Accumulation of cyclin B1 requires E2F and cyclin-A-dependent rearrangement of the anaphase-promoting complex

In mammalian somatic-cell cycles, progression through the G1-phase restriction point and initiation of DNA replication are controlled by the ability of the retinoblastoma tumour-suppressor protein (pRb) family to regulate the E2F/DP transcription factors1,2. Continuing transcription of E2F target genes beyond the G1/S transition is required for coordinating S-phase progression with cell division3,4,5, a process driven by cyclin-B-dependent kinase6,7 and anaphase-promoting complex (APC)-mediated proteolysis8. How E2F-dependent events at G1/S transition are orchestrated with cyclin B and APC activity remains unknown. Here, using an in vivo assay to measure protein stability in real time during the cell cycle, we show that repression of E2F activity or inhibition of cyclin-A-dependent kinase in S phase triggers the destruction of cyclin B1 through the re-assembly of APC, the ubiquitin ligase that is essential for mitotic cyclin proteolysis9, with its activatory subunit Cdh1 (refs 10,11,12,13). Phosphorylation-deficient mutant Cdh1 or immunodepletion of cyclin A resulted in assembly of active Cdh1–APC even in S-phase cells. These results implicate an E2F-dependent, cyclin A/Cdk2-mediated phosphorylation of Cdh1 in the timely accumulation of cyclin B1 and the coordination of cell-cycle progression during the post-restriction point period.