GINS (protein complex)

Last updated April 02, 2019

GINS is a protein complex essential to the DNA replication process in the cells of eukaryotes. The complex participates in the initiation and elongation stages of replication.

Protein complex A stable macromolecular complex composed (only) of two or more polypeptide subunits along with any covalently attached molecules (such as lipid anchors or oligosaccharide) or non-protein prosthetic groups (such as nucleotides or metal ions). Prosthet

A protein complex or multiprotein complex is a group of two or more associated polypeptide chains. Different polypeptide chains may have different functions. This is distinct from a multienzyme complex, in which multiple catalytic domains are found in a single polypeptide chain.

In molecular biology, DNA replication is the biological process of producing two identical replicas of DNA from one original DNA molecule. DNA replication occurs in all living organisms acting as the basis for biological inheritance. The cell possesses the distinctive property of division, which makes replication of DNA essential.

Eukaryotes are organisms whose cells have a nucleus enclosed within membranes, unlike prokaryotes, which have no membrane-bound organelles. Eukaryotes belong to the domain Eukaryota or Eukarya. Their name comes from the Greek εὖ and κάρυον. Eukaryotic cells also contain other membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria and the Golgi apparatus, and in addition, some cells of plants and algae contain chloroplasts. Unlike unicellular archaea and bacteria, eukaryotes may also be multicellular and include organisms consisting of many cell types forming different kinds of tissue. Animals and plants are the most familiar eukaryotes.

The name GINS is an acronym created from the first letters of the Japanese numbers 5-1-2-3 (go-ichi-ni-san) in a reference to the 4 protein subunits of the complex: Sld5, Psf1, Psf2, and Psf3.^[1]

Japanese is an East Asian language spoken by about 128 million people, primarily in Japan, where it is the national language. It is a member of the Japonic language family, and its relation to other languages, such as Korean, is debated. Japanese has been grouped with language families such as Ainu, Austroasiatic, and the now-discredited Altaic, but none of these proposals has gained widespread acceptance.

A similar complex has been identified in Archaea.^[2]

Archaea A domain of single-celled prokaryotic microorganisms

Archaea constitute a domain of single-celled microorganisms. These microbes are prokaryotes, meaning they have no cell nucleus. Archaea were initially classified as bacteria, receiving the name archaebacteria, but this classification is outdated.

Related Research Articles

The origin of replication is a particular sequence in a genome at which replication is initiated. This can either involve the replication of DNA in living organisms such as prokaryotes and eukaryotes, or that of DNA or RNA in viruses, such as double-stranded RNA viruses.

A pre-replication complex (pre-RC) is a protein complex that forms at the origin of replication during the initiation step of DNA replication. Formation of the pre-RC is required for DNA replication to occur. Complete and faithful replication of the genome ensures that each daughter cell will carry the same genetic information as the parent cell. Accordingly, formation of the pre-RC is a very important part of the cell cycle.

S phase (Synthesis Phase) is the phase of the cell cycle in which DNA is replicated, occurring between G₁ phase and G₂ phase. Since accurate duplication of the genome is critical to successful cell division, the processes that occur during S-phase are tightly regulated and widely conserved.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a DNA clamp that acts as a processivity factor for DNA polymerase δ in eukaryotic cells and is essential for replication. PCNA is a homotrimer and achieves its processivity by encircling the DNA, where it acts as a scaffold to recruit proteins involved in DNA replication, DNA repair, chromatin remodeling and epigenetics.

In molecular biology, origin recognition complex (ORC) is a multi-subunit DNA binding complex that binds in all eukaryotes in an ATP-dependent manner to origins of replication. The subunits of this complex are encoded by the ORC1, ORC2, ORC3, ORC4, ORC5 and ORC6 genes. ORC is a central component for eukaryotic DNA replication, and remains bound to chromatin at replication origins throughout the cell cycle.

Eukaryotic DNA replication is a conserved mechanism that restricts DNA replication to once per cell cycle. Eukaryotic DNA replication of chromosomal DNA is central for the duplication of a cell and is necessary for the maintenance of the eukaryotic genome.

The minichromosome maintenance protein complex (MCM) is a DNA helicase essential for genomic DNA replication. Eukaryotic MCM consists of six gene products, MCM2–7, which form a heterohexamer. As a critical protein for cell division, MCM is also the target of various checkpoint pathways, such as the S-phase entry and S-phase arrest checkpoints. Both the loading and activation of MCM helicase are strictly regulated and are coupled to cell growth cycles. Deregulation of MCM function has been linked to genomic instability and a variety of carcinomas.

DNA replication licensing factor MCM7 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MCM7 gene.

DNA replication licensing factor MCM3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MCM3 gene.

DNA replication licensing factor MCM4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MCM4 gene.

Splicing factor, proline- and glutamine-rich is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SFPQ gene.

CDT1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CDT1 gene. It is a licensing factor that functions to limit DNA from replicating more than once per cell cycle.

Origin recognition complex subunit 2 is a protein that is encoded by the ORC2 (ORC2L) gene in humans.

Protein MCM10 homolog is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MCM10 gene. It is essential for activation of the Cdc45:Mcm2-7:GINS helicase, and thus required for proper DNA replication.

CDC45 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CDC45L gene.

DNA replication complex GINS protein PSF2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GINS2 gene.

DNA replication complex GINS protein PSF1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GINS1 gene.

In cell biology, eukaryotes possess a regulatory system that ensures that DNA replication occurs only once per cell cycle.

Origin recognition complex subunit 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ORC1 gene.

References

↑ MacNeill, Stuart (Jan 2010). "Structure and function of the GINS complex, a key component of the eukaryotic replisome". Biochemical Journal. 425 (3): 489–500. doi:10.1042/BJ20091531.
↑ Labib, Karim; Gambus, Agnieszka (June 2007). "A key role for the GINS complex at DNA replication forks". Trends in Cell Biology. 17 (6): 271–278. doi:10.1016/j.tcb.2007.04.002. PMID 17467990.

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[1] MacNeill, Stuart (Jan 2010). "Structure and function of the GINS complex, a key component of the eukaryotic replisome". Biochemical Journal. 425 (3): 489–500. doi:10.1042/BJ20091531.

[2] Labib, Karim; Gambus, Agnieszka (June 2007). "A key role for the GINS complex at DNA replication forks". Trends in Cell Biology. 17 (6): 271–278. doi:10.1016/j.tcb.2007.04.002. PMID 17467990.