyme that can hydrolyse the bond between topoisomerase I and DNA, is thought to be involved in the repair of these lesions, but little is known about how such repair is accomplished. RESULTS: Reaction kinetics with model substrates reveal that the catalytic efficiency of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Tdp1 is relatively poor when the scissile bond is located in the middle of a duplex, but much better when it is located at the end of a structure. Survival of yeast after induction of a toxic topoisomerase is substantially reduced by inactivation of the TDP1 gene. Comparison of survival of single and double mutants places TDP1 and RAD52 in the same epistasis group but TDP1 and RAD9 in different epistasis groups. In the absence of RAD9, inactivation of TDP1 has a significant effect on the survival of cells following exposure to camptothecin but is without consequence for the survival of agents that do not target topoisomerase I. CONCLUSIONS: Tdp1 acts as a specific repair enzyme for topoisomerase I lesions. Rather than working at their earliest occurrence, the enzyme acts after covalent complexes have been converted to DSBs. A second repair pathway also exists that functions independently of Tdp1 but requires RAD9 function to efficiently repair topoisomerase I-linked DSBs. The efficiency of these pathways differs for complexes induced with the chemotherapeutic agent camptothecin vs. those accumulated by mutant forms of topoisomerase I.

Camptothecin↗
PubMed1995

Camptothecin induction of a time- and concentration-dependent decrease of topoisomerase I and its implication in camptothecin activity.

Camptothecin (CPT) has been shown to induce protein-linked DNA breaks (PLDB), which are stabilized intermediates of topoisomerase I (TOP1) activity. Due to the reversible nature of PLDB and the need for replication fork movement for CPT toxicity, both the time of CPT exposure and TOP1 levels are determinants of CPT toxicity. Therefore, the effects of CPT exposure on TOP1 over time were examined in an established human cell line, KB. Using an in vivo KCl-SDS co-precipitation assay, it was determined that 1 hr of CPT exposure resulted in a concentration-dependent increase in PLDB that reached a maximum at 5 microM CPT. However, prolonged incubations with CPT revealed a concentration- and time-dependent decrease in CPT-induced PLDB formation. The most rapid loss of PLDB was within 6 hr. Neither aphidicolin nor cycloheximide cotreatments altered the PLDB decrease induced by CPT. Immunoblot analysis revealed a reduction in TOP1 protein upon CPT exposure, whereas RNA analysis revealed no changes, which suggested a post-transciptional mechanism of TOP1 down-regulation. The CPT-induced reduction was specific for TOP1, because actin and tubulin levels were unaltered by CPT exposure. Finally, clonogenic assays revealed a small but statistically significant decrease in CPT toxicity throughout the CPT exposure period. Because PLDB formation based on TOP1 levels is an important step in the toxicity of CPT, the CPT-induced TOP1 reduction could be a transient mechanism of resistance for cells to avoid toxic levels of PLDB.

Aphidicolin↗
PubMed2006

Genetic instability in cancer cells by impaired cell cycle checkpoints.

Cells continuously encounter DNA damage caused either by damaging agents, including oxygen radicals and DNA replication errors caused by stalled replication forks, or by extracellular environments such as ultraviolet or ionizing irradiation. Such DNA damage poses a great threat to genome stability, potentially leading to loss or amplification of chromosome activity, which may result in cellular senescence, cancer or apoptosis. The DNA damage checkpoints coordinate an arrest in cell cycle progression with the DNA repair process, suppressing either mitotic catastrophe or proliferation of cells with damaged DNA. Numerous key players have been identified in terms of damage sensor proteins, transducer kinases and effectors, but their coordination and interconnectedness in damage control have only recently become evident. In this review, we discuss changes in chromatin structure, recruitment of mediator proteins and activation of transducer kinases in response to DNA damage. These cellular responses are important for determining the potential effects of current cancer therapies in terms of toxicity and efficacy.

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed1999

Site-directed mutants of RTP of Bacillus subtilis and the mechanism of replication fork arrest.

DNA replication fork arrest during the termination phase of chromosome replication in Bacillus subtilis is brought about by the replication terminator protein (RTP) bound to specific DNA terminator sequences (Ter sites) distributed throughout the terminus region. An attractive suggestion by others was that crucial to the functioning of the RTP-Ter complex is a specific interaction between RTP positioned on the DNA and the helicase associated with the approaching replication fork. In support of this was the behaviour of two site-directed mutants of RTP. They appeared to bind Ter DNA normally but were ineffective in fork arrest as ascertained by in vitro Escherichia coli DnaB helicase and replication assays. We describe here a system for assessing the fork-arrest behaviour of RTP mutants in a bona fide in vivo assay in B. subtilis. One of the previously studied mutants, RTP.Y33N, was non-functional in fork arrest in vivo, as predicted. But through extensive analyses, this RTP mutant was shown to be severely defective in binding to Ter DNA, contrary to expectation. Taken in conjunction with recent findings on the other mutant (RTP.E30K), it is concluded that there is as yet no substantive evidence from the behaviour of RTP mutants to support the RTP-helicase interaction model for fork arrest. In an extension of the present work on RTP.Y33N, we determined the dissociation rates of complexes formed by wild-type (wt) RTP and another RTP mutant with various terminator sequences. The functional wtRTP-TerI complex was quite stable (half-life of 182 minutes), reminiscent of the great stability of the E. coli Tus-Ter complex. More significant were the exceptional stabilities of complexes comprising wtRTP and an RTP double-mutant (E39K.R42Q) bound to some particular terminator sequences. From the measurement of in vivo fork-arrest activities of the various complexes, it is concluded that the stability (half-life) of the whole RTP-Ter complex is not the overriding determinant of arrest, and that the RTP-Ter complex must be actively disrupted, or RTP removed, by the action of the approaching replication fork.

Bacillus subtilis↗
PubMed1988

Xenopus egg extracts: a model system for chromatin replication.

A cell-free system derived from Xenopus eggs enables in vitro reproduction of the steps occurring during eukaryotic DNA replication. With a circular single-stranded DNA template, extracts obtained from high-speed centrifugation perform complementary DNA strand synthesis coupled to chromatin assembly. Nucleosomes are formed on the newly replicated DNA and the overall reaction mimics the events occurring during chromosomal replication on the lagging strand at the replication fork. ATP is necessary at all steps examined individually, including RNA priming, elongation of DNA strands and chromatin assembly. Although not required for nucleosome formation, ATP is involved in the correct spacing of nucleosomes and the stability of the assembled chromatin. Replication of double-stranded DNA was observed only with extracts obtained from low-speed centrifugation using demembraned sperm nuclei as substrate. Nuclei are reconstituted around the DNA and then undergo a series of events characteristic of a cell cycle. In contrast, neither DNA elongation or chromatin assembly require formation of the nucleus, and both are independent of the cell cycle.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2005

The fission yeast Crb2/Chk1 pathway coordinates the DNA damage and spindle checkpoint in response to replication stress induced by topoisomerase I inhibitor.

Living organisms experience constant threats that challenge their genome stability. The DNA damage checkpoint pathway coordinates cell cycle progression with DNA repair when DNA is damaged, thus ensuring faithful transmission of the genome. The spindle assembly checkpoint inhibits chromosome segregation until all chromosomes are properly attached to the spindle, ensuring accurate partition of the genetic material. Both the DNA damage and spindle checkpoint pathways participate in genome integrity. However, no clear connection between these two pathways has been described. Here, we analyze mutants in the BRCT domains of fission yeast Crb2, which mediates Chk1 activation, and provide evidence for a novel function of the Chk1 pathway. When the Crb2 mutants experience damaged replication forks upon inhibition of the religation activity of topoisomerase I, the Chk1 DNA damage pathway induces sustained activation of the spindle checkpoint, which in turn delays metaphase-to-anaphase transition in a Mad2-dependent fashion. This new pathway enhances cell survival and genome stability when cells undergo replicative stress in the absence of a proficient G(2)/M DNA damage checkpoint.

Alleles↗
PubMed2004

The Werner syndrome protein confers resistance to the DNA lesions N3-methyladenine and O6-methylguanine: implications for WRN function.

The Werner syndrome (WS) protein (WRN), a DNA helicase/exonuclease, is required for genomic stability and avoidance of cancer. Current evidence suggests that WRN is involved in the resolution of stalled and/or collapsed replication forks. This function is indicated, in part, by replication defects in WS cells and by hypersensitivity to agents causing major structural aberrations in DNA that block replication. We show here that antisense suppression of WRN in two human glioma cell lines reproduces hallmarks of the drug cytotoxicity profile of WS cells, namely, hypersensitivity to 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide, camptothecin and hydroxyurea. We also show that antisense-treated cells are hypersensitive to methyl-lexitropsin, a site-specific alkylating agent that produces mainly N3-methyladenine, a cytotoxic and replication-blocking lesion. Antisense-treated cells are hypersensitive to O(6)-methylguanine adducts as well, but only when repair by O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase is lacking. Our results illustrate the drug sensitivity caused by deficiency of WRN in a uniform genetic background. They extend the WRN DNA damage sensitivity spectrum to methyl base adducts that can result in blocked replication, and suggest that WRN may be required for resumption of processive replication when incomplete repair of DNA damage leaves blocking lesions at forks. The evidence that highly disparate lesions fall within the purview of WRN, and that abrogating DNA repair can reveal dependence on WRN, suggests that WRN may protect the genome from the lethal, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects of widely diverse DNA damage arising from endogenous processes and environmental agents.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide↗
PubMed1995

Differential stabilization of eukaryotic DNA topoisomerase I cleavable complexes by camptothecin derivatives.

Camptothecins belong to a group of anticancer agents with a specific mechanism of action: stabilization and trapping of eukaryotic DNA topoisomerase I (top1) cleavable complexes. Two water-soluble camptothecin derivatives are in clinical trial, and their anticancer activity appears promising: topotecan and CPT-11. The latter is hydrolyzed to its active metabolite, SN-38. We have previously reported that SN-38 is among the most cytotoxic camptothecin derivatives and that the cleavable complexes induced by SN-38 are more stable than those induced by CPT in human colon carcinoma cells [Tanizawa et al. (1994) J. Natl. Cancer Inst, 86, 836-842]. Top1 inhibition was further investigated by determining the salt-induced religation rates of top1-cleavable complexes in fragments from the top1 cDNA. Religation depended on both the local DNA base sequence and the drug structure. Cleavable complexes induced by SN-38 and 10,11-methylenedioxycamptothecin were markedly more stable (less rapidly reversible) than those induced by CPT, topotecan, and 9-aminocamptothecin. The stability of 10-hydroxycamptothecin-induced cleavable complexes was intermediate to those of CPT and SN-38, indicating that both the 10-hydroxy and the 7-ethyl group of SN-38 probably interact with the drug binding site of top1-cleavable complexes. A DNA oligonucleotide containing a single top1 cleavage site was also used to compare the camptothecin derivatives. The salt stability of drug-induced cleavable complexes in the top1 oligonucleotide was correlated with the drug potencies to induce top1 cleavage. Cell killing requires that trapped cleavable complexes be converted to DNA damage as a result of replication fork collision.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗
PubMed2006

Tel2 is required for activation of the Mrc1-mediated replication checkpoint.

Proteins belonging to the Tel2/Rad-5/Clk-2 family are conserved among eukaryotes and are involved in various cellular processes, such as cell proliferation, telomere maintenance, the biological clock, and the DNA damage checkpoint. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the functions of these molecules remain largely unclear. Here we report that in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Tel2 is required for efficient phosphorylation of Mrc1, a mediator of DNA replication checkpoint signaling, and for activation of Cds1, a replication checkpoint kinase, when DNA replication is blocked by hydroxyurea. In fact, Tel2 is required for survival of replication fork arrest and for the replication checkpoint in cells lacking Chk1, another checkpoint kinase the role of which overlaps that of Cds1 in cell cycle arrest by replication block. In addition, Tel2 plays important roles in entry into S phase and in genome stability. Tel2 is essential for vegetative cell growth, and the tel2Delta strain accumulated cells with 1C DNA content after germination. In the absence of hydroxyurea, Tel2 is vital in the mutant lacking Swi1, a component of the replication fork protection complex, and multiple Rad22 DNA repair foci were frequently observed in Tel2-repressed swi1Delta cells especially at S phase. In contrast, the cds1Deltaswi1Delta mutant did not show such lethality. These results indicate that S. pombe Tel2 plays important roles in the Mrc1-mediated replication checkpoint as well as in the Cds1-independent regulation of genome integrity.

Cell Cycle Proteins↗
PubMed2005

Sap1p binds to Ter1 at the ribosomal DNA of Schizosaccharomyces pombe and causes polar replication fork arrest.

Eukaryotic DNA replication forks stall at natural replication fork barriers or Ter sites located within the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) intergenic spacer regions during unperturbed DNA replication. The rDNA intergenic spacer of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe contains four polar or orientation-specific fork barriers, Ter1-3 and RFP4. Whereas the transcription terminator Reb1p binds Ter2 and Ter3 to arrest replication, the factor(s) responsible for fork arrest at Ter1 and RFP4 remain unknown. Using linker scanning mutagenesis, we have narrowed down minimal Ter1 to 21 bp. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of a consensus binding motif for the essential switch-activating and genome-stabilizing protein Sap1p within this region. Recombinant Sap1p bound Ter1 with high specificity, and endogenous Ter1 binding activity contained Sap1p and comigrated with the Sap1p-Ter1 complex. Circular permutation analysis suggested that Sap1p bends Ter1 and SAS1 upon binding. Targeted mutational analysis revealed that Ter1 mutations, which prevent Sap1p binding in vitro, are defective for replication fork arrest in vivo, whereas mutations that do not affect Sap1p binding remain competent to arrest replication. The results confirm the hypothesis that the chromatin organizer Sap1p binds site-specifically to genomic regions other than SAS1 and support the notion that Sap1p binds the rDNA fork barrier Ter1 to cause polar replication fork arrest at this site but not at SAS1.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2006

CTD kinase I is required for the integrity of the rDNA tandem array.

The genomic stability of the rDNA tandem array is tightly controlled to allow sequence homogenization and to prevent deleterious rearrangements. In this report, we show that the absence of the yeast CTD kinase I (CTDK-I) complex in null mutant strains leads to a decrease in the number of tandem rDNA repeats. Reintroduction of the missing gene induces an increase of rDNA repeats to reach a copy number similar to that of the original strain. Interestingly, while expansion is dependent on Fob1, a protein required for replication fork blocking activity in rDNA, contraction occurs in the absence of Fob1. Furthermore, silencing of class II genes at the rDNA, a process connected to rDNA stability, is not affected. Ctk1, the kinase subunit of the CTDK-I complex is involved in various steps of mRNA synthesis. In addition, we have recently shown that Ctk1 is also implicated in rRNA synthesis. The results suggest that the RNA polymerase I transcription defect occurring in a ctk1 mutant strain causes rDNA contraction.

Cell Cycle Proteins↗
PubMed2002

Replication fork block protein, Fob1, acts as an rDNA region specific recombinator in S. cerevisiae.

BACKGROUND: The analysis of homologous recombination in the tandemly repeating rDNA array of Saccharomyces cerevisiae should provide useful information about the stability of not only the rDNA repeat but also the abundant repeated sequences on higher eukaryotic genomes. However, the data obtained so far are not yet conclusive, due to the absence of a reliable assay for detecting products of recombination in the rDNA array. RESULTS: We developed an assay method to detect the products of unequal sister-chromatid recombination (marker-duplication products) in yeast rDNA. This assay, together with the circular rDNA detection assay, was used for the analysis. Marker-duplication occurred throughout the rDNA cluster, preferentially between nearby repeat units. The FOB1 and RAD52 genes were required for both types of recombinant formation. FOB1 showed a gene dosage effect on not only the amounts of both recombinants, but also on the copy number of the repeat. However, unlike the RAD52 gene, the FOB1 gene was not involved in homologous recombination in a non-rDNA locus. In addition, the marker-duplication products were drastically decreased in the mre11 mutant. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that FOB1- and RAD52-dependent homologous recombination cause the gain and loss of a few copies of the rDNA unit, and this must be a basic mechanism responsible for amplification and reduction of the rDNA copy number. In addition, FOB1 may also play a role in the copy number regulation of rDNA tandem repeats.

DNA, Ribosomal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Irinotecan (CPT-11): a brief overview.

1. Irinotecan (also known as CPT-11) is a water soluble, semi-synthetic analogue of 20(S)camptothecin (CPT) with promising activity against a range of tumour types. 2. As with all other active analogues of CPT, irinotecan causes cell toxicity by stabilizing a ternary complex between the nuclear enzyme topoisomerase I (topo I) and double-stranded DNA. This leads to replication fork-arrest, double DNA strand breaks and, possibly, illegitimate recombination of vital genes. 3. This activity is much greater for its metabolite SN-38 and irinotecan is widely considered to be a prodrug of SN-38. 4. The anti-topo I activity of CPT is stereoselective at C-20 and irinotecan is synthesized from 20(S)CPT to ensure maximal activity. In aqueous solutions, the lactone ring of CPT undergoes reversible and spontaneous hydrolysis to a ring-opened and inactive carboxylate form. In patients, it has been shown that the lactone is the predominant form of SN-38 in plasma, whereas the opposite is true for irinotecan. 5. The transformation of irinotecan to SN-38 is catalysed by carboxylesterases. However, this conversion appears relatively inefficient in man. 6. Irinotecan and SN-38 show evidence of other metabolic reactions (type I and II), some of which could be subject to pharmacogenetic variability. 7. Therapy with irinotecan is associated with unusual toxicities, such as an acute cholinergic-like syndrome and delayed onset diarrhoea. Although the mechanism for the diarrhoea remains to be defined, the cholinergic toxicity appears to be due to an inhibition of acetylcholinesterase.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

DNA gyrase-mediated wrapping of the DNA strand is required for the replication fork arrest by the DNA gyrase-quinolone-DNA ternary complex.

The ability of DNA gyrase (Gyr) to wrap the DNA strand around itself allows Gyr to introduce negative supercoils into DNA molecules. It has been demonstrated that the deletion of the C-terminal DNA-binding domain of the GyrA subunit abolishes the ability of Gyr to wrap the DNA strand and catalyze the supercoiling reaction (Kampranis, S. C., and Maxwell, A. (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 93, 14416-14421). By using this mutant Gyr, Gyr (A59), we have studied effects of Gyr-mediated wrapping of the DNA strand on its replicative function and its interaction with the quinolone antibacterial drugs. We find that Gyr (A59) can support oriC DNA replication in vitro. However, Gyr (A59)-catalyzed decatenation activity is not efficient enough to complete the decatenation of replicating daughter DNA molecules. As is the case with topoisomerase IV, the active cleavage and reunion activity of Gyr is required for the formation of the ternary complex that can arrest replication fork progression in vitro. Although the quinolone drugs stimulate the covalent Gyr (A59)-DNA complex formation, the Gyr (A59)-quinolone-DNA ternary complexes do not arrest the progression of replication forks. Thus, the quinolone-induced covalent topoisomerase-DNA complex formation is necessary but not sufficient to cause the inhibition of DNA replication. We also assess the stability of ternary complexes formed with Gyr (A59), the wild type Gyr, or topoisomerase IV. The ternary complexes formed with Gyr (A59) are more sensitive to salt than those formed with either the wild type Gyr or topoisomerase IV. Furthermore, a competition experiment demonstrates that the ternary complexes formed with Gyr (A59) readily disassociate from the DNA, whereas the ternary complexes formed with either the wild type Gyr or topoisomerase IV remain stably bound. Thus, Gyr-mediated wrapping of the DNA strand is required for the formation of the stable Gyr-quinolone-DNA ternary complex that can arrest replication fork progression.

DNA↗
PubMed2004

Visualization of altered replication dynamics after DNA damage in human cells.

Eukaryotic cells respond to DNA damage within the S phase by activating an intra-S checkpoint: a response that includes reducing the rate of DNA synthesis. In yeast cells this can occur via checkpoint-dependent inhibition of origin firing and stabilization of ongoing forks, together with a checkpoint-independent slowing of fork movement. In higher eukaryotes, however, the mechanism by which DNA synthesis is reduced is less clear. We have developed strategies based on DNA fiber labeling that allow the quantitative assessment of rates of replication fork movement, origin firing, and fork stalling throughout the genome by examining large numbers of individually labeled replication forks. We show that exposing S phase cells to ionizing radiation induces a transient block to origin firing but does not affect fork rate or fork stalling. Alkylation damage by methyl methane sulfonate causes a slowing of fork movement and a high rate of fork stalling, in addition to inducing a block to new origin firing. Nucleotide depletion by hydroxyurea also reduces replication fork rate and increases stalling; moreover, in contrast to a recent report, we show that hydroxyurea induces a strong block to new origin firing. The DNA fiber labeling strategy provides a powerful new approach to analyze the dynamics of DNA replication in a perturbed S phase.

DNA↗
PubMed2005

Degradation of human exonuclease 1b upon DNA synthesis inhibition.

In response to DNA damage, signaling pathways are triggered that either block the cell division cycle at defined transitions (G1-S and G2-M) or slow down progression through the S phase. Nucleases play important roles in DNA synthesis, recombination, repair, and apoptosis. In this study, we have examined the regulation of human exonuclease 1 (hEXO1b). The endogenous hEXO1b protein was only detected upon enrichment by immunoprecipitation. We found that hEXO1b was constantly expressed throughout the cell cycle. However, treatment of cells with agents that cause arrest of DNA replication led to rapid degradation of hEXO1b. This effect was fully reversed upon removal of the block. Analysis of synchronized cells showed that degradation of hEXO1b during the S phase was strictly dependent on DNA synthesis inhibition. DNA damage caused by UV-C radiation, ionizing radiation, cisplatin, or the alkylating agent N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine did not affect hEXO1b stability. We show that hEXO1b was phosphorylated in response to inhibition of DNA synthesis and that phosphorylation coincided with rapid protein degradation through ubiquitin-proteasome pathways. Our data support the evidence that control of exonuclease 1 activity may be critical for the maintenance of stalled replication forks.

Antibodies↗