DNA replication by a membrane-DNA complex from rat liver mitochondria.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · Search PubMed
Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Eukaryotic DNA replication is a highly conserved process; the proteins and sequence of events that replicate animal genomes are remarkably similar to those that replicate yeast genomes. Moreover, the assembly of prereplication complexes at DNA replication origins ('DNA licensing') is regulated in all eukaryotes so that no origin fires more than once in a single cell cycle. And yet there are significant differences between species both in the selection of replication origins and in the way in which these origins are licensed to operate. Moreover, these differences impart advantages to multicellular animals and plants that facilitate their development, such as better control over endoreduplication, flexibility in origin selection, and discrimination between quiescent and proliferative states.
Using a previously developed procedure (Gencheva et al. [1996] J Biol Chem 271:2608-2614), we isolated a DNA fraction consisting of short fragments originating from the regions of initiation of DNA synthesis from exponentially growing Chinese hamster ovary cells. This fraction arbitrarily designated as "collective origin fraction" was labeled in vitro and used to probe the abundance of origin containing sequences in preparations of matrix-attached and loop DNA isolated by two different procedures from Chinese hamster ovary cells. Alternatively, an individual DNA replication origin sequence - a 478-bp long DNA fragment located at about 17-kb downstream of the dihydrofolate reductase gene - was used to probe the same matrix-attached and loop DNA fractions. The results with both the collective and individual DNA replication origins showed that there was random distribution of the origin sequences between DNA attached to the matrix and DNA from the loops.
The overall organization of cell division in Plasmodium is unique compared to that observed in model organisms because DNA replicates more than once per cell cycle at several points of its life cycle. The sequencing of the Plasmodium genome has also revealed the apparent absence of many key components (e.g. Cdt1, DDK and Cdc45) of the eukaryotic cell cycle machinery that are responsible for the formation of the pre-replication complex (pre-RC). We have characterized the Plasmodium falciparum minichromosome maintenance complex (MCM) that plays a key role in the transition of pre-RC to the RC. Similar to other eukaryotes, the Plasmodium genome encodes six MCM subunits. Here, we show that expression levels of at least three of the PfMCM subunits, the homologues of MCM2, MCM6 and MCM7, change during the intraerythrocytic development cycle, peaking in schizont and decreasing in the ring and trophozoite stages. PfMCM2, 6 and 7 subunits interact with each other to form a developmentally regulated complex: these interactions are detectable in rings and schizonts, but not in trophozoites. PfMCM2, 6 and 7 subunits are localized in both cytosolic and nucleosolic fractions during all intraerythrocytic stages of P. falciparum development, with increased nuclear localization in schizonts. Only PfMCM6 is associated with the chromatin fraction at all stages of growth. No phosphorylation of PfMCM2, 6 and 7 was detected, but two as yet unidentified threonine-phosphosphorylated proteins were present in the complex, whose pattern of phosphorylation varied during parasite development.
In order to elucidate the mechanism of DNA replication fork arrest by the replication terminator protein (RTP)-DNA complex, a set of RTP fusion proteins were constructed in which peptides of various sizes were fused to the C terminus; this placed the peptides at a surface location that was predicted to come into contact with the DNA replication machinery during fork arrest. The fusion proteins were capable of replication fork arrest in vivo, but they had a significantly reduced efficiency compared to wild-type RTP, which was not directly proportional to peptide size or sequence. Importantly, the fusion proteins retained completely normal RTP-DNA binding affinity. These findings rule out the molecular clamp model as the sole explanation for fork arrest by RTP, and suggest that RTP interacts with the replication machinery in a manner that directly contributes to the fork arrest mechanism.
The nucleotide sequence around the origin of replication in DNA of mouse polyoma virus was determined by 32P labeling of the 3' terminus of the Hap II-5/Alu I-1 DNA fragment, with the use of DNA polymerase. The result coincided with our previous report on the 32P labeling, with the use of polynucleotide kinase, of the 5' terminus of the Hap II-5/Hha I-1 DNA fragment, which corresponds to the large part of the present fragment, Hap II-5/Alu I-1. A symmetrical (A+T)-rich region containing a five-A stretch (or a five-T stretch) was flanked by two small regions with a 2-fold rotational axis of symmetry. On comparison of the sequence near the replication origin of polyoma DNA with that in the corresponding region of simian virus 40 DNA, which was included in the EcoRI-G fragment sequenced by Weissman's group (Subramanian K.N., Dahr, R. & Weissman, S. M. (1977) J. Biol. Chem. 252, 355--367), a considerable similarity was detected. Several possible common sequences for important biological activities such as the starting of DNA replication and RNA synthesis were suggested.
Most DNA synthesis in HeLa cell nucleus is concentrated in discrete foci. These synthetic sites can be identified by electron microscopy after allowing permeabilized cells to elongate nascent DNA in the presence of biotin-dUTP. Biotin incorporated into nascent DNA can be then immunolabeled with gold particles. Two types of DNA synthetic sites/replication factories can be distinguished at ultrastructural level: (1) electron-dense structures--replication bodies (RB), and (2) focal replication sites with no distinct underlying structure--replication foci (RF). The protein composition of these synthetic sites was studied using double immunogold labeling. We have found that both structures contain (a) proteins involved in DNA replication (DNA polymerase alpha, PCNA), (b) regulators of the cell cycle (cyclin A, cdk2), and (c) RNA processing components like Sm and SS-B/La auto antigens, p80-coilin, hnRNPs A1 and C1/C2. However, at least four regulatory and structural proteins (Cdk1, cyclin B1, PML and lamin B1) differ in their presence in RB and RF. Moreover, in contrast to RF, RB have structural organization. For example, while DNA polymerase alpha, PCNA and hnRNP A1 were diffusely spread throughout RB, hnRNP C1/C2 was found only at the very outside. Surprisingly, RB contained only small amounts of DNA. In conclusion, synthetic sites of both types contain similar but not the same sets of proteins. RB, however, have more developed microarchitecture, apparently with specific functional zones. This data suggest possible differences in genome regions replicated by these two types of replication factories.
DNA amplification of the helper-dependent parvovirus AAV (adeno-associated virus) can be induced by a variety of genotoxic agents in the absence of coinfecting helper virus. Here we investigated whether the origin of AAV type 2 DNA replication cloned into a plasmid is sufficient to promote replication activity in cells treated by the carcinogen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). A pUC19-based plasmid, designated pA2Y1, which contains the left terminal repeat sequences (TRs) representing the AAV origin of replication and the p5 and p19 promoter but lacks any functional parvoviral genes is shown to confer replication activity and to allow selective DNA amplification in carcinogen-treated cells. Following transfection of plasmid pA2Y1 or plasmid pUC19 as a control, density labeling by a bromodeoxyuridine and DpnI resistance assay suggested a semi-conservative mode of replication of the AAV origin-containing plasmid. Furthermore, the amount of DpnI-resistant full-length pA2Y1 DNA molecules was increased by MNNG treatment of cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, DNA synthesis of plasmid pA2Y1 was studied in vitro. Extracts derived from MNNG-treated CHO-9 and L1210 cells displayed greater synthesis of DpnI-resistant full-length pA2Y1 molecules than did nontreated controls. Experiments with specific enzyme inhibitors suggested that the reaction is largely dependent on DNA polymerase alpha, DNA primase, and DNA topoisomerase I. Furthermore, restriction endonuclease mapping analysis of the in vitro reaction products revealed the occurrence of specific initiation at the AAV origin of DNA replication. Though elongation was not very extensive, extracts from carcinogen-treated cells markedly amplified the AAV origin region. Our results, including electron microscopic examination, suggest that the AAV origin/terminal repeat structure is recognized by the cellular DNA replicative machinery induced or modulated by carcinogen treatment in the absence of parvoviral gene products.
Commitment to DNA replication is one of the major control points of the eukaryotic cell cycle, and one that has been curiously hard to analyse. However, homologous components of this process are now being identified by genetic analysis of yeast and by biochemical analysis of cell-free systems from higher eukaryotes. This homology suggests that these components are part of a universal mechanism for controlling the eukaryotic cell cycle. The most important component of this mechanism is the cdc2 protein, which controls the initiation of both DNA replication and mitosis. At present, however, its precise role in DNA replication is unclear.
The origin recognition complex (ORC) is a six protein assembly that binds S. cerevisiae origins of replication and directs DNA replication throughout the genome and transcriptional silencing at the yeast mating-type loci. Here we report the cloning of the genes encoding the 120 kDa (ORC1), 62 kDa (ORC3), and 56 kDa (ORC4) subunits of ORC and the reconstitution of the complete complex after expression of all six subunits in insect cells. Orc1p is related to Cdc6p and Cdc18p, which regulate DNA replication and mitosis, and to Sir3p, a regulator of transcriptional silencing. The N-terminal region of Orc1p is highly related to Sir3p, and studies of Orc1p/Sir3p chimeric proteins indicate that this domain is dedicated to the transcriptional silencing function of ORC.