Involvement of human MCM8 in prereplication complex assembly by recruiting hcdc6 to chromatin

The MCM2-MCM7 complex is an essential component of the prereplication complex (pre-RC), which is recruited by the cdc6 and cdt1 proteins to origins of DNA replication during G(1) phase. Here, we report that the accumulation on chromatin of another member of the MCM protein family, human MCM8 (hMCM8), occurs during early G(1) phase, before the hMCM2-hMCM7 complex binds. hMCM8 interacts in vivo with two components of the pre-RC, namely, hcdc6 and hORC2. Depletion of endogenous hMCM8 protein by RNA interference leads to a delay of entry into S phase, suggesting a role for hMCM8 in G(1) progression. Furthermore, down-regulation of hMCM8 also leads to a reduced loading of hcdc6 and the hMCM2-hMCM7 complex on chromatin. These results suggest that hMCM8 is a crucial component of the pre-RC and that the interaction between hMCM8 and hcdc6 is required for pre-RC assembly.

CDC25 dual-specificity protein phosphatases: detection and activity measurements

Most cyclin-dependent kinases are negatively regulated by phosphorylation of two residues, a threonine at residue 14 and a tyrosine at residue 15. These residues are dephosphorylated by the cdc25 family of dual-specificity phosphatases leading to cell cycle progression. These phosphatases are inactivated by cellular checkpoint pathways in response to DNA damage leading to cell cycle arrest. Checkpoint pathways regulate the function of these phosphatases by regulating their stability, localization, association with substrate, and their activity. Hence, determining these properties for the cdc25 family of phosphatases becomes crucial for understanding how checkpoint pathways regulate the function of the cdc25 family members and, hence, cell cycle progression. This chapter describes methods to determine the activity, levels, phosphorylation status, and localization of both endogenous and overexpressed cdc25 proteins.