title: Kinetoplast DNA minicircles: high-copy-number mitochondrial plasmids.
abstract: The kinetoplast DNA of trypanosomes is a highly unusual network of catenated DNA circles of two kinds: maxicircles, the equivalent of conventional mitochondrial DNA, and minicircles, high-copy-number mitochondrial plasmids with no known function. Kinetoplast minicircles share many features with bacterial plasmids and represent a novel model system for the study of the mechanisms and regulation of DNA replication in eukaryotic organisms.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002453:Cell Cycle; D004261:DNA Replication; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D010957:Plasmids; D014351:Trypanosomatina / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004270:DNA, Circular; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004798:Enzymes