Nuclear compartmentalization at the G1/S transition plays a key role in DNA replication control.

Abstract

Upon entry into the G1 phase following mitosis, mammalian chromosomal DNA becomes spatially segregated into A and B compartments, which correspond closely to classic euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. The functional significance of this spatial segregation, however, has remained unexplored due to the lack of means to manipulate this level of chromosomal organization. Through a genome-wide loss-of-function CRISPR screen, we identify GINS4, a component of the replicative DNA helicase complex, as a factor essential for segregation of A and B compartments during the G1-to-S phase transition. Using GINS4 depletion experiments, we show that proper A/B compartment organization at the time of S-phase entry plays a key role in efficient DNA synthesis. Furthermore, DNA synthesis with attenuated A/B compartments is associated with defects in replication timing regulation. Our findings uncover a previously unrecognized role for GINS4 in regulating nuclear architecture and underscore the biological significance of nuclear compartmentalization in DNA replication control.