Organization of the newly replicated chromatin in the vicinity of the replication fork

Nuclear matrix support of DNA replication

In higher eukaryotic cells, DNA is tandemly arranged into 10(4) replicons that are replicated once per cell cycle during the S phase. To achieve this, DNA is organized into loops attached to the nuclear matrix. Each loop represents one individual replicon with the origin of replication localized within the loop and the ends of the replicon attached to the nuclear matrix at the bases of the loop. During late G1 phase, the replication origins are associated with the nuclear matrix and dissociated after initiation of replication in S phase. Clusters of several replicons are operated together by replication factories, assembled at the nuclear matrix. During replication, DNA of each replicon is spooled through these factories, and after completion of DNA synthesis of any cluster of replicons, the respective replication factories are dismantled and assembled at the next cluster to be replicated. Upon completion of replication of any replicon cluster, the resulting entangled loops of the newly synthesized DNA are resolved by topoisomerases present in the nuclear matrix at the sites of attachment of the loops. Thus, the nuclear matrix plays a dual role in the process of DNA replication: on one hand, it represents structural support for the replication machinery and on the other, provides key protein factors for initiation, elongation, and termination of the replication of eukaryotic DNA.

Fractionation of newly replicated nucleosomes by density labeling and rate zonal centrifugation for the analysis of the deposition sites of newly synthesized nucleosomal core histones

We have found that partial resolution of newly replicated nucleosomes can be achieved by rate zonal centrifugation through sucrose density gradients preformed in heavy water. Nucleosome samples were obtained from MH-134SC cells density labeled with 5-iododeoxyuridine in the presence of suitable isotopic precursors. The method is simple and can be performed under conditions that do not destabilize the nucleosome structure. This gave us an exciting opportunity to study the deposition sites of newly synthesized histones. Nucleosomes were obtained from cells pulse-labeled simultaneously with 5-iododeoxyuridine and [3H]lysine for the rate zonal analysis. Proteins in the resulting fractions were resolved by sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and visualized by silver staining and fluorography. The distribution of newly synthesized H2A and H2B coincided closely with that of bulk nucleosomes. The distribution of newly synthesized H3 and H4 was shifted to the bottom sides of the bulk nucleosome peaks, but not so far as to the putative peaks of newly replicated (dense) nucleosomes. This means that newly synthesized histones are deposited on DNA in disproportionate amounts and that their sites of deposition are not restricted to newly replicated DNA.

Dispersive segregation of nucleosomes during replication of simian virus 40 chromosomes

The distribution of preformed ("old") histone octamers between the two arms of DNA replication forks was analyzed in simian virus 40(SV40)-infected cells following treatment with cycloheximide to prevent nucleosome assembly from nascent histones. Viral chromatin synthesized in the presence of cycloheximide was shown to be deficient in nucleosomes. Replicating SV40 DNA (wild-type 800 and capsid assembly mutant, tsB11) was radiolabeled in either intact cells or nuclear extracts supplemented with cytosol. Nascent nucleosomal monomers were then released by extensive digestion of isolated nuclei, nuclear extracts or isolated viral chromosomes with micrococcal nuclease. The labeled nucleosomal DNA was purified and found to hybridize to both strands of SV40 DNA restriction fragments taken from each side of the origin of DNA replication, whereas Okazaki fragments hybridized only to the strand representing the retrograde DNA template. In addition, isolated, replicating SV40 chromosomes were digested with two strand-specific exonucleases that excised nascent DNA from either the forward or the retrograde side of replication forks. Pretreatment of cells with cycloheximide did not result in an excess of prenucleosomal DNA on either side of replication forks, but did increase the amount of internucleosomal DNA. These data are consistent with a dispersive model for nucleosome segregation in which "old" histone octamers are distributed to both arms of DNA replication forks.