Article
- The EMBO Journal (2008) 27, 1840 - 1851
- doi:10.1038/emboj.2008.107
Published online: 5 June 2008
Subject Category:
The DNA replication checkpoint aids survival of plants deficient in the novel replisome factor ETG1
Naoki Takahashi1,2, Tim Lammens1,2, Véronique Boudolf1,2, Sara Maes1,2, Takeshi Yoshizumi3, Geert De Jaeger1,2, Erwin Witters4,5, Dirk Inzé1,2 and Lieven De Veylder1,2
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
- Plant Functional Genomics Research Group, RIKEN Plant Science Center, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Proteome Analysis and Mass Spectrometry, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
Correspondence to:
Lieven De Veylder, Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Gent, Belgium. Tel.: +32 9 3313800; Fax +32 9 3313809; E-mail: lieven.deveylder@psb.ugent.be
Received 13 February 2008; Accepted 7 May 2008
Abstract
Complete and accurate chromosomal DNA replication is essential for the maintenance of the genetic integrity of all organisms. Errors in replication are buffered by the activation of DNA stress checkpoints; however, in plants, the relative importance of a coordinated induction of DNA repair and cell cycle-arresting genes in the survival of replication mutants is unknown. In a systematic screen for Arabidopsis thaliana E2F target genes, the E2F TARGET GENE 1 (ETG1) was identified as a novel evolutionarily conserved replisome factor. ETG1 was associated with the minichromosome maintenance complex and was crucial for efficient DNA replication. Plants lacking the ETG1 gene had serrated leaves due to cell cycle inhibition triggered by the DNA replication checkpoints, as shown by the transcriptional induction of DNA stress checkpoint genes. The importance of checkpoint activation was highlighted by double mutant analysis: whereas etg1 mutant plants developed relatively normally, a synthetically lethal interaction was observed between etg1 and the checkpoint mutants wee1 and atr, demonstrating that activation of a G2 cell cycle checkpoint accounts for survival of ETG1-deficient plants.
Keywords:
- Arabidopsis,
- DNA replication,
- DNA replication checkpoint,
- ETG1,
- MCM proteins
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