Protein kinase A is required for chromosomal DNA replication.

Passage through mitosis resets cells for a new round of chromosomal DNA replication [1]. In late mitosis, the pre-replication complex - which includes the origin recognition complex (ORC), Cdc6 and the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins - binds chromatin as a pre-requisite for DNA replication. S-phase-promoting cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) and the kinase Dbf4-Cdc7 then act to initiate replication. Before the onset of replication Cdc6 dissociates from chromatin. S-phase and M-phase Cdks block the formation of a new pre-replication complex, preventing DNA over-replication during the S, G2 and M phases of the cell cycle [1]. The nuclear membrane also contributes to limit genome replication to once per cell cycle [2]. Thus, at the end of M phase, nuclear membrane breakdown and the collapse of Cdk activity reset cells for a new round of chromosomal replication. We showed previously that protein kinase A (PKA) activity oscillates during the cell cycle in Xenopus egg extracts, peaking in late mitosis. The oscillations are induced by the M-phase-promoting Cdk [3] [4]. Here, we found that PKA oscillation was required for the following phase of DNA replication. PKA activity was needed from mitosis exit to the formation of the nuclear envelope. PKA was not required for the assembly of ORC2, Cdc6 and MCM3 onto chromatin. Inhibition of PKA activity, however, blocked the release of Cdc6 from chromatin and subsequent DNA replication. These data suggest that PKA activation in late M phase is required for the following S phase.     

Sororin is required for stable binding of cohesin to chromatin and for sister chromatid cohesion in interphase

Sister chromatid cohesion depends on cohesin [1-3]. Cohesin associates with chromatin dynamically throughout interphase [4]. During DNA replication, cohesin establishes cohesion [5], and this process coincides with the generation of a cohesin subpopulation that is more stably bound to chromatin [4]. In mitosis, cohesin is removed from chromosomes, enabling sister chromatid separation [6]. How cohesin associates with chromatin and establishes cohesion is poorly understood. By searching for proteins that are associated with chromatin-bound cohesin, we have identified sororin, a protein that was known to be required for cohesion [7]. To obtain further insight into sororin's function, we have addressed when during the cell cycle sororin is required for cohesion. We show that sororin is dispensable for the association of cohesin with chromatin but that sororin is essential for proper cohesion during G2 phase. Like cohesin, sororin is also needed for efficient repair of DNA double-strand breaks in G2. Finally, sororin is required for the presence of normal amounts of the stably chromatin-bound cohesin population in G2. Our data indicate that sororin interacts with chromatin-bound cohesin and functions during the establishment or maintenance of cohesion in S or G2 phase, respectively.     

Disruption of mouse polymerase zeta (Rev3) leads to embryonic lethality and impairs blastocyst development in vitro

Multiple DNA polymerases exist in eukaryotes. Polymerases alpha, delta and epsilon are mainly responsible for chromosomal DNA replication in the nucleus and are required for proliferation. In contrast, the repair polymerases beta and eta are not essential for cellular proliferation in yeast or mice, but a lack of either polymerase can lead, respectively, to defects in base excision repair or the ability to replicate past lesions induced by ultraviolet (UV) radiation [1-3]. Here, we have focused on polymerase zeta. This was first described as a non-essential product of the yeast REV3/REV7 genes involved in UV-induced mutagenesis, and was later implicated in trans-lesion synthesis [4,5]. Unlike in yeast, the mouse homologue (mRev3) was found to be essential for life. Homozygous mutant mice died in utero. Mutant embryos were considerably reduced in size at day 10.5 of development and usually aborted around day 12.5. It is likely that this block reflects a need for mRev3 in proliferative clonal expansion (rather than in the production of a particular cell type) as mutant blastocysts showed greatly diminished expansion of the inner cell mass in culture. Thus, mRev3 could be required to repair a form of externally induced DNA damage that otherwise accumulates during clonal expansion or, consistent with the high homology shared between its Rev7 partner and the mitotic checkpoint gene product Mad2 [6], mRev3 might play a role in cell proliferation and genomic stability even in the absence of environmentally induced damage.     

Replication fork integrity and intra-S phase checkpoint suppress gene amplification

Gene amplification is a phenotype-causing form of chromosome instability and is initiated by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Cells with mutant p53 lose G1/S checkpoint and are permissive to gene amplification. In this study we show that mammalian cells become proficient for spontaneous gene amplification when the function of the DSB repair protein complex MRN (Mre11/Rad50/Nbs1) is impaired. Cells with impaired MRN complex experienced severe replication stress and gained substrates for gene amplification during replication, as evidenced by the increase of replication-associated single-stranded breaks that were converted to DSBs most likely through replication fork reversal. Impaired MRN complex directly compromised ATM/ATR-mediated checkpoints and allowed cells to progress through cell cycle in the presence of DSBs. Such compromised intra-S phase checkpoints promoted gene amplification independently from mutant p53. Finally, cells adapted to endogenous replication stress by globally suppressing genes for DNA replication and cell cycle progression. Our results indicate that the MRN complex suppresses gene amplification by stabilizing replication forks and by securing DNA damage response to replication-associated DSBs.     

Flowering time genes Heading date 1 and Early heading date 1 together control panicle development in rice

Although flowering time is often associated with plant size, little is known about how flowering time genes affect plant architecture. We grew four rice lines having different flowering time genotypes (hd1 ehd1, hd1 Ehd1, Hd1 ehd1 and Hd1 Ehd1) under distinct photoperiod conditions. By using genotype-treatment combinations that resulted in similar flowering times, we were able to compare the effects of flowering time genes on traits related to plant architecture. The results revealed that the combination of Heading-date 1 (Hd1) and Early heading date 1 (Ehd1) can reduce the number of primary branches in a panicle, resulting in smaller spikelet numbers per panicle; this occurs independently of the control of flowering time. In addition, expression of the Hd3a and Rice Flowering-locus T 1 (RFT1) florigen genes was up-regulated in leaves of the Hd1 Ehd1 line at the time of the floral transition. We further revealed that Hd1 and/or Ehd1 caused up-regulation of Terminal Flower 1-like genes and precocious expression of panicle formation-related genes at shoot apical meristems during panicle development. Therefore, two key flowering time genes, Hd1 and Ehd1, can control panicle development in rice; this may affect crop yields in the field through florigen expression in leaf.     

Drosophila minichromosome maintenance 6 is required for chorion gene amplification and genomic replication

Duplication of the eukaryotic genome initiates from multiple origins of DNA replication whose activity is coordinated with the cell cycle. We have been studying the origins of DNA replication that control amplification of eggshell (chorion) genes during Drosophila oogenesis. Mutation of genes required for amplification results in a thin eggshell phenotype, allowing a genetic dissection of origin regulation. Herein, we show that one mutation corresponds to a subunit of the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex of proteins, MCM6. The binding of the MCM complex to origins in G1 as part of a prereplicative complex is critical for the cell cycle regulation of origin licensing. We find that MCM6 associates with other MCM subunits during amplification. These results suggest that chorion origins are bound by an amplification complex that contains MCM proteins and therefore resembles the prereplicative complex. Lethal alleles of MCM6 reveal it is essential for mitotic cycles and endocycles, and suggest that its function is mediated by ATP. We discuss the implications of these findings for the role of MCMs in the coordination of DNA replication during the cell cycle.     

Drosophila double-parked is sufficient to induce re-replication during development and is regulated by cyclin E/CDK2

It is important that chromosomes are duplicated only once per cell cycle. Over-replication is prevented by multiple mechanisms that block the reformation of a pre-replicative complex (pre-RC) onto origins in S and G2 phase. We have investigated the developmental regulation of Double-parked (Dup) protein, the Drosophila ortholog of Cdt1, a conserved and essential pre-RC component found in human and other organisms. We find that phosphorylation and degradation of Dup protein at G1/S requires cyclin E/CDK2. The N terminus of Dup, which contains ten potential CDK phosphorylation sites, is necessary and sufficient for Dup degradation during S phase of mitotic cycles and endocycles. Mutation of these ten phosphorylation sites, however, only partially stabilizes the protein, suggesting that multiple mechanisms ensure Dup degradation. This regulation is important because increased Dup protein is sufficient to induce profound rereplication and death of developing cells. Mis-expression has different effects on genomic replication than on developmental amplification from chorion origins. The C terminus alone has no effect on genomic replication, but it is better than full-length protein at stimulating amplification. Mutation of the Dup CDK sites increases genomic re-replication, but is dominant negative for amplification. These two results suggest that phosphorylation regulates Dup activity differently during these developmentally specific types of DNA replication. Moreover, the ability of the CDK site mutant to rapidly inhibit BrdU incorporation suggests that Dup is required for fork elongation during amplification. In the context of findings from human and other cells, our results indicate that stringent regulation of Dup protein is critical to protect genome integrity.     

Is the yeast anaphase promoting complex needed to prevent re-replication during G2 and M phases?

The Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC) is required for anaphase progression and B-type cyclin proteolysis. The recent finding that inactivation of the APC allows 'over-replication' of DNA has led to the proposal that the APC might also be required for preventing reduplication of chromosomes during G2 and M phases. In this report we re-investigate the phenotype of apc mutant cells and find that they do not re-replicate their DNA during the period taken for wild-type cells to traverse G2 and M phases. apc mutants do, however, gradually increase their DNA content after long periods of cell cycle arrest. Such DNA synthesis occurs almost exclusively in the cytoplasm and neither occurs in cells lacking mitochondrial DNA nor depends on Cdc6, a protein which is essential for the initiation of chromosomal but not mitochondrial DNA replication. ARS1, a chromosomal replication origin, is not re-fired in cells deprived of APC function, confirming that the 'over-replicated' DNA in apc mutant cells is of mitochondrial origin. Furthermore, we find that APC function is required to promote but not to prevent re-replication in ndc10 mutant cells. We therefore propose that the APC is not involved in preventing re-duplication of chromosomes during G2 and M phases.     

The functional role of Cdc6 in S-G2/M in mammalian cells

The Cdc6 protein is required for licensing of replication origins before the onset of DNA replication in eukaryotic cells. Here, we examined whether Cdc6 has other roles in mammalian cell-cycle progression from S to G2/M phase. Using RNA interference, we showed that depletion of Cdc6 in synchronous G1 cells blocks G1 to S transition, confirming the essential role of Cdc6 in the initiation of DNA replication. In contrast, depletion of Cdc6 in synchronous S-phase cells slowed DNA replication and led to mitotic lethality. The Cdc6-depleted S-phase cells showed fewer newly fired origins; however, established replication forks remained active, even during chromatin condensation. Despite such DNA replication abnormalities, loss of Cdc6 failed to activate Chk1 kinase. These results show that Cdc6 is not only required for G1 origin licensing, but is also crucial for proper S-phase DNA replication that is essential for DNA segregation during mitosis.     

Formation of herpes simplex virus type 1 replication compartments by transfection: requirements and localization to nuclear domain 10.

During infection, the seven essential herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) replication proteins are found in globular nuclear structures called replication compartments. Replication compartments form adjacent to ND10, nuclear matrix-bound domains which are present in most cell types but whose function is unknown (G. G. Maul, I. M. Ishov, and R. D. Everett, Virology 217:67-75, 1996). We now demonstrate that replication compartments can be formed by cotransfecting Vero cells with constructs expressing the seven essential viral replication proteins and a plasmid containing an HSV-1 origin of DNA replication. Like replication compartments in infected cells, replication compartments formed by cotransfection contain all of the essential viral replication proteins, are sites of DNA synthesis, and are found adjacent to ND10. However, neither the viral origin-binding protein nor a plasmid containing an HSV-1 origin of DNA replication is individually required for the formation of transfection replication compartments, although the presence of each increases the efficiency of replication compartment formation. Further, we provide evidence that UL29 independently localizes adjacent to ND10 and so may play a role in directing replication compartments to these preexisting nuclear structures.     

Mcm10 plays a role in functioning of the eukaryotic replicative DNA helicase, Cdc45-Mcm-GINS

Eukaryotic DNA replication is initiated at multiple origins of replication, where many replication proteins assemble under the control of the cell cycle [1]. A key process of replication initiation is to convert inactive Mcm2-7 to active Cdc45-Mcm-GINS (CMG) replicative helicase [2]. However, it is not known whether the CMG assembly would automatically activate its helicase activity and thus assemble the replisome. Mcm10 is an evolutionally conserved essential protein required for the initiation of replication [3, 4]. Although the roles of many proteins involved in the initiation are understood, the role of Mcm10 remains controversial [5-9]. To characterize Mcm10 in more detail, we constructed budding yeast cells bearing a degron-fused Mcm10 protein that can be efficiently degraded in response to auxin. In the absence of Mcm10, a stable CMG complex was assembled at origins. However, subsequent translocation of CMG, replication protein A loading to origins, and the intra-S checkpoint activation were severely diminished, suggesting that origin unwinding is defective. We also found that Mcm10 associates with origins during initiation in an S-cyclin-dependent kinase- and Cdc45-dependent manner. Thus, Mcm10 plays an essential role in functioning of the CMG replicative helicase independent of assembly of a stable CMG complex at origins.     

Mutation of cyclin/cdk phosphorylation sites in HsCdc6 disrupts a late step in initiation of DNA replication in human cells

Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdk) are essential for promoting the initiation of DNA replication, presumably by phosphorylating key regulatory proteins that are involved in triggering the G1/S transition. Human Cdc6 (HsCdc6), a protein required for initiation of DNA replication, is phosphorylated by Cdk in vitro and in vivo. Here we report that HsCdc6 with mutations at potential Cdk phosphorylation sites was poorly phosphorylated in vitro by Cdk, but retained all other biochemical activities of the wild-type protein tested. Microinjection of mutant HsCdc6 proteins into human cells blocked initiation of DNA replication or slowed S phase progression. The inhibitory effect of mutant HsCdc6 was lost at the G1/S transition, indicating that phosphorylation of HsCdc6 by Cdk is critical for a late step in initiation of DNA replication in human cells.     

Regulation of the localization and stability of Cdc6 in living yeast cells

The Cdc6 protein is an essential regulator for initiation of DNA replication. Following the G1/S transition, Cdc6 is degraded through a ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis pathway. In this study, we tagged Cdc6 with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and used site-specific mutations to study the regulation of Cdc6 localization and degradation in living yeast cells. Our major findings are: (1). Cdc6-GFP distributes predominantly in the nucleus in all cell cycle stages, with a small increase in cytoplasmic localization in G2/M cells. (2). This nuclear localization is critical for Cdc6 degradation. When the N-terminal nuclear localization signal (NLS) was mutated, Cdc6-GFP no longer accumulated in the nucleus, and the mutant cdc6 was stabilized compared to wild type. (3). The putative CDK phosphorylation sites are not required for Cdc6 nuclear localization, but are important for protein stability. These observations suggest that the stability of Cdc6 protein is regulated by two factors: nuclear localization and phosphorylation by CDK1.     

Analysis of the adenovirus type 5 terminal protein precursor and DNA polymerase by linker insertion mutagenesis.

A series of adenovirus type 5 precursor terminal protein (pTP) and DNA polymerase (Ad pol) genes with linker insertion mutations were separately introduced into the vaccinia virus genome under the control of a late vaccinia virus promoter. The recombinant viruses were used for overexpression of the mutant genes in HeLa cells. In total, 22 different mutant pTP and 10 different Ad pol vaccinia virus recombinants were constructed, including some that expressed carboxyl-terminus-truncated forms of both proteins and one that produced the mutant H5ts149 Ad pol. To investigate the structure-function relationships of both proteins, extracts from cells infected with the recombinant viruses were tested for in vitro complementation of the initiation and elongation steps in adenovirus DNA replication. The results were in accordance with those of earlier in vivo experiments with these insertion mutants and indicate that multiple regions of both proteins are essential for adenovirus DNA replication. The carboxyl termini of both pTP and Ad pol were shown to be essential for proper functioning of these proteins during initiation of adenovirus DNA replication. Three different DNA replication-negative pTP mutants were shown to have residual activity in the initiation assay, suggesting not only that pTP is required for initiation but also that it may play a role in DNA replication after the deoxycytidylation step.     

Regulation of DNA replication through Sld3-Dpb11 interaction is conserved from yeast to humans

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) play crucial roles in promoting DNA replication and preventing rereplication in eukaryotic cells [1-4]. In budding yeast, CDKs promote DNA replication by phosphorylating two proteins, Sld2 and Sld3, which generates binding sites for pairs of BRCT repeats (breast cancer gene 1 [BRCA1] C terminal repeats) in the Dpb11 protein [5, 6]. The Sld3-Dpb11-Sld2 complex generated by CDK phosphorylation is required for the assembly and activation of the Cdc45-Mcm2-7-GINS (CMG) replicative helicase. In response to DNA replication stress, the interaction between Sld3 and Dpb11 is blocked by the checkpoint kinase Rad53 [7], which prevents late origin firing [7, 8]. Here we show that the two key CDK sites in Sld3 are conserved in the human Sld3-related protein Treslin/ticrr and are essential for DNA replication. Moreover, phosphorylation of these two sites mediates interaction with the orthologous pair of BRCT repeats in the human Dpb11 ortholog, TopBP1. Finally, we show that DNA replication stress prevents the interaction between Treslin/ticrr and TopBP1 via the Chk1 checkpoint kinase. Our results indicate that Treslin/ticrr is a genuine ortholog of Sld3 and that the Sld3-Dpb11 interaction has remained a critical nexus of S phase regulation through eukaryotic evolution.