Project description:High-resolution genome replication profiles, modeling and single-cell imaging define the stochastic nature of replication initiation and termination
Project description:To maintain genomic stability, re-initiation of eukaryotic DNA replication within a single cell cycle is blocked by multiple mechanisms that inactivate or remove replication proteins after G1 phase. Consistent with the prevailing notion that these mechanisms are redundant, we previously showed that simultaneous deregulation of three replication proteins, ORC, Cdc6 and Mcm2-7, was necessary to cause detectable bulk re-replication in G2/M phase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, we used microarray comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to provide a more comprehensive and detailed analysis of re-replication. This genome-wide analysis suggests that re-initiation in G2/M phase primarily occurs at a subset of both active and latent origins, but is independent of chromosomal determinants that specify the use and timing of these origins in S phase. We demonstrate that re-replication can be induced within S phase, but differs in amount and location fr om re-replication in G2/M phase, illustrating the dynamic nature of DNA replication controls. Finally, we show that very limited re-replication can be detected by microarray CGH when only two replication proteins are deregulated, suggesting that the mechanisms blocking re-replication are not redundant. Therefore we propose that eukaryotic re-replication at levels below current detection limits may be more prevalent and a greater source of genomic instability than previously appreciated. Keywords: comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), DNA replication, re-replication
Project description:THO/TREX is a conserved nuclear complex that functions in mRNP biogenesis and prevents transcription-associated recombination. Whether or not it has a ubiquitous role in the genome is an open question. ChIP-chip studies reveal that the Hpr1 component of THO and the Sub2 RNA-dependent ATPase have genome wide-distributions at active ORFs in yeast. In contrast to RNAPII, evenly distributed from promoter to termination regions, THO and Sub2 are absent at promoters and distributed in a sharp 5’→3’ gradient. Importantly, ChIP-chips reveal an over-recruitment of Rrm3 in active genes in THO mutants that is reduced by overexpression of RNase H1. Our work establishes a genome-wide function for THO-Sub2 in transcription elongation and mRNP biogenesis that function to prevent the accumulation of transcription-mediated replication obstacles, including R-loops.
Project description:Via the deep-sequencing of Okazaki fragments from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we report the first comprehensive documentation of genome-wide replication directionality in any eukaryote; this permits the systematic analysis of both replication initiation and termination. We conduct a genome-wide analysis of origin competence and efficiency, and conclude that the majority of origins are competent to fire in each cell cycle and generally do so with high efficiency. Additionally, the spatial resolution of our data allow us to determine that leading-strand initiation generally occurs within the nucleosome-free region at origins. Using a strain in which late origins can be induced to fire early, we show that replication termination is a largely passive phenomenon that does not rely on cis-acting sequences or replication fork pausing and that the replication profile is determined largely by the kinetics of origin firing, allowing us to reconstruct chromosome-wide timing profiles from an asynchronous culture.
Project description:Reactive oxygen species, generated in vivo or exogenously encountered, constantly challenge living organisms. Oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which are susceptible to oxidant attack, can lead to initiation of lipid peroxidation and in turn rapid production of toxic lipid hydroperoxides. Eukaryotic microorganisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae can survive harsh industrial conditions that contain high levels of the PUFA linoleic acid and its oxidised derivative, linoleic acid hydroperoxide (LoaOOH). The precise signalling and response mechanisms induced by yeast to overcome lipid hydroperoxide stress are ill understood. We used genome-wide microarrays to investigate the changes in gene expression of S. cerevisiae to LoaOOH-induced oxidative stress.
Project description:Eukaryotic genome replication is stochastic with each cell using a different cohort of replication origins. Interpreting high-resolution genome replication profiles with a mathematical model allowed us to quantify the stochastic nature of genome replication. This approach included estimation of the activity of every replication origin and the genome-wide location of replication termination events. Single-cell measurements verified the inferred values for stochastic origin replication time. Strains in which multiple origins had been inactivated, confirmed that the location of termination events is primarily dictated by the stochastic activation time of origins. Cell-to-cell variability in origin activity ensures that termination events are widely distributed across virtually the whole genome. We propose that the heterogeneity in origin usage contributes to genome stability by limiting potentially deleterious events from accumulating at particular loci.