scholarly journals Stochasticity of replication fork speed plays a key role in the dynamics of DNA replication

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Razie Yousefi ◽  
Maga Rowicka

AbstractEukaryotic DNA replication is elaborately orchestrated to duplicate the genome timely and faithfully. Replication initiates at multiple origins from which replication forks emanate and travel bi-directionally. The complex spatio-temporal regulation of DNA replication remains incompletely understood. To study it, computational models of DNA replication have been developed in S. cerevisiae. However, in spite of the experimental evidence of replication speed stochasticity, all models assumed that replication fork speed is constant or varies only with genomic coordinates. Here, we present the first model of DNA replication assuming stochastic speed of the replication fork. Utilizing data from both wild-type and hydroxyurea-treated yeast cells, we show that our model is more accurate than models assuming constant fork speed and reconstructs dynamics of DNA replication faithfully starting both from population-wide data and data reflecting fork movement in individual cells. Completion of replication in a timely manner is a challenge due to its stochasticity; we propose an empirically derived modification to replication speed based on the distance to the approaching fork, which promotes timely completion of replication. In summary, our work discovers a key role that stochasticity of the fork speed plays in the dynamics of DNA replication. We show that without including stochasticity of fork speed it is not possible to accurately reconstruct movement of individual replication forks, measured by DNA combing.Author summaryDNA replication in eukaryotes starts from multiple sites termed replication origins. Replication timing at individual sites is stochastic, but reproducible population-wide. Complex and not yet completely understood mechanisms ensure that genome is replicated exactly once and that replication is finished in time. This complex spatio-temporal organization of DNA replication makes computational modeling a useful tool to study replication mechanisms. For simplicity, all previous models assumed constant replication fork speed. Here, we show that such models are incapable of accurately reconstructing distances travelled by individual replication forks. Therefore, we propose a model with a stochastic replication fork speed. We show that such model reproduces faithfully distances travelled by individual replication forks. Moreover, our model is simpler than previous model and thus avoids over-learning (fitting noise). We also discover how replication speed may be attuned to timely complete replication. We propose that fork speed exponentially increases with diminishing distance to the approaching fork, which we show promotes timely completion of replication. Such speed up can be e.g. explained by a synergy effect of chromatin unwinding by both forks. Our model can be used to simulate phenomena beyond replication, e.g. DNA double-strand breaks resulting from broken replication forks.

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3059-3067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Conti ◽  
Barbara Saccà ◽  
John Herrick ◽  
Claude Lalou ◽  
Yves Pommier ◽  
...  

The spatial organization of replicons into clusters is believed to be of critical importance for genome duplication in higher eukaryotes, but its functional organization still remains to be fully clarified. The coordinated activation of origins is insufficient on its own to account for a timely completion of genome duplication when interorigin distances vary significantly and fork velocities are constant. Mechanisms coordinating origin distribution with fork progression are still poorly elucidated, because of technical difficulties of visualizing the process. Taking advantage of a single molecule approach, we delineated and compared the DNA replication kinetics at the genome level in human normal primary and malignant cells. Our results show that replication forks moving from one origin, as well as from neighboring origins, tend to exhibit the same velocity, although the plasticity of the replication program allows for their adaptation to variable interorigin distances. We also found that forks that emanated from closely spaced origins tended to move slower than those associated with long replicons. Taken together, our results indicate a functional role for origin clustering in the dynamic regulation of genome duplication.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Ellis ◽  
Jianmei Zhu ◽  
Mary K Yagle ◽  
Wei-Chih Yang ◽  
Jing Huang ◽  
...  

Sumoylation is an important enhancer of responses to DNA replication stress and the SUMO-targeted ubiquitin E3 ligase RNF4 regulates these responses by ubiquitylation of sumoylated DNA damage response factors. The specific targets and functional consequences of RNF4 regulation in response to replication stress, however, have not been fully characterized. Here we demonstrated that RNF4 is required for the restart of DNA replication following prolonged hydroxyurea (HU)-induced replication stress. Contrary to its role in repair of γ-irradiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), our analysis revealed that RNF4 does not significantly impact recognition or repair of replication stress-associated DSBs. Rather, using DNA fiber assays, we found that the firing of new DNA replication origins, which is required for replication restart following prolonged stress, was inhibited in cells depleted of RNF4. We also provided evidence that RNF4 recognizes and ubiquitylates sumoylated Bloom syndrome DNA helicase BLM and thereby promotes its proteosome-mediated turnover at damaged DNA replication forks. Consistent with it being a functionally important RNF4 substrate, co-depletion of BLM rescued defects in the firing of new replication origins observed in cells depleted of RNF4 alone. We concluded that RNF4 acts to remove sumoylated BLM from collapsed DNA replication forks, which is required to facilitate normal resumption of DNA synthesis after prolonged replication fork stalling and collapse.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe de La Roche Saint-André ◽  
Vincent Géli

AbstractDNA replication is a highly regulated process that occurs in the context of chromatin structure and is sensitive to several histone post-translational modifications. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the histone methylase Set1 is responsible for the transcription-dependent deposition of H3K4 methylation (H3K4me) throughout the genome. Here we show that a combination of a hypomorphic replication mutation (orc5-1) with the absence of Set1 (set1Δ) compromises the progression through S phase, and this is associated with a large increase in DNA damage. The ensuing DNA damage checkpoint activation, in addition to that of the spindle assembly checkpoint, restricts the growth of orc5-1 set1Δ. Interestingly, orc5-1 set1Δ is sensitive to the lack of RNase H activity while a reduction of histone levels is able to counterbalance the loss of Set1. We propose that the recently described Set1-dependent mitigation of transcription-replication conflicts becomes critical for growth when the replication forks accelerate due to decreased origin firing in the orc5-1 background. Furthermore, we show that an increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, likely a consequence of the elevated DNA damage, is partly responsible for the lethality in orc5-1 set1Δ.Author summaryDNA replication, that ensures the duplication of the genetic material, starts at discrete sites, termed origins, before proceeding at replication forks whose progression is carefully controlled in order to avoid conflicts with the transcription of genes. In eukaryotes, DNA replication occurs in the context of chromatin, a structure in which DNA is wrapped around proteins, called histones, that are subjected to various chemical modifications. Among them, the methylation of the lysine 4 of histone H3 (H3K4) is carried out by Set1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, specifically at transcribed genes. We report that, when the replication fork accelerates in response to a reduction of active origins, the absence of Set1 leads to accumulation of DNA damage. Because H3K4 methylation was recently shown to slow down replication at transcribed genes, we propose that the Set1-dependent becomes crucial to limit the occurrence of conflicts between replication and transcription caused by replication fork acceleration. In agreement with this model, stabilization of transcription-dependent structures or reduction histone levels, to limit replication fork velocity, respectively exacerbates or moderates the effect of Set1 loss. Last, but not least, we show that the oxidative stress associated to DNA damage is partly responsible for cell lethality.


Author(s):  
Casey Toft ◽  
Morgane Moreau ◽  
Jiri Perutka ◽  
Savitri Mandapati ◽  
Peter Enyeart ◽  
...  

In Escherichia coli, DNA replication termination is orchestrated by two clusters of Ter sites forming a DNA replication fork trap when bound by Tus proteins. The formation of a ‘locked’ Tus-Ter complex is essential for halting incoming DNA replication forks. However, the absence of replication fork arrest at some Ter sites raised questions about their significance. In this study, we examined the genome-wide distribution of Tus and found that only the six innermost Ter sites (TerA-E and G) were significantly bound by Tus. We also found that a single ectopic insertion of TerB in its non-permissive orientation could not be achieved, advocating against a need for ‘back-up’ Ter sites. Finally, examination of the genomes of a variety of Enterobacterales revealed a new replication fork trap architecture mostly found outside the Enterobacteriaceae family. Taken together, our data enabled the delineation of a narrow ancestral Tus-dependent DNA replication fork trap consisting of only two Ter sites.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mónica P. Gutiérrez ◽  
Heather K. MacAlpine ◽  
David M. MacAlpine

AbstractProper regulation and maintenance of the epigenome is necessary to preserve genome function. However, in every cell division, the epigenetic state is disassembled and then re-assembled in the wake of the DNA replication fork. Chromatin restoration on nascent DNA is a complex and regulated process that includes nucleosome assembly and remodeling, deposition of histone variants, and the re-establishment of transcription factor binding. To study the genome-wide dynamics of chromatin restoration behind the DNA replication fork, we developed Nascent Chromatin Occupancy Profiles (NCOPs) to comprehensively profile nascent and mature chromatin at nucleotide resolution. While nascent chromatin is inherently less organized than mature chromatin, we identified locus specific differences in the kinetics of chromatin maturation that were predicted by the epigenetic landscape, including the histone variant H2A.Z which marked loci with rapid maturation kinetics. The chromatin maturation at origins of DNA replication was dependent on whether the origin underwent initiation or was passively replicated from distal-originating replication forks suggesting distinct chromatin assembly mechanisms between activated and disassembled pre-replicative complexes. Finally, we identified sites that were only occupied transiently by DNA-binding factors following passage of the replication fork which may provide a mechanism for perturbations of the DNA replication program to shape the regulatory landscape of the genome.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (38) ◽  
pp. eabc0330 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. T. Gruszka ◽  
S. Xie ◽  
H. Kimura ◽  
H. Yardimci

During replication, nucleosomes are disrupted ahead of the replication fork, followed by their reassembly on daughter strands from the pool of recycled parental and new histones. However, because no previous studies have managed to capture the moment that replication forks encounter nucleosomes, the mechanism of recycling has remained unclear. Here, through real-time single-molecule visualization of replication fork progression in Xenopus egg extracts, we determine explicitly the outcome of fork collisions with nucleosomes. Most of the parental histones are evicted from the DNA, with histone recycling, nucleosome sliding, and replication fork stalling also occurring but at lower frequencies. Critically, we find that local histone recycling becomes dominant upon depletion of endogenous histones from extracts, revealing that free histone concentration is a key modulator of parental histone dynamics at the replication fork. The mechanistic details revealed by these studies have major implications for our understanding of epigenetic inheritance.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Malacaria ◽  
Masayoshi Honda ◽  
Annapaola Franchitto ◽  
Maria Spies ◽  
Pietro Pichierri

Understanding basic molecular mechanisms underlying the biology of cancer cells is of outmost importance for identification of novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers for patient stratification and better therapy selection. One of these mechanisms, the response to replication stress, fuels cancer genomic instability. It is also an Achille’s heel of cancer. Thus, identification of pathways used by the cancer cells to respond to replication-stress may assist in the identification of new biomarkers and discovery of new therapeutic targets. Alternative mechanisms that act at perturbed DNA replication forks and involve fork degradation by nucleases emerged as crucial for sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapeutics agents inducing replication stress. Despite its important role in homologous recombination and recombinational repair of DNA double strand breaks in lower eukaryotes, RAD52 protein has been considered dispensable in human cells and the full range of its cellular functions remained unclear. Very recently, however, human RAD52 emerged as an important player in multiple aspects of replication fork metabolism under physiological and pathological conditions. In this review, we describe recent advances on RAD52’s key functions at stalled or collapsed DNA replication forks, in particular, the unexpected role of RAD52 as a gatekeeper, which prevents unscheduled processing of DNA. Last, we will discuss how these functions can be exploited using specific inhibitors in targeted therapy or for an informed therapy selection.


2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 2396-2408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica A. Vaisica ◽  
Anastasija Baryshnikova ◽  
Michael Costanzo ◽  
Charles Boone ◽  
Grant W. Brown

Mms1 and Mms22 form a Cul4Ddb1-like E3 ubiquitin ligase with the cullin Rtt101. In this complex, Rtt101 is bound to the substrate-specific adaptor Mms22 through a linker protein, Mms1. Although the Rtt101Mms1/Mms22ubiquitin ligase is important in promoting replication through damaged templates, how it does so has yet to be determined. Here we show that mms1Δ and mms22Δ cells fail to properly regulate DNA replication fork progression when replication stress is present and are defective in recovery from replication fork stress. Consistent with a role in promoting DNA replication, we find that Mms1 is enriched at sites where replication forks have stalled and that this localization requires the known binding partners of Mms1—Rtt101 and Mms22. Mms1 and Mms22 stabilize the replisome during replication stress, as binding of the fork-pausing complex components Mrc1 and Csm3, and DNA polymerase ε, at stalled replication forks is decreased in mms1Δ and mms22Δ. Taken together, these data indicate that Mms1 and Mms22 are important for maintaining the integrity of the replisome when DNA replication forks are slowed by hydroxyurea and thereby promote efficient recovery from replication stress.


2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 3131-3142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keziban Ünsal-Kaçmaz ◽  
Paul D. Chastain ◽  
Ping-Ping Qu ◽  
Parviz Minoo ◽  
Marila Cordeiro-Stone ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT UV-induced DNA damage stalls DNA replication forks and activates the intra-S checkpoint to inhibit replicon initiation. In response to stalled replication forks, ATR phosphorylates and activates the transducer kinase Chk1 through interactions with the mediator proteins TopBP1, Claspin, and Timeless (Tim). Murine Tim recently was shown to form a complex with Tim-interacting protein (Tipin), and a similar complex was shown to exist in human cells. Knockdown of Tipin using small interfering RNA reduced the expression of Tim and reversed the intra-S checkpoint response to UVC. Tipin interacted with replication protein A (RPA) and RPA-coated DNA, and RPA promoted the loading of Tipin onto RPA-free DNA. Immunofluorescence analysis of spread DNA fibers showed that treating HeLa cells with 2.5 J/m2 UVC not only inhibited the initiation of new replicons but also reduced the rate of chain elongation at active replication forks. The depletion of Tim and Tipin reversed the UV-induced inhibition of replicon initiation but affected the rate of DNA synthesis at replication forks in different ways. In undamaged cells depleted of Tim, the apparent rate of replication fork progression was 52% of the control. In contrast, Tipin depletion had little or no effect on fork progression in unirradiated cells but significantly attenuated the UV-induced inhibition of DNA chain elongation. Together, these findings indicate that the Tim-Tipin complex mediates the UV-induced intra-S checkpoint, Tim is needed to maintain DNA replication fork movement in the absence of damage, Tipin interacts with RPA on DNA and, in UV-damaged cells, Tipin slows DNA chain elongation in active replicons.


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