The Mcm2-Ctf4-Pola axis facilitates parental histone transfer to lagging strands

Although essential for epigenetic inheritance, the transfer of parental histone (H3-H4)2 tetramers that contain epigenetic modifications to replicating DNA strands is poorly understood. Here, we show that the Mcm2-Ctf4-Pol axis facilitates the transfer of parental (H3-H4)2 tetramers to lagging strands of DNA replication forks. Mutating the H3-H4 binding domain of Mcm2, a subunit of the CMG (Cdc45-MCM-GINS) replicative helicase that translocates along leading strands, impairs the transfer of parental (H3-H4)2 to lagging strands. Similar effects are observed in Ctf4 and Pol-primase mutants that disrupt the connection of the CMG helicase via Ctf4-Pol to lagging strands. Our results support a model whereby parental (H3-H4)2 displaced from nucleosomes through leading-strand DNA replication are transferred to lagging strands for nucleosome assembly via the CMG-Ctf4-Pol complex.