Proteins Involved in ARS Function in Yeast

Abstract

Replication of eukaryote chromosomes requires the coodinated initiation of DNA synthesis at multiple replication origins on the chromosomes. These initiation events are under cell cycle and developmental regulation that is evident in a number of well-defined biological contexts. DNA synthesis is confined within S phase of the cell cycle. During S phase, each replication origin is activated no more than once in a specified temporal order (Reynolds et al., 1989; Ferguson et al., 1991). In embryonic and somatic cells, the contrasted number of replication origins utilized reflects the demand of a replication deadline imposed by the length of the S phase in a cell division cycle (Blumenthal, et al., 1973). Thus, one may expect individual replication origins to be differentially regulated according to the cell cycle or developmental program. We are interested in finding out how differential regulation is achieved in the initiation of DNA synthesis at multiple replication origins in yeast.