Roles of replication protein-A subunits 2 and 3 in DNA replication fork movement in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Replication Protein-A, the eukaryotic SSB, consists of a large subunit (RPA1) with strong ssDNA binding activity and two smaller subunits (RPA2 and 3) that may cooperate with RPA1 to bind ssDNA in a higher-order mode. To determine the in vivo function of the two smaller subunits and the potential role of higher-order ssDNA binding, we isolated an assortment of heat-lethal mutations in the genes encoding RPA2 and RPA3. At the permissive temperature, the mutants show a range of effects on DNA replication fidelity and sensitivities to UV and MMS. At the nonpermissive temperature, four out of five RPA2 mutants show a fast-stop DNA synthesis phenotype typical of a replication fork block. In contrast, the fifth RPA2 mutant and all RPA3 mutants are able to complete at least one round of DNA replication at the nonpermissive temperature. The effect of these mutations on the stability of the RPA complex was tested using a coprecipitation assay. At the nonpermissive temperature, we find that RPA1 and RPA2 are dissociated in the fast-stop mutants, but not in the slow-stop mutants. Thus, replication fork movement in vivo requires the association of at least two subunits of RPA. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that RPA functions in vivo by binding ssDNA in a higher-order mode.