Akiko Kumagai

Myt1: A Membrane-Associated Inhibitory Kinase That Phosphorylates Cdc2 on Both Threonine-14 and Tyrosine-15

Cdc2 is the cyclin-dependent kinase that controls entry of cells into mitosis. Phospho-rylation of Cdc2 on threonine-14 and tyrosine-15 inhibits the activity of the enzyme and prevents premature initiation of mitosis. Although Wee1 has been identified as the kinase that phosphorylates tyrosine-15 in various organisms, the threonine-14-specific kinase has not been isolated. A complementary DNA was cloned from Xenopus that encodes Myt1, a member of the Wee1 family that was discovered to phosphorylate Cdc2 efficiently on both threonine-14 and tyrosine-15. Myt1 is a membrane-associated protein that contains a putative transmembrane segment. Immunodepletion studies suggested that Myt1 is the predominant threonine-14-specific kinase in Xenopus egg extracts. Myt1 activity is highly regulated during the cell cycle, suggesting that this relative of Wee1 plays a role in mitotic control.

TopBP1 Activates the ATR-ATRIP Complex

ATR is a key regulator of checkpoint responses to incompletely replicated and damaged DNA, but the mechanisms underlying control of its kinase activity are unknown. TopBP1, the vertebrate homolog of yeast Cut5/Dbp11, has dual roles in initiation of DNA replication and regulation of checkpoint responses. We show that recombinant TopBP1 induces a large increase in the kinase activity of both Xenopus and human ATR. The ATR-activating domain resides in a conserved segment of TopBP1 that is distinct from its numerous BRCT repeats. The isolated ATR-activating domain from TopBP1 induces ectopic activation of ATR-dependent signaling in both Xenopus egg extracts and human cells. Furthermore, Xenopus egg extracts containing a version of TopBP1 with an inactivating point mutation in the ATR-activating domain are defective in checkpoint regulation. These studies establish that activation of ATR by TopBP1 is a crucial step in the initiation of ATR-dependent signaling processes.

The cdc25 protein contains an intrinsic phosphatase activity

Genetic and biochemical studies have indicated that the cdc25 protein controls the entry into mitosis by triggering tyrosine dephosphorylation of the cdc2 protein kinase. We show that the isolated cdc25 protein can catalyze dephosphorylation of several model phosphatase substrates, including p-nitrophenyl phosphate and two distinct tyrosine-phosphorylated peptides. The cdc25-dependent cleavage reaction closely resembles dephosphorylation by known tyrosine phosphatases: the reaction requires a reducing agent, shows high sensitivity to sodium vanadate, and proceeds efficiently in the presence of metal chelators. Moreover, the phosphatase activity of the cdc25 protein is eliminated by treatment with N-ethylmaleimide or by alteration of a single conserved cysteine residue by site-directed mutagenesis. These observations indicate that the cdc25 protein can function as a tyrosine phosphatase in the absence of any other protein.

Purification and molecular cloning of Plx1, a Cdc25-regulatory kinase from Xenopus egg extracts.

Cdc2, the cyclin-dependent kinase that controls mitosis, is negatively regulated by phosphorylation on its threonine-14 and tyrosine-15 residues. Cdc25, the phosphatase that dephosphorylates both of these residues, undergoes activation and phosphorylation by multiple kinases at mitosis. Plx1, a kinase that associates with and phosphorylates the amino-terminal domain of Cdc25, was purified extensively from Xenopus egg extracts. Cloning of its complementary DNA revealed that Plx1 is related to the Polo family of protein kinases. Recombinant Plx1 phosphorylated Cdc25 and stimulated its activity in a purified system. Cdc25 phosphorylated by Plx1 reacted strongly with MPM-2, a monoclonal antibody to mitotic phosphoproteins. These studies indicate that Plx1 may participate in control of mitotic progression.

The cdc25 protein controls tyrosine dephosphorylation of the cdc2 protein in a cell-free system

As a prerequisite for the activation of MPF, the cdc2 protein kinase must undergo tyrosine dephosphorylation. Genetic studies have demonstrated that the cdc25 protein activates the cdc2 protein kinase once DNA replication has been completed. We have produced the cdc25 protein in bacteria and shown that it activates MPF in Xenopus extracts. In extracts that normally cannot enter mitosis owing to inhibition of DNA synthesis, the addition of active cdc25 protein efficiently elicits the mitotic state by inducing premature dephosphorylation of tyrosine on the cdc2 protein. The cdc25-dependent activation reaction can be reconstituted in a partially purified system lacking ATP. These biochemical experiments demonstrate that the cdc25 protein actively drives tyrosine dephosphorylation of the cdc2 protein and offer the prospect for characterizing the individual factors that regulate the activation of MPF during the progression from S phase to mitosis.

Regulation of the cdc25 protein during the cell cycle in Xenopus extracts

The cdc25 protein is a highly specific tyrosine phosphatase that triggers mitosis by dephosphorylating the cdc2 protein kinase. Using Xenopus extracts, we have found that the cdc25 protein is active at a low level throughout interphase. Near the onset of mitosis, the cdc25 protein undergoes a marked elevation in phosphatase activity that coincides with an extensive phosphorylation of the protein in its N-terminal region. In vitro dephosphorylation of this hyperphosphorylated form of cdc25 reduces its phosphatase activity back to the interphase level. Moreover, treatment of interphase Xenopus extracts with okadaic acid, a phosphatase inhibitor that accelerates the entry into mitosis, elicits both the premature hyperphosphorylation of cdc25 and the stimulation of its cdc2-specific tyrosine phosphatase activity. These experiments demonstrate the existence of a cdc25 regulatory system consisting of both a stimulatory kinase that phosphorylates a putative regulatory domain of the cdc25 protein and an inhibitory serine/threonine phosphatase that counteracts this kinase activity.

Claspin, a Novel Protein Required for the Activation of Chk1 during a DNA Replication Checkpoint Response in Xenopus Egg Extracts

We have identified Claspin, a novel protein that binds to Xenopus Chk1 (Xchk1). Binding of Claspin to Xchk1 is highly elevated in the presence of DNA templates that trigger a checkpoint arrest of the cell cycle in Xenopus egg extracts. Xchk1 becomes phosphorylated during a checkpoint response, and we demonstrate directly that this phosphorylation results in the activation of Xchk1. Immunodepletion of Claspin from egg extracts abolishes both the phosphorylation and activation of Xchk1. Furthermore, Claspin-depleted extracts are unable to arrest the cell cycle in response to DNA replication blocks. Taken together, these findings indicate that Claspin is an essential upstream regulator of Xchk1.

The Rad9-Hus1-Rad1 Checkpoint Clamp Regulates Interaction of TopBP1 with ATR *

TopBP1 serves as an activator of the ATR-ATRIP complex in response to the presence of incompletely replicated or damaged DNA. This process involves binding of ATR to the ATR-activating domain of TopBP1, which is located between BRCT domains VI and VII. TopBP1 displays increased binding to ATR-ATRIP in Xenopus egg extracts containing checkpoint-inducing DNA templates. We show that an N-terminal region of TopBP1 containing BRCT repeats I-II is essential for this checkpoint-stimulated binding of TopBP1 to ATR-ATRIP. The BRCT I-II region of TopBP1 also binds specifically to the Rad9-Hus1-Rad1 (9-1-1) complex in Xenopus egg extracts. This binding occurs via the C-terminal domain of Rad9 and depends upon phosphorylation of its Ser-373 residue. Egg extracts containing either a mutant of TopBP1 lacking the BRCT I-II repeats or a mutant of Rad9 with an alanine substitution at Ser-373 are defective in checkpoint regulation. Furthermore, an isolated C-terminal fragment from Rad9 is an effective inhibitor of checkpoint signaling in egg extracts. These findings suggest that interaction of the 9-1-1 complex with the BRCT I-II region of TopBP1 is necessary for binding of ATR-ATRIP to the ATR-activating domain of TopBP1 and the ensuing activation of ATR.

Adaptation of a DNA Replication Checkpoint Response Depends upon Inactivation of Claspin by the Polo-like Kinase

The checkpoint mediator protein Claspin is essential for the ATR-dependent activation of Chk1 in Xenopus egg extracts containing aphidicolin-induced DNA replication blocks. We show that, during this checkpoint response, Claspin becomes phosphorylated on threonine 906 (T906), which creates a docking site for Plx1, the Xenopus Polo-like kinase. This interaction promotes the phosphorylation of Claspin on a nearby serine (S934) by Plx1. After a prolonged interphase arrest, aphidicolin-treated egg extracts typically undergo adaptation and enter into mitosis despite the presence of incompletely replicated DNA. In this process, Claspin dissociates from chromatin, and Chk1 undergoes inactivation. By contrast, aphidicolin-treated extracts containing mutants of Claspin with alanine substitutions at positions 906 or 934 (T906A or S934A) are unable to undergo adaptation. Under such adaptation-defective conditions, Claspin accumulates on chromatin at high levels, and Chk1 does not decrease in activity. These results indicate that the Plx1-dependent inactivation of Claspin results in termination of a DNA replication checkpoint response.

Claspin, a Chk1-Regulatory Protein, Monitors DNA Replication on Chromatin Independently of RPA, ATR, and Rad17

Claspin is required for the ATR-dependent activation of Chk1 in Xenopus egg extracts containing incompletely replicated DNA. We show here that Claspin associates with chromatin in a regulated manner during S phase. Binding of Claspin to chromatin depends on the pre-replication complex (pre-RC) and Cdc45 but not on replication protein A (RPA). These dependencies suggest that binding of Claspin occurs around the time of initial DNA unwinding at replication origins. By contrast, both ATR and Rad17 require RPA for association with DNA. Claspin, ATR, and Rad17 all bind to chromatin independently. These findings suggest that Claspin plays a role in monitoring DNA replication during S phase. Claspin, ATR, and Rad17 may collaborate in checkpoint regulation by detecting different aspects of a DNA replication fork.