Inhibitor evidence for allosteric interaction in the replitase multienzyme complex

Abstract

We have previously shown that a fraction from the nuclei of S phase (DNA-synthesizing) Chinese hamster embryo fibroblasts (CHEF/18 cells) can be obtained that has a number of the enzyme activities required for DNA biosynthesis, and can catalyse the incorporation of labelled precursors into DNA (refs 1-4, also see ref. 8). This fraction, which we have termed the 'replitase', contains spherical particles of diameter approximately 25 nm, apparently multienzyme complexes for de novo DNA biosynthesis. Here we present evidence for the functional association of one of the enzyme activities, thymidylate synthase, with several of the other enzyme activities. Hydroxyurea, novobiocin and aphidicolin, inhibitors of ribonucleotide reductase, topoisomerase and DNA polymerase alpha, respectively, all inhibit thymidylate synthase in intact S phase CHEF/18 cells, but not in their soluble extracts. We suggest that these results reflect allosteric interactions between the subunits of a multienzyme DNA-synthesizing complex, which can be modulated by the specific inhibitors of individual enzyme activities in intact cells.