title: Replication factor C recognizes 5'-phosphate ends of telomeres.
abstract: Telomere structure is suggested to be important for chromosome and cell integrity and thereby for cell senescence and immortality. In a search for cDNA encoding proteins that bind specifically to telomere repeat sequences, we used random primer-labeled telomere probes to screen a lambda gt11 Jurkat cDNA library. The clone obtained encodes the central region of the large subunit of replication factor C (RFC), a known activator of DNA polymerase delta. Electrophoretic mobility shift analyses of the binding ability of RFC-glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion protein to telomere probes revealed that RFC recognizes preferentially 5'-phosphoryl (P) groups but not 3'-hydroxyl (OH) groups at the ends of double-stranded telomere repeats. This structure-specific binding of RFC is supported by the observations that it binds to 3'-OH/5'-P ends in telomere repeats produced by DNase gamma, but not to those produced by 3'-P/5'-OH ends for DNase alpha. These findings suggest a novel function for RFC in telomere stability or turnover.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Science University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Uchiumi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanuma
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D015342:DNA Probes; D004261:DNA Replication; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D011485:Protein Binding; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051818:Replication Protein C; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D016615:Telomere / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C096816:BCL2-related protein A1; D015342:DNA Probes; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C096063:MATA1 protein, S cerevisiae; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D004247:DNA; D051818:Replication Protein C