The p97 cofactor Ubxn7 facilitates replisome disassembly during S-phase

Abstract

Complex cellular processes are driven by the regulated assembly and disassembly of large multi-protein complexes. In eukaryotic DNA replication, whilst we are beginning to understand the molecular mechanism for assembly of the replication machinery (replisome), we still know relatively little about the regulation of its disassembly at replication termination. Over recent years, the first elements of this process have emerged, revealing that the replicative helicase, at the heart of the replisome, is polyubiquitylated prior to unloading and that this unloading requires p97 segregase activity. Two different E3 ubiquitin ligases are now known to ubiquitylate the helicase under different conditions: Cul2Lrr1 and TRAIP. Here we have found two p97 cofactors, Ubxn7 and Faf1, which can interact with p97 during replisome disassembly in S-phase. Only Ubxn7 however facilitates efficient replisome disassembly through its interaction with both Cul2Lrr1 and p97. Our data therefore characterise Ubxn7 as the first substrate-specific p97 cofactor regulating replisome disassembly in vertebrates.