Originally published as Genetics Published Articles Ahead of Print on March 17, 2006.

Genetics, Vol. 173, 541-555, June 2006, Copyright © 2006
doi:10.1534/genetics.106.057521

A Dbf4p BRCA1 C-Terminal-Like Domain Required for the Response to Replication Fork Arrest in Budding Yeast

Carrie Gabrielse^*, Charles T. Miller^*,, Kristopher H. McConnell, Aaron DeWard^*, Catherine A. Fox and Michael Weinreich^*,1

^* Laboratory of Chromosome Replication, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 and Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin 53406

¹ Corresponding author: Van Andel Research Institute, 333 Bostwick Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.
E-mail: michael.weinreich{at}vai.org

Dbf4p is an essential regulatory subunit of the Cdc7p kinase required for the initiation of DNA replication. Cdc7p and Dbf4p orthologs have also been shown to function in the response to DNA damage. A previous Dbf4p multiple sequence alignment identified a conserved 40-residue N-terminal region with similarity to the BRCA1 C-terminal (BRCT) motif called "motif N." BRCT motifs encode 100-amino-acid domains involved in the DNA damage response. We have identified an expanded and conserved 100-residue N-terminal region of Dbf4p that includes motif N but is capable of encoding a single BRCT-like domain. Dbf4p orthologs diverge from the BRCT motif at the C terminus but may encode a similar secondary structure in this region. We have therefore called this the BRCT and DBF4 similarity (BRDF) motif. The principal role of this Dbf4p motif was in the response to replication fork (RF) arrest; however, it was not required for cell cycle progression, activation of Cdc7p kinase activity, or interaction with the origin recognition complex (ORC) postulated to recruit Cdc7p–Dbf4p to origins. Rad53p likely directly phosphorylated Dbf4p in response to RF arrest and Dbf4p was required for Rad53p abundance. Rad53p and Dbf4p therefore cooperated to coordinate a robust cellular response to RF arrest.

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