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DNA replication is a complex process that ensures the maintenance of genetic information. Recently, advancements in chromatin conformation capture techniques have enabled the modeling of DNA replication as a spatio-temporal process. Here, we present a stochastic hybrid model for DNA replication that incorporates protein mobility dynamics and 3D chromatin structure. Performing simulations for three model variations and a broad range of parameter values, we collected about 300,000 in silico replication profiles for fission yeast and conducted a parameter sensitivity analysis. We find that the number of firing factors initiating replication is rate-limiting and dominates the time until completion of DNA replication. In support of recent work, we also find that explicitly modeling the recruitment of firing factors by the spindle pole body (SPB) best reca-pitulates published origin efficiencies, and independently validate these findings in vivo . Accounting for probabilistic effects in molecular interactions, we further investigated the replication kinetics inherent to the model and were able to capture known properties of DNA replication. Importantly, we confirm earlier observations that, without further assumptions, the characteristic shape of a function commonly used to describe replication kinetics arises from a rate-limiting number of firing factors in conjunction with their recycling upon replication fork collision. While the model faithfully recapitulates global spatial patterns of replication initiation, additional analysis of spatial concurrence and competition suggests that a uniform binding probability is too simplistic to capture local neighborhood effects in origin firing. In summary, our model provides a framework to realistically simulate DNA replication for a complete eukaryotic genome, and to investigate the relationship between three-dimensional chromatin conformation and DNA replication timing.

Tables S1. to S4. (DOCX 71 kb)

Figures S1. to S8 [79â 81]. (DOCX 1894 kb)

Proliferation of cells under hypoxia is facilitated by metabolic adaptation, mediated by the transcriptional activator Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 (HIF-1). HIF-1α, the inducible subunit of HIF-1 is regulated by oxygen as well as by oxygen-independent mechanisms involving phosphorylation. We have previously shown that CK1δ phosphorylates HIF-1α in its N-terminus and reduces its affinity for its heterodimerization partner ARNT. To investigate the importance of this mechanism for cell proliferation under hypoxia, we visually monitored HIF-1α interactions within the cell nucleus using the in situ proximity ligation assay (PLA) and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). Both methods show that CK1δ-dependent modification of HIF-1α impairs the formation of a chromatin binding HIF-1 complex. This is confirmed by analyzing expression of lipin-1, a direct target of HIF-1 that mediates hypoxic neutral lipid accumulation. Inhibition of CK1δ increases lipid droplet formation and proliferation of both cancer and normal cells specifically under hypoxia and in an HIF-1α- and lipin-1-dependent manner. These data reveal a novel role for CK1δ in regulating lipid metabolism and, through it, cell adaptation to low oxygen conditions., Highlights • CK1δ impairs HIF-1 complex formation in intact and living cells. • CK1δ inhibits lipin-1 induction and lipid droplet formation under hypoxia. • Inhibition of CK1δ stimulates cell proliferation under hypoxia.

Background: Idas is a homologue of the proliferation and differentiation regulator, Geminin. Results: Idas and Geminin form preferentially a stable heterodimeric coiled-coil that interacts with Cdt1 in vitro and in cells. Conclusion: The Idas-Geminin complex inhibits Geminin function in DNA replication licensing. Significance: The Idas-Geminin complex, possibly the only functional form of Idas, likely regulates the diverse functions of Geminin., Geminin is an important regulator of proliferation and differentiation in metazoans, which predominantly inhibits the DNA replication licensing factor Cdt1, preventing genome over-replication. We show that Geminin preferentially forms stable coiled-coil heterodimers with its homologue, Idas. In contrast to Idas-Geminin heterodimers, Idas homodimers are thermodynamically unstable and are unlikely to exist as a stable macromolecule under physiological conditions. The crystal structure of the homology regions of Idas in complex with Geminin showed a tight head-to-head heterodimeric coiled-coil. This Idas-Geminin heterodimer binds Cdt1 less strongly than Geminin-Geminin, still with high affinity (∼30 nm), but with notably different thermodynamic properties. Consistently, in Xenopus egg extracts, Idas-Geminin is less active in licensing inhibition compared with a Geminin-Geminin homodimer. In human cultured cells, ectopic expression of Idas leads to limited over-replication, which is counteracted by Geminin co-expression. The properties of the Idas-Geminin complex suggest it as the functional form of Idas and provide a possible mechanism to modulate Geminin activity.

Proliferation of cells under hypoxia is facilitated by metabolic adaptation, mediated by the transcriptional activator Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 (HIF-1). HIF-1 alpha, the inducible subunit of HIF-1 is regulated by oxygen as well as by oxygen-independent mechanisms involving phosphorylation. We have previously shown that CK1 delta phosphorylates HIP-la in its N-terminus and reduces its affinity for its heterodimerization partner ARNT. To investigate the importance of this mechanism for cell proliferation under hypoxia, we visually monitored HIP-1 alpha interactions within the cell nucleus using the in situ proximity ligation assay (PIA) and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). Both methods show that CK1 delta-dependent modification of HIF-1 alpha impairs the formation of a chromatin binding HIF-1 complex. This is confirmed by analyzing expression of lipin-1, a direct target of HIF-1 that mediates hypoxic neutral lipid accumulation. Inhibition of CK1 delta increases lipid droplet formation and proliferation of both cancer and normal cells specifically under hypoxia and in an HIF-1 alpha- and lipin-1-dependent manner. These data reveal a novel role for CK1 delta in regulating lipid metabolism and, through it, cell adaptation to low oxygen conditions.

Replication licensing ensures once per cell cycle replication and is essential for genome stability. Overexpression of two key licensing factors, Cdc6 and Cdt1, leads to overreplication and chromosomal instability (CIN) in lower eukaryotes and recently in human cell lines. In this report, we analyzed hCdt1, hCdc6, and hGeminin, the hCdt1 inhibitor expression, in a series of non-small-cell lung carcinomas, and investigated for putative relations with G(1)/S phase regulators, tumor kinetics, and ploidy. This is the first study of these fundamental licensing elements in primary human lung carcinomas. We herein demonstrate elevated levels (more than fourfold) of hCdt1 and hCdc6 in 43% and 50% of neoplasms, respectively, whereas aberrant expression of hGeminin was observed in 49% of cases (underexpression, 12%; overexpression, 37%). hCdt1 expression positively correlated with hCdc6 and E2F-1 levels (P = 0.001 and P = 0.048, respectively). Supportive of the observed link between E2F-1 and hCdt1, we provide evidence that E2F-1 up-regulates the hCdt1 promoter in cultured mammalian cells. Interestingly, hGeminin overexpression was statistically related to increased hCdt1 levels (P = 0.025). Regarding the kinetic and ploidy status of hCdt1- and/or hCdc6-overexpressing tumors, p53-mutant cases exhibited significantly increased tumor growth values (Growth Index; GI) and aneuploidy/CIN compared to those bearing intact p53 (P = 0.008 for GI, P = 0.001 for CIN). The significance of these results was underscored by the fact that the latter parameters were independent of p53 within the hCdt1-hCdc6 normally expressing cases. Cumulatively, the above suggest a synergistic effect between hCdt1-hCdc6 overexpression and mutant-p53 over tumor growth and CIN in non-small-cell lung carcinomas.