Tim–Tipin dysfunction creates an indispensible reliance on the ATR–Chk1 pathway for continued DNA synthesis

KD Smith, MA Fu, EJ Brown - Journal of cell biology, 2009 - rupress.org
KD Smith, MA Fu, EJ Brown
Journal of cell biology, 2009rupress.org
The Tim (Timeless)–Tipin complex has been proposed to maintain genome stability by
facilitating ATR-mediated Chk1 activation. However, as a replisome component, Tim–Tipin
has also been suggested to couple DNA unwinding to synthesis, an activity expected to
suppress single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) accumulation and limit ATR–Chk1 pathway
engagement. We now demonstrate that Tim–Tipin depletion is sufficient to increase ssDNA
accumulation at replication forks and stimulate ATR activity during otherwise unperturbed …
The Tim (Timeless)–Tipin complex has been proposed to maintain genome stability by facilitating ATR-mediated Chk1 activation. However, as a replisome component, Tim–Tipin has also been suggested to couple DNA unwinding to synthesis, an activity expected to suppress single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) accumulation and limit ATR–Chk1 pathway engagement. We now demonstrate that Tim–Tipin depletion is sufficient to increase ssDNA accumulation at replication forks and stimulate ATR activity during otherwise unperturbed DNA replication. Notably, suppression of the ATR–Chk1 pathway in Tim–Tipin-deficient cells completely abrogates nucleotide incorporation in S phase, indicating that the ATR-dependent response to Tim–Tipin depletion is indispensible for continued DNA synthesis. Replication failure in ATR/Tim-deficient cells is strongly associated with synergistic increases in H2AX phosphorylation and DNA double-strand breaks, suggesting that ATR pathway activation preserves fork stability in instances of Tim–Tipin dysfunction. Together, these experiments indicate that the Tim–Tipin complex stabilizes replication forks both by preventing the accumulation of ssDNA upstream of ATR–Chk1 function and by facilitating phosphorylation of Chk1 by ATR.
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