Histone octamer dissociation is not required for in vitro replication of simian virus 40 minichromosomes

Histone H2A-H2B binding by Pol α in the eukaryotic replisome contributes to the maintenance of repressive chromatin

The eukaryotic replisome disassembles parental chromatin at DNA replication forks, but then plays a poorly understood role in the re‐deposition of the displaced histone complexes onto nascent DNA. Here, we show that yeast DNA polymerase α contains a histone‐binding motif that is conserved in human Pol α and is specific for histones H2A and H2B. Mutation of this motif in budding yeast cells does not affect DNA synthesis, but instead abrogates gene silencing at telomeres and mating‐type loci. Similar phenotypes are produced not only by mutations that displace Pol α from the replisome, but also by mutation of the previously identified histone‐binding motif in the CMG helicase subunit Mcm2, the human orthologue of which was shown to bind to histones H3 and H4. We show that chromatin‐derived histone complexes can be bound simultaneously by Mcm2, Pol α and the histone chaperone FACT that is also a replisome component. These findings indicate that replisome assembly unites multiple histone‐binding activities, which jointly process parental histones to help preserve silent chromatin during the process of chromosome duplication.

Structure and function of the histone chaperone FACT - Resolving FACTual issues

FAcilitates Chromatin Transcription (FACT) has been considered essential for transcription through chromatin mostly based on cell-free experiments. However, FACT inactivation in cells does not cause a significant reduction in transcription. Moreover, not all mammalian cells require FACT for viability. Here we synthesize information from different organisms to reveal the core function(s) of FACT and propose a model that reconciles the cell-free and cell-based observations. We describe FACT structure and nucleosomal interactions, and their roles in FACT-dependent transcription, replication and repair. The variable requirements for FACT among different tumor and non-tumor cells suggest that various FACT-dependent processes have significantly different levels of relative importance in different eukaryotic cells. We propose that the stability of chromatin, which might vary among different cell types, dictates these diverse requirements for FACT to support cell viability. Since tumor cells are among the most sensitive to FACT inhibition, this vulnerability could be exploited for cancer treatment.

Chromosome Duplication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The accurate and complete replication of genomic DNA is essential for all life. In eukaryotic cells, the assembly of the multi-enzyme replisomes that perform replication is divided into stages that occur at distinct phases of the cell cycle. Replicative DNA helicases are loaded around origins of DNA replication exclusively during G₁ phase. The loaded helicases are then activated during S phase and associate with the replicative DNA polymerases and other accessory proteins. The function of the resulting replisomes is monitored by checkpoint proteins that protect arrested replisomes and inhibit new initiation when replication is inhibited. The replisome also coordinates nucleosome disassembly, assembly, and the establishment of sister chromatid cohesion. Finally, when two replisomes converge they are disassembled. Studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have led the way in our understanding of these processes. Here, we review our increasingly molecular understanding of these events and their regulation.

Maintenance of Epigenetic Information

The genome is subject to a diverse array of epigenetic modifications from DNA methylation to histone posttranslational changes. Many of these marks are somatically stable through cell division. This article focuses on our knowledge of the mechanisms governing the inheritance of epigenetic marks, particularly, repressive ones, when the DNA and chromatin template are duplicated in S phase. This involves the action of histone chaperones, nucleosome-remodeling enzymes, histone and DNA methylation binding proteins, and chromatin-modifying enzymes. Last, the timing of DNA replication is discussed, including the question of whether this constitutes an epigenetic mark that facilitates the propagation of epigenetic marks.

The Fork in the Road: Histone Partitioning During DNA Replication

In the following discussion the distribution of histones at the replication fork is examined, with specific attention paid to the question of H3/H4 tetramer "splitting." After a presentation of early experiments surrounding this topic, more recent contributions are detailed. The implications of these findings with respect to the transmission of histone modifications and epigenetic models are also addressed.

Epigenetic inheritance: histone bookmarks across generations

Multiple circuitries ensure that cells respond correctly to the environmental cues within defined cellular programs. There is increasing evidence suggesting that cellular memory for these adaptive processes can be passed on through cell divisions and generations. However, the mechanisms by which this epigenetic information is transferred remain elusive, largely because it requires that such memory survive through gross chromatin remodeling events during DNA replication, mitosis, meiosis, and developmental reprogramming. Elucidating the processes by which epigenetic information survives and is transmitted is a central challenge in biology. In this review, we consider recent advances in understanding mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance with a focus on histone segregation at the replication fork, and how an epigenetic memory may get passed through the paternal lineage.

Assembling chromatin: the long and winding road

It has been over 35 years since the acceptance of the "chromatin subunit" hypothesis, and the recognition that nucleosomes are the fundamental repeating units of chromatin fibers. Major subjects of inquiry in the intervening years have included the steps involved in chromatin assembly, and the chaperones that escort histones to DNA. The following commentary offers an historical perspective on inquiries into the processes by which nucleosomes are assembled on replicating and nonreplicating chromatin. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Histone chaperones and Chromatin assembly.

Eukaryotic replisome components cooperate to process histones during chromosome replication

DNA unwinding at eukaryotic replication forks displaces parental histones, which must be redeposited onto nascent DNA in order to preserve chromatin structure. By screening systematically for replisome components that pick up histones released from chromatin into a yeast cell extract, we found that the Mcm2 helicase subunit binds histones cooperatively with the FACT (facilitiates chromatin transcription) complex, which helps to re-establish chromatin during transcription. FACT does not associate with the Mcm2-7 helicase at replication origins during G1 phase but is subsequently incorporated into the replisome progression complex independently of histone binding and uniquely among histone chaperones. The amino terminal tail of Mcm2 binds histones via a conserved motif that is dispensable for DNA synthesis per se but helps preserve subtelomeric chromatin, retain the 2 micron minichromosome, and support growth in the absence of Ctf18-RFC. Our data indicate that the eukaryotic replication and transcription machineries use analogous assemblies of multiple chaperones to preserve chromatin integrity.

Molecular traffic jams on DNA

All aspects of DNA metabolism-including transcription, replication, and repair-involve motor enzymes that move along genomic DNA. These processes must all take place on chromosomes that are occupied by a large number of other proteins. However, very little is known regarding how nucleic acid motor proteins move along the crowded DNA substrates that are likely to exist in physiological settings. This review summarizes recent progress in understanding how DNA-binding motor proteins respond to the presence of other proteins that lie in their paths. We highlight recent single-molecule biophysical experiments aimed at addressing this question, with an emphasis placed on analyzing the single-molecule, ensemble biochemical, and in vivo data from a mechanistic perspective.

Propagation of histone marks and epigenetic memory during normal and interrupted DNA replication

Although all nucleated cells within a multicellular organism contain a complete copy of the genome, cell identity relies on the expression of a specific subset of genes. Therefore, when cells divide they must not only copy their genome to their daughters, but also ensure that the pattern of gene expression present before division is restored. While the carrier of this epigenetic memory has been a topic of much research and debate, post-translational modifications of histone proteins have emerged in the vanguard of candidates. In this paper we examine the mechanisms by which histone post-translational modifications are propagated through DNA replication and cell division, and we critically examine the evidence that they can also act as vectors of epigenetic memory. Finally, we consider ways in which epigenetic memory might be disrupted by interfering with the mechanisms of DNA replication.

Replicating chromatin: a tale of histonesThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue, entitled CSBMCB’s 51st Annual Meeting – Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics, and has undergone the Journal’s usual peer review process

Chromatin serves structural and functional roles crucial for genome stability and correct gene expression. This organization must be reproduced on daughter strands during replication to maintain proper overlay of epigenetic fabric onto genetic sequence. Nucleosomes constitute the structural framework of chromatin and carry information to specify higher-order organization and gene expression. When replication forks traverse the chromosomes, nucleosomes are transiently disrupted, allowing the replication machinery to gain access to DNA. Histone recycling, together with new deposition, ensures reassembly on nascent DNA strands. The aim of this review is to discuss how histones — new and old — are handled at the replication fork, highlighting new mechanistic insights and revisiting old paradigms.

Making copies of chromatin: the challenge of nucleosomal organization and epigenetic information

Understanding the basic mechanisms underlying chromatin dynamics during DNA replication in eukaryotic cells is of fundamental importance. Beyond DNA compaction, chromatin organization represents a means to regulate genome function. Thus, the inheritance and maintenance of the DNA sequence, along with its organization into chromatin, is central for eukaryotic life. To orchestrate DNA replication in the context of chromatin is a challenge, both in terms of accessibility to the compact structures and maintenance of chromatin organization. To meet the challenge of maintenance, cells have evolved efficient nucleosome dynamics involving assembly pathways and chromatin maturation mechanisms that restore chromatin organization in the wake of DNA replication. In this review, we describe our current knowledge concerning how these pathways operate at the nucleosomal level and highlight the key players, such as histone chaperones, chromatin remodelers or modifiers, involved in the process of chromatin duplication. Major advances have been made recently concerning de novo nucleosome assembly and our understanding of its coordination with recycling of parental histones is progressing. Insights into the transmission of chromatin-based information during replication have important implications in the field of epigenetics to fully comprehend how the epigenetic landscape might, or at times might not, be stably maintained in the face of dramatic changes in chromatin structure.