title: PCNA binding proteins.
abstract: PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen), originally characterized as a DNA polymerase accessory protein, functions as a DNA sliding clamp for DNA polymerase delta and is an essential component for eukaryotic chromosomal DNA replication. Recent studies have revealed a striking feature of PCNA in its ability to interact with multiple partners, involved, for example, in Okazaki fragment joining, DNA repair, DNA methylation and chromatin assembly. Since these reactions take place mainly on replicating DNA, PCNA has applications as a marker for DNA synthesis. It is of interest that proteins involved in cell cycle regulation may also exhibit PCNA binding activity. For example, the CDK inhibitor, p21 (Cip1/Waf1) interacts with PCNA blocking its activity necessary for DNA replication and also affecting interactions with other PCNA binding proteins. The available data indicate that DNA sliding clamps have generated additional functions with evolution of eukaryotes from simple prokaryotes. In mammalian cells, they play key roles in controlling DNA synthesis reactions and the reorganization of replicated DNA at replication forks. Several cell cycle regulation proteins target these processes by affecting PCNA actions
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Bioscience, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Takayama, Ikoma 630-0101, Japan. turimoto@bs.aist-nara.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsurimoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020137:Base Pair Mismatch; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D016213:Cyclins / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D006801:Humans; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051818:Replication Protein C; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
chemical_list: C096816:BCL2-related protein A1; C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D002843:Chromatin; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C096063:MATA1 protein, S cerevisiae; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D004247:DNA; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D051818:Replication Protein C