scholarly journals Amplified dihydrofolate reductase genes are located in chromosome regions containing DNA that replicates during the first half of S-phase.

1982 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 531-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
R E Kellems ◽  
M E Harper ◽  
L M Smith

To obtain a better understanding of the relationship between metaphase chromosome banding patterns and genome organization, attention was focused on regions of metaphase chromosomes that were found to contain the genes for a specific cellular enzyme, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). These studies involved the use of highly methotrexate-resistant mouse lymphoblastoid cells (L5178YR), which contain approximately 300 times the number of DHFR genes present in parental cells (L5178YS). Karyotypic analysis revealed the presence of two very large, nonhomologous, marker chromosomes that were absent in the parental line. In situ hybridization of 3H-labeled cloned DHFR cDNA to metaphase chromosomes of L5178YR cells was used to localize the DHFR genes to a very large Giemsa (G)-negative region on each of the two large marker chromosomes. Regional patterns of DNA replication in metaphase chromosomes were studied by autoradiographic visualization of [3H]thymidine incorporation and by fluorescent microscopic visualization of bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. Because the amplified DHFR genes were present within two prominent cytogenetic regions on two easily identifiable chromosomes, it was possible to observe the following. The amplified DHFR genes were located in chromosome regions that replicated at the same time during the first half of a 9-h-S-phase. DNA replication began simultaneously and terminated simultaneously at many locations throughout each amplified region. We conclude that transcriptionally active DHFR genes are located within large G-negative regions of metaphase chromosomes and that the DNA within these regions replicates during the first half of S-phase.

1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 2942-2954 ◽  
Author(s):  
D M Gilbert ◽  
H Miyazawa ◽  
M L DePamphilis

Previous studies have shown that Xenopus egg extract can initiate DNA replication in purified DNA molecules once the DNA is organized into a pseudonucleus. DNA replication under these conditions is independent of DNA sequence and begins at many sites distributed randomly throughout the molecules. In contrast, DNA replication in the chromosomes of cultured animal cells initiates at specific, heritable sites. Here we show that Xenopus egg extract can initiate DNA replication at specific sites in mammalian chromosomes, but only when the DNA is presented in the form of an intact nucleus. Initiation of DNA synthesis in nuclei isolated from G1-phase Chinese hamster ovary cells was distinguished from continuation of DNA synthesis at preformed replication forks in S-phase nuclei by a delay that preceded DNA synthesis, a dependence on soluble Xenopus egg factors, sensitivity to a protein kinase inhibitor, and complete labeling of nascent DNA chains. Initiation sites for DNA replication were mapped downstream of the amplified dihydrofolate reductase gene region by hybridizing newly replicated DNA to unique probes and by hybridizing Okazaki fragments to the two individual strands of unique probes. When G1-phase nuclei were prepared by methods that preserved the integrity of the nuclear membrane, Xenopus egg extract initiated replication specifically at or near the origin of bidirectional replication utilized by hamster cells (dihydrofolate reductase ori-beta). However, when nuclei were prepared by methods that altered nuclear morphology and damaged the nuclear membrane, preference for initiation at ori-beta was significantly reduced or eliminated. Furthermore, site-specific initiation was not observed with bare DNA substrates, and Xenopus eggs or egg extracts replicated prokaryotic DNA or hamster DNA that did not contain a replication origin as efficiently as hamster DNA containing ori-beta. We conclude that initiation sites for DNA replication in mammalian cells are established prior to S phase by some component of nuclear structure and that these sites can be activated by soluble factors in Xenopus eggs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongzheng Li ◽  
Boxin Xue ◽  
Mengling Zhang ◽  
Liwei Zhang ◽  
Yingping Hou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Metazoan cells only utilize a small subset of the potential DNA replication origins to duplicate the whole genome in each cell cycle. Origin choice is linked to cell growth, differentiation, and replication stress. Although various genetic and epigenetic signatures have been linked to the replication efficiency of origins, there is no consensus on how the selection of origins is determined. Results We apply dual-color stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) super-resolution imaging to map the spatial distribution of origins within individual topologically associating domains (TADs). We find that multiple replication origins initiate separately at the spatial boundary of a TAD at the beginning of the S phase. Intriguingly, while both high-efficiency and low-efficiency origins are distributed homogeneously in the TAD during the G1 phase, high-efficiency origins relocate to the TAD periphery before the S phase. Origin relocalization is dependent on both transcription and CTCF-mediated chromatin structure. Further, we observe that the replication machinery protein PCNA forms immobile clusters around TADs at the G1/S transition, explaining why origins at the TAD periphery are preferentially fired. Conclusion Our work reveals a new origin selection mechanism that the replication efficiency of origins is determined by their physical distribution in the chromatin domain, which undergoes a transcription-dependent structural re-organization process. Our model explains the complex links between replication origin efficiency and many genetic and epigenetic signatures that mark active transcription. The coordination between DNA replication, transcription, and chromatin organization inside individual TADs also provides new insights into the biological functions of sub-domain chromatin structural dynamics.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 5195
Author(s):  
Hui Zhang

In eukaryotic cells, DNA replication licensing is precisely regulated to ensure that the initiation of genomic DNA replication in S phase occurs once and only once for each mitotic cell division. A key regulatory mechanism by which DNA re-replication is suppressed is the S phase-dependent proteolysis of Cdt1, an essential replication protein for licensing DNA replication origins by loading the Mcm2-7 replication helicase for DNA duplication in S phase. Cdt1 degradation is mediated by CRL4Cdt2 ubiquitin E3 ligase, which further requires Cdt1 binding to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) through a PIP box domain in Cdt1 during DNA synthesis. Recent studies found that Cdt2, the specific subunit of CRL4Cdt2 ubiquitin E3 ligase that targets Cdt1 for degradation, also contains an evolutionarily conserved PIP box-like domain that mediates the interaction with PCNA. These findings suggest that the initiation and elongation of DNA replication or DNA damage-induced repair synthesis provide a novel mechanism by which Cdt1 and CRL4Cdt2 are both recruited onto the trimeric PCNA clamp encircling the replicating DNA strands to promote the interaction between Cdt1 and CRL4Cdt2. The proximity of PCNA-bound Cdt1 to CRL4Cdt2 facilitates the destruction of Cdt1 in response to DNA damage or after DNA replication initiation to prevent DNA re-replication in the cell cycle. CRL4Cdt2 ubiquitin E3 ligase may also regulate the degradation of other PIP box-containing proteins, such as CDK inhibitor p21 and histone methylase Set8, to regulate DNA replication licensing, cell cycle progression, DNA repair, and genome stability by directly interacting with PCNA during DNA replication and repair synthesis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (22) ◽  
pp. 12751-12777
Author(s):  
Cathia Rausch ◽  
Patrick Weber ◽  
Paulina Prorok ◽  
David Hörl ◽  
Andreas Maiser ◽  
...  

Abstract To ensure error-free duplication of all (epi)genetic information once per cell cycle, DNA replication follows a cell type and developmental stage specific spatio-temporal program. Here, we analyze the spatio-temporal DNA replication progression in (un)differentiated mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells. Whereas telomeres replicate throughout S-phase, we observe mid S-phase replication of (peri)centromeric heterochromatin in mES cells, which switches to late S-phase replication upon differentiation. This replication timing reversal correlates with and depends on an increase in condensation and a decrease in acetylation of chromatin. We further find synchronous duplication of the Y chromosome, marking the end of S-phase, irrespectively of the pluripotency state. Using a combination of single-molecule and super-resolution microscopy, we measure molecular properties of the mES cell replicon, the number of replication foci active in parallel and their spatial clustering. We conclude that each replication nanofocus in mES cells corresponds to an individual replicon, with up to one quarter representing unidirectional forks. Furthermore, with molecular combing and genome-wide origin mapping analyses, we find that mES cells activate twice as many origins spaced at half the distance than somatic cells. Altogether, our results highlight fundamental developmental differences on progression of genome replication and origin activation in pluripotent cells.


2005 ◽  
Vol 168 (7) ◽  
pp. 999-1012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Bachant ◽  
Shannon R. Jessen ◽  
Sarah E. Kavanaugh ◽  
Candida S. Fielding

The budding yeast S phase checkpoint responds to hydroxyurea-induced nucleotide depletion by preventing replication fork collapse and the segregation of unreplicated chromosomes. Although the block to chromosome segregation has been thought to occur by inhibiting anaphase, we show checkpoint-defective rad53 mutants undergo cycles of spindle extension and collapse after hydroxyurea treatment that are distinct from anaphase cells. Furthermore, chromatid cohesion, whose dissolution triggers anaphase, is dispensable for S phase checkpoint arrest. Kinetochore–spindle attachments are required to prevent spindle extension during replication blocks, and chromosomes with two centromeres or an origin of replication juxtaposed to a centromere rescue the rad53 checkpoint defect. These observations suggest that checkpoint signaling is required to generate an inward force involved in maintaining preanaphase spindle integrity during DNA replication distress. We propose that by promoting replication fork integrity under these conditions Rad53 ensures centromere duplication. Replicating chromosomes can then bi-orient in a cohesin-independent manner to restrain untimely spindle extension.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1610-1618 ◽  
Author(s):  
J E Slansky ◽  
Y Li ◽  
W G Kaelin ◽  
P J Farnham

Enhanced expression of genes involved in nucleotide biosynthesis, such as dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), is a hallmark of entrance into the DNA synthesis (S) phase of the mammalian cell cycle. To investigate the regulated expression of the DHFR gene, we stimulated serum-starved NIH 3T3 cells to synchronously reenter the cell cycle. Our previous results show that a cis-acting element at the site of DHFR transcription initiation is necessary for serum regulation. Recently, this element has been demonstrated to bind the cloned transcription factor E2F. In this study, we focused on the role of E2F in the growth regulation of DHFR. We demonstrated that a single E2F site, in the absence or presence of other promoter elements, was sufficient for growth-regulated promoter activity. Next, we showed that the increase in DHFR mRNA at the G1/S-phase boundary required protein synthesis, raising the possibility that a protein(s) lacking in serum-starved cells is required for DHFR transcription. We found that, similar to DHFR mRNA expression, levels of murine E2F1 mRNA were low in serum-starved cells and increased at the G1/S-phase boundary in a protein synthesis-dependent manner. Furthermore, in a cotransfection experiment, expression of human E2F1 stimulated the DHFR promoter 22-fold in serum-starved cells. We suggest that E2F1 may be the key protein required for DHFR transcription that is absent in serum-starved cells. Expression of E2F also abolished the serum-stimulated regulation of the DHFR promoter and resulted in transcription patterns similar to those seen with expression of the adenoviral oncoprotein E1A. In summary, we provide evidence for the importance of E2F in the growth regulation of DHFR and suggest that alterations in the levels of E2F may have severe consequences in the control of cellular proliferation.


1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1203-1209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Françoise Jaunin ◽  
Astrid E. Visser ◽  
Dusan Cmarko ◽  
Jacob A. Aten ◽  
Stanislav Fakan

We describe a colloidal gold immunolabeling technique for electron microscopy which allows one to differentially visualize portions of DNA replicated during different periods of S-phase. This was performed by incorporating two halogenated deoxyuridines (IdUrd and CldUrd) into Chinese hamster cells and, after cell processing, by detecting them with selected antibodies. This technique, using in particular appropriate blocking solutions and also Tris buffer with a high salt concentration and 1% Tween-20, prevents nonspecific background and crossreaction of both antibodies. Controls such as digestion with DNase and specific staining of DNA with osmium ammine show that labeling corresponds well to replicated DNA. Different patterns of labeling distribution, reflecting different periods of DNA replication during S-phase, were characterized. Cells in early S-phase display a diffuse pattern of labeling with many spots, whereas cells in late S-phase show labeling confined to larger domains, often at the periphery of the nucleus or associated with the nucleolus. The good correlation between our observations and previous double labeling results in immunofluorescence also proved the technique to be reliable.


1995 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 927-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Starborg ◽  
E. Brundell ◽  
K. Gell ◽  
C. Larsson ◽  
I. White ◽  
...  

We have analyzed the expression of the murine P1 gene, the mammalian homologue of the yeast MCM3 protein, during the mitotic cell cycle. The MCM3 protein has previously been shown to be of importance for initiation of DNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that the murine P1 protein was present in the nuclei of mammalian cells throughout interphase of the cell cycle. This is in contrast to the MCM3 protein, which is located in the nuclei of yeast cells only between the M and the S phase of the cell cycle. Detailed analysis of the intranuclear localization of the P1 protein during the cell cycle revealed that it accumulates transiently in the heterochromatic regions towards the end of G1. The accumulation of the P1 protein in the heterochromatic regions prior to activation of DNA replication suggests that the mammalian P1 protein is also of importance for initiation of DNA replication. The MCM2-3.5 proteins have been suggested to represent yeast equivalents of a hypothetical replication licensing factor initially described in Xenopus. Our data support this model and indicate that the murine P1 protein could function as replication licensing factor. The chromosomal localization of the P1 gene was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization to region 6p12 in human metaphase chromosomes.


1997 ◽  
Vol 110 (6) ◽  
pp. 753-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.S. Detweiler ◽  
J.J. Li

CDC6 is essential for the initiation of DNA replication in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here we examine the timing of Cdc6p expression and function during the cell cycle. Cdc6p is expressed primarily between mitosis and Start. This pattern of expression is due in part to posttranscriptional controls, since it is maintained when CDC6 is driven by a constitutively induced promoter. Transcriptional repression of CDC6 or exposure of cdc6-1(ts) cells to the restrictive temperature at mitosis blocks subsequent S phase, demonstrating that the activity of newly synthesized Cdc6p is required each cell cycle for DNA replication. In contrast, similar perturbations imposed on cells arrested in G(1) before Start have moderate or no effects on DNA replication. This suggests that, between mitosis and Start, Cdc6p functions in an early step of initiation, effectively making cells competent for replication. Prolonged exposure of cdc6-1(ts) cells to the restrictive temperature at the pre-Start arrest eventually does cripple S phase, indicating that Cdc6p also functions to maintain this initiation competence during G(1). The requirement for Cdc6p to establish and maintain initiation competence tightly correlates with the requirement for Cdc6p to establish and maintain the pre-replicative complex at a replication origin, strongly suggesting that the pre-replicative complex is an important intermediate for the initiation of DNA replication. Confining assembly of the complex to G(1) by restricting expression of Cdc6p to this period may be one way of ensuring precisely one round of replication per cell cycle.


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