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Evidence that dimers remaining in preinduced Escherichia coli B/r Hcr+ become insensitive after DNA replication to the extract from Micrococcus luteus.

In Escherichia coli B/r Her+ irradiated with two separate fluences, dimer excision is prematurely interrupted. The present study was designed to follow tha fate of dimers remaining unexcised. The results imply that these dimers (or distortions containing dimers) are transformed on replication from the state of sensitivity to the state of insensitivity to endonuclease from Micrococcus luteus. This conclusion is based on the following findings: (a) dimers were radiochromatographically detectable in DNA replicated after UV, which indicated that they were tolerated on replication. (b) Similar amounts of dimers were detected radiochromatographically both in DNA remaining unreplicated and DNA twice replicated after UV, This along with the low transfer of parental label into daughter DNA, indicated that dimers remained in situ in parental chains. (c) Immediately after UV, all parental DNA contained numerous sites sensitive to the extract from M. luteus. 2 h after UV, a portion of parental DNA still contained a number of endonuclease-sensitive (Es) sites, while another portion of parental DNA and all daughter DNA were free of Es sites. (d) The occurrence of parental DNA free of Es sites was not temporally correlated with dimer excision, but with the first round of DNA replication. (e) The amount of DNA free of Es sites corresponded to the amount of replicated DNA. (f) Separation of replicated and unreplicated DNA, and detection of Es sites in both portions separately showed that the replicated DNA was almost free of Es sites, whereas unreplicated DNA contained a number of such sites.

DNA Replication↗

Novel role for checkpoint Rad53 protein kinase in the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A novel role for Rad53 in the initiation of DNA replication that is independent of checkpoint or deoxynucleotide regulation is proposed. Rad53 kinase is part of a signal transduction pathway involved in the DNA damage and replication checkpoints, while Cdc7-Dbf4 kinase (DDK) is important for the initiation of DNA replication. In addition to the known cdc7-rad53 synthetic lethality, rad53 mutations suppress mcm5-bob1, a mutation in the replicative MCM helicase that bypasses DDK's essential role. Rad53 kinase activity but neither checkpoint FHA domain is required. Conversely, Rad53 kinase can be activated without DDK. Rad53's role in replication is independent of both DNA and mitotic checkpoints because mutations in other checkpoint genes that act upstream or downstream of RAD53 or in the mitotic checkpoint do not exhibit these phenotypes. Because Rad53 binds an origin of replication mainly through its kinase domain and rad53 null mutants display a minichromosome loss phenotype, Rad53 is important in the initiation of DNA replication, as are DDK and Mcm2-7 proteins. This unique requirement for Rad53 can be suppressed by the deletion of the major histone H3/H4 gene pair, indicating that Rad53 may be regulating initiation by controlling histone protein levels and/or by affecting origin chromatin structure.

Cell Cycle Proteins↗

Noc3p, a bHLH protein, plays an integral role in the initiation of DNA replication in budding yeast.

Initiation of eukaryotic DNA replication requires many proteins that interact with one another and with replicators. Using a yeast genetic screen, we have identified Noc3p (nucleolar complex-associated protein) as a novel replication-initiation protein. Noc3p interacts with MCM proteins and ORC and binds to chromatin and replicators throughout the cell cycle. It functions as a critical link between ORC and other initiation proteins to effect chromatin association of Cdc6p and MCM proteins for the establishment and maintenance of prereplication complexes. Noc3p is highly conserved in eukaryotes and is the first identified bHLH (basic helix-loop-helix) protein required for replication initiation. As Noc3p is also required for pre-rRNA processing, Noc3p is a multifunctional protein that plays essential roles in two vital cellular processes.

Blotting, Western↗

Mechanochemical interactions between striated muscle cells of jellyfish and grafted extracellular matrix can induce and inhibit DNA replication and transdifferentiation in vitro.

Striated muscle tissue of jellyfish was isolated with its adhering extracellular matrix (ECM) and cultured. Without further treatment the cultured muscle cells maintain their differentiated state. If, however, the isolated tissues are combined with cell-free ECM from the jellyfish or its polyp, DNA replication and proteolytic activity are induced followed by transdifferentiation into RF-amide-positive nerve cells. Changes in the mechanochemical interactions between the cells and the grafted ECM seem to induce the signals which lead to transdifferentiation. If the isolates are combined with small floating pieces of ECM most cells will leave their own ECM and overgrow the ECM graft. All cells in the combinations will then transdifferentiate. If the isolates are grafted onto large pieces of ECM kept permanently stretched on glass, a majority of cells will migrate onto the grafted ECM where they form a flat monolayer. In this case, however, DNA replication and transdifferentiation occurs mainly in those cells which have remained on or near their own ECM. Labeling experiments with [3H]-thymidine demonstrate that initiation of DNA replication occurs first in those cells which bridge from the native ECM to the grafted ECM. On the other hand inhibition of DNA replication and transdifferentiation is generally suppressed whenever tissues are allowed to form a monolayer of well-stretched cells. From these observations we conclude that mechanochemical interactions between the muscle cells and their substrate are responsible for both activation and inhibition of DNA replication and transdifferentiation.

Animals↗

Two spatially distinct genetic elements constitute a bipartite DNA replication origin in the minute virus of mice genome.

Mutations were introduced into plasmid pMM984, a full-length infectious clone of the fibrotropic strain of minute virus of mice, to identify cis-acting genetic elements required for the excision and replication of the viral genome. The replicative capacity of these mutants was measured directly, using an in vivo transient DNA replication assay following transfection of plasmids into murine A9 cells and primate COS-7 cells. Experiments with subgenomic constructs indicated that both viral termini must be present on the same DNA molecule for replication to occur and that the viral nonstructural protein NS-1 must be provided in trans. The necessary sequences were located within 1,084 and 807 nucleotides of the 3' and 5' ends of the minute virus of mice genome, respectively. The inhibitory effect of deletions within the 206-bp 5'-terminal palindrome demonstrated that these sequences comprise a cis-acting genetic element that is absolutely essential for the excision and replication of viral DNA. The results further indicated a requirement for a stem-plus-arms T structure as well as for the formation of a simple hairpin. In addition, the removal of one copy of a tandemly arranged 65-bp repeat found 94 nucleotides inboard of the 5'-terminal palindrome inhibited viral DNA replication in cis by 10- and just greater than 100-fold in A9 and COS-7 cells, respectively. The latter results define a novel genetic element within the 65-bp repeated sequence, distinct from the terminal palindrome, that is capable of regulating minute virus of mice DNA replication in a species-specific manner.

Animals↗

Activation of chromosomal DNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by acidic transcriptional activation domains.

A large body of evidence from viral systems has established that transcription factors play an important and direct role in activating viral DNA replication. Among the transcriptional activation domains that can stimulate viral DNA replication are acidic domains such as those derived from herpes simplex virus VP16 and the tumor suppressor p53. Here we show that acidic activation domains can also activate a cellular origin of replication in a chromosomal context. When tethered to the yeast ARS1 (autonomously replicating sequence 1) origin of replication, both VP16 and p53 activation domains can enhance origin function. In addition, the C-terminal acidic region of the yeast transcription factor ABF1, which normally activates the ARS1 origin, is sufficient for activating ARS1 function when tethered to the origin. Mutations at residues Trp-53 and Phe-54 of a 20-residue (41 to 60) activation region of p53 abolish the activation of both replication and transcription, suggesting that the same structural determinants may be employed to activate both processes in yeast. Furthermore, using a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis method, we demonstrate that the GAL4-p53 chimeric activator can activate initiation of chromosomal replication from an origin inserted at the native ARS1 locus. These findings strongly suggest functional conservation of the mechanisms used by the acidic activation domains to activate viral DNA replication in mammalian cells and chromosomal replication in yeast.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Initiation of simian virus 40 DNA replication in vitro: large-tumor-antigen- and origin-dependent unwinding of the template.

Analysis of the kinetics of simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA replication in vitro demonstrated the existence of a slow presynthesis reaction that occurs prior to onset of extensive chain elongation and is dependent on a subset of the cellular proteins required for the complete replication reaction. When the presynthesis reaction is carried out in the presence of topoisomerase I, it is possible to detect extensive unwinding of the template DNA. This unwinding reaction is specific for templates that contain the wild-type SV40 origin of DNA replication and requires SV40 large tumor antigen (T antigen), ATP, and a protein fraction derived from HeLa cells. The required cellular protein may be a eukaryotic single-stranded-DNA-binding protein (SSB), since unwinding of the template is also observed when Escherichia coli SSB is substituted for the HeLa protein fraction. These observations suggest that during the initial stages of SV40 DNA replication, T antigen binds specifically to the viral origin and locally unwinds the DNA. This origin-dependent unwinding reaction is presumably a prerequisite for subsequent priming and elongation steps.

Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming↗

A dominant-negative mutant of human DNA helicase B blocks the onset of chromosomal DNA replication.

A cDNA encoding a human ortholog of mouse DNA helicase B, which may play a role in DNA replication, has been cloned and expressed as a recombinant protein. The predicted human DNA helicase B (HDHB) protein contains conserved helicase motifs (superfamily 1) that are strikingly similar to those of bacterial recD and T4 dda proteins. The HDHB gene is expressed at low levels in liver, spleen, kidney, and brain and at higher levels in testis and thymus. Purified recombinant HDHB hydrolyzed ATP and dATP in the presence of single-stranded DNA, displayed robust 5'-3' DNA helicase activity, and interacted physically and functionally with DNA polymerase alpha-primase. HDHB proteins with mutations in the Walker A or B motif lacked ATPase and helicase activity but retained the ability to interact with DNA polymerase alpha-primase, suggesting that the mutants might be dominant over endogenous HDHB in human cells. When purified HDHB protein was microinjected into the nucleus of cells in early G(1), the mutant proteins inhibited DNA synthesis, whereas the wild type protein had no effect. Injection of wild type or mutant protein into cells at G(1)/S did not prevent DNA synthesis. The results suggest that HDHB function is required for S phase entry.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Molecular mechanisms of chemical mutagenesis: 9-aminoacridine inhibits DNA replication in vitro by destabilizing the DNA growing point and interacting with the DNA polymerase.

9-Aminoacridine was found to inhibit dNTP incorporation into DNA homopolymer duplexes by phage T4 DNA polymerase in vitro. Systematic variation of the molar ratio of 9-aminoacridine to DNA, to DNA polymerase, and to DNA precursors demonstrated that this inhibition at 9-aminoacridine concentrations below 10 microM was mainly due to interaction of 9-aminoacridine with the DNA and suggested that the basis for the preferential inhibition of incorrect precursor incorporation was destabilization of the DNA growing point. Consistent with destabilization, 9-aminoacridine stimulated the hydrolysis of correctly base paired DNA by the 3'-5' exonuclease activity of phage T4 DNA polymerase. This is the first indication to my knowledge that an intercalating dye destabilizes the DNA growing point, whereas it raises the overall Tm of the DNA. At 9-aminoacridine concentrations above 10 microM overall incorporation of dNTPs was inhibited by 9-aminoacridine interaction with the DNA polymerase. A possible explanation for the induction of both deletion and addition frameshift mutations by 9-aminoacridine during DNA biosynthesis is discussed in light of growing-point destabilization.

Aminacrine↗

Echinomycin inhibits chromosomal DNA replication and embryonic development in vertebrates.

Echinomycin, a member of the quinoxaline family of antibiotics, is known to be a strong inhibitor of RNA synthesis which has been attributed to its ability to bind to double-helical DNA. Here we study the effect of echinomycin upon DNA replication using egg extracts and embryos from Xenopus laevis as well as cultured human cells. Evidence is presented that echinomycin interferes with chromatin decondensation, nuclear assembly and DNA replication. In the absence of transcription and translation, the drug specifically blocks DNA replication in both Xenopus sperm chromatin and HeLa cell nuclei in vitro. By contrast, replication of single-stranded DNA is not inhibited indicating that echinomycin acts by interacting with the DNA and not the replication elongation proteins of chromatin. The addition of the antibiotic to HeLa cells and X.laevis embryos results in anaphase bridges and cell death. Importantly, in X.laevis embryos injected with echinomycin at the two-cell stage the drug specifically inhibits the cell cycle prior to the onset of transcription, suggesting that quinoxaline antibiotics could exert anti- proliferative effects by inhibition of chromosomal DNA replication.

Anaphase↗

The role of lamin LIII in nuclear assembly and DNA replication, in cell-free extracts of Xenopus eggs.

Xenopus egg extracts, which support nuclear assembly and DNA replication, were functionally depleted of lamin LIII by inoculating them with monoclonal anti-lamin antibodies. Phase-contrast microscopy and electron-microscopy studies indicated that lamin-depleted extracts supported efficient chromatin decondensation, and assembly of double membrane structures and nuclear pores on demembranated sperm heads. Immunofluorescence microscopy suggests that lamin-antibody complexes are transported across the nuclear membrane but do not assemble into a lamina. These findings were confirmed by immunoblotting analysis of isolated nuclei. Metabolic labelling studies with either biotin-11-dUTP or [32P]dCTP, revealed that nuclei lacking a lamina were unable to initiate DNA replication and that, although such nuclei could import proteins required for DNA replication (e.g. PCNA), these proteins were apparently not organized into replicon clusters.

Animals↗

High-resolution mapping of the origin of DNA replication in the hamster dihydrofolate reductase gene domain by competitive PCR.

By the use of a highly sensitive mapping procedure allowing the identification of the start sites of DNA replication in single-copy genomic regions of untreated, exponentially growing cultured cells (M. Giacca, L. Zentilin, P. Norio, S. Diviacco, D. Dimitrova, G. Contreas, G. Biamonti, G. Perini, F. Weighardt, S. Riva, and A. Falaschi, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:7119-7123, 1994), the pattern of DNA replication of the Chinese hamster dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene domain was investigated. The method entails the purification of short stretches of nascent DNA issuing from DNA replication origin regions and quantification, within this sample, of the abundance of different adjacent segments by competitive PCR. Distribution of marker abundance peaks around the site from which newly synthesized DNA had emanated. The results obtained by analysis of the genomic region downstream of the DHFR single-copy gene in asynchronous cultures of hamster CHO K1 cells are consistent with the presence of a single start site for DNA replication, located approximately 17 kb downstream of the gene. This site is coincident with the one detected by other studies using different techniques in CHO cell lines containing an amplified DHFR gene domain.

Animals↗

The Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus latency-associated nuclear antigen 1 N terminus is essential for chromosome association, DNA replication, and episome persistence.

To persist in latently infected, proliferating cells, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) episomes must replicate and efficiently segregate to progeny nuclei. Episome persistence in uninfected cells requires latency-associated nuclear antigen 1 (LANA1) in trans and cis-acting KSHV terminal repeat (TR) DNA. The LANA1 C terminus binds TR DNA, and LANA1 mediates TR-associated DNA replication in transient assays. LANA1 also concentrates at sites of KSHV TR DNA episomes along mitotic chromosomes, consistent with a tethering role to efficiently segregate episomes to progeny nuclei. LANA1 amino acids 5 to 22 constitute a chromosome association region (Piolot et al., J. Virol. 75:3948-3959, 2001). We now investigate LANA1 residues 5 to 22 with scanning alanine substitutions. Mutations targeting LANA1 5GMR7, 8LRS10, and 11GRS13 eliminated chromosome association, DNA replication, and episome persistence. LANA1 mutated at 14TG15 retained the ability to associate with chromosomes but was partially deficient in DNA replication and episome persistence. These results provide genetic support for a key role of the LANA1 N terminus in chromosome association, LANA1-mediated DNA replication, and episome persistence.

Antigens, Viral↗

Cloning and characterization of dnaA(Cs), a mutation which leads to overinitiation of DNA replication in Escherichia coli K-12.

The product of the dnaA gene is essential for the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in Escherichia coli K-12. A cold-sensitive mutation, dnaA(Cs), was originally isolated as a putative intragenic suppressor of the temperature sensitivity of a dnaA46 mutant (G. Kellenberger-Gujer, A. J. Podhajska, and L. Caro, Mol. Gen. Genet. 162:9-16, 1978). The cold sensitivity of the dnaA(Cs) mutant was attributed to a loss of replication control resulting in overinitiation of DNA replication. We cloned and sequenced the dnaA gene from the dnaA(Cs) mutant and showed that it contains three point mutations in addition to the original dnaA46(Ts) mutation. The dnaA(Cs) mutation was dominant to the wild-type allele. Overproduction of the DnaA(Cs) protein blocked cell growth. In contrast, overproduction of wild-type DnaA protein reduced the growth rate of cells but did not stop cell growth. Thus, the effect of elevated levels of the DnaA(Cs) protein was quite different from that of the wild-type protein under the same conditions.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Nuclear matrix support of DNA replication.

In higher eukaryotic cells, DNA is tandemly arranged into 10(4) replicons that are replicated once per cell cycle during the S phase. To achieve this, DNA is organized into loops attached to the nuclear matrix. Each loop represents one individual replicon with the origin of replication localized within the loop and the ends of the replicon attached to the nuclear matrix at the bases of the loop. During late G1 phase, the replication origins are associated with the nuclear matrix and dissociated after initiation of replication in S phase. Clusters of several replicons are operated together by replication factories, assembled at the nuclear matrix. During replication, DNA of each replicon is spooled through these factories, and after completion of DNA synthesis of any cluster of replicons, the respective replication factories are dismantled and assembled at the next cluster to be replicated. Upon completion of replication of any replicon cluster, the resulting entangled loops of the newly synthesized DNA are resolved by topoisomerases present in the nuclear matrix at the sites of attachment of the loops. Thus, the nuclear matrix plays a dual role in the process of DNA replication: on one hand, it represents structural support for the replication machinery and on the other, provides key protein factors for initiation, elongation, and termination of the replication of eukaryotic DNA.

Animals↗

Altered DNA polymerase iota expression in breast cancer cells leads to a reduction in DNA replication fidelity and a higher rate of mutagenesis.

The recently discovered human enzyme DNA polymerase iota (pol iota) has been shown to have an exceptionally high error rate on artificial DNA templates. Although there is a considerable body of in vitro evidence for a role for pol iota in DNA lesion bypass, there is no in vivo evidence to confirm this action. We report here that pol iota expression is elevated in breast cancer cells and correlates with a significant decrease in DNA replication fidelity. We also demonstrate that UV treatment of breast cancer cells additionally increases pol iota expression with a peak occurring between 30 min and 2 h after cellular insult. This implies that the change in pol iota expression is an early event after UV-mediated DNA damage. That pol iota may play a role in the higher mutation frequencies observed in breast cancer cells was suggested when a reduction in mutation frequency was found after pol iota was immunodepleted from nuclear extracts of the cells. Analysis of the UV-induced mutation spectra revealed that > 90% were point mutations. The analysis also demonstrated a decreased C --> T nucleotide transition and an increased C --> A transversion rate. Overall, our data strongly suggest that pol iota may be involved in the generation of both increased spontaneous and translesion mutations during DNA replication in breast cancer cells, thereby contributing to the accumulation of genetic damage.

Base Sequence↗

Mre11 complex and DNA replication: linkage to E2F and sites of DNA synthesis.

We show that the Mre11 complex associates with E2F family members via the Nbs1 N terminus. This association and Nbs1 phosphorylation are correlated with S-phase checkpoint proficiency, whereas neither is sufficient individually for checkpoint activation. The Nbs1 E2F interaction occurred near the Epstein-Barr virus origin of replication as well as near a chromosomal replication origin in the c-myc promoter region and was restricted to S-phase cells. The Mre11 complex colocalized with PCNA at replication forks throughout S phase, both prior to and coincident with the appearance of nascent DNA. These data suggest that the Mre11 complex suppresses genomic instability through its influence on both the regulation and progression of DNA replication.

Animals↗