Structural and functional insights into Cdc45 recruitment by Sld7– Sld3 for CMG complex formation

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    eLife Assessment

    This valuable paper describes the crystal structure of a complex of Sld3-Cdc45-binding domain (CBD) with Cdc45, which is essential for the assembly of an active Cdc45- MCM-GINS (CMG) double hexamers at the replication origin. Although the results shown in the paper are of interest to researchers in DNA replication and genome stability, the biochemical analysis of protein-protein interaction and DNA binding is incomplete, and the paper needs additional data and revised discussion.

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Abstract

DNA replication requires Cdc45 and GINS recruitment into the MCM duplex hexamer by initiation factors to form an active helicase, the Cdc45–MCM–GINS (CMG) complex, at the replication origins. The initiation factor Sld3 is a central regulator of Cdc45 and GINS recruitment worked with Sld7 together. However, the mechanism through which Sld3 regulates CMG complex formation remains unclear. Here, we present the structure of the Sld3 Cdc45-binding-domain in complex with Cdc45 (Sld3CBD–Cdc45), showing detailed interactions and conformational changes required for binding to each other. The mutant analysis indicated that the binding between Sld3CBD and Cdc45 could be broken easily. We also revealed that Sld3CBD, GINS, and MCM bind to different sites on Cdc45 in the Sld3CDB–CMG model, indicating that after recruitment of Cdc45, Sld7–Sld3 could remain in Cdc45–MCM until CMG formation. The consistency between the particle size of Sld7–Sld3–Cdc45 and the distance between Sld3CBDs in the Cdc45–MCM dimer indicated the binding manner of the Cdc45–Sld3–[Sld7] 2 –Sld3–Cdc45 off/on MCM duplex hexamer. A DNA-binding assay of Sld3 and its complexes with single-stranded ARS1 fragments revealed a relationship between the dissociation of Sld7–Sld3 from CMG and the unwound single-stranded DNA. These findings help to further our understanding of the molecular basis of regulation of CMG complex formation by Sld3.

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  1. eLife Assessment

    This valuable paper describes the crystal structure of a complex of Sld3-Cdc45-binding domain (CBD) with Cdc45, which is essential for the assembly of an active Cdc45- MCM-GINS (CMG) double hexamers at the replication origin. Although the results shown in the paper are of interest to researchers in DNA replication and genome stability, the biochemical analysis of protein-protein interaction and DNA binding is incomplete, and the paper needs additional data and revised discussion.

  2. Reviewer #1 (Public review):

    Summary:

    The crystal structure of the Sld3CBD-Cdc45 complex presented by Li et al. is a novel contribution that significantly advances our understanding of CMG formation during the rate-limiting step of DNA replication initiation. This structure provides insights into the intermediate steps of CMG formation. The study builds upon previously known structures of Sld3 and Cdc45 and offers new perspectives into how Cdc45 is loaded onto MCM DH through Sld3-Sld7. The most notable finding is the structural difference in Sld3CBD when bound to Cdc45, particularly the arrangement of the α8-helix, which is essential for Cdc45 binding and may also pertain to its metazoan counterpart, Treslin. Additionally, the conformational shift in the DHHA1 domain of Cdc45 suggests a possible mechanism for its binding to MCM2NTD.

    Strengths:

    The manuscript is generally well-written, with a precise structural analysis and a solid methodological section that will significantly advance future studies in the field. The predictions based on structural alignments are intriguing and provide a new direction for exploring CMG formation, potentially shaping the future of DNA replication research.

    Weaknesses:

    The main weakness of the manuscript lies in the lack of experimental validation for the proposed Sld3-Sld7-Cdc45 model. Specifically, the claim that Sld3 binding to Cdc45-MCM does not inhibit GINS binding, a finding that contradicts previous research, is not sufficiently substantiated with experimental evidence. To strengthen their model, the authors must provide additional experimental data to support this mechanism. Also, the authors have not compared the recently published Cryo-EM structures of the metazoan CMG helicases with their predicted models to see if Sld3/Treslin does not cause any clash with the GINS when bound to the CMG. Still, the work holds great potential in its current form but requires further experiments to confirm the authors' conclusions.

  3. Reviewer #2 (Public review):

    Summary

    The manuscript presents valuable findings, particularly in the crystal structure of the Sld3CBD-Cdc45 interaction and the identification of additional sequences involved in their binding. The modeling of the Sld7-Sld3CBD-CDC45 subcomplex is novel, and the results provide insights into potential conformational changes that occur upon interaction. However, the work remains incomplete as several main claims are only partially supported by experimental data, particularly the proposed model for Sld3 interaction with GINS on the CMG. Additionally, the single-stranded DNA binding data from different species do not convincingly advance the manuscript's central arguments.

    Strengths

    (1) The Sld3CBD-Cdc45 structure is a novel contribution, revealing critical residues involved in the interaction.

    (2) The model structures generated from the crystal data are well presented and provide valuable insights into the interaction sequences between Sld3 and Cdc45.

    (3) The experiments testing the requirements for interaction sequences are thorough and conducted well, with clear figures supporting the conclusions.

    (4) The conformational changes observed in Sld3 and Cdc45 upon binding are interesting and enhance our understanding of the interaction.

    (5) The modeling of the Sld7-Sld3CBD-CDC45 subcomplex is a new and valuable addition to the field.

    Weaknesses

    (1) The proposed model for Sld3 interacting with GINS on the CMG needs more experimental validation and conflicts with published findings. These discrepancies need more detailed discussion and exploration.

    (2) The section on the binding of Sld3 complexes to origin single-stranded DNA needs significant improvement. The comparisons between Sld3-CBD, Sld3CBD-Cdc45, and Sld7-Sld3CBD-Cdc45 involve complexes from different species, limiting the comparisons' value.

    (3) The authors' model proposing the release of Sld3 from CMG based on its binding to single-stranded DNA is unclear and needs more elaboration.

  4. Reviewer #3 (Public review):

    Summary:

    The paper by Li et al. describes the crystal structure of a complex of Sld3-Cdc45-binding domain (CBD) with Cdc45 and a model of the dimer of an Sld3-binding protein, Sld7, with two Sld3-CBD-Cdc45 for the tethering. In addition, the authors showed the genetic analysis of the amino acid substitution of residues of Sld3 in the interface with Cdc45 and biochemical analysis of the protein interaction between Sld3 and Cdc45 as well as DNA binding activity of Sld3 to the single-strand DNAs of the ARS sequence.

    Strengths:

    The authors provided a nice model of an intermediate step in the assembly of an active Cdc45-MCM-GINS (CMG) double hexamers at the replication origin, which is mediated by the Sld3-Sld7 complex. The dimer of the Sld3-Sld7 complexes tethers two MCM hexamers together for the recruitment of GINS-Pol epsilon on the replication origin.

    Weaknesses:

    The biochemical analysis should be carefully evaluated with more quantitative ways to strengthen the authors' conclusion.

  5. Author response:

    Reviewer #1 (Public review):

    Summary:

    The crystal structure of the Sld3CBD-Cdc45 complex presented by Li et al. is a novel contribution that significantly advances our understanding of CMG formation during the rate-limiting step of DNA replication initiation. This structure provides insights into the intermediate steps of CMG formation. The study builds upon previously known structures of Sld3 and Cdc45 and offers new perspectives into how Cdc45 is loaded onto MCM DH through Sld3-Sld7. The most notable finding is the structural difference in Sld3CBD when bound to Cdc45, particularly the arrangement of the α8-helix, which is essential for Cdc45 binding and may also pertain to its metazoan counterpart, Treslin. Additionally, the conformational shift in the DHHA1 domain of Cdc45 suggests a possible mechanism for its binding to MCM2NTD.

    Strengths:

    The manuscript is generally well-written, with a precise structural analysis and a solid methodological section that will significantly advance future studies in the field. The predictions based on structural alignments are intriguing and provide a new direction for exploring CMG formation, potentially shaping the future of DNA replication research.

    Weaknesses:

    The main weakness of the manuscript lies in the lack of experimental validation for the proposed Sld3-Sld7-Cdc45 model. Specifically, the claim that Sld3 binding to Cdc45-MCM does not inhibit GINS binding, a finding that contradicts previous research, is not sufficiently substantiated with experimental evidence. To strengthen their model, the authors must provide additional experimental data to support this mechanism. Also, the authors have not compared the recently published Cryo-EM structures of the metazoan CMG helicases with their predicted models to see if Sld3/Treslin does not cause any clash with the GINS when bound to the CMG. Still, the work holds great potential in its current form but requires further experiments to confirm the authors' conclusions.

    We appreciate the reviewers’ careful reading and the comments.

    The structure of Sld3CBD-Cdc45 showed that the binding site of Cdc45 to Sld3CBD was distinct from the binding ranges of Cdc45 to GINS and MCM, indicating that the Sld3CBD, MCM, and GINS bind to separate sites of Cdc45 on the CMG complex. The SCMG-DNA model confirmed such a binding situation but did not show whether the binding of Sld3 to Cdc45 affects the recruitment of GINS (by GINS-Dbp11-Sld2) for CMG formation. We will modify our manuscript and discuss this point. Also, we will check the recently published Cryo-EM structures of the metazoan CMG helicases with their predicted models to confirm our conclusions. We will try to conduct the experiments as suggested.

    Reviewer #2 (Public review):

    Summary

    The manuscript presents valuable findings, particularly in the crystal structure of the Sld3CBD-Cdc45 interaction and the identification of additional sequences involved in their binding. The modeling of the Sld7-Sld3CBD-CDC45 subcomplex is novel, and the results provide insights into potential conformational changes that occur upon interaction. However, the work remains incomplete as several main claims are only partially supported by experimental data, particularly the proposed model for Sld3 interaction with GINS on the CMG. Additionally, the single-stranded DNA binding data from different species do not convincingly advance the manuscript's central arguments.

    Strengths

    (1) The Sld3CBD-Cdc45 structure is a novel contribution, revealing critical residues involved in the interaction.

    (2) The model structures generated from the crystal data are well presented and provide valuable insights into the interaction sequences between Sld3 and Cdc45.

    (3) The experiments testing the requirements for interaction sequences are thorough and conducted well, with clear figures supporting the conclusions.

    (4) The conformational changes observed in Sld3 and Cdc45 upon binding are interesting and enhance our understanding of the interaction.

    (5) The modeling of the Sld7-Sld3CBD-CDC45 subcomplex is a new and valuable addition to the field.

    Weaknesses

    (1) The proposed model for Sld3 interacting with GINS on the CMG needs more experimental validation and conflicts with published findings. These discrepancies need more detailed discussion and exploration.

    (2) The section on the binding of Sld3 complexes to origin single-stranded DNA needs significant improvement. The comparisons between Sld3-CBD, Sld3CBD-Cdc45, and Sld7-Sld3CBD-Cdc45 involve complexes from different species, limiting the comparisons' value.

    (3) The authors' model proposing the release of Sld3 from CMG based on its binding to single-stranded DNA is unclear and needs more elaboration.

    We appreciate your positive comments. As suggested, we will try to improve the experiments and manuscript and discuss in more detail, including the interaction between Sld3 and GINS on the CMG, ssDNA-binding section, and the explanations of why we use different species for comparison and more elaboration on the Sld3-release proposal.

    Reviewer #3 (Public review):

    Summary:

    The paper by Li et al. describes the crystal structure of a complex of Sld3-Cdc45-binding domain (CBD) with Cdc45 and a model of the dimer of an Sld3-binding protein, Sld7, with two Sld3-CBD-Cdc45 for the tethering. In addition, the authors showed the genetic analysis of the amino acid substitution of residues of Sld3 in the interface with Cdc45 and biochemical analysis of the protein interaction between Sld3 and Cdc45 as well as DNA binding activity of Sld3 to the single-strand DNAs of the ARS sequence.

    Strengths:

    The authors provided a nice model of an intermediate step in the assembly of an active Cdc45-MCM-GINS (CMG) double hexamers at the replication origin, which is mediated by the Sld3-Sld7 complex. The dimer of the Sld3-Sld7 complexes tethers two MCM hexamers together for the recruitment of GINS-Pol epsilon on the replication origin.

    Weaknesses:

    The biochemical analysis should be carefully evaluated with more quantitative ways to strengthen the authors' conclusion.

    We thank your positive assessment. We will provide more quantitative information and try to quantify the experiments as suggested.