Characterisation of the interaction between WRN, the helicase/exonuclease defective in progeroid Werner's syndrome, and an essential replication factor, PCNA

Mech Ageing Dev. 2003 Feb;124(2):167-74. doi: 10.1016/s0047-6374(02)00131-8.

Abstract

Ageing is linked to the accumulation of replicatively senescent cells. The best model system to date for studying human cellular ageing is the progeroid Werner's syndrome (WS), caused by a defect in WRN, a recQ-like helicase that also possesses exonuclease activity. In this paper, we characterise the interaction between WRN and an essential replication factor, PCNA. We show that wild-type WRN protein physically associates with PCNA at physiological protein concentrations in normal cells, while no association is seen in cells from patients with WS. We demonstrate co-localisation of WRN and PCNA at replication factories, show that PCNA binds to two distinct functional sites on WRN, and suggest a mechanism by which association between WRN and PCNA may be regulated in cells on DNA damage and during DNA replication.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Cellular Senescence / physiology
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • DNA Helicases / genetics*
  • DNA Helicases / metabolism*
  • DNA Replication / physiology
  • Exodeoxyribonucleases
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / genetics*
  • Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding / physiology
  • RecQ Helicases
  • S Phase / physiology
  • Werner Syndrome / genetics*
  • Werner Syndrome / metabolism*
  • Werner Syndrome Helicase

Substances

  • Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen
  • Exodeoxyribonucleases
  • DNA Helicases
  • RecQ Helicases
  • WRN protein, human
  • Werner Syndrome Helicase