Structural highlights
Function[RLF2_YEAST] Acts as a component of chromatin assembly factor 1 (CAF-1), which assembles histone octamers onto replicating DNA in vitro. It performs the first step of the nucleosome assembly process, bringing newly synthesized histones H3 and H4 to replicating DNA; histones H2A/H2B can bind to this chromatin precursor subsequent to DNA replication to complete the histone octamer. p90 may facilitate the efficient and timely assembly of histones into telomeric chromatin. Publication Abstract from PubMedChromatin assembly factor 1 (CAF-1) is a histone H3-H4 chaperone that deposits newly synthesized histone (H3-H4)2 tetramers during replication-coupled nucleosome assembly. However, how CAF-1 functions in this process is not yet well understood. Here, we report the crystal structure of C terminus of Cac1 (Cac1C), a subunit of yeast CAF-1, and the function of this domain in stabilizing CAF-1 at replication forks. We show that Cac1C forms a winged helix domain (WHD) and binds DNA in a sequence-independent manner. Mutations in Cac1C that abolish DNA binding result in defects in transcriptional silencing and increased sensitivity to DNA damaging agents, and these defects are exacerbated when combined with Cac1 mutations deficient in PCNA binding. Similar phenotypes are observed for corresponding mutations in mouse CAF-1. These results reveal a mechanism conserved in eukaryotic cells whereby the ability of CAF-1 to bind DNA is important for its association with the DNA replication forks and subsequent nucleosome assembly. A DNA binding winged helix domain in CAF-1 functions with PCNA to stabilize CAF-1 at replication forks.,Zhang K, Gao Y, Li J, Burgess R, Han J, Liang H, Zhang Z, Liu Y Nucleic Acids Res. 2016 Feb 22. pii: gkw106. PMID:26908650[1] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. References
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