title: Ciz1 promotes mammalian DNA replication.
abstract: Using a cell-free system that reconstitutes initiation of mammalian DNA replication, we identified a cyclin A-responsive protein, p21(Cip1)-interacting zinc finger protein 1 (Ciz1). In cell-free experiments, Ciz1 protein increases the number of nuclei that initiate DNA replication, and in intact cells GFP-tagged Ciz1 stimulates DNA synthesis, in both a wild-type and a p21(Cip1) null background. Furthermore, mutation of a putative cyclin-dependent kinase phosphorylation site at threonines 191/2 alters Ciz1 activity in vitro, indicating that this site plays a role in regulating Ciz1. Consistent with a role in DNA replication, endogenous Ciz1 is present in nuclear foci that co-localize with PCNA during S phase, and targeted depletion of Ciz1 transcripts restrains cell proliferation by inhibiting entry to S phase. Ciz1-depleted cells accumulate with chromatin bound Mcm3 and PCNA but fail to synthesize DNA efficiently. These cell-based and cell-free experiments suggest that Ciz1 functions to promote DNA replication after replication complex formation. Finally, alternatively spliced forms of Ciz1 occur in embryonic cells from mouse and man, raising the possibility that Ciz1 splicing contributes to the regulation of DNA replication during development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology (Area 9), University of York, York, YO10 5YW, UK. dc17@york.ac.uk
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coverley
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marr
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ainscough
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002474:Cell-Free System; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D004261:DNA Replication; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D064126:Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 3; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016196:S Phase; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013912:Threonine / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; C400423:Ciz1 protein, human; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C066470:MCM3 protein, human; C513269:Mcm3 protein, mouse; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D013912:Threonine; D064126:Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 3