SNAP output for PDB entry 5u8t [SNAP web server]

PDB-id

5u8t; SNAP-derived features in text and JSON formats; DNAproDB

Class

replication

Method

cryo-EM (4.9 Å)

Summary

Structure of eukaryotic cmg helicase at a replication fork and implications

Reference

Georgescu R, Yuan Z, Bai L, de Luna Almeida Santos R, Sun J, Zhang D, Yurieva O, Li H, O'Donnell ME (2017): "Structure of eukaryotic CMG helicase at a replication fork and implications to replisome architecture and origin initiation." Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 114, E697-E706. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1620500114.

Abstract

The eukaryotic CMG (Cdc45, Mcm2-7, GINS) helicase consists of the Mcm2-7 hexameric ring along with five accessory factors. The Mcm2-7 heterohexamer, like other hexameric helicases, is shaped like a ring with two tiers, an N-tier ring composed of the N-terminal domains, and a C-tier of C-terminal domains; the C-tier contains the motor. In principle, either tier could translocate ahead of the other during movement on DNA. We have used cryo-EM single-particle 3D reconstruction to solve the structure of CMG in complex with a DNA fork. The duplex stem penetrates into the central channel of the N-tier and the unwound leading single-strand DNA traverses the channel through the N-tier into the C-tier motor, 5'-3' through CMG. Therefore, the N-tier ring is pushed ahead by the C-tier ring during CMG translocation, opposite the currently accepted polarity. The polarity of the N-tier ahead of the C-tier places the leading Pol ε below CMG and Pol α-primase at the top of CMG at the replication fork. Surprisingly, the new N-tier to C-tier polarity of translocation reveals an unforeseen quality-control mechanism at the origin. Thus, upon assembly of head-to-head CMGs that encircle double-stranded DNA at the origin, the two CMGs must pass one another to leave the origin and both must remodel onto opposite strands of single-stranded DNA to do so. We propose that head-to-head motors may generate energy that underlies initial melting at the origin.