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Initiation complex assembly at budding yeast replication origins begins with the recognition of a bipartite sequence by limiting amounts of the initiator, ORC.

Characterization of the proteins that interact with replication origins, as well as characterization of the mechanisms by which the levels and activities of these proteins are regulated during the cell cycle, is required to understand the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in eukaryotic cells. We have previously shown that the first detectable step in the assembly of initiation complexes in vivo involves the binding of the multisubunit origin recognition complex (ORC) and the general transcription/replication factor ABF1 protein to origins. In this paper we show that ORC is present in cells at low levels, corresponding to little more than one complete complex per replication origin, indicating that in vivo origin recognition by ORC is extremely efficient. We show that this efficient recognition requires two sequence elements, the essential A element containing the ARS consensus sequence and the functionally important B1 element, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we show that origin binding by ORC in vivo does not require any other functional sequence element, indicating that it occurs independently of the binding of other factors, such as ABF1. Our results suggest a model for the roles of the individual elements of yeast replication origins.

Base Sequence

At the heart of the budding yeast cell cycle.

It might now seem obvious that the mechanisms regulating cell division would be found to be a highly conserved feature of eukaryotic cells. This was less clear 20 years ago when the pioneering genetic studies of the cell cycle were initiated. This article presents one view as to what lies at the heart of the budding yeast cell cycle. It is written on the premise that most of the key players, such as cyclin-dependent kinases, the anaphase-promoting complex, the origin recognition complex, Cdc6p and Mcm proteins, were performing similar functions in the common ancestor of yeast and man. Ideas about the budding yeast cell cycle might, therefore, have universal significance for other eukaryotic cells.

Anaphase

Mouse and human homologues of the yeast origin of replication recognition complex subunit ORC2 and chromosomal localization of the cognate human gene ORC2L.

ORC2 is a subunit of the origin recognition complex in yeast and has been implicated in the initiation of DNA replication and transcriptional silencing. We have isolated mouse and human cDNA clones encoding proteins with 47.9 and 46.3% similarity, respectively, to yeast ORC2. This degree of similarity and the alignment of sequences suggest that these clones may represent a mammalian ORC2 homologue. The existence of such a homologue would, in turn, suggest the existence of a mammalian origin recognition complex, similar to that found in yeast. Although Northern blot analysis of various adult mouse tissues found the highest levels of expression of ORC2-like (ORC2L) RNA in testes, strong signals did not always correspond to tissues in which high levels of DNA replication would be expected. This finding may reflect functional roles of ORC2L distinct from those that it may play in DNA replication. Analyses of somatic cell hybrid DNA and fluorescence in situ hybridization were employed to map the human ORC2L gene to chromosome 2q33.

Amino Acid Sequence

Interaction of Cdc2 and Cdc18 with a fission yeast ORC2-like protein.

In fission yeast, Cdc2 kinase has both positive and negative roles in regulating DNA replication, being first necessary for the transition from G1 to S phase and later required to prevent the re-initiation of DNA replication during G2. We report here that Cdc2 interacts with Orp2, a protein similar to the Orc2 replication factor subunit of Saccharomyces cerevisiae origin recognition complex (ORC). ORC binds chromosomal origins and is essential for chromosomal replication initiation. Fission yeast Orp2 is required for DNA replication and interacts with the rate-limiting replication activator Cdc18. Cells lacking Orp2 undergo aberrant mitosis, indicating that Orp2 is involved in generating a checkpoint signal. These findings suggest that ORC functions are conserved among eukaryotes and provide evidence that Cdc2 controls DNA replication initiation by acting directly at chromosomal origins.

Amino Acid Sequence

Cdc6p-dependent loading of Mcm proteins onto pre-replicative chromatin in budding yeast.

The Cdc6 protein is essential for the assembly of pre-replicative complexes (pre-RCs) at origins of DNA replication in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This reaction is blocked in vivo by the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdc28p, together with its regulatory subunits, the B type cyclins that are present throughout S, G2, and M phases. Because the destruction of B type cyclins and the consequent inactivation of the kinase are essential for exit from mitosis, pre-RC formation can only occur after passage through mitosis. Therefore, pre-RC formation has been proposed to be essential for coupling S phase and mitosis and for limiting DNA replication to once per cell cycle. The Mcm2-7 family of proteins has been implicated in limiting replication to once per cell cycle from experiments with Xenopus egg extracts. Here we show that the Mcm proteins of budding yeast are abundant and are quantitatively found in a chromatin-enriched fraction specifically during the G1 phase of the cell cycle. This chromatin binding depends on the de novo synthesis of Cdc6p, providing evidence that a conserved biochemical pathway plays a critical role in coordinating DNA replication with mitosis in both yeast and higher eukaryotes. Cdc6p and the origin recognition complex can be selectively removed from this chromatin-enriched fraction without removing the Mcm proteins. From these results, we propose that Cdc6p (and the origin recognition complex) nucleates the binding of Mcm proteins to chromatin, but once bound, the Mcm proteins appear to interact tightly with some other component of chromatin.

Cell Cycle

Regulation of replicon size in Xenopus egg extracts.

Once a specific number of cells have been produced in the early Xenopus laevis embryo, replicon size during the S phase of the cell cycle increases. Here, it is reported that similar increase in replicon size occurred when the concentration of nuclei in replication-competent Xenopus egg extracts exceeded a critical threshold. In this system, the origin recognition complex (ORC) did not become stoichiometrically limiting for initiation, and similar amounts of this complex bound to chromatin regardless of replicon size. These data suggest that in early development, an unidentified factor controls how many preformed ORC-DNA complexes initiate DNA replication.

Animals

Stepwise assembly of initiation complexes at budding yeast replication origins during the cell cycle.

DNA replication is a pivotal event in the cell cycle and, as a consequence, is tightly controlled in eukaryotic cells. The initiation of DNA replication is dependent upon the completion of mitosis and upon the commitment to complete the cell cycle made during G(1). Characterisation of the protein factors required for initiating DNA replication is essential to understand how the cell cycle is regulated. Recent results indicate that initiation complexes assemble in multiple stages during the cell cycle. First, origins are bound by the multisubunit origin recognition complex (ORC) which is essential for DNA replication in vivo. ORC, present at little more than one complete complex per replication origin, binds to origins immediately after initiation in the previous cell cycle. ORC binding occurs by the recognition of a bipartite sequence that includes the essential ARS consensus sequence (ACS) and the functionally important B1 element adjacent to the ACS. A novel pre-replicative complex (pre-RC) assembles at origins at the end of mitosis in actively cycling cells and remains at origins until DNA replication initiates. Finally, Dbf4, which is periodically synthesised at the end of G(1), interacts with replication origins. Dbf4-origin interaction requires an intact ACS strongly suggesting that interaction occurs through ORC. Dbf4 interacts with and is required for the activation of the Cdc7 protein kinase and together, Dbf4 and Cdc7 are required for the G(1)-S transition. Separate regions of Dbf4 are required for Cdc7- and origin-interaction suggesting that Dbf4 may act to recruit Cdc7 to replication origins where phosphorylation of some key component may cause origin firing.

Base Sequence

Regulatory roles of the nuclear envelope.

Roles of the nuclear envelope are considered in the regulation of nuclear protein import, ribonucleoprotein export, and coupling of DNA replication to the cell cycle. First, evidence is discussed that indicates that neutral and acidic amino acids can be important in nuclear localization signals as well as the widely acknowledged basic amino acids. Second, the recognition of nuclear localization signals by their receptor "importin" is discussed, focusing on the different roles of the two subunits of importin. Third, a role for the alpha subunit of importin in RNP export is considered together with the question of how the direction of traffic through nuclear pores is determined. The final part of this article considers evidence that the nuclear membrane prevents reinitiation of DNA replication in Xenopus eggs, by excluding a "licensing factor" that is essential for DNA replication. Replication licensing in Xenopus appears to involve several proteins including the MCM (minichromosome maintenance) complex and ORC, the origin recognition complex, which must bind before the MCM complex can bind to chromatin.

Amino Acid Sequence

Expression of the HsOrc1 gene, a human ORC1 homolog, is regulated by cell proliferation via the E2F transcription factor.

The initiation of DNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires the action of a multisubunit complex of six proteins known as the origin recognition complex (ORC). The identification of higher eukaryotic homologs of several ORC components suggests a universal role for this complex in DNA replication. We now demonstrate that the expression of one of these homologs is regulated by cell proliferation. Expression of the human Orc1 gene (HsOrc1) is low in quiescent cells, and it is then dramatically induced upon stimulation of cell growth. In contrast, expression of the HsOrc2 gene does not appear to be similarly regulated. We have isolated the promoter that regulates HsOrc1 transcription, and we show that the promoter confers cell growth-dependent expression. We also demonstrate that the cell growth control is largely the consequence of E2F-dependent negative transcription control in quiescent cells. Activation of HsOrc1 transcription following growth stimulation requires G1 cyclin-dependent kinase activity, and forced E2F1 expression can bypass this requirement. These results thus provide a direct link between the initiation of DNA replication and the cell growth regulatory pathway involving G1 cyclin-dependent kinases, the Rb tumor suppressor, and E2F.

Base Sequence

Role for a Xenopus Orc2-related protein in controlling DNA replication.

The six-subunit origin recognition complex (ORC) is essential for the initiation of DNA replication at specific origins in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. An important issue is whether DNA replication in higher eukaryotes, in which the characteristics of replication origins are poorly defined, occurs by an ORC-dependent mechanism. We have identified a Xenopus laevis Orc2-related protein (XORC2) by its ability to rescue a mitotic-catastrophe mutant of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We show that immunodepletion of XORC2 from Xenopus egg extracts abolishes the replication of chromosomal DNA but not elongation synthesis on a single-stranded DNA template. Indirect immunofluorescence indicates that XORC2 binds to chromatin well before the commencement of DNA synthesis, and even under conditions that prevent the association of replication licensing factor(s) with the DNA. These findings suggest that Orc2 plays an important role at an early step of chromosomal replication in animal cells.

Amino Acid Sequence

Conserved initiator proteins in eukaryotes.

The origin recognition complex (ORC), a multisubunit protein identified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, binds to chromosomal replicators and is required for the initiation of cellular DNA replication. Complementary DNAs (cDNAs) encoding proteins related to the two largest subunits of ORC were cloned from various eukaryotes. The cDNAs encoding proteins related to S. cerevisiae Orc1p were cloned from the budding yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and human cells. These proteins show similarity to regulators of the S and M phases of the cell cycle. Genetic analysis of orc1+ from S. pombe reveals that it is essential for cell viability. The cDNAs encoding proteins related to S. cerevisiae Orc2p were cloned from Arabidopsis thaliana, Caenorhabditis elegans, and human cells. The human ORC-related proteins interact in vivo to form a complex. These studies studies suggest that ORC subunits are conserved and that the role of ORC is a general feature of eukaryotic DNA replication.

Amino Acid Sequence

The multidomain structure of Orc1p reveals similarity to regulators of DNA replication and transcriptional silencing.

The origin recognition complex (ORC) is a six protein assembly that binds S. cerevisiae origins of replication and directs DNA replication throughout the genome and transcriptional silencing at the yeast mating-type loci. Here we report the cloning of the genes encoding the 120 kDa (ORC1), 62 kDa (ORC3), and 56 kDa (ORC4) subunits of ORC and the reconstitution of the complete complex after expression of all six subunits in insect cells. Orc1p is related to Cdc6p and Cdc18p, which regulate DNA replication and mitosis, and to Sir3p, a regulator of transcriptional silencing. The N-terminal region of Orc1p is highly related to Sir3p, and studies of Orc1p/Sir3p chimeric proteins indicate that this domain is dedicated to the transcriptional silencing function of ORC.

Amino Acid Sequence

Identification of Cdc45p, an essential factor required for DNA replication.

CDC45 is an essential gene required for initiation of DNA replication in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. CDC45 interacts genetically with CDC46 and CDC47, both members of the MCM family of genes which have been implicated in the licensing of DNA replication. In this report, the isolation of CDC45 is described. The complementing gene is linked to an essential open reading frame on chromosome XII. CDC45 was found to be cell cycle regulated and steady-state mRNA levels are G1/S-specific. CDC45 encodes a protein structurally related to Tsd2p, a protein required for DNA replication in Ustilago maydis. CDC45 also interacts genetically with ORC2, the gene encoding the second subunit of the origin recognition complex, ORC, and MCM3, another member of the MCM family. The cdc45-1 mutant has a plasmid maintenance defect which is rescued by the addition of multiple potential origins to the plasmid.

Amino Acid Sequence

Characterization of an essential Orc2p-associated factor that plays a role in DNA replication.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Orc2 protein is a subunit of the origin recognition complex, ORC, which binds in a sequence-specific manner to yeast origins of DNA replication. With screens for orc2-1 synthetic lethal mutations and Orc2p two-hybrid interactors, a novel Orc2p-associated factor (Oaf1p) was identified. OAF1 is essential, its gene product is localized to the nucleus, and an oaf1 temperature-sensitive mutant arrests as large budded cells with a single nucleus. The mutant oaf1-2, isolated in the synthetic lethal screen, loses plasmids containing a single origin of DNA replication at a high rate, but it maintains plasmids carrying multiple potential origins of DNA replication. In addition, the OAF1 gene product tagged with the hemagglutinin antigen epitope binds to a DNA affinity column containing covalently linked tandem repeats of an essential origin element. These results suggest a role for OAFI in the initiation of DNA replication. Mutant alleles of cdc7 and cdc14 were also isolated in the orc2-1 synthetic lethal screen. Cdc7p, like Oaf1p, also interacts with Orc2p in two-hybrid assays.

Amino Acid Sequence

Chromatin proteins involved in the initiation of DNA replication.

Eukaryotic DNA replication is regulated at least in part by the assembly of initiation proteins onto origins of replication. The origin recognition complex (ORC) is bound to origins throughout most of the cell cycle. Other initiation proteins, such as Cdc6 and the MCM/P1 proteins, are assembled onto ORC-containing chromatin during G1 to define a prereplicative complex. During S phase, these proteins are displaced from chromatin and their reassembly is inhibited by protein-dependent kinases.

Animals

ORC and Cdc6p interact and determine the frequency of initiation of DNA replication in the genome.

The origin recognition complex (ORC) binds replicators in the yeast S. cerevisiae in a manner consistent with it being an initiator protein for DNA replication. Two-dimensional (2D) gel techniques were used to examine directly initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in temperature-sensitive orc mutants. Unlike in wild-type cells, in orc2-1 and orc5-1 mutant cells, only a subset of replicators formed active origins of DNA replication at the permissive temperature. At the restrictive temperature, the number of active replicators was diminished further. Using a genetic screen, CDC6 was identified as a multicopy suppressor of orc5-1. 2D gel and biochemical analyses demonstrated that Cdc6p interacted functionally and physically with ORC. We suggest that ORC and Cdc6p form a prereplication complex at individual replicators and therefore cooperate to determine the frequency of initiation of DNA replication in the genome.

Cell Cycle Proteins

The Xenopus Cdc6 protein is essential for the initiation of a single round of DNA replication in cell-free extracts.

We have cloned a Xenopus Cdc6 homolog (Xcdc6) and characterized its role in DNA replication with Xenopus egg extracts. Immunodepletion of Xcdc6 abolishes chromosomal replication but not elongation on single-stranded DNA templates. Xcdc6 binds to chromatin at the beginning of interphase but disappears from chromatin upon initiation of replication. Immunodepletion studies indicate that binding of Xcdc6 to chromatin requires Xorc2, a component of the origin recognition complex. Moreover, Xmcm3 cannot bind to chromatin lacking Xcdc6, suggesting that Xorc2, Xcdc6, and Xmcm3 associate with the DNA sequentially. In postreplicative nuclei, Xcdc6 is associated with the nuclear envelope. These studies indicate that Xcdc6, is essential for initiation of replication in vertebrates and that interaction with the nuclear envelope may regulate its function.

Amino Acid Sequence

The role of Sas2, an acetyltransferase homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in silencing and ORC function.

Silencing at the cryptic mating-type loci HML and HMR of Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires regulatory sites called silencers. Mutations in the Rap1 and Abf1 binding sites of the HMR-E silencer (HMRa-e**) cause the silencer to be nonfunctional, and hence, cause derepression of HMR. Here, we have isolated and characterized mutations in SAS2 as second-site suppressors of the silencing defect of HMRa-e**. Silencing conferred by the removal of SAS2 (sas2 delta) depended upon the integrity of the ARS consensus sequence of the HMR-E silencer, thus arguing for an involvement of the origin recognition complex (ORC). Restoration of silencing by sas2 delta required ORC2 and ORC5, but not SIR1 or RAP1. Furthermore, sas2 delta suppressed the temperature sensitivity, but not the silencing defect of orc2-1 and orc5-1. Moreover, sas2 delta had opposing effects on silencing of HML and HMR. The putative Sas2 protein bears similarities to known protein acetyltransferases. Several models for the role of Sas2 in silencing are discussed.

Alleles