Faculty Opinions recommendation of A conserved domain of Schizosaccharomyces pombe dfp1(+) is uniquely required for chromosome stability following alkylation damage during S phase.

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Forsburg
Keyword(s):  
Schizosaccharomyces Pombe ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Chromosome Stability ◽  
Alkylation Damage ◽  
Conserved Domain

scholarly journals Schizosaccharomyces pombe Swi1, Swi3, and Hsk1 Are Components of a Novel S-Phase Response Pathway to Alkylation Damage

2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 2770-2784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Sommariva ◽  
Till K. Pellny ◽  
Nilay Karahan ◽  
Sanjay Kumar ◽  
Joel A. Huberman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Schizosaccharomyces Pombe ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Replication Forks ◽  
Replication Process ◽  
Alkylation Damage ◽  
Checkpoint Response ◽  
Checkpoint Pathway ◽  
Mating Type Switching ◽  
Leading Strand ◽  
Stalled Replication Forks

ABSTRACT The Swi1 and Swi3 proteins are required for mat1 imprinting and mating-type switching in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, where they mediate a pause of leading-strand replication in response to a lagging-strand signal. In addition, Swi1 has been demonstrated to be involved in the checkpoint response to stalled replication forks, as was described for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologue Tof1. This study addresses the roles of Swi1 and Swi3 during a replication process perturbed by the presence of template bases alkylated by methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). Both the swi1 and swi3 mutations have additive effects on MMS sensitivity and on the MMS-induced damage checkpoint response when combined with chk1 and cds1, but they are nonadditive with hsk1. Cells with swi1, swi3, or hsk1 mutations are also defective in slowing progression through S phase in response to MMS damage. Moreover, swi1 and swi3 strains show increased levels of genomic instability even in the absence of exogenously induced DNA damage. Chromosome fragmentation, increased levels of single-stranded DNA, increased recombination, and instability of replication forks stalled in the presence of hydroxyurea are observed, consistent with the possibility that the replication process is affected in these mutants. In conclusion, Swi1, Swi3, and Hsk1 act in a novel S-phase checkpoint pathway that contributes to replication fork maintenance and to survival of alkylation damage.

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe hus5 gene encodes a ubiquitin conjugating enzyme required for normal mitosis

1995 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 475-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. al-Khodairy ◽  
T. Enoch ◽  
I.M. Hagan ◽  
A.M. Carr
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dna Synthesis ◽  
Schizosaccharomyces Pombe ◽  
Cell Cycle Control ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Checkpoint Control ◽  
Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzyme ◽  
Efficient Recovery ◽  
Mediate Cell

Normal eukaryotic cells do not enter mitosis unless DNA is fully replicated and repaired. Controls called ‘checkpoints’, mediate cell cycle arrest in response to unreplicated or damaged DNA. Two independent Schizosaccharomyces pombe mutant screens, both of which aimed to isolate new elements involved in checkpoint controls, have identified alleles of the hus5+ gene that are abnormally sensitive to both inhibitors of DNA synthesis and to ionizing radiation. We have cloned and sequenced the hus5+ gene. It is a novel member of the E2 family of ubiquitin conjugating enzymes (UBCs). To understand the role of hus5+ in cell cycle control we have characterized the phenotypes of the hus5 mutants and the hus5 gene disruption. We find that, whilst the mutants are sensitive to inhibitors of DNA synthesis and to irradiation, this is not due to an inability to undergo mitotic arrest. Thus, the hus5+ gene product is not directly involved in checkpoint control. However, in common with a large class of previously characterized checkpoint genes, it is required for efficient recovery from DNA damage or S-phase arrest and manifests a rapid death phenotype in combination with a temperature sensitive S phase and late S/G2 phase cdc mutants. In addition, hus5 deletion mutants are severely impaired in growth and exhibit high levels of abortive mitoses, suggesting a role for hus5+ in chromosome segregation. We conclude that this novel UBC enzyme plays multiple roles and is virtually essential for cell proliferation.

A checkpoint that monitors cytokinesis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

2000 ◽  
Vol 113 (7) ◽  
pp. 1223-1230 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Liu ◽  
H. Wang ◽  
M.K. Balasubramanian
Keyword(s):  
Schizosaccharomyces Pombe ◽  
Mutant Allele ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Genetic Screens ◽  
Beta Glucan ◽  
Binucleate Cells ◽  
Number Of Genes ◽  
M Phase ◽  
Ring Constriction

Cell division in Schizosaccharomyces pombe is achieved through the use of a medially positioned actomyosin ring. A division septum is formed centripetally, concomitant with actomyosin ring constriction. Genetic screens have identified mutations in a number of genes that affect actomyosin ring or septum assembly. These cytokinesis-defective mutants, however, undergo multiple S and M phases and die as elongated cells with multiple nuclei. Recently, we have shown that a mutant allele of the S. pombe drc1(+)/cps1(+) gene, which encodes a 1,3-(beta)-glucan synthase subunit, is defective in cytokinesis but displays a novel phenotype. drc1-191/cps1-191 cells are capable of assembling actomyosin rings and completing mitosis, but are incapable of assembling the division septum, causing them to arrest as binucleate cells with a stable actomyosin ring. Each nucleus in arrested cps1-191 cells is able to undergo S phase but these G(2) nuclei are significantly delayed for entry into the M phase. In this study we have investigated the mechanism that causes cps1-191 to block with two G(2) nuclei. We show that the inability of cps1-191 mutants to proceed through multiple mitotic cycles is not related to a defect in cell growth. Rather, the failure to complete some aspect of cytokinesis may prevent the G(2)/M transition of the two interphase-G(2) nuclei. The G(2)/M transition defect of cps1-191 mutants is suppressed by a mutation in the wee1 gene and also by the dominant cdc2 allele cdc2-1w, but not the cdc2-3w allele. Transient depolymerization of all F-actin structures also allowed a significant proportion of the cps1-191 cells to undergo a second round of mitosis. We conclude that an F-actin and Wee1p dependent checkpoint blocks G(2)/M transition until previous cytokinesis is completed.

scholarly journals The Schizosaccharomyces pombe rad11+ gene encodes the large subunit of replication protein A.

1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 2381-2390 ◽  
Author(s):  
A E Parker ◽  
R K Clyne ◽  
A M Carr ◽  
T J Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Dna Repair ◽  
Dna Synthesis ◽  
Schizosaccharomyces Pombe ◽  
Excision Repair ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Simian Virus 40 ◽  
Replication Protein A ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Replication Protein

Replication protein A (RPA) is a heterotrimeric single-stranded DNA-binding protein present in all eukaryotes. In vitro studies have implicated RPA in simian virus 40 DNA synthesis and nucleotide excision repair, but little direct information is available about the in vivo roles of the protein. We report here the cloning of the largest subunit of RPA (rpa1+) from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The rpa1+ gene is essential for viability and is expressed specifically at S phase of the cell cycle. Genetic analysis revealed that rpa1+ is the locus of the S. pombe radiation-sensitive mutation rad11. The rad11 allele exhibits pleiotropic effects consistent with an in vivo role for RPA in both DNA repair and DNA synthesis. The mutant is sensitive to both UV and ionizing radiation but is not defective in the DNA damage-dependent checkpoint, consistent with the hypothesis that RPA is part of the enzymatic machinery of DNA repair. When incubated in hydroxyurea, rad11 cells initially arrest with a 1C DNA content but then lose viability coincident with reentry into S phase, suggesting that DNA synthesis is aberrant under these conditions. A significant fraction of the mutant cells subsequently undergo inappropriate mitosis in the presence of hydroxyurea, indicating that RPA also plays a role in the checkpoint mechanism that monitors the completion of S phase. We propose that RPA is required to maintain the integrity of replication complexes when DNA replication is blocked. We further suggest that the rad11 mutation leads to the premature breakdown of such complexes, thereby preventing recovery from the hydroxyurea arrest and eliminating a signal recognized by the S-phase checkpoint mechanism.

Regulation of the start of DNA replication in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

1999 ◽  
Vol 112 (6) ◽  
pp. 939-946 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.R. Carlson ◽  
B. Grallert ◽  
T. Stokke ◽  
E. Boye
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Growth Rate ◽  
Schizosaccharomyces Pombe ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Cell Separation ◽  
Cell Mass ◽  
Nitrogen Sources ◽  
S Phase ◽  
G1 Phase

Cells of Schizosaccharomyces pombe were grown in minimal medium with different nitrogen sources under steady-state conditions, with doubling times ranging from 2.5 to 14 hours. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy confirmed earlier findings that at rapid growth rates, the G1 phase was short and cell separation occurred at the end of S phase. For some nitrogen sources, the growth rate was greatly decreased, the G1 phase occupied 30–50% of the cell cycle, and cell separation occurred in early G1. In contrast, other nitrogen sources supported low growth rates without any significant increase in G1 duration. The method described allows manipulation of the length of G1 and the relative cell cycle position of S phase in wild-type cells. Cell mass was measured by flow cytometry as scattered light and as protein-associated fluorescence. The extensions of G1 were not related to cell mass at entry into S phase. Our data do not support the hypothesis that the cells must reach a certain fixed, critical mass before entry into S. We suggest that cell mass at the G1/S transition point is variable and determined by a set of molecular parameters. In the present experiments, these parameters were influenced by the different nitrogen sources in a way that was independent of the actual growth rate.

scholarly journals Cig2, a B-type cyclin, promotes the onset of S in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 1527-1533 ◽  
Author(s):  
O Mondesert ◽  
C H McGowan ◽  
P Russell
Keyword(s):  
Dna Replication ◽  
Schizosaccharomyces Pombe ◽  
Double Mutant ◽  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Nitrogen Starvation ◽  
Gradual Increase ◽  
S Phase ◽  
G1 Arrest ◽  
Cyclin Dependent Kinases ◽  
M Phase

Cdc2, a catalytic subunit of cyclin-dependent kinases, is required for both the G1-to-S and G2-to-M transitions in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Cdc13, a B-type cyclin, is required for the M-phase induction function of Cd2. Two additional B-type cyclins, Cig1 and Cig2, have been identified in S. pombe, but none of the B-type cyclins are individually required for the onset of S. We report that Cdc13 is important for DNA replication in a strain lacking Cig2. Unlike deltacdc13 cells, double-mutant deltacdc13 deltacig2 cells are defective in undergoing multiple rounds of DNA replication. The conclusion that Cig2 promotes S is further supported by the finding that Cig2 protein and Cig2-associated kinase activity appear soon after the completion of M and peak during S, as well as the observation that S is delayed in deltacig2 cells as they recover from a G1 arrest induced by nitrogen starvation. These studies indicate that Cig2 is the primary S-phase-promoting cyclin in S. pombe but that Cdc13 can effectively substitute for Cig2 in deltacig2 cells. These observations also suggest that the gradual increase in the activity of Cdc2-Cdc13 kinase can be sufficient for the correct temporal ordering of S and M phases in deltacig2 cells.

scholarly journals Schizosaccharomyces pombe Checkpoint Response to DNA Interstrand Cross-Links

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (13) ◽  
pp. 4728-4737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Lambert ◽  
Sarah J. Mason ◽  
Louise J. Barber ◽  
John A. Hartley ◽  
Jackie A. Pearce ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Schizosaccharomyces Pombe ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Excision Repair ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Repair Gene ◽  
Phase Arrest ◽  
S Phase Arrest ◽  
Interstrand Cross Links ◽  
Cross Links

ABSTRACT Drugs that produce covalent interstrand cross-links (ICLs) in DNA remain central to the treatment of cancer, but the cell cycle checkpoints activated by ICLs have received little attention. We have used the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, to elucidate the checkpoint responses to the ICL-inducing anticancer drugs nitrogen mustard and mitomycin C. First we confirmed that the repair pathways acting on ICLs in this yeast are similar to those in the main organisms studied to date (Escherichia coli, budding yeast, and mammalian cells), principally nucleotide excision repair and homologous recombination. We also identified and disrupted the S. pombe homologue of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SNM1/PSO2 ICL repair gene and found that this activity is required for normal resistance to cross-linking agents, but not other forms of DNA damage. Survival and biochemical analysis indicated a key role for the “checkpoint Rad” family acting through the chk1-dependent DNA damage checkpoint in the ICL response. Rhp9-dependent phosphorylation of Chk1 correlates with G2 arrest following ICL induction. In cells able to bypass the G2 block, a second-cycle (S-phase) arrest was observed. Only a transient activation of the Cds1 DNA replication checkpoint factor occurs following ICL formation in wild-type cells, but this is increased and persists in G2 arrest-deficient mutants. This likely reflects the fraction of cells escaping the G2 damage checkpoint and arresting in the subsequent S phase due to ICL replication blocks. Disruption of cds1 confers increased resistance to ICLs, suggesting that this second-cycle S-phase arrest might be a lethal event.

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