Areas of Interest
Our long-term goal is to understand the biochemical mechanism
responsible for the initiation and regulation of replication of
a eukaryotic chromosome. DNA replication is one of the
fundamental processes in a living cell. We are studying DNA
replication using the yeast S. cerevisiae as model system.
Although the genes involved in the initiation of replication
of a S. cerevisiae chromosome have been identified, the
biochemical process of the initiation has not been elucidated.
In order to understand how DNA replication is initiated at a
yeast replication origin, we are aiming to reconstitute in vitro
a functional replication initiation complex. Recent studies in
our laboratory dealt with the architecture of yeast replication
origins and origin binding proteins. We have recently
reconstituted in vitro the assembly of a stable and specific
multiprotein complex at an origin of replication. The assembly
of this complex involved purified Abf1p, purified Hdfp (the
yeast homologue of the mammalian Ku) and Orcp. Currently we are
engaged in the in vitro reconstitution of the MCM complex, a
protein composed of six independent subunits, and essential for
the initiation and elongation phases of the replication of yeast
chromosomes.
Selected Publications
Shlomo Eisenberg and Bik Tye. (2004) In vitro assembly of the
MCM complex. In preparation
Santanu Raychaudhuri, Randy Byers, Todd Upton and Shlomo
Eisenberg. (1997) Functional analysis of a replication origin
from Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Identification of a new
replication enhancer. Nucleic Acids Research 25, 5057-5064.
Steven Wiltshire, Santanu Raychaudhuri and Shlomo Eisenberg.
(1997) An Abf1p C-terminal region lacking transcriptional
activation potential stimulates a yeast origin of replication.
Nucleic Acids Research. 25, 4250-4256.
Nader Shakibai, Vijay Kumar and Shlomo Eisenberg. (1996) The
Ku-like protein from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required in
vitro for the assembly of a stable multiprotein complex at a
eukaryotic origin of replication. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 93:
11569-11574. |
