title: Novel role for checkpoint Rad53 protein kinase in the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
abstract: A novel role for Rad53 in the initiation of DNA replication that is independent of checkpoint or deoxynucleotide regulation is proposed. Rad53 kinase is part of a signal transduction pathway involved in the DNA damage and replication checkpoints, while Cdc7-Dbf4 kinase (DDK) is important for the initiation of DNA replication. In addition to the known cdc7-rad53 synthetic lethality, rad53 mutations suppress mcm5-bob1, a mutation in the replicative MCM helicase that bypasses DDK's essential role. Rad53 kinase activity but neither checkpoint FHA domain is required. Conversely, Rad53 kinase can be activated without DDK. Rad53's role in replication is independent of both DNA and mitotic checkpoints because mutations in other checkpoint genes that act upstream or downstream of RAD53 or in the mitotic checkpoint do not exhibit these phenotypes. Because Rad53 binds an origin of replication mainly through its kinase domain and rad53 null mutants display a minichromosome loss phenotype, Rad53 is important in the initiation of DNA replication, as are DDK and Mcm2-7 proteins. This unique requirement for Rad53 can be suppressed by the deletion of the major histone H3/H4 gene pair, indicating that Rad53 may be regulating initiation by controlling histone protein levels and/or by affecting origin chromatin structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA.
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Dohrmann
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Sclafani
mesh_terms: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D064447:Checkpoint Kinase 2; D015825:Chromosomes, Fungal; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000502:physiology*; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000494:pharmacology; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D011485:Protein Binding; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013489:Suppression, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C061886:ABF1 protein, S cerevisiae; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D006657:Histones; C489423:MCM5 protein, human; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D011494:Protein Kinases; C489404:CDC7 protein, S cerevisiae; D064447:Checkpoint Kinase 2; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C067022:RAD53 protein, S cerevisiae; D006918:Hydroxyurea