Efficient pre-replication complex (pre-RC) formation on chromatin templates is crucial for the maintenance of genome integrity. However, the regulation of chromatin dynamics during this process has remained elusive. We found that a conserved protein, GRWD1 (glutamate-rich WD40 repeat containing 1), binds to two representative replication origins specifically during G1 phase in a CDC6- and Cdt1-...

UV-B photon reception by the Arabidopsis thaliana homodimeric UV RESISTANCE LOCUS8 (UVR8) photoreceptor leads to its monomerization and a crucial interaction with CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1 (COP1). Relay of the subsequent signal regulates UV-B-induced photomorphogenesis and stress acclimation. Here, we report that two separate domains of UVR8 interact with COP1: the β-propeller domain of ...

Centrioles are the foundation for centrosome and cilia formation. The biogenesis of centrioles is initiated by an assembly mechanism that first synthesizes the ninefold symmetrical cartwheel and subsequently leads to a stable cylindrical microtubule scaffold that is capable of withstanding microtubule-based forces generated by centrosomes and cilia. We report that the conserved WD40 repeat doma...

Homologous-recombination (HR)-dependent repair defective cells are hypersensitive to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Combinations of defective HR pathway and PARP inhibitors have been an effective chemotherapeutic modality. We previously showed that knockdown of the WD40-repeat containing protein, Uaf1, causes an HR repair defect in mouse embryo fibroblast cells and therefore, i...

Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg (teleomorph Gibberella moniliformis Wineland) is one of the key pathogens of maize stalk rot disease. However, a clear understanding of stalk rot pathogenesis is still lacking. Previously, we identified the F. verticillioides FSR1 gene, which plays a key role in fungal virulence and sexual mating. The predicted Fsr1 protein contains multiple protein-bi...

The WRAP53 gene encodes both an antisense transcript (WRAP53α) that stabilizes the tumor suppressor p53 and a protein (WRAP53β) involved in maintenance of Cajal bodies, telomere elongation and DNA repair. WRAP53β is one of many proteins containing WD40 domains, known to mediate a variety of cellular processes. These proteins lack enzymatic activity, acting instead as platforms for the assembly ...

Mutations in the acrB gene, which were originally selected through their resistance to acriflavine, also result in reduced growth on a range of sole carbon sources, including fructose, cellobiose, raffinose, and starch, and reduced utilization of omega-amino acids, including GABA and beta-alanine, as sole carbon and nitrogen sources. The acrB2 mutation suppresses the phenotypic effects of mutat...

The ribosomal protein L11 (RPL11) binds and inhibits the MDM2 ubiquitin ligase, thereby promoting p53 stability. Thus, RPL11 acts as a tumor suppressor. Here, we show that GRWD1 (glutamate-rich WD40 repeat containing 1) physically and functionally interacts with RPL11. GRWD1 is localized to nucleoli and is released into the nucleoplasm upon nucleolar stress. Silencing of GRWD1 increases p53 ind...

The centrosome is the primary microtubule organizing centre of the cell. gamma-tubulin is a core component of the centrosome and is required for microtubule nucleation and centrosome function. The recruitment of gamma-tubulin to centrosomes is mediated by its interaction with NEDD1, a WD40-repeat containing protein. Here we demonstrate that NEDD1 is likely to be oligomeric in vivo and binds dir...