Establishment Of Replication Forks Research Articles

Helicase Activation and Establishment of Replication Forks at Chromosomal Origins of Replication

Many replication proteins assemble on the pre-RC-formed replication origins and constitute the pre-initiation complex (pre-IC). This complex formation facilitates the conversion of Mcm2-7 in the pre-RC to an active DNA helicase, the Cdc45-Mcm-GINS (CMG) complex. Two protein kinases, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) and Dbf4-dependent kinase (DDK), work to complete the formation of the pre-IC. Each kinase is responsible for a distinct step of the process in yeast; Cdc45 associates with origins in a DDK-dependent manner, whereas the association of GINS with origins depends on CDK. These associations with origins also require specific initiation proteins: Sld3 for Cdc45; and Dpb11, Sld2, and Sld3 for GINS. Functional homologs of these proteins exist in metazoa, although pre-IC formation cannot be separated by requirement of DDK and CDK because of experimental limitations. Once the replicative helicase is activated, the origin DNA is unwound, and bidirectional replication forks are established.

Initiation of genome replication: assembly and disassembly of replication-competent chromatin.

Considerable progress has been made in research on the initiation of eukaryotic genome replication. This has generated a number of recent review articles. Here, we briefly summarize the major conclusions described in these articles and also include the results of more recent primary articles. The consensus view that has emerged is that a pre-replication complex assembles during the G1 phase of the cell cycle, making chromatin competent for replication. The complex consists of Orc proteins, Cdc6p, and the family of Mcm proteins. Chromatin, thus 'licenced' for replication, is guided into the S phase by the activation of cell-cycle-regulated protein kinases. Upon entry into S phase, the pre-replication complex is partially dissolved, first by the dissociation of Cdc6p and then by the gradual release of Mcm proteins. This appears to be accompanied by a recruitment of chain elongation factors and the establishment of replication forks.

DNA binding properties and replication activity of the T antigen related D2 phosphoprotein

According to earlier genetic experiments, a region within the N-terminal 50-100 amino acids may be important for the replication function of T antigen, the initiator protein of simian virus 40 (SV40). We have investigated this possibility using the T antigen related D2 protein in several biochemical assay systems. D2 protein, a phosphoprotein coded for by the adeno-SV40 hybrid virus Ad2+D2, shares its 594 C-terminal amino acids with authentic T antigen and its 104 N-terminal amino acids with an adenovirus structural protein. We confirmed earlier studies showing that D2 protein appeared to bind well to specific binding sites in the SV40 origin of replication. We found, however, that D2 protein was rather inefficient, inducing the unwinding of the double-stranded origin region, and was much less active than authentic T antigen as an initiator of in vitro SV40 DNA replication. We interpret these findings to indicate that D2 protein molecules associate with the origin to form an aberrant complex that is quite inefficient, inducing DNA unwinding and the establishment of replication forks. The possibility that the N-terminus may be required for an optimal arrangement of T antigen at the origin was supported by results of dephosphorylation studies. Dephosphorylation of N-terminal phosphoamino acids had significant effects on the stability of D2 protein-origin complexes.