The Dbf4/Drf1-dependent S-phase-promoting kinase Cdc7 (Ddk) is thought to be an essential target inactivated by the S-phase checkpoint machinery that inhibits DNA replication. However, we show here that the complex formation, chromatin association, and kinase activity of Ddk are not inhibited during the DNA-damage-induced S-phase checkpoint response in Xenopus egg extracts and mammalian cells. Instead, we find that Ddk plays an active role in regulating S-phase checkpoint signaling. Addition of purified Ddk to Xenopus egg extracts or overexpression of Dbf4 in HeLa cells downregulates ATR-Chk1 checkpoint signaling and overrides the inhibition of DNA replication and cell-cycle progression induced by DNA-damaging agents. These results indicate that Ddk functions as an upstream regulator to monitor S-phase checkpoint signaling. We propose that Ddk modulates the S-phase checkpoint control by attenuating checkpoint signaling and triggering DNA replication reinitiation during the S-phase checkpoint recovery.
