Sap1 promotes the association of the replication fork protection complex with chromatin and is involved in the replication checkpoint in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Sap1 is involved in replication fork pausing at rDNA repeats and functions during mating-type switching in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. These two roles are dependent on the ability of Sap1 to bind specific DNA sequences at the rDNA and mating-type loci, respectively. In S. pombe, Swi1 and Swi3 form the replication fork protection complex (FPC) and play important roles in the activation of the replication checkpoint and the stabilization of stalled replication forks. Here we describe the roles of Sap1 in the replication checkpoint. We show that Sap1 is involved in the activation of the replication checkpoint kinase Cds1 and that sap1 mutant cells accumulate spontaneous DNA damage during the S- and G2-phases, which is indicative of fork damage. We also show that sap1 mutants have a defect in the resumption of DNA replication after fork arrest. Sap1 is localized at the replication origin ori2004 and this localization is required for the association of the FPC with chromatin. We propose that Sap1 is required to recruit the FPC to chromatin, thereby contributing to the activation of the replication checkpoint and the stabilization of replication forks.