Initiation of DNA replication is regulated by cyclin-dependent protein kinase 2 (Cdk2) in association with two different regulatory subunits, cyclin A and cyclin E (reviewed in ref. 1). But why two different cyclins are required and why their order of activation is tightly regulated are unknown. Using a cell-free system for initiation of DNA replication that is based on G1 nuclei, G1 cytosol and recombinant proteins, we find that cyclins E and A have specialized roles during the transition from G0 to S phase. Cyclin E stimulates replication complex assembly by cooperating with Cdc6, to make G1 nuclei competent to replicate in vitro. Cyclin A has two separable functions: it activates DNA synthesis by replication complexes that are already assembled, and it inhibits the assembly of new complexes. Thus, cyclin E opens a 'window of opportunity' for replication complex assembly that is closed by cyclin A. The dual functions of cyclin A ensure that the assembly phase (G1) ends before DNA synthesis (S) begins, thereby preventing re-initiation until the next cell cycle.

The nuclear matrix protein Cip1-interacting zinc finger protein 1 (CIZ1) promotes DNA replication in association with cyclins and has been linked to adult and pediatric cancers. Here we show that CIZ1 is highly enriched on the inactive X chromosome (Xi) in mouse and human female cells and is retained by interaction with the RNA-dependent nuclear matrix. CIZ1 is recruited to Xi in response to expression of X inactive-specific transcript (Xist) RNA during the earliest stages of X inactivation in embryonic stem cells and is dependent on the C-terminal nuclear matrix anchor domain of CIZ1 and the E repeats of Xist. CIZ1-null mice, although viable, display fully penetrant female-specific lymphoproliferative disorder. Interestingly, in mouse embryonic fibroblast cells derived from CIZ1-null embryos, Xist RNA localization is disrupted, being highly dispersed through the nucleoplasm rather than focal. Focal localization is reinstated following re-expression of CIZ1. Focal localization of Xist RNA is also disrupted in activated B and T cells isolated from CIZ1-null animals, suggesting a possible explanation for female-specific lymphoproliferative disorder. Together, these findings suggest that CIZ1 has an essential role in anchoring Xist to the nuclear matrix in specific somatic lineages.

Using a cell-free system that reconstitutes initiation of mammalian DNA replication, we identified a cyclin A-responsive protein, p21Cip1-interacting zinc finger protein 1 (Ciz1). In cell-free experiments, Ciz1 protein increases the number of nuclei that initiate DNA replication, and in intact cells GFP-tagged Ciz1 stimulates DNA synthesis, in both a wild-type and a p21Cip1 null background. Furthermore, mutation of a putative cyclin-dependent kinase phosphorylation site at threonines 191/2 alters Ciz1 activity in vitro, indicating that this site plays a role in regulating Ciz1. Consistent with a role in DNA replication, endogenous Ciz1 is present in nuclear foci that co-localize with PCNA during S phase, and targeted depletion of Ciz1 transcripts restrains cell proliferation by inhibiting entry to S phase. Ciz1-depleted cells accumulate with chromatin bound Mcm3 and PCNA but fail to synthesize DNA efficiently. These cell-based and cell-free experiments suggest that Ciz1 functions to promote DNA replication after replication complex formation. Finally, alternatively spliced forms of Ciz1 occur in embryonic cells from mouse and man, raising the possibility that Ciz1 splicing contributes to the regulation of DNA replication during development.