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Domain structure of the simian virus 40 core origin of replication.

The simian virus 40 core origin of replication consists of nucleotides 5211 through 31. These 64 base pairs contain three functional domains with strict sequence requirements and two spacer regions with relaxed sequence specificity but precise positional constraints. The early domain extends for 10 contiguous base pairs between nucleotides 5211 and 5220. A 9-base pair spacer from sequences 5221 through 5229 separates the early domain from the 23-base pair central palindrome that directs the binding of T antigen. The late end of the core between nucleotides 12 and 31 also contains spacer and sequence-specific functions that are not yet completely mapped. We propose that the sequence-specific domains are interaction sites for viral and cellular proteins, determinants of DNA conformation, or both. The spacers would position these signals at required distances and rotations relative to one another.

Base Sequence↗

Origins of replication and the nuclear matrix: the DHFR domain as a paradigm.

The eukaryotic genome appears to be organized in a loopwise fashion by periodic attachment to the nuclear matrix. The proposal that a chromatin loop corresponds to a functional domain has stirred interest in the properties of the DNA sequences at the bases of these loops, the matrix-attached regions (MARs). Evidence has been presented suggesting that certain MARs act as boundary elements isolating domains from their chromosomal context. MARs have also been found in the vicinity of promoters and enhancers and they could act by displacing these cis-regulatory elements into the proper nuclear subcompartment. Attachment to the matrix might also play a role in DNA replication. A large body of evidence indicates that replication occurs on the nuclear matrix. This implies that any DNA sequence will be attached to the matrix at a certain time during the cell cycle. This transient mode of attachment contrasts with the proposed permanent attachment of origins of DNA replication with the nuclear matrix. While some data exist that support this suggestion, the current lack of understanding of the mammalian replication origin precludes definitive conclusions regarding the role of MARs in the initiation process.

Animals↗

DNA binding properties of an HMG1-related protein from yeast mitochondria.

The DNA binding properties of ABF2, an abundant protein found in the mitochondria of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been examined in detail. ABF2 is closely related to the vertebrate high mobility group protein HMG1 and like HMG1, ABF2 will introduce negative supercoils into a relaxed, double-stranded circular DNA molecule in cooperation with a DNA topoisomerase. Additionally, ABF2 binds approximately 5-10 times more tightly to negatively supercoiled DNA than to relaxed circular or linear DNA. Although ABF2 binds to most random double-stranded sequences with roughly equal affinity, its binding within certain key regulatory regions is qualitatively quite different. First, ABF2 binding induces a distinct pattern of DNA bending within the chromosomal origin of DNA replication, ARS1. Second, ABF2 binding to all nuclear replication origins tested, in addition to a critical mitochondrial promoter and replication origin, is clearly nonrandom as visualized by DNase1 footprinting. Analysis of the sequences found within these regions as well as competition experiments with synthetic DNA molecules suggest that site-specific DNA binding may be accomplished by the phased distribution of short stretches of poly(dA), which exclude ABF2 binding. These patterns of ABF2 DNA binding suggest a role for the protein in genome organization and site-specific regulation of transcription or DNA replication.

Base Sequence↗

Physical mapping of origins of replication in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

We isolated four fragments from the Schizosaccharomyces pombe genome that mediate autonomous replication. A two-dimensional gel analysis revealed that in each case initiation could be mapped to within the S. pombe sequences. In three of the fragments, initiation could be mapped to one discrete location. In the fourth fragment, subcloning and two-dimensional gel analysis suggested that two discrete origins of replication were located within 3 kb of each other. When in proximity, usually only one of these origins fired, suggesting origin interference. Two-dimensional gel analysis of the four origin fragments at their genomic locations demonstrated that each is used in the chromosomes, but in only a subset of cells or cell divisions. The S. pombe genome appears to contain many discrete origins, not all of which fire in any given cell and some of which are closely spaced. Not I/Sfi I mapping of the five origins from this and a previous study indicates that they are randomly distributed throughout the genome and appear to be representative of chromosomal origins of replication in this organism. We compare the features of S. pombe replication origins with those of S. cerevisiae and animal cells.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Identification of a compound origin of replication at the HMR-E locus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Eukaryotic chromosomal origins of replication are best defined in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Previous analysis of yeast origins suggests that they are relatively simple structures comprised of three or four small DNA sequence elements contained within approximately 100-200-base pair regions (Gilbert, D. M. (1998) Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 8, 194-199). In contrast, the sequence elements that may comprise origins in multicellular eukaryotes are largely unknown. The yeast HMR-E region is both a chromosomal origin of replication and a silencer that represses transcription of adjacent genes through a position effect. The analysis presented here indicated that HMR-E had a novel DNA structure that was more complex than defined for other yeast origins, and thus revealed that there is variation in the structural complexity of yeast origins. In contrast to "simple" yeast origins, the origin at HMR-E consisted of at least three independent subregions that had the capacity to initiate replication. We have termed HMR-E a compound origin to reflect its structural complexity. Furthermore, only one origin within the compound origin was a silencer.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Initiation of DNA replication at a nuclear matrix-attached chromatin fraction.

It is still unclear what nuclear components support initiation of DNA replication. To address this issue, we developed a cell-free replication system in which the nuclear matrix along with the residual matrix-attached chromatin was used as a substrate for DNA replication. We found out that initiation occurred at late G1 residual chromatin but not at early G1 chromatin and depended on cytosolic and nuclear factors present in S phase cells but not in G1 cells. Initiation of DNA replication occurred at discrete replication foci in a pattern typical for early S phase. To prove that the observed initiation takes place at legitimate DNA replication origins, the in vitro synthesized nascent DNA strands were isolated and analyzed. It was shown that they were enriched in sequences from the core origin region of the early firing, dihydrofolate reductase origin of replication ori-beta and not in distal to the origin sequences. A conclusion is drawn that initiation of DNA replication occurs at discrete sub-chromosomal structures attached to the nuclear matrix.

Animals↗

Fate of polyoma origin of replication after its direct introduction into mice.

Recently we have developed a method for direct introduction of calcium phosphate-precipitated DNA into newborn rats. To examine whether the foreign DNA can replicate, a plasmid containing a polyoma origin of replication was injected into newborn mice. The plasmid was found intact in liver and spleen and able to transform bacteria. The foreign DNA had disappeared by the seventh day after injection. Yet, the plasmid DNA containing the polyoma origin of replication had undergone replication in both the liver and the spleen.

Animals↗

Atypical location of double-strand origin of replication (nic site) on the plasmid pGA1 from Corynebacterium glutamicum.

The double-strand origin of replication (dso) of the rolling-circle-replicating (RC) plasmid pGA1 from Corynebacterium glutamicum was analyzed using the runoff DNA synthesis assay. The site- and strand-specific breakage of double-stranded plasmid DNA, representing the nic site of dso, was localized precisely within the sequence 5'-CTGG decreases AT-3' in the distal part of the pGA1 rep gene. This location of dso differs from the dso positions found on other RC plasmids and is in agreement with the classification of the plasmid pGA1 into a new group of RC plasmids.

Base Sequence↗

The pCLIP plasmids: versatile cloning vectors based on the bacteriophage lambda origin of replication.

A series of general-purpose plasmid vectors based on the phage lambda origin of replication (ori) has been constructed. Each vector consists of a backbone plasmid encoding chloramphenicol resistance (CmR) and containing a unique HaeII site into which the lacZ alpha-complementing multiple cloning site (MCS) region of an established vector was inserted. To increase the cloning potential of the inserted MCS, superfluous restriction sites in the backbone were removed by a variety of techniques. The vectors, designated pCLIP (for CmR lambda ori integration proficient) plasmids, are of medium copy number and are compatible with most other vectors in common use. A total of 17 unique restriction sites in pCLIP8, pCLIP9, pCLIP18, pCLIP19 and pCLIP23 are available for cloning. As well as possessing the usual properties of vectors, the pCLIP plasmids are able to integrate reversibly into lambda prophage by homologous recombination. Thus, cloned DNA can be maintained in single or multiple copy at will. By integrating recombinant plasmids into appropriate deletion prophages followed by induction, phage::plasmid hybrids are produced which can be manipulated as phage. These properties are demonstrated using a test recombinant plasmid, pCLIPLEU2. The pCLIP vectors are therefore useful for routine plasmid cloning, complementation analysis and applications where the ability to manipulate recombinants in plasmid, phage or prophage forms is advantageous.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Bidirectional replication of plasmid R6K DNA in Escherichia coli; correspondence between origin of replication and position of single-strand break in relaxed complex.

Replicating molecules of plasmid R6K DNA have been purified as covalently closed circular DNA forms and analyzed in the electron microscopy after cleavage with the EcoRI restriction endonuclease. It has been determined that in most cases replication proceeds bidirectionally from an origin whose position is indistinguishable from the site of the single-strand break (nick) in the open circular DNA form of the relaxation complex of R6K DNA and protein. Evidence is presented for the existence of a unique replication terminus asymmetrically placed approximately 20% of genome size from the origin. The positions of the replication forks in a majority of the molecules indicate that replication proceeds sequentially from the fixed origin first in one direction to the terminus and then progresses from the origin in the other direction.

DNA Replication↗

The tight linkage between DNA replication and double-strand break repair in bacteriophage T4.

Double-strand break (DSB) repair and DNA replication are tightly linked in the life cycle of bacteriophage T4. Indeed, the major mode of phage DNA replication depends on recombination proteins and can be stimulated by DSBs. DSB-stimulated DNA replication is dramatically demonstrated when T4 infects cells carrying two plasmids that share homology. A DSB on one plasmid triggered extensive replication of the second plasmid, providing a useful model for T4 recombination-dependent replication (RDR). This system also provides a view of DSB repair in T4-infected cells and revealed that the DSB repair products had been replicated in their entirety by the T4 replication machinery. We analyzed the detailed structure of these products, which do not fit the simple predictions of any of three models for DSB repair. We also present evidence that the T4 RDR system functions to restart stalled or inactivated replication forks. First, we review experiments involving antitumor drug-stabilized topoisomerase cleavage complexes. The results suggest that forks blocked at cleavage complexes are resolved by recombinational repair, likely involving RDR. Second, we show here that the presence of a T4 replication origin on one plasmid substantially stimulated recombination events between it and a homologous second plasmid that did not contain a T4 origin. Furthermore, replication of the second plasmid was increased when the first plasmid contained the T4 origin. Our interpretation is that origin-initiated forks become inactivated at some frequency during replication of the first plasmid and are then restarted via RDR on the second plasmid.

Bacteriophage T4↗

Structural and functional analysis of a replication enhancer: separation of the enhancer activity from origin function by mutational dissection of the replication origin gamma of plasmid R6K.

The plasmid R6K possesses three distinct origins of replication: alpha, beta, and gamma. The replication origin gamma of plasmid R6K performs a dual function: (i) as an origin itself and (ii) as an enhancer element required in cis for the activation at a distance of the other two replication origins alpha and beta. We have dissected the gamma origin/enhancer by site-directed mutagenesis and have reached the following conclusions. The origin function can be specifically inactivated without impairing the enhancer function by insertion and/or deletion mutations near the opposite ends of the origin gamma sequence. One such mutation deleted sequences that included the left DnaA site I. The second mutation involved insertion of linker sequences that resulted in a spatial alteration between the right DnaA site II and the VIIth pi binding iteron (tandemly repeated binding sites). Other mutations that either partly or completely deleted the A+T-rich sequence adjacent to, but not including, the pi binding iterons also abrogated enhancer and origin function and suggested that pi binding sites were necessary but not sufficient for enhancer activity. Finally, the functional analysis of a set of mutants of the gamma origin/enhancer suggested that a continuous stretch of 300 base pairs is necessary for origin gamma function and that the sequences that included the binding sites for pi, DnaA, and integration host factor proteins are required in the correct stereochemical alignment to impart origin activity.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Plasmid models for bacteriophage T4 DNA replication: requirements for fork proteins.

Bacteriophage T4 DNA replication initiates from origins at early times of infection and from recombinational intermediates as the infection progresses. Plasmids containing cloned T4 origins replicate during T4 infection, providing a model system for studying origin-dependent replication. In addition, recombination-dependent replication can be analyzed by using cloned nonorigin fragments of T4 DNA, which direct plasmid replication that requires phage-encoded recombination proteins. We have tested in vivo requirements for both plasmid replication model systems by infecting plasmid-containing cells with mutant phage. Replication of origin and nonorigin plasmids strictly required components of the T4 DNA polymerase holoenzyme complex. Recombination-dependent plasmid replication also strictly required the T4 single-stranded DNA-binding protein (gene product 32 [gp32]), and replication of origin-containing plasmids was greatly reduced by 32 amber mutations. gp32 is therefore important in both modes of replication. An amber mutation in gene 41, which encodes the replicative helicase of T4, reduced but did not eliminate both recombination- and origin-dependent plasmid replication. Therefore, gp41 may normally be utilized for replication of both plasmids but is apparently not required for either. An amber mutation in gene 61, which encodes the T4 RNA primase, did not eliminate either recombination- or origin-dependent plasmid replication. However, plasmid replication was severely delayed by the 61 amber mutation, suggesting that the protein may normally play an important, though nonessential, role in replication. We deleted gene 61 from the T4 genome to test whether the observed replication was due to residual gp61 in the amber mutant infection. The replication phenotype of the deletion mutant was identical to that of the amber mutant. Therefore, gp61 is not required for in vivo T4 replication. Furthermore, the deletion mutant is viable, demonstrating that the gp61 primase is not an essential T4 protein.

Bacteriophage T4↗

Sequence-specific interaction between the replication initiator protein of plasmid pT181 and its origin of replication.

The replication of the pT181 plasmid is dependent on the plasmid-encoded initiator protein RepC. We have previously shown that RepC protein has sequence-specific endonuclease and topoisomerase-like activities. In this paper we demonstrate that this initiator protein has sequence-specific DNA-binding properties. Based on filter binding of plasmid restriction fragments, RepC protein specifically recognizes only the pT181 origin region. Using DNase I and neocarzinostatin "footprinting" techniques, we show that RepC protein specifically binds to a 32-base-pair sequence within the origin that is part of the initiator cistron. Using dimethyl sulfate as a chemical probe, we have identified the purine residues that interact with the initiator protein. The features of the DNA region that interacts with RepC protein include sequences with the potential to form Z DNA and/or hairpin structures. The specific DNA-protein interaction at the origin may be critical in the initiation of pT181 DNA replication by RepC protein in association with other host initiation proteins.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Large T antigen on the simian virus 40 origin of replication: a 3D snapshot prior to DNA replication.

Large T antigen is the replicative helicase of simian virus 40. Its specific binding to the origin of replication and oligomerization into a double hexamer distorts and unwinds dsDNA. In viral replication, T antigen acts as a functional homolog of the eukaryotic minichromosome maintenance factor MCM. T antigen is also an oncoprotein involved in transformation through interaction with p53 and pRb. We obtained the three-dimensional structure of the full-length T antigen double hexamer assembled at its origin of replication by cryoelectron microscopy and single-particle reconstruction techniques. The double hexamer shows different degrees of bending along the DNA axis. The two hexamers are differentiated entities rotated relative to each other. Isolated strands of density, putatively assigned to ssDNA, protrude from the hexamer-hexamer junction mainly at two opposite sites. The structure of the T antigen at the origin of replication can be understood as a snapshot of the dynamic events leading to DNA unwinding. Based on these results a model for the initiation of simian virus 40 DNA replication is proposed.

Algorithms↗

Mammalian origins of replication.

It has been almost twenty-five years since Huberman and Riggs first showed that there are multiple bidirectional origins of replication scattered at approximately 100 kb intervals along mammalian chromosomal fibers. Since that time, every conceivable physical property unique to replicating DNA has been taken advantage of to determine whether origins of replication are defined sequence elements, as they are in microorganisms. The most thoroughly studied mammalian locus to date is the dihydrofolate reductase domain of Chinese hamster cells, which will be used as a model to discuss the various methods of investigation. While several laboratories agree on the rough location of the 'initiation locus' in this large chromosomal domain, different experimental approaches paint different pictures of the mechanism by which initiation occurs. However, a variety of new techniques and synchronizing agents promises to clarify the picture for this particular locus, and to provide the means for identifying and isolating other origins of replication for comparison.

Animals↗

The putative coiled coil domain of the phi 29 terminal protein is a major determinant involved in recognition of the origin of replication.

The linear double-stranded genome of phage phi29 contains a terminal protein (TP) covalently linked at each 5' DNA end, called parental TP. Initiation of phi29 DNA replication starts with the recognition of the origins of replication, constituted by the parental TP-containing DNA ends, by a heterodimer containing phi29 DNA polymerase and primer TP. It has been argued that origin recognition involves protein-protein interactions between parental and primer TP. Analysis of the TP sequence revealed that the region between amino acids 84 and 118 has a high probability to form an amphipatic alpha-helix that could be involved in the interaction between parental and primer TP. Therefore, this TP region may be important for origin recognition. To test this hypothesis we introduced various mutations in the predicted amphipatic alpha-helix and analyzed the functionality of the corresponding purified TP mutants. The results obtained show that the identified putative amphipatic alpha-helix of TP is an important determinant involved in origin recognition.

Amino Acid Sequence↗