AtMCM10 promotes DNA replication-coupled nucleosome assembly in Arabidopsis

Xinjie Zhao1, Jingyi Wang2, Dan Jin1

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.

Insights

Minichromosome Maintenance protein 10 (MCM10) in Arabidopsis (AtMCM10) binds histones and promotes nucleosome assembly. Loss of AtMCM10 and CAF-1 causes embryo lethality, highlighting their essential roles in DNA replication.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Epigenetics
  • Plant Science

Background:

  • Minichromosome Maintenance protein 10 (MCM10) is crucial for DNA replication in yeasts and animals.
  • Detailed mechanisms of MCM10 in DNA replication and repair are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Identify and characterize the function of the Arabidopsis MCM10 gene (AtMCM10).
  • Investigate the role of AtMCM10 in DNA replication, nucleosome assembly, and epigenetic regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Forward genetic screening to identify AtMCM10.
  • In vitro binding assays with histone H3-H4.
  • Analysis of nucleosome density in wild-type and Atmcm10 mutant plants.
  • Investigating interactions with Chromatin Assembly Factor-1 (CAF-1).
  • Assessing histone abundance and epigenetic modifications (H3K27me1/3) in Atmcm10 mutants.

Main Results:

  • AtMCM10 is not essential for Arabidopsis growth but binds histone H3-H4 and promotes nucleosome assembly in vitro.
  • Atmcm10 mutants exhibit decreased nucleosome density, partially overlapping with regions regulated by CAF-1.
  • Loss of both AtMCM10 and CAF-1 is embryo lethal, confirming their joint essentiality for replication-coupled nucleosome assembly.
  • Atmcm10 mutants show reduced H3.1 abundance and H3K27me1/3 levels, leading to the release of some silenced transposons.

Conclusions:

  • AtMCM10 plays a vital role in depositing new and parental histones during replication-coupled nucleosome assembly.
  • AtMCM10 is crucial for maintaining epigenetic modifications and genome stability during DNA replication in Arabidopsis.
  • AtMCM10 and CAF-1 function together, highlighting a conserved mechanism for nucleosome assembly during DNA replication.

Related Concept Videos

DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle02:37

DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle

In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...
9.3K
Restarting Stalled Replication Forks02:37

Restarting Stalled Replication Forks

DNA replication is initiated at sites containing predefined DNA sequences known as origins of replication. DNA is unwound at these sites by the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase and other factors such as Cdc45 and the associated GINS complex.The unwound single strands are protected by replication protein A (RPA) until DNA polymerase starts synthesizing DNA at the 5’ end of the strand in the same direction as the replication fork. To prevent the replication fork from falling apart,...
5.9K
Nucleosome Remodeling02:54

Nucleosome Remodeling

Nucleosomes are the basic units of chromatin compaction. Each nucleosome consists of the DNA bound tightly around a histone core, which makes the DNA inaccessible to DNA binding proteins such as DNA polymerase and RNA polymerase. Hence, the fundamental problem is to ensure access to DNA when appropriate, despite the compact and protective chromatin structure.
Nucleosome remodeling complex
Eukaryotic cells have specialized enzymes called ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling enzymes. These enzymes...
9.3K
Homologous Recombination02:31

Homologous Recombination

The basic reaction of homologous recombination (HR) involves two chromatids that contain DNA sequences sharing a significant stretch of identity. One of these sequences uses a strand from another as a template to synthesize DNA in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The final product is a novel amalgamation of the two substrates. To ensure an accurate recombination of sequences, HR is restricted to the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle. At these stages, the DNA has been replicated already and the...
50.8K
S-Cdk Initiates DNA Replication02:38

S-Cdk Initiates DNA Replication

The cell cycle is a series of events leading to DNA duplication followed by the division of cell content to form two daughter cells. The cell cycle progresses in four stages—the cell increases in size (gap 1 or G1-phase), duplicates its DNA (synthesis or S-phase), prepares to divide (gap 2 or G2-phase), and divides (mitosis or M-phase).
Two states at the origin of replication
In eukaryotes, the initiation of replication occurs at many sites on the chromosomes, called the origins of...
4.8K
The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint02:19

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

The spindle assembly checkpoint is a molecular surveillance mechanism ensuring the fidelity of chromosome segregation during anaphase. The checkpoint monitors the completion of all the prerequisite steps before chromosome segregation to determine whether the segregation process should proceed or be delayed.
Many proteins function together to control the spindle assembly checkpoint. Mutations affecting these proteins may allow cells to proceed into anaphase prematurely, resulting in the...
3.2K