title: The RLF-M component of the replication licensing system forms complexes containing all six MCM/P1 polypeptides.
abstract: Replication licensing factor (RLF) is involved in preventing re-replication of chromosomal DNA in a single cell cycle, and previously has been separated into two components termed RLF-M and RLF-B. Here we show that Xenopus RLF-M consists of all six members of the MCM/P1 protein family, XMcm2-XMcm7. The six MCM/P1 polypeptides co-eluted on glycerol gradients and gel filtration as complexes with a mol. wt of approximately 400 kDa. In crude Xenopus extract, all six MCM/P1 polypeptides co-precipitated with anti-XMcm3 antibody, although only XMcm5 quantitatively co-precipitated from purified RLF-M. Further fractionation separated RLF-M into two sub-components, one consisting of XMcms 3 and 5, the other consisting of XMcms 2, 4, 6 and 7. Neither of the sub-components provided RLF-M activity. Finally, we show that all six MCM/P1 proteins bind synchronously to chromatin before the onset of S-phase and are displaced as S-phase proceeds. These results strongly suggest that complexes containing all six MCM/P1 proteins are necessary for replication licensing.
authors.affiliation: ICRF Clare Hall Laboratories, Potters Bar, Herts, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thömmes
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takisawa
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Blow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004261:DNA Replication; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009687:Nuclear Proteins