The Mcm2-7-interacting domain of human mini-chromosome maintenance 10 (Mcm10) protein is important for stable chromatin association and origin firing.

The protein mini-chromosome maintenance 10 (Mcm10) was originally identified as an essential yeast protein in the maintenance of mini-chromosome plasmids. Subsequently, Mcm10 has been shown to be required for both initiation and elongation during chromosomal DNA replication. However, it is not fully understood how the multiple functions of Mcm10 are coordinated or how Mcm10 interacts with other factors at replication forks. Here, we identified and characterized the Mcm2-7-interacting domain in human Mcm10. The interaction with Mcm2-7 required the Mcm10 domain that contained amino acids 530-655, which overlapped with the domain required for the stable retention of Mcm10 on chromatin. Expression of truncated Mcm10 in HeLa cells depleted of endogenous Mcm10 via siRNA revealed that the Mcm10 conserved domain (amino acids 200-482) is essential for DNA replication, whereas both the conserved and the Mcm2-7-binding domains were required for its full activity. Mcm10 depletion reduced the initiation frequency of DNA replication and interfered with chromatin loading of replication protein A, DNA polymerase (Pol) α, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen, whereas the chromatin loading of Cdc45 and Pol ϵ was unaffected. These results suggest that human Mcm10 is bound to chromatin through the interaction with Mcm2-7 and is primarily involved in the initiation of DNA replication after loading of Cdc45 and Pol ϵ.

The histone chaperone facilitates chromatin transcription (FACT) protein maintains normal replication fork rates.

Ordered nucleosome disassembly and reassembly are required for eukaryotic DNA replication. The facilitates chromatin transcription (FACT) complex, a histone chaperone comprising Spt16 and SSRP1, is involved in DNA replication as well as transcription. FACT associates with the MCM helicase, which is involved in DNA replication initiation and elongation. Although the FACT-MCM complex is reported to regulate DNA replication initiation, its functional role in DNA replication elongation remains elusive. To elucidate the functional role of FACT in replication fork progression during DNA elongation in the cells, we generated and analyzed conditional SSRP1 gene knock-out chicken (Gallus gallus) DT40 cells. SSRP1-depleted cells ceased to grow and exhibited a delay in S-phase cell cycle progression, although SSRP1 depletion did not affect the level of chromatin-bound DNA polymerase α or nucleosome reassembly on daughter strands. The tracking length of newly synthesized DNA, but not origin firing, was reduced in SSRP1-depleted cells, suggesting that the S-phase cell cycle delay is mainly due to the inhibition of replication fork progression rather than to defects in the initiation of DNA replication in these cells. We discuss the mechanisms of how FACT promotes replication fork progression in the cells.

Adipocyte-derived microvesicles contain RNA that is transported into macrophages and might be secreted into blood circulation.

We have recently found that 3T3-L1 adipocytes secrete microvesicles, known as adipocyte-derived microvesicles (ADMs), with angiogenic activity. In this study, we found that ADMs contain RNA without typical 28S and 18S ribosomal RNA inside the vesicles. Microarray analysis revealed that ADMs contain approximately 7000 mRNAs and 140 microRNAs. Most of transcripts for adipocyte-specific and dominant genes were contained in the ADMs, and their abundance was mostly correlated with that in the donor cells. Abundance of adipocyte-related microRNAs was also mostly correlated with that in the donor cells. ADMs mediated transport of adiponectin and resistin gene transcripts into RAW264.7 macrophages. Moreover, adipocyte-specific gene transcripts such as adiponectin, resistin, and PPARgamma2 were found in microvesicles isolated from rat serum. Thus, ADM might play a role as a novel intercellular communication tool by transporting RNA in paracrine and possibly endocrine manners.

Cell cycle-dependent accumulation of histone H3.3 and euchromatic histone modifications in pericentromeric heterochromatin in response to a decrease in DNA methylation levels.

In mammals, DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark that is associated with gene silencing, particularly in constitutive heterochromatin. However, the effect of DNA methylation on other epigenetic properties of chromatin is controversial. In this study, we show that inhibition of DNA methylation in mouse fibroblast cells affects histone modification and the subnuclear localization of histone H3.3 in a cell cycle-dependent manner. Using a DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC), we found that reduced levels of DNA methylation were associated with the activation of transcription from centromeric and pericentromeric satellite repeats. The de-repressed pericentromeric chromatin was enriched in euchromatic histone modifications such as acetylation of histone H4, and di- and tri-methylation of lysine 4 on histone H3. Spatio-temporal analysis showed that the accumulation of these euchromatic histone modifications occurred during the second S phase following 5-aza-dC treatment, corresponding precisely with a shift in replication timing of the pericentromeric satellite repeats from middle/late S phase to early S phase. Moreover, we found that histone H3.3 was deposited on the pericentromeric heterochromatin prior to the accumulation of the euchromatic histone modifications. These results suggest that DNA CpG methylation is essential for the proper organization of pericentromeric heterochromatin in differentiated mouse cells.

Cyclin A-Cdk1 regulates the origin firing program in mammalian cells.

Somatic mammalian cells possess well-established S-phase programs with specific regions of the genome replicated at precise times. The ATR-Chk1 pathway plays a central role in these programs, but the mechanism for how Chk1 regulates origin firing remains unknown. We demonstrate here the essential role of cyclin A2-Cdk1 in the regulation of late origin firing. Activity of cyclin A2-Cdk1 was hardly detected at the onset of S phase, but it was obvious at middle to late S phase under unperturbed condition. Chk1 depletion resulted in increased expression of Cdc25A, subsequent hyperactivation of cyclin A2-Cdk1, and abnormal replication at early S phase. Hence, the ectopic expression of cyclin A2-Cdk1AF (constitutively active mutant) fusion constructs resulted in abnormal origin firing, causing the premature appearance of DNA replication at late origins at early S phase. Intriguingly, inactivation of Cdk1 in temperature-sensitive Cdk1 mutant cell lines (FT210) resulted in a prolonged S phase and inefficient activation of late origin firing even at late S phase. Our results thus suggest that cyclin A2-Cdk1 is a key regulator of S-phase programs.

PARP-1 ensures regulation of replication fork progression by homologous recombination on damaged DNA.

Poly-ADP ribose polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is activated by DNA damage and has been implicated in the repair of single-strand breaks (SSBs). Involvement of PARP-1 in other DNA damage responses remains controversial. In this study, we show that PARP-1 is required for replication fork slowing on damaged DNA. Fork progression in PARP-1(-/-) DT40 cells is not slowed down even in the presence of DNA damage induced by the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin (CPT). Mammalian cells treated with a PARP inhibitor or PARP-1-specific small interfering RNAs show similar results. The expression of human PARP-1 restores fork slowing in PARP-1(-/-) DT40 cells. PARP-1 affects SSB repair, homologous recombination (HR), and nonhomologous end joining; therefore, we analyzed the effect of CPT on DT40 clones deficient in these pathways. We find that fork slowing is correlated with the proficiency of HR-mediated repair. Our data support the presence of a novel checkpoint pathway in which the initiation of HR but not DNA damage delays the fork progression.

Hyper-phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein suppresses telomere elongation.

Immortalized cell lines maintain telomeres by the expression of telomerase or by a mechanism designated alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). Although DNA polymerase alpha (pol-alpha) is reported to be required for telomere maintenance, the critical role of pol-alpha in telomere maintenance has not been firmly determined. We examined the role of retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and pol-alpha in the regulation of telomere length, using telomere-fiber FISH. Telomere length varied dependent on the intracellular abundance of pol-alpha or pRb in HeLa cells. A proportion of hyper-phosphorylated pRb (ppRb) molecules localized to sites of telomeric DNA replication in HeLa cells. Pol-alpha might thus contribute to telomere maintenance, and might be regulated by ppRb.

Non-denaturing fluorescence in situ hybridization to find replication origins in a specific genome region on the DNA fiber.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a useful method of determining the replication timing of specific genomic loci in mammals and of delineating replicon structures on DNA fibers in combination with in vivo replication labeling. In the case of simultaneous detection of a FISH probe and replicated forks, however, the DNA fibers are damaged by the DNA denaturation step for FISH detection, and the resulting fragmented fluorescence signals prevent analysis at high resolution. Here we found that hybridization of the probe to the genomic DNA was possible even under non-denaturing condition, but only at the time its genomic region replicated. Using the method designated non-denaturing FISH, we determined the replication timing of a specific BAC clone and the standard clones, and found that at least one replication origin exists within the genomic region covered by its BAC clone as an example.

Functional characterization of a mammalian transcription factor, Elongin A.

Elongin A is the transcriptionally active subunit of the Elongin complex that strongly stimulates the rate of elongation by RNA polymerase II (pol II) by suppressing the transient pausing of the polymerase at many sites along the DNA template. We have recently shown that Elongin A-deficient mice are embryonic lethal, and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from Elongin A(-/-) embryos display not only increased apoptosis but also senescence-like phenotypes accompanied by the activation of p53. To further understand the function of Elongin A in vivo, we have carried out the structure-function analysis of Elongin A and identified sequences critical to its nuclear localization and direct interaction with pol II. Moreover, we have analyzed the replication fork movement in wild-type and Elongin A(-/-) MEFs, and shown the possibility that the genomic instability observed in Elongin A(-/-) MEFs might be caused by the replication fork collapse due to Elongin A deficiency.

Regulation of replication at the R/G chromosomal band boundary and pericentromeric heterochromatin of mammalian cells.

Mammalian chromosomes consist of multiple replicons; however, in contrast to yeast, the details of this replication process (origin firing, fork progression and termination) relative to specific chromosomal domains remain unclear. Using direct visualization of DNA fibers, here we show that the rate of replication fork movement typically decreases in the early-mid S phase when the replication fork proceeds through the R/G chromosomal band boundary and pericentromeric heterochromatin. To support this, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-based replication profiles at the human 1q31.1 (R-band)-32.1 (G-band) regions revealed that replication timing switched around at the putative R/G chromosomal band boundary predicted by marked changes in GC content at the sequence level. Thus, the slowdown of replication fork movement is thought to be the general property of the band boundaries separating the functionally different chromosomal domains. By simultaneous visualization of replication fork movement and pericentromeric heterochromatin sequences on DNA fibers, we observed that this region is duplicated by many replication forks, some of which proceed unidirectionally, that originate from clustered replication origins. We showed that histone hyperacetylation is tightly associated with changes in the replication timing of pericentromeric heterochromatin induced by 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment. These results suggest that, similar to the yeast system, histone modification is involved in controlling the timing of origin firing in mammals.