CAF-1 deposits newly synthesized histones during DNA replication using distinct mechanisms on the leading and lagging strands

During every cell cycle, both the genome and the associated chromatin must be accurately replicated. Chromatin Assembly Factor-1 (CAF-1) is a key regulator of chromatin replication, but how CAF-1 functions in relation to the DNA replication machinery is unknown. Here, we reveal that this crosstalk differs between the leading and lagging strand at replication forks. Using biochemical reconstitution, we show that DNA and histones promote CAF-1 recruitment to its binding partner PCNA and reveal that two CAF-1 complexes are required for efficient nucleosome assembly under these conditions. Remarkably, in the context of the replisome, CAF-1 competes with the leading strand DNA polymerase epsilon (Pole) for PCNA binding. However, CAF-1 does not affect the activity of the lagging strand DNA polymerase Delta (Pold). Yet, in cells, CAF-1 deposits newly synthesized histones equally on both daughter strands. Thus, on the leading strand, chromatin assembly by CAF-1 cannot occur simultaneously to DNA synthesis, while on the lagging strand these processes may be coupled. We propose that these differences may facilitate distinct parental histone recycling mechanisms and accommodate the inherent asymmetry of DNA replication. SCAR-seq (Sister Chromatids After Replication) time-series measuring histone partition in nascent chromatin of H3K27me3, H4K20me0 in CAF-1 dTAG mouse embryonic stem cells (1 clone, DMSO and dTAG treatment, 3 replicates for calculating total reads, 2 replicates for histone partition scores, includes stranded input controls).