scholarly journals Single-Molecule Insights Into the Dynamics of Replicative Helicases

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard R. Spinks ◽  
Lisanne M. Spenkelink ◽  
Nicholas E. Dixon ◽  
Antoine M. van Oijen
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Molecular Motors ◽  
Replication Fork ◽  
Magnetic Tweezers ◽  
Replication Initiation ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Replication Forks ◽  
Nucleotide Hydrolysis ◽  
Replicative Polymerases ◽  
Replication Factors

Helicases are molecular motors that translocate along single-stranded DNA and unwind duplex DNA. They rely on the consumption of chemical energy from nucleotide hydrolysis to drive their translocation. Specialized helicases play a critically important role in DNA replication by unwinding DNA at the front of the replication fork. The replicative helicases of the model systems bacteriophages T4 and T7, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been extensively studied and characterized using biochemical methods. While powerful, their averaging over ensembles of molecules and reactions makes it challenging to uncover information related to intermediate states in the unwinding process and the dynamic helicase interactions within the replisome. Here, we describe single-molecule methods that have been developed in the last few decades and discuss the new details that these methods have revealed about replicative helicases. Applying methods such as FRET and optical and magnetic tweezers to individual helicases have made it possible to access the mechanistic aspects of unwinding. It is from these methods that we understand that the replicative helicases studied so far actively translocate and then passively unwind DNA, and that these hexameric enzymes must efficiently coordinate the stepping action of their subunits to achieve unwinding, where the size of each step is prone to variation. Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy methods have made it possible to visualize replicative helicases acting at replication forks and quantify their dynamics using multi-color colocalization, FRAP and FLIP. These fluorescence methods have made it possible to visualize helicases in replication initiation and dissect this intricate protein-assembly process. In a similar manner, single-molecule visualization of fluorescent replicative helicases acting in replication identified that, in contrast to the replicative polymerases, the helicase does not exchange. Instead, the replicative helicase acts as the stable component that serves to anchor the other replication factors to the replisome.

scholarly journals Single-molecule imaging reveals control of parental histone recycling by free histones during DNA replication

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (38) ◽  
pp. eabc0330 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. T. Gruszka ◽  
S. Xie ◽  
H. Kimura ◽  
H. Yardimci
Keyword(s):  
Dna Replication ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Replication Fork ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Replication Forks ◽  
Replication Fork Progression ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Fork Stalling ◽  
The Moment

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.

scholarly journals Escherichia coli Cells with Increased Levels of DnaA and Deficient in Recombinational Repair Have Decreased Viability

2003 ◽  
Vol 185 (2) ◽  
pp. 630-644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline V. Grigorian ◽  
Rachel B. Lustig ◽  
Elena C. Guzmán ◽  
Joseph M. Mahaffy ◽  
Judith W. Zyskind
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Dna Polymerase ◽  
Replication Fork ◽  
Replication Initiation ◽  
Recombinational Repair ◽  
Replication Forks ◽  
Dna Replication Initiation ◽  
Escherichia Coli Cells ◽  
Repair Pathways ◽  
Stalled Replication Forks

ABSTRACT The dnaA operon of Escherichia coli contains the genes dnaA, dnaN, and recF encoding DnaA, β clamp of DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, and RecF. When the DnaA concentration is raised, an increase in the number of DNA replication initiation events but a reduction in replication fork velocity occurs. Because DnaA is autoregulated, these results might be due to the inhibition of dnaN and recF expression. To test this, we examined the effects of increasing the intracellular concentrations of DnaA, β clamp, and RecF, together and separately, on initiation, the rate of fork movement, and cell viability. The increased expression of one or more of the dnaA operon proteins had detrimental effects on the cell, except in the case of RecF expression. A shorter C period was not observed with increased expression of the β clamp; in fact, many chromosomes did not complete replication in runout experiments. Increased expression of DnaA alone resulted in stalled replication forks, filamentation, and a decrease in viability. When the three proteins of the dnaA operon were simultaneously overexpressed, highly filamentous cells were observed (>50 μm) with extremely low viability and, in runout experiments, most chromosomes had not completed replication. The possibility that recombinational repair was responsible for the survival of cells overexpressing DnaA was tested by using mutants in different recombinational repair pathways. The absence of RecA, RecB, RecC, or the proteins in the RuvABC complex caused an additional ∼100-fold drop in viability in cells with increased levels of DnaA, indicating a requirement for recombinational repair in these cells.

scholarly journals Rad53 checkpoint kinase regulation of DNA replication fork rate via Mrc1 phosphorylation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison W. McClure ◽  
John F.X. Diffley
Keyword(s):  
Dna Replication ◽  
Replication Fork ◽  
Genotoxic Stress ◽  
Replication Initiation ◽  
Multiple Roles ◽  
Replication Forks ◽  
Dna Replication Stress ◽  
Necessary And Sufficient

SummaryThe Rad53 DNA checkpoint protein kinase plays multiple roles in the budding yeast cell response to DNA replication stress. Key amongst these is its enigmatic role in safeguarding DNA replication forks. Using DNA replication reactions reconstituted with purified proteins, we show Rad53 phosphorylation of Sld3/7 or Dbf4-dependent kinase blocks replication initiation whilst phosphorylation of Mrc1 or Mcm10 slows elongation. Mrc1 phosphorylation is necessary and sufficient to slow replication forks in complete reactions; Mcm10 phosphorylation can also slow replication forks, but only in the absence of unphosphorylated Mrc1. Mrc1 stimulates the unwinding rate of the replicative helicase, CMG, and Rad53 phosphorylation of Mrc1 prevents this. We show that a phosphorylation-mimicking Mrc1 mutant cannot stimulate replication in vitro and partially rescues the sensitivity of a rad53 null mutant to genotoxic stress in vivo. Our results show that Rad53 protects replication forks in part by antagonising Mrc1 stimulation of CMG unwinding.

scholarly journals Replication Fork Slowing and Stalling are Distinct, Checkpoint-Independent Consequences of Replicating Damaged DNA

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Divya Ramalingam Iyer ◽  
Nicholas Rhind
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Dna Replication ◽  
Fission Yeast ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Replication Fork ◽  
Replication Forks ◽  
Origin Firing ◽  
Dna Combing ◽  
Fork Stalling

AbstractIn response to DNA damage during S phase, cells slow DNA replication. This slowing is orchestrated by the intra-S checkpoint and involves inhibition of origin firing and reduction of replication fork speed. Slowing of replication allows for tolerance of DNA damage and suppresses genomic instability. Although the mechanisms of origin inhibition by the intra-S checkpoint are understood, major questions remain about how the checkpoint regulates replication forks: Does the checkpoint regulate the rate of fork progression? Does the checkpoint affect all forks, or only those encountering damage? Does the checkpoint facilitate the replication of polymerase-blocking lesions? To address these questions, we have analyzed the checkpoint in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe using a single-molecule DNA combing assay, which allows us to unambiguously separate the contribution of origin and fork regulation towards replication slowing, and allows us to investigate the behavior of individual forks. Moreover, we have interrogated the role of forks interacting with individual sites of damage by using three damaging agents—MMS, 4NQO and bleomycin—that cause similar levels of replication slowing with very different frequency of DNA lesions. We find that the checkpoint slows replication by inhibiting origin firing, but not by decreasing fork rates. However, the checkpoint appears to facilitate replication of damaged templates, allowing forks to more quickly pass lesions. Finally, using a novel analytic approach, we rigorously identify fork stalling events in our combing data and show that they play a previously unappreciated role in shaping replication kinetics in response to DNA damage.Author SummaryFaithful duplication of the genome is essential for genetic stability of organisms and species. To ensure faithful duplication, cells must be able to replicate damaged DNA. To do so, they employ checkpoints that regulate replication in response to DNA damage. However, the mechanisms by which checkpoints regulate DNA replication forks, the macromolecular machines that contain the helicases and polymerases required to unwind and copy the parental DNA, is unknown. We have used DNA combing, a single-molecule technique that allows us to monitor the progression of individual replication forks, to characterize the response of fission yeast replication forks to DNA damage that blocks the replicative polymerases. We find that forks pass most lesions with only a brief pause and that this lesion bypass is checkpoint independent. However, at a low frequency, forks stall at lesions, and that the checkpoint is required to prevent these stalls from accumulating single-stranded DNA. Our results suggest that the major role of the checkpoint is not to regulate the interaction of replication forks with DNA damage, per se, but to mitigate the consequences of fork stalling when forks are unable to successfully navigate DNA damage on their own.

scholarly journals Nuclease dead Cas9 is a programmable roadblock for DNA replication

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey Whinn ◽  
Gurleen Kaur ◽  
Jacob S. Lewis ◽  
Grant Schauer ◽  
Stefan Müller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Replication ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Replication Fork ◽  
Molecular Machines ◽  
Replication Forks ◽  
Chromosomal Dna ◽  
Single Molecule Level ◽  
Replication Fork Arrest

DNA replication occurs on chromosomal DNA while processes such as DNA repair, recombination and transcription continue. However, we have limited experimental tools to study the consequences of collisions between DNA-bound molecular machines. Here, we repurpose a catalytically inactivated Cas9 (dCas9) construct fused to the photo-stable dL5 protein fluoromodule as a novel, targetable protein-DNA roadblock for studying replication fork arrest at the single-molecule level in vitro as well as in vivo. We find that the specifically bound dCas9–guideRNA complex arrests viral, bacterial and eukaryotic replication forks in vitro.

scholarly journals Replication Fork Velocities at Adjacent Replication Origins Are Coordinately Modified during DNA Replication in Human Cells

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3059-3067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Conti ◽  
Barbara Saccà ◽  
John Herrick ◽  
Claude Lalou ◽  
Yves Pommier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Replication ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Replication Fork ◽  
Spatial Organization ◽  
Genome Duplication ◽  
Functional Organization ◽  
Replication Forks ◽  
Dynamic Regulation ◽  
Timely Completion ◽  
Genome Level

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.

scholarly journals Towards a Structural Mechanism for Sister Chromatid Cohesion Establishment at the Eukaryotic Replication Fork

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 466
Author(s):  
Sarah S. Henrikus ◽  
Alessandro Costa
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Sister Chromatid ◽  
Replication Fork ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Sister Chromatid Cohesion ◽  
Duplex Dna ◽  
Structural Mechanism ◽  
Chromatin Dynamics ◽  
Chromatid Cohesion ◽  
Replication Factors

Cohesion between replicated chromosomes is essential for chromatin dynamics and equal segregation of duplicated genetic material. In the G1 phase, the ring-shaped cohesin complex is loaded onto duplex DNA, enriching at replication start sites, or “origins”. During the same phase of the cell cycle, and also at the origin sites, two MCM helicases are loaded as symmetric double hexamers around duplex DNA. During the S phase, and through the action of replication factors, cohesin switches from encircling one parental duplex DNA to topologically enclosing the two duplicated DNA filaments, which are known as sister chromatids. Despite its vital importance, the structural mechanism leading to sister chromatid cohesion establishment at the replication fork is mostly elusive. Here we review the current understanding of the molecular interactions between the replication machinery and cohesin, which support sister chromatid cohesion establishment and cohesin function. In particular, we discuss how cryo-EM is shedding light on the mechanisms of DNA replication and cohesin loading processes. We further expound how frontier cryo-EM approaches, combined with biochemistry and single-molecule fluorescence assays, can lead to understanding the molecular basis of sister chromatid cohesion establishment at the replication fork.

scholarly journals 3P170 Single molecule dynamics of the epsilon subunit in F_1 forced-rotated by magnetic tweezers(Molecular motors,Oral Presentations)

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (supplement) ◽  
pp. S245
Author(s):  
Eiichiro Saita ◽  
Ryota Iino ◽  
Yasuyuki Yamada-Kato ◽  
Toshiharu Suzuki ◽  
Hiroyuki Noji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Molecular Motors ◽  
Magnetic Tweezers ◽  
Epsilon Subunit ◽  
Single Molecule Dynamics ◽  
Oral Presentations ◽  
Molecule Dynamics

scholarly journals RecG and UvsW catalyse robust DNA rewinding critical for stalled DNA replication fork rescue

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Manosas ◽  
Senthil K. Perumal ◽  
Piero R. Bianco ◽  
Felix Ritort ◽  
Stephen J. Benkovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Repair ◽  
Dna Replication ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Replication Fork ◽  
Genetic Recombination ◽  
Bacteriophage T4 ◽  
General Mechanism ◽  
Dna Unwinding ◽  
Replication Forks ◽  
Displacement Reactions

Abstract Helicases that both unwind and rewind DNA have central roles in DNA repair and genetic recombination. In contrast to unwinding, DNA rewinding by helicases has proved difficult to characterize biochemically because of its thermodynamically downhill nature. Here we use single-molecule assays to mechanically destabilize a DNA molecule and follow, in real time, unwinding and rewinding by two DNA repair helicases, bacteriophage T4 UvsW and Escherichia coli RecG. We find that both enzymes are robust rewinding enzymes, which can work against opposing forces as large as 35 pN, revealing their active character. The generation of work during the rewinding reaction allows them to couple rewinding to DNA unwinding and/or protein displacement reactions central to the rescue of stalled DNA replication forks. The overall results support a general mechanism for monomeric rewinding enzymes.

scholarly journals Acceleration of DNA Replication of Klenow Fragment by Small Resisting Force

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 118701
Author(s):  
Yu-Ru Liu ◽  
Peng-Ye Wang ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Ping Xie
Keyword(s):  
Dna Replication ◽  
External Force ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Molecular Motors ◽  
Dna Polymerases ◽  
Maximum Velocity ◽  
Magnetic Tweezers ◽  
Coupling Mechanism ◽  
Klenow Fragment ◽  
Chemomechanical Coupling

DNA polymerases are an essential class of enzymes or molecular motors that catalyze processive DNA syntheses during DNA replications. A critical issue for DNA polymerases is their molecular mechanism of processive DNA replication. We have proposed a model for chemomechanical coupling of DNA polymerases before, based on which the predicted results have been provided about the dependence of DNA replication velocity upon the external force on Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I. Here, we performed single molecule measurements of the replication velocity of Klenow fragment under the external force by using magnetic tweezers. The single molecule data verified quantitatively the previous theoretical predictions, which is critical to the chemomechanical coupling mechanism of DNA polymerases. A prominent characteristic for the Klenow fragment is that the replication velocity is independent of the assisting force whereas the velocity increases largely with the increase of the resisting force, attains the maximum velocity at about 3.8 pN and then decreases with the further increase of the resisting force.

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