Soluble Nuclear Fraction Research Articles

Nucleolar proteins change in altered gravity

Nucleolin is a major highly phosphorylated nucleolar protein involved in the regulation of r-chromatin condensation/expansion and rDNA transcription as well as in rRNA processing. The nucleolar protein homologous to the mammalian nucleolin and to the onion nucleolin-like protein NopA100, was detected in the nuclear soluble protein fraction, and in the nuclear matrix fraction from Lepidium sativum root meristematic cells, using the selective silver staining method and the cross-reaction with the anti-NopA100 antibody. In 2-DE Western blots of both nuclear fractions, the nucleolin-like protein was revealed as a smear on the level of 90 kDa extending through a certain range of pI. In both extracts obtained from seedlings germinated and grown under slow clinorotation, the extension of the pI range was shorter and the molecular weight range was thinner than in the 1 g control; moreover, in the nuclear matrix fraction, the spread of the pI range was separated into two clusters. The results obtained could indicate a lower phosphorylation of the protein, suggesting a decrease in the activity of L. sativum nucleolin-like protein under clinorotation.

Preparation of Nuclear Extracts from Drosophila Embryos

INTRODUCTIONDrosophila nuclear extracts are often used in gene expression studies. They can be used directly as a source of transcription factors, or they can be fractionated, in some cases, to purified proteins. This protocol describes the preparation of a Drosophila embryonic nuclear extract called soluble nuclear fraction (SNF). It uses a low-salt (0.1 M) extraction and produces a relatively low amount of nonspecific DNA-binding proteins. SNF is highly active and is suitable for many in vitro transcription experiments.

In Vitro Transcription Using Drosophila Nuclear Extracts

INTRODUCTIONDrosophila nuclear extracts are often used in gene expression studies. This protocol describes RNA polymerase II transcription in vitro using a Drosophila embryonic nuclear extract called soluble nuclear fraction (SNF). Transcription and RNA purification are followed by detection of the transcripts by primer extension with reverse transcriptase and a labeled oligonucleotide.

Phosphorylation of MCM4 by Cdc7 Kinase Facilitates Its Interaction with Cdc45 on the Chromatin

Cdc7 kinase, conserved from yeasts to human, plays important roles in DNA replication. However, the mechanisms by which it stimulates initiation of DNA replication remain largely unclear. We have analyzed phosphorylation of MCM subunits during cell cycle by examining mobility shift on SDS-PAGE. MCM4 on the chromatin undergoes specific phosphorylation during S phase. Cdc7 phosphorylates MCM4 in the MCM complexes as well as the MCM4 N-terminal polypeptide. Experiments with phospho-amino acid-specific antibodies indicate that the S phase-specific mobility shift is due to the phosphorylation at specific N-terminal (S/T)(S/T)P residues of the MCM4 protein. These specific phosphorylation events are not observed in mouse ES cells deficient in Cdc7 or are reduced in the cells treated with siRNA specific to Cdc7, suggesting that they are mediated by Cdc7 kinase. The N-terminal phosphorylation of MCM4 stimulates association of Cdc45 with the chromatin, suggesting that it may be an important phosphorylation event by Cdc7 for activation of replication origins. Deletion of the N-terminal non-conserved 150 amino acids of MCM4 results in growth inhibition, and addition of amino acids carrying putative Cdc7 target sequences partially restores the growth. Furthermore, combination of MCM4 N-terminal deletion with alanine substitution and deletion of the N-terminal segments of MCM2 and MCM6, respectively, which contain clusters of serine/threonine and are also likely targets of Cdc7, led to an apparent nonviable phenotype. These results are consistent with the notion that the N-terminal phosphorylation of MCM2, MCM4, and MCM6 may play functionally redundant but essential roles in initiation of DNA replication.

CHANGES IN PHOSPHOLIPID CONTENT OF NUCLEAR SUBFRACTIONS DURING GERMINATION OF WHEAT SEEDLINGS UNDER INFLUENCE OF GIBBERELLIC ACID

The content of phospholipids of soluble nuclear fraction and nuclear membrane from wheat (Triticum aestivum L. 'Voskehask') seedlings was studied. The differences in the content of particular phospholipids intact nuclei subfractions from 3-day seedlings were shown. Seeds treated with Gibberellic Acid resulted in the redistribution of phospholipids within each nuclear subfractions. A functional role of structural changes in the nuclear membrane during germination due to this phospholipids redistribution is discussed. Obtained data evidence about different sensitivity of nuclear subfraction to the Gibberellic Acid processing. It is supposed that such rearrangements change nuclear membrane permeability and its surface charge.

Asf1 Is Required for Viability and Chromatin Assembly during DNA Replication in Vertebrate Cells

Asf1 (anti-silencing function 1), a well conserved protein from yeast to humans, acts as a histone chaperone and is predicted to participate in a variety of chromatin-mediated cellular processes. To investigate the physiological role of vertebrate Asf1 in vivo, we generated a conditional Asf1-deficient mutant from chicken DT40 cells. Induction of Asf1 depletion resulted in the accumulation of cells in S phase with decreased DNA replication and increased mitotic aberrancy forming multipolar spindles, leading to cell death. In addition, nascent chromatin in Asf1-depleted cells showed increased nuclease sensitivity, indicating impaired nucleosome assembly during DNA replication. Complementation analyses revealed that the functional domain of Asf1 for cell viability was confined to the N-terminal core domain (amino acids 1-155) that is a binding platform for histones H3/H4, CAF-1p60, and HIRA, whereas Asf1 mutant proteins, abolishing binding abilities with both p60 and HIRA, exhibit no effect on viability. These results together indicate that the vertebrate Asf1 plays a crucial role in replication-coupled chromatin assembly, cell cycle progression, and cellular viability and provide a clue of a possible role in a CAF-1- and HIRA-independent chromatin-modulating process for cell proliferation.

Geminin is bound to chromatin in G2/M phase to promote proper cytokinesis

Previous studies suggested that geminin plays a vital role in both origin assembly and DNA re-replication during S-phase; however, no data to support a role for geminin in G2/M cells have been described. Here it is shown that in G2/M-phase, geminin participates in the promotion of proper cytokinesis. This claim can be supported through a series of observations. First, geminin in G2/M is loaded onto chromatin after it is tyrosine phosphorylated. It is unlike S-phase geminin that resides in the nuclear soluble fraction, where it is exclusively S/T phosphorylated. Secondly, on chromatin, geminin gets S/T phosphorylated in late G1; this modification causes the release of geminin from the chromatin. Cyclins bind and phosphorylate geminin in a sequential, cell cycle-dependent manner. These modifications correlated well with geminin departure from the chromatin. This suggests that cyclin functions to either release geminin from chromatin or at least keep it at bay until late S-phase. Thirdly, depletion of geminin from a diploid mammary epithelial cell line (HME) causes cells to arrest in late G2/M-phase. Massive serine-10 phosphorylated histone H3 staining and survivin localization to mid-body were observed; this suggests that they could be arrested in either mitosis or at cytokinesis. Finally, while in the absence of geminin, cyclin B1, chk1 and cdc7 are all over expressed. This paper will demonstrate that only cdc7 is important in maintaining the cytokinesis arrest in the absence of geminin. Only double depletion of geminin and cdc7 induce apoptosis. Our results taken together show, for the first time, that phosphorylation–induction activates oscillation of geminin between both nuclear soluble and chromatin compartments. Chromatin-bound geminin species functions to initiate or maintain proper cytokineses. In the absence of geminin, cells arrest in cytokinesis; this defines a novel checkpoint, monitored by cdc7, rather than cyclin B1 or chk1.

Nuclear Matrix Binding Regulates SATB1-mediated Transcriptional Repression

Special AT-rich binding protein 1 (SATB1) originally was identified as a protein that bound to the nuclear matrix attachment regions (MARs) of the immunoglobulin heavy chain intronic enhancer. Subsequently, SATB1 was shown to repress many genes expressed in the thymus, including interleukin-2 receptor alpha, c-myc, and those encoded by mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV), a glucocorticoid-responsive retrovirus. SATB1 binds to MARs within the MMTV provirus to repress transcription. To address the role of the nuclear matrix in SATB1-mediated repression, a series of SATB1 deletion constructs was used to determine protein localization. Wild-type SATB1 localized to the soluble nuclear, chromatin, and nuclear matrix fractions. Mutants lacking amino acids 224-278 had a greatly diminished localization to the nuclear matrix, suggesting the presence of a nuclear matrix targeting sequence (NMTS). Transient transfection experiments showed that NMTS fusions to green fluorescent protein or LexA relocalized these proteins to the nuclear matrix. Difficulties with previous assay systems prompted us to develop retroviral vectors to assess effects of different SATB1 domains on expression of MMTV proviruses or integrated reporter genes. SATB1 overexpression repressed MMTV transcription in the presence and absence of functional glucocorticoid receptor. Repression was alleviated by deletion of the NMTS, which did not affect DNA binding, or by deletion of the MAR-binding domain. Our studies indicate that both nuclear matrix association and DNA binding are required for optimal SATB1-mediated repression of the integrated MMTV promoter and may allow insulation from cellular regulatory elements.

Nuclear Localization and Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Phosphorylationof the Multifunctional ProteinCAD

CAD is a multifunctional protein that initiates and regulates mammalian de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. The activation of the pathway required for cell proliferation is a consequence of the phosphorylation of CAD Thr-456 by mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. Although most of the CAD in the cell was cytosolic, cell fractionation and fluorescence microscopy showed that Thr(P)-456 CAD was primarily localized within the nucleus in association with insoluble nuclear substructures, including the nuclear matrix. CAD in resting cells was cytosolic and unphosphorylated. Upon epidermal growth factor stimulation, CAD moved to the nucleus, and Thr-456 was found to be phosphorylated. Mutation of the CAD Thr-456 and inhibitor studies showed that nuclear import is not mediated by MAP kinase phosphorylation. Two fluorescent CAD constructs, NLS-CAD and NES-CAD, were prepared that incorporated strong nuclear import and export signals, respectively. NLS-CAD was exclusively nuclear and extensively phosphorylated. In contrast, NES-CAD was confined to the cytoplasm, and Thr-456 remained unphosphorylated. Although alternative explanations can be envisioned, it is likely that phosphorylation occurs within the nucleus where much of the activated MAP kinase is localized. Trapping CAD in the nucleus had a minimal effect on pyrimidine metabolism. In contrast, when CAD was excluded from the nucleus, the rate of pyrimidine biosynthesis, the nucleotide pools, and the growth rate were reduced by 21, 36, and 60%, respectively. Thus, the nuclear import of CAD appears to promote optimal cell growth. UMP synthase, the bifunctional protein that catalyzes the last two steps in the pathway, was also found in both the cytoplasm and nucleus.

A Second Human Dbf4/ASK-related Protein, Drf1/ASKL1, Is Required for Efficient Progression of S and M Phases

Cdc7-Dbf4 kinase is conserved through evolution and regulates initiation and progression of DNA replication. In human, ASK/hsDbf4 binds and activates huCdc7 during S phase and this kinase complex is essential for DNA replication and cell proliferation. Drf1/ASKL1, a second human Dbf4/ASK-related protein, shares three conserved Dbf4 motifs previously identified on all of the Dbf4-related molecules. Drf1/ASKL1 can bind and activate huCdc7, and Cdc7-ASKL1 complex phosphorylates MCM2. ASKL1 transcription and protein levels oscillate during cell cycle and increase at late S to G2/M phases. The protein is detected predominantly in the nuclear-soluble fraction but not in the chromatin-bound fraction. Inhibition of Drf1/ASKL1 expression by siRNA results in attenuation of cell growth and in the increase of late S and G2/M phase population. siRNA treatment on synchronized cell population revealed that S phase progression is delayed when ASKL1 protein level is decreased. S phase delay may be linked to replication fork block, because increased levels of gammaH2AX and activated form of Chk2 are detected with ASKL1 siRNA in the absence of any additional DNA damages. Furthermore, mitotic progression is retarded in ASKL1 or Cdc7 siRNA-treated cells. Our results suggest that ASKL1 in a complex with Cdc7 may play a role in normal progression of both S and M phases.

Identification of specific plant nucleolar phosphoproteins in a functional proteomic analysis.

The soluble fraction of nuclear proteins is a functionally significant fraction, since it has been shown that it contains ribonucleoproteins active in nuclear RNA metabolism. The aim of this work was to detect variations associated with cell proliferation, by comparing two-dimensional proteomes obtained from the soluble fractions of onion nuclei isolated from actively proliferating root meristematic cells versus nonmeristematic root cells. In particular, we have studied the physicochemical features of the major nucleolar protein NopA100, a highly phosphorylated, nucleolin-like protein. A total of 384 spots were quantified in meristematic nuclei, while only 209 were detected in nonmeristematic nuclei. The comparison of both proteomes resulted in the determination of specific spots for each proliferative state and those which were common to both cases. Furthermore, among these latter, we could discriminate quantitative differences. Interestingly, well-known nucleolar proteins, such as RNA polymerase I, B23 and the nucleolin-like protein NopA100, were significantly increased in proliferating cells. Western blots with anti-NopA100 antibody demonstrated 26 spots in the meristematic sample. All the spots detected were clustered at 100 kDa and were distributed through an isoelectric point (pI) range of 4.3-6.6. In contrast, only seven spots were found in the extract from nonmeristematic nuclei, and the pI range was shortened to 4.8-6.1. These results indicate that the state of NopA100 phosphorylation correlates with the degree of nucleolar activity, i.e. the protein is more highly phosphorylated in cycling cells. We have also analyzed the bidimensional silver staining of the nucleolar organizing region (Ag-NOR) pattern of the soluble nuclear fraction in order to identify plant cell phosphoproteins that are considered to be markers of proliferation. These experiments demonstrated that NopA100, the onion, nucleolin-like protein, is an Ag-NOR protein. In addition we found that the plant homologue of the vertebrate nucleolar phosphoprotein B23 migrated as two clusters of acidic spots, 43 and 42 kDa respectively in molecular mass. The differences between these features and those described for mammalian cells is discussed. Our results demonstrate that the use of protein fractionation procedures with functional significance and the location of candidate spots by indirect techniques are advantageous, complementary methods to random selection procedures for proteomic studies involving further mass spectrometry analysis.

Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen-1 colocalizes with lamin B1 in the nucleoplasm and along the nuclear rim.

Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) is essential for the maintenance of latent EBV plasmids, and is also a transcriptional regulator. Nuclear lamins, components of the nuclear lamina, have also been found in the nucleoplasm. We report here that EBNA-1 coincided with lamin B1 in the nucleoplasm and around the nuclear rim during S-phase by confocal microscopy of cells transfected with EBNA-1 in the absence of EBV plasmids. Lamin B1, which is rarely detected in nuclear soluble fractions, was detected in chromatin and nuclear matrix fractions of the EBNA-1-expressing cells. These observations suggest that EBNA-1 colocalizes with lamin B1 in the subnuclear sites.

Lamin A/C binding protein LAP2alpha is required for nuclear anchorage of retinoblastoma protein.

The phosphorylation-dependent anchorage of retinoblastoma protein Rb in the nucleus is essential for its function. We show that its pocket C domain is both necessary and sufficient for nuclear anchorage by transiently expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) chimeras of Rb fragments in tissue culture cells and by extracting the cells with hypotonic solutions. Solid phase binding assays using glutathione S-transferase-fusion of Rb pockets A, B, and C revealed a direct association of lamin C exclusively to pocket C. Lamina-associated polypeptide (LAP) 2alpha, a binding partner of lamins A/C, bound strongly to pocket C and weakly to pocket B. When LAP2alpha was immunoprecipitated from soluble nuclear fractions, lamins A/C and hypophosphorylated Rb were coprecipitated efficiently. Similarly, immunoprecipitation of expressed GFP-Rb fragments by using anti-GFP antibodies coprecipitated LAP2alpha, provided that pocket C was present in the GFP chimeras. On redistribution of endogenous lamin A/C and LAP2alpha into nuclear aggregates by overexpressing dominant negative lamin mutants in tissue culture cells, Rb was also sequestered into these aggregates. In primary skin fibroblasts, LAP2alpha is expressed in a growth-dependent manner. Anchorage of hypophosphorylated Rb in the nucleus was weakened significantly in the absence of LAP2alpha. Together, these data suggest that hypophosphorylated Rb is anchored in the nucleus by the interaction of pocket C with LAP2alpha-lamin A/C complexes.

Heterogeneous expression of Ku70 in human tissues is associated with morphological and functional alterations of the nucleus.

Ku70 is a subunit of DNA-protein kinase complex and involved in diverse intranuclear events including the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks. Ku70 is rich in the interphase nucleus of cultured cells. In human tissues, however, the distribution of Ku70 has not yet been systematically examined. To characterize the difference of Ku70 distribution between cells of human tissues and cultured cells, the expression of Ku70 was examined in various normal and neoplastic human tissues by immunohistochemistry and immunoblot. In addition, the role of Ku70 in the cellular response against ionizing radiation (IR) was analysed in fibroblasts after exposure to 5 Gy IR and apoptotic indices were examined in Ku70-overexpressed fibroblasts from an ataxia telangiectasia patient and in normal fibroblasts, before and after irradiation. In contrast to cultured cells, Ku70 was not detected in some interphase cells of human tissues and was distributed heterogeneously, even in the same nucleus. Ku70 expression was strikingly low in terminally differentiated cells such as neutrophils, eosinophils, glomerular capillary endothelial cells and fibroblasts, and was absent in spermatids. In spermatocytes, Ku70 was tightly integrated with chromosome filaments, unlike other somatic cells under mitosis. After exposure to IR, Ku70 expression was not increased in ataxia telangiectasia fibroblasts, but was significantly increased in normal fibroblasts. Most of the increased Ku70 was of soluble nuclear protein fraction. Furthermore, overexpression of Ku70 increased radiation resistance both in ataxia telangiectasia fibroblasts and normal fibroblasts. The presented data indicate that the distribution of Ku70 in cells of human tissues is closely associated with the cell cycle, cellular differentiation, nuclear shape and the process of repair of DNA damage caused by IR.

Co-localization of Leukotriene A4Hydrolase with 5-Lipoxygenase in Nuclei of Alveolar Macrophages and Rat Basophilic Leukemia Cells but Not Neutrophils

The synthesis of leukotriene B(4) from arachidonic acid requires the sequential action of two enzymes: 5-lipoxygenase and leukotriene A(4) hydrolase. 5-Lipoxygenase is known to be present in the cytoplasm of some leukocytes and able to accumulate in the nucleoplasm of others. In this study, we asked if leukotriene A(4) hydrolase co-localizes with 5-lipoxygenase in different types of leukocytes. Examination of rat basophilic leukemia cells by both immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence revealed that leukotriene A(4) hydrolase, like 5-lipoxygenase, was most abundant in the nucleus, with only minor occurrences in the cytoplasm. The finding of abundant leukotriene A(4) hydrolase in the soluble nuclear fraction was substantiated by two different cell fractionation techniques. Leukotriene A(4) hydrolase was also found to accumulate together with 5-lipoxygenase in the nucleus of alveolar macrophages. This result was obtained using both in situ and ex vivo techniques. In contrast to these results, peripheral blood neutrophils contained both leukotriene A(4) hydrolase and 5-lipoxygenase exclusively in the cytoplasm. After adherence of neutrophils, 5-lipoxygenase was rapidly imported into the nucleus, whereas leukotriene A(4) hydrolase remained cytosolic. Similarly, 5-lipoxygenase was localized in the nucleus of neutrophils recruited into inflamed appendix tissue, whereas leukotriene A(4) hydrolase remained cytosolic. These results demonstrate for the first time that leukotriene A(4) hydrolase can be accumulated in the nucleus, where it co-localizes with 5-lipoxygenase. As with 5-lipoxygenase, the subcellular distribution of leukotriene A(4) hydrolase is cell-specific and dynamic, but differences in the mechanisms regulating nuclear import must exist. The degree to which these two enzymes are co-localized may influence their metabolic coupling in the conversion of arachidonic acid to leukotriene B(4).

S1 proteins C2 and D2 are novel hnRNPs similar to the transcriptional repressor, CArG box motif-binding factor A.

S1 proteins A-D are liberated from thoroughly washed nuclei by mild digestion with DNase I or RNase A, and extracted selectively at pH 4.9 from the reaction supernatants. Here, we characterized the S1 proteins, focusing on protein D2, the most abundant S1 protein in the rat liver, and on protein C2 as well. Using a specific antibody, McAb 351, they were shown to occur in the extranucleolar nucleoplasm, and to be extracted partly in the nuclear soluble fraction. We demonstrate that the S1 proteins in this fraction exist constituting heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs), through direct binding to hnRNAs, as revealed by centrifugation on density gradients, immunoprecipitation, and UV cross-linking. In hnRNPs, protein D2 occurred at nuclease-hypersensitive sites and C2 in the structures that gave rise to 40 S RNP particles. By microsequencing, protein D2 was identified with a known protein, CArG box motif-binding factor A (CBF-A), which has been characterized as a transcriptional repressor, and C2 as its isoform protein. In fact, CBF-A expressed from its cDNA was indistinguishable from protein D2 in molecular size and immunoreactivity to McAb 351. Thus, the present results demonstrate that S1 proteins C2 and D2 are novel hnRNP proteins, and suggest that the proteins C2 and D2 act in both transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes in gene expression.

Localization and Stability of Introns Spliced from thePem Homeobox Gene

RNA splicing generates two products in equal molar amounts, mature mRNAs and spliced introns. Although the mechanism of RNA splicing and the fate of the spliced mRNA products have been well studied, very little is known about the fate and stability of most spliced introns. Research in this area has been hindered by the widely held view that most vertebrate introns are too unstable to be detectable. Here, we report that we are able to detect all three spliced introns from the coding region of the Pem homeobox gene. By using a tetracycline (tet)-regulated promoter, we found that the half-lives of these Pem introns ranged from 9 to 29 min, comparable with those of short lived mRNAs such as those encoding c-fos and c-myc. The half-lives of the Pem introns correlated with both their length and 5' to 3' orientation in the Pem gene. Subcellular fractionation analysis revealed that spliced Pem introns and pre-mRNA accumulated in the nuclear matrix, high salt-soluble, and DNase-sensitive fractions within the nucleus. Surprisingly, we found that all three of the spliced Pem introns were also in the cytoplasmic fraction, whereas Pem pre-mRNAs, U6 small nuclear RNA, and a spliced intron from another gene were virtually excluded from this fraction. This indicates either that spliced Pem introns are uniquely exported to the cytoplasm for degradation or they reside in a unique soluble nuclear fraction. Our study has implications for understanding the regulation of RNA metabolism, as the stability of introns and the location of their degradation may dictate the following: (i) the stability of nearby mRNAs that compete with spliced introns for rate-limiting nucleases, (ii) the rate at which free nucleotides are available for further rounds of transcription, and (iii) the rate at which splicing factors are recycled.

Identification of nuclear matrix and associated proteins that bind the haptoglobin gene cis-element.

To identify the major nuclear matrix proteins that bind to the rat haptoglobin gene cis-element, we isolated a soluble nuclear matrix protein fraction and analysed it by gel retardation. Two major DNA-binding proteins exhibiting different types of protein-DNA interactions were detected: a DNA sequence-specific 32-kDa isoform of transcription factor C/EBP beta, and a nuclear matrix protein p55 that bound to the DNA nonspecifically. During increased transcription of the haptoglobin gene in the course of the acute-phase reaction, the DNA-binding affinities and concentrations of these proteins in the soluble nuclear matrix fraction were increased. These data lend further evidence that the nuclear matrix is an active support structure that localizes gene regulatory proteins and participates in transcriptional regulation.

Characterization of DP103, a Novel DEAD Box Protein That Binds to the Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Proteins EBNA2 and EBNA3C

The Epstein-Barr virus-encoded nuclear antigens EBNA2 and EBNA3C both interact with the cellular transcription factor RBP-Jkappa and modulate the expression of several shared target genes, suggesting a tight cooperation in latently infected cells. In a survey for additional cellular factors that bind to EBNA2 as well as EBNA3C, we have isolated and characterized DP103, a novel human member of the DEAD box family of putative ATP-dependent RNA helicases. The interaction with DP103 is mediated by amino acids (aa) 121-213 of EBNA2 and aa 534-778 of EBNA3C, regions that are not involved in binding of the viral proteins to RBP-Jkappa. The DP103-cDNA encodes a protein of 824 aa that harbors all of the common DEAD box motifs. Monoclonal antibodies raised against DP103 detect a protein of 103 kDa in mammalian cells that resides in high molecular weight complexes in vivo. We have detected an ATPase activity intrinsic to or closely associated with DP103. By subcellular fractionation, we find DP103 in both a soluble nuclear fraction as well as in the insoluble skeletal fraction. Whereas the protein and its mRNA are uniformly expressed in all tested cell lines, we observed differential expression of the mRNA in normal human tissues.

ORC5L, a New Member of the Human Origin Recognition Complex, Is Deleted in Uterine Leiomyomas and Malignant Myeloid Diseases

A new member of the human origin recognition complex (ORC) was cloned and identified as ORC5L. HsORC5p is a 50-kDa protein whose sequence is 38% identical and 62% similar to ORC5p from Drosophila melanogaster. Two alleles of ORC5L were identified, one with and one without an evolutionarily conserved purine nucleotide binding motif. HsORC5p is precipitated from cell extracts with HsORC2p and HsORC4p, indicating that it is part of the putative human ORC. The bulk of HsORC5p is in an insoluble nuclear fraction, whereas the other known human ORC subunits (HsORC1p, HsORC2p, and HsORC4p) are easily extracted in the nuclear-soluble fractions and in S100 (HsORC1p). In addition, we identified an alternatively spliced mRNA from the same locus (HsORC5T). HsORC5Tp also formed a complex with HsORC4p but not with HsORC2p, suggesting it may play a regulatory role in the assembly of different ORC subcomplexes. HsORC5, HsORC5T, and HsORC4 transcripts are abundant in spleen, ovary, and prostate in addition to tissues with high levels of DNA replication like testes and colon mucosa, implicating the human ORC proteins in functions besides DNA replication. Finally, the gene for ORC5L is located at chromosome 7, band q22, in the minimal region deleted in 10% of uterine leiomyomas and in 10-20% of acute myeloid leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes.