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Human xeroderma pigmentosum group A protein interacts with human replication protein A and inhibits DNA replication.

Human replication protein A (RPA; also known as human single-stranded DNA binding protein, or HSSB) is a multisubunit complex involved in both DNA replication and repair. While the role of RPA in replication has been well studied, its function in repair is less clear, although it is known to be involved in the early stages of the repair process. We found that RPA interacts with xeroderma pigmentosum group A complementing protein (XPAC), a protein that specifically recognizes UV-damaged DNA. We examined the effect of this XPAC-RPA interaction on in vitro simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA replication catalyzed by the monopolymerase system. XPAC inhibited SV40 DNA replication in vitro, and this inhibition was reversed by the addition of RPA but not by the addition of DNA polymerase alpha-primase complex, SV40 large tumor antigen, or topoisomerase I. This inhibition did not result from an interaction between XPAC and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), or from competition between RPA and XPAC for DNA binding, because XPAC does not show any ssDNA binding activity and, in fact, stimulates RPA's ssDNA binding activity. Furthermore, XPAC inhibited DNA polymerase alpha activity in the presence of RPA but not in RPA's absence. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of XPAC on DNA replication probably occurs through its interaction with RPA.

DNA Helicases↗

Bloom's syndrome protein, BLM, colocalizes with replication protein A in meiotic prophase nuclei of mammalian spermatocytes.

Bloom's syndrome (BS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of humans characterized by severe pre- and postnatal growth deficiency, immunodeficiency, genomic instability, and a predisposition to a wide variety of neoplasms. The genomic instability is evidenced in BS somatic cells as a high incidence of gaps and breaks, chromatid exchanges, chromosome rearrangements, and locus-specific mutations. BS arises from a mutation in BLM, a gene encoding a protein with homology to the RecQ helicase family. Men with BS are sterile; women have reduced fertility and a shortened reproductive span. The current immunocytological study on mouse spermatocytes shows that the BLM protein is first evident as discrete foci along the synaptonemal complexes (SCs) of homologously synapsed autosomal bivalents in late zygonema of meiotic prophase. BLM foci progressively dissociate from the synapsed autosomal axes during early pachynema and are no longer seen in mid-pachynema. BLM colocalizes with the single-stranded DNA binding replication protein A, which has been shown to be involved in meiotic synapsis. However, there is a temporal delay in the appearance of BLM protein along the SCs relative to replication protein A, suggesting that BLM is required for a late step in processing of a subset of genomic DNA involved in establishment of interhomologue interactions in early meiotic prophase. In late pachynema and into diplonema, BLM is more dispersed in the nucleoplasm, especially over the chromatin most intimately associated with the SCs, suggesting a possible involvement of BLM in resolution of interlocks in preparation for homologous chromosome disjunction during anaphase I.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Functional domains of the 70-kilodalton subunit of human replication protein A.

Human replication protein A (RPA) is a single-stranded DNA-binding protein that is composed of subunits of 70, 32, and 14 kDa. This heterotrimeric complex is required for multiple processes in DNA metabolism including DNA replication, DNA repair, and recombination. Previous studies have suggested that the 616 amino acid, 70-kDa subunit of RPA (RPA 70) is composed of multiple structural/functional domains. We used a series of N-terminal deletions of RPA70 to define the boundaries of these domains and elucidate their functions. Mutant RPA complexes missing residues 1-168 of RPA70 bound ssDNA with high affinity and supported SV40 replication in vitro. In contrast, deletions extending beyond residue 168 showed a decreased affinity for ssDNA and were inactive in SV40 DNA replication. When residues 1-381 were deleted, the resulting truncated RPA70 was unable to bind ssDNA but still formed a stable complex with the 32- and 14-kDa subunits of RPA. Thus, the C-terminal domain of RPA70 is both necessary and sufficient for RPA complex formation. These data indicate that RPA70 is composed of three functional domains: an N-terminal domain that is not required for ssDNA binding or SV40 replication, a central DNA-binding domain, and a C-terminal domain that is essential for subunit interactions. For all mutant complexes examined, both phosphorylation of the 32-kDa subunit of RPA and the ability to support T antigen-dependent, origin-dependent DNA unwinding correlated with ssDNA binding activity.

Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming↗

In vitro analysis of the zinc-finger motif in human replication protein A.

Human replication protein A (RPA) is composed of 70, 34 and 11 kDa subunits (p70, p34 and p11 respectively) and functions in all three major DNA metabolic processes: replication, repair and recombination. Recent deletion analysis demonstrated that the large subunit of RPA, p70, has multiple functional domains, including a DNA polymerase alpha-stimulation domain and a single-stranded DNA-binding domain. It also contains a putative metal-binding domain of the 4-cysteine type (Cys-Xaa4-Cys-Xaa13-Cys-Xaa2-Cys) that is highly conserved among eukaryotes. To study the role of this domain in DNA metabolism, we created various p70 mutants that lack the zinc-finger motif (by Cys-->Ala substitutions). Mutation at the zinc-finger domain (ZFM) abolished RPA's function in nucleotide excision repair (NER), but had very little impact on DNA replication. The failure of zinc-finger mutant RPA in NER may be explained by the observation that wild-type RPA significantly stimulated DNA polymerase delta activity, whereas only marginal stimulation was observed with zinc-finger mutant RPA. We also observed that ZFM reduced RPA's single-stranded DNA-binding activity by 2-3-fold in the presence of low amounts of RPA. Interestingly, the ZFM abolished phosphorylation of the p34 subunit by DNA-dependent protein kinase, but not that by cyclin-dependent kinase. Taker together, our results strongly suggest a positive role for RPA's zinc finger domain in its function.

DNA Polymerase III↗

The glycogen phosphorylase-2 promoter binding protein in Dictyostelium is replication protein A.

During Dictyostelium development, glycogen degradation is a crucial event that provides glucose monomers used in the synthesis of the essential structural components for cellular differentiation. The product of the developmentally regulated glycogen phosphorylase-2 gene (gp2) catalyzes the degradation. DNA-binding proteins were found to bind to a regulatory site of the gp2 gene in a stage-dependent pattern. Gel-shift analysis of undifferentiated amoebae cell extract revealed a protein migrating at 0.40 Rf, while 17 hour differentiated cell extract produced a species migrating at 0.32 Rf. Both the 0.32 and 0.40 Rf proteins were purified and found to consist of three subunits of 18, 35 and 62 kDa (for 0.40 Rf) or 81 kDa (for 0.32 Rf). Data base searches identified the protein as the Dictyostelium homologue of replication protein A (DdRPA). Amino acid sequence analysis showed identity between the 62 and 81 kDa subunits. Incubation of cell-free extracts under appropriate conditions at low pH, resulted in conversion of the 81 kDa to the 62 kDa subunit. Northern blot analysis revealed that the levels of expression of the large subunit of DdRPA were constant throughout differentiation and the size of the mRNA was the same at all stages of development. The results raise the possibility that pH induced post-translational modifications of DdRPA are involved in events that halt cell proliferation and induce differentiation in Dictyostelium.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The meiosis-specific protein kinase Ime2 directs phosphorylation of replication protein A.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the cellular single-stranded DNA-binding protein replication protein A (RPA) becomes phosphorylated during meiosis in two discrete reactions. The primary reaction is first observed shortly after cells enter the meiotic program and leads to phosphorylation of nearly all the detectable RPA. The secondary reaction, which requires the ATM/ATR homologue Mec1, is induced upon initiation of recombination and only modifies a fraction of the total RPA. We now report that correct timing of both RPA phosphorylation reactions requires Ime2, a meiosis-specific protein kinase that is critical for proper initiation of meiotic progression. Expression of Ime2 in vegetative cells leads to an unscheduled RPA phosphorylation reaction that does not require other tested meiosis-specific kinases and is distinct from the RPA phosphorylation reaction that normally occurs during mitotic growth. In addition, immunoprecipitated Ime2 catalyzes phosphorylation of purified RPA. Our data strongly suggest that Ime2 is an RPA kinase in vivo. We propose that Ime2 directly catalyzes RPA phosphorylation in the primary reaction and indirectly promotes the Mec1-dependent secondary reaction by advancing cells through meiotic progression. Our studies have identified a novel meiosis-specific reaction that targets a key protein required for DNA replication, repair, and recombination. This pathway could be important in differentiating mitotic and meiotic DNA metabolism.

Blotting, Western↗

Equilibrium and stop-flow kinetic studies of fluorescently labeled DNA substrates with DNA repair proteins XPA and replication protein A.

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a crucial pathway in the maintenance of genome stability requiring at least two dozen proteins. XPA and RPA have essential roles in the damage recognition step of NER. To better understand the mechanism of their interactions with DNA, we utilized equilibrium and stop-flow kinetic approaches with fluorescently labeled oligonucleotides. Fluorescein is a bona fide NER lesion because a circular plasmid with a single defined fluorescein was repaired by efficient extracts from Xenopus oocyte nuclei. Single-stranded and double-stranded oligonucleotides 5'-labeled with fluorescein were used in the subsequent studies. Oligonucleotide fluorescence was quenched upon specific binding to full-length recombinant Xenopus XPA (xXPA) and/or human RPA. The binding was highly sensitive to the buffer conditions. Analysis of equilibrium binding data with ds DNA and xXPA revealed a single dissociation constant (K(d)) of 24.4 nM. Stopped-flow kinetic experiments were described by a first-order on-rate constant k(on) of 9.03 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) and k(off) of 26.1 s(-1). From the ratio of off-rate to on-rate, a calculated K(d) of 28.9 nM was obtained, revealing that the kinetic and equilibrium studies were consistent. The affinity of xXPA for ds undamaged DNA determined in our spectrofluorometry experiments was up to 3 orders of magnitude higher than previously reported values using different substrates, conditions, and assays [gel-shifts (EMSA), filter-binding, anisotropy, and surface plasmon resonance]. The same substrate DNA containing a 4-bp mismatch in the middle yielded a K(d) five times higher (158 nM), indicating weaker binding by xXPA. The differences in K(d) values for these two substrates were mainly attributable to the k(on), rather than k(off) rates. Fluorescence intensity changes upon interaction of xXPA with ss 50-mer were too low to calculate an accurate K(d). Although recombinant human RPA binding to the ds 50-mer was very weak (K(d) > 1 mM), stop-flow and equilibrium measurements to ss oligonucleotide yielded K(d) values of 96 and 20.3 nM, respectively, which correlated with previously reported values using gel mobility shift assays and a similarly sized poly-dT. Equilibrium and stop-flow measurements to the cognate and mismatched ds oligonucleotides using both xXPA and hRPA yielded a 2- to 3-fold increase in the K(d).

Animals↗

Localization of p53, retinoblastoma and host replication proteins at sites of viral replication in herpes-infected cells.

Replication of DNA occurs at discrete sites in eukaryotic cell nuclei, where replication proteins are clustered into large complexes, or 'replicases'. Similarly, viral DNA replication is a highly structured process, notably in herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1; reviewed in ref. 4) in which large globular 'replication compartments' containing the viral replication machinery exist. Replicating cellular DNA redistributes to these compartments upon HSV-1 infection. We have now used antibodies raised against several cellular proteins to detect changes in their subnuclear localization on HSV-1 infection. We found that various proteins involved in cellular DNA replication move to sites of viral DNA synthesis, whereas a selection of non-replication proteins do not. The retinoblastoma protein and p53 (the products of two putative anti-oncogenes) relocate to the same sites as known DNA replication proteins, suggesting that they may be associated with DNA replication complexes in normal, uninfected cells.

Animals↗

Functional interactions between SV40 T antigen and other replication proteins at the replication fork.

The functional interaction of simian virus 40 (SV40) large tumor antigen (T antigen) with DNA polymerase alpha (pol alpha)-primase complex, human single-stranded DNA binding protein (HSSB), and DNA polymerase delta (pol delta) holoenzyme, which includes pol delta, activator I (also called replication factor C), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen, at the replication fork was examined using the purified components that support SV40 DNA replication. Dilution of reaction mixtures during RNA primer synthesis revealed that T antigen remained associated continuously with the fork, while the pol alpha-primase complex dissociated from the complex during oligoribonucleotide synthesis. T antigen unwound duplex DNA from the SV40 core origin at a rate of 200 base pairs/min. Pol alpha-primase complex inhibited the rate of the unwinding reaction, and HSSB, pol alpha, and primase were all required for this effect. These requirements are the same as those essential for DNA primase-catalyzed oligoribonucleotide synthesis (Matsumoto, T., Eki, T., and Hurwitz, J. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 87, 9712-9716). This result suggests that the pol alpha-primase complex interacts with T antigen and HSSB during the unwinding reaction to synthesize RNA primers and that the interaction decreases the rate of T antigen movement. While pol delta holoenzyme can elongate primed DNA chains at a rate of 400-600 nucleotides/min on singly primed phi X174 DNA, the rate of the leading strand synthesis catalyzed by pol delta holoenzyme in the SV40 replication system in vitro was about 200 nucleotides/min. This rate was similar to the unwinding rate catalyzed by T antigen. Thus, the rate of leading strand synthesis catalyzed by pol delta holoenzyme in vitro appears to be limited by the unwinding reaction catalyzed by T antigen.

Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming↗

Purification and characterization of replication protein A, a cellular protein required for in vitro replication of simian virus 40 DNA.

The replication of simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA is largely dependent upon cellular replication proteins. To define these proteins we have made use of a cell-free system that is capable of replicating plasmid DNA molecules containing the SV40 origin of replication. Systematic fractionation-reconstitution experiments indicate that there are a minimum of six cellular proteins that are required for efficient viral DNA replication in vitro. We report here the purification of one of these proteins, replication protein A (RP-A), to homogeneity. RP-A is a multisubunit protein that contains four tightly associated polypeptides of 70, 53, 32, and 14 kDa. Partial proteolysis experiments indicate that the 53-kDa polypeptide is closely related to the 70-kDa polypeptide, suggesting that it may be a proteolytic fragment of the larger subunit. RP-A is absolutely required for reconstitution of SV40 DNA replication in vitro. The purified protein binds to single-stranded DNA and is required for the large tumor (T)-antigen-mediated unwinding of DNA molecules containing the SV40 origin of DNA replication. These properties are consistent with the possibility that RP-A plays a central role in the generation of a single-stranded region at the origin prior to initiation of DNA synthesis. The protein may also function to facilitate unwinding of the parental DNA strands during the elongation phase of SV40 DNA replication.

Antigens, Viral, Tumor↗

Differential involvement of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related protein kinases in hyperphosphorylation of replication protein A2 in response to replication-mediated DNA double-strand breaks.

Replication protein A2 (RPA2), a component of the RPA heterotrimer, is hyperphosphorylated and forms nuclear foci in response to camptothecin (CPT) that directly induces replication-mediated DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related kinase (ATR) and DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) are activated by CPT, and RPA2 is hyperphosphorylated in a DNA-PK-dependent manner. To distinguish the roles of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related protein kinases including DNA-PK, ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), and ATR, in the response to replication-mediated DSBs, we analyzed RPA2 focus formation and hyperphosphorylation during exposure to CPT. ATR knock-down with siRNA suppressed CPT-induced RPA2 hyperphosphorylation and focus formation. CPT-induced RPA2 focus formation was normally observed in DNA-PK- or ATM-deficient cells. Comparison between CPT and hydroxyurea (HU) indirectly inducing DSBs showed that RPA2 hyperphosphorylation is DNA-PK-dependent in CPT-treated cells and DNA-PK-independent in HU-treated cells. Although RPA2 foci rapidly formed in response to HU and CPT, the RPA2 hyperphosphorylation in HU-treated cells occurred later than in the CPT-treated cells, indicating that the DNA-PK dependency of RPA2 hyperphosphorylation is likely to be related to the mode of DSB induction. These results suggest that DNA-PK is responsible for the RPA2 hyperphosphorylation following ATR-dependent RPA2 focus formation in response to replication-mediated DSBs directly induced by CPT.

Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins↗

Mechanism of dnaB protein action. I. Crystallization and properties of dnaB protein, an essential replication protein in Escherichia coli.

Purification and crystallization of dnaB protein from Escherichia coli was performed on a large scale by a simple procedure. From 1.5 kg of cells, 520 mg of dnaB protein were obtained in a 58% yield with a purity greater than 99%. The E. coli cells harbor a high copy-number plasmid carrying the dnaB gene and overproduce the enzyme over 200-fold. The subunit molecular weight determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is 50,000. Based on a native Mr = 290,000 and cross-linking studies that yielded six bands, dnaB protein is judged to be a hexamer, confirming the results of Reha-Krantz, L. J., and Hurwitz, J. (1978) J. Biol. Chem. 253, 4043-4050.

Amino Acids↗

Relationship of the xeroderma pigmentosum group E DNA repair defect to the chromatin and DNA binding proteins UV-DDB and replication protein A.

Cells from complementation groups A through G of the heritable sun-sensitive disorder xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) show defects in nucleotide excision repair of damaged DNA. Proteins representing groups A, B, C, D, F, and G are subunits of the core recognition and incision machinery of repair. XP group E (XP-E) is the mildest form of the disorder, and cells generally show about 50% of the normal repair level. We investigated two protein factors previously implicated in the XP-E defect, UV-damaged DNA binding protein (UV-DDB) and replication protein A (RPA). Three newly identified XP-E cell lines (XP23PV, XP25PV, and a line formerly classified as an XP variant) were defective in UV-DDB binding activity but had levels of RPA in the normal range. The XP-E cell extracts did not display a significant nucleotide excision repair defect in vitro, with either UV-irradiated DNA or a uniquely placed cisplatin lesion used as a substrate. Purified UV-DDB protein did not stimulate repair of naked DNA by DDB- XP-E cell extracts, but microinjection of the protein into DDB- XP-E cells could partially correct the repair defect. RPA stimulated repair in normal, XP-E, or complemented extracts from other XP groups, and so the effect of RPA was not specific for XP-E cell extracts. These data strengthen the connection between XP-E and UV-DDB. Coupled with previous results, the findings suggest that UV-DDB has a role in the repair of DNA in chromatin.

Cells, Cultured↗

Ku antigen, an origin-specific binding protein that associates with replication proteins, is required for mammalian DNA replication.

Ors binding activity (OBA) represents a HeLa cell protein activity that binds in a sequence-specific manner to A3/4, a 36-bp mammalian replication origin sequence. OBA's DNA binding domain is identical to the 80-kDa subunit of Ku antigen. Ku antigen associates with mammalian origins of DNA replication in vivo, with maximum binding at the G1/S phase. Addition of an A3/4 double-stranded oligonucleotide inhibited in vitro DNA replication of p186, pors12, and pX24, plasmids containing the monkey replication origins of ors8, ors12, and the Chinese hamster DHFR oribeta, respectively. In contrast, in vitro SV40 DNA replication remained unaffected. The inhibitory effect of A3/4 oligonucleotide was fully reversed upon addition of affinity-purified Ku. Furthermore, depletion of Ku by inclusion of an antibody recognizing the Ku heterodimer, Ku70/Ku80, decreased mammalian replication to basal levels. By co-immunoprecipitation analyses, Ku was found to interact with DNA polymerases alpha, delta and epsilon, PCNA, topoisomerase II, RF-C, RP-A, DNA-PKcs, ORC-2, and Oct-1. These interactions were not inhibited by the presence of ethidium bromide in the immunoprecipitation reaction, suggesting DNA-independent protein associations. The data suggest an involvement of Ku in mammalian DNA replication as an origin-specific-binding protein with DNA helicase activity. Ku acts at the initiation step of replication and requires an A3/4-homologous sequence for origin binding. The physical association of Ku with replication proteins reveals a possible mechanism by which Ku is recruited to mammalian origins.

Animals↗

Replication protein A physically interacts with the Bloom's syndrome protein and stimulates its helicase activity.

Bloom's syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by genomic instability and predisposition to cancer. BLM, the gene defective in Bloom's syndrome, encodes a 159-kDa protein possessing DNA-stimulated ATPase and ATP-dependent DNA helicase activities. We have examined mechanistic aspects of the catalytic functions of purified recombinant BLM protein. Through analyzing the effects of different lengths of DNA cofactor on ATPase activity, we provide evidence to suggest that BLM translocates along single-stranded DNA in a processive manner. The helicase reaction catalyzed by BLM protein was examined as a function of duplex DNA length. We show that BLM catalyzes unwinding of short DNA duplexes (</=71 base pairs (bp)) but is severely compromised on longer DNA duplexes (>/=259-bp). The presence of the human single-stranded DNA-binding protein (human replication protein A (hRPA)) stimulates the BLM unwinding reaction on the 259-bp partial duplex DNA substrate. Heterologous single-stranded DNA-binding proteins fail to stimulate similarly the helicase activity of BLM protein. This is the first demonstration of a functional interaction between BLM and another protein. Consistent with a functional interaction between hRPA and the BLM helicase, we demonstrate a direct physical interaction between the two proteins mediated by the 70-kDa subunit of RPA. The interactions between BLM and hRPA suggest that the two proteins function together in vivo to unwind DNA duplexes during replication, recombination, or repair.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Single-stranded-DNA binding alters human replication protein A structure and facilitates interaction with DNA-dependent protein kinase.

Human replication protein A (hRPA) is an essential single-stranded-DNA-binding protein that stimulates the activities of multiple DNA replication and repair proteins through physical interaction. To understand DNA binding and its role in hRPA heterologous interaction, we examined the physical structure of hRPA complexes with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) by scanning transmission electron microscopy. Recent biochemical studies have shown that hRPA combines with ssDNA in at least two binding modes: by interacting with 8 to 10 nucleotides (hRPA8nt) and with 30 nucleotides (hRPA30nt). We find the relatively unstable hRPA8nt complex to be notably compact with many contacts between hRPA molecules. In contrast, on similar lengths of ssDNA, hRPA30nt complexes align along the DNA and make few intermolecular contacts. Surprisingly, the elongated hRPA30nt complex exists in either a contracted or an extended form that depends on ssDNA length. Therefore, homologous-protein interaction and available ssDNA length both contribute to the physical changes that occur in hRPA when it binds ssDNA. We used activated DNA-dependent protein kinase as a biochemical probe to detect alterations in conformation and demonstrated that formation of the extended hRPA30nt complex correlates with increased phosphorylation of the hRPA 29-kDa subunit. Our results indicate that hRPA binds ssDNA in a multistep pathway, inducing new hRPA alignments and conformations that can modulate the functional interaction of other factors with hRPA.

Base Sequence↗

Functions of human replication protein A (RPA): from DNA replication to DNA damage and stress responses.

Human replication protein A (RPA), a heterotrimeric protein complex, was originally defined as a eukaryotic single-stranded DNA binding (SSB) protein essential for the in vitro replication of simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA. Since then RPA has been found to be an indispensable player in almost all DNA metabolic pathways such as, but not limited to, DNA replication, DNA repair, recombination, cell cycle, and DNA damage checkpoints. Defects in these cellular reactions may lead to genome instability and, thus, the diseases with a high potential to evolve into cancer. This extensive involvement of RPA in various cellular activities implies a potential modulatory role for RPA in cellular responses to genotoxic insults. In support, RPA is hyperphosphorylated upon DNA damage or replication stress by checkpoint kinases including ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), ATR (ATM and Rad3-related), and DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). The hyperphosphorylation may change the functions of RPA and, thus, the activities of individual pathways in which it is involved. Indeed, there is growing evidence that hyperphosphorylation alters RPA-DNA and RPA-protein interactions. In addition, recent advances in understanding the molecular basis of the stress-induced modulation of RPA functions demonstrate that RPA undergoes a subtle structural change upon hyperphosphorylation, revealing a structure-based modulatory mechanism. Furthermore, given the crucial roles of RPA in a broad range of cellular processes, targeting RPA to inhibit its specific functions, particularly in DNA replication and repair, may serve a valuable strategy for drug development towards better cancer treatment.

Cell Cycle Proteins↗

Assembly of a complex containing Cdc45p, replication protein A, and Mcm2p at replication origins controlled by S-phase cyclin-dependent kinases and Cdc7p-Dbf4p kinase.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, replication origins are activated with characteristic timing during S phase. S-phase cyclin-dependent kinases (S-CDKs) and Cdc7p-Dbf4p kinase are required for origin activation throughout S phase. The activation of S-CDKs leads to association of Cdc45p with chromatin, raising the possibility that Cdc45p defines the assembly of a new complex at each origin. Here we show that both Cdc45p and replication protein A (RPA) bind to Mcm2p at the G(1)-S transition in an S-CDK-dependent manner. During S phase, Cdc45p associates with different replication origins at specific times. The origin associations of Cdc45p and RPA are mutually dependent, and both S-CDKs and Cdc7p-Dbf4p are required for efficient binding of Cdc45p to origins. These findings suggest that S-CDKs and Cdc7p-Dbf4p promote loading of Cdc45p and RPA onto a preformed prereplication complex at each origin with preprogrammed timing. The ARS1 association of Mcm2p, but not that of the origin recognition complex, is diminished by disruption of the B2 element of ARS1, a potential origin DNA-unwinding element. Cdc45p is required for recruiting DNA polymerase alpha onto chromatin, and it associates with Mcm2p, RPA, and DNA polymerase epsilon only during S phase. These results suggest that the complex containing Cdc45p, RPA, and MCMs is involved in origin unwinding and assembly of replication forks at each origin.

Carrier Proteins↗