title: Synthesis by the DNA primase of Drosophila melanogaster of a primer with a unique chain length.
abstract: The primase associated with the DNA polymerase alpha from embryos of Drosophila melanogaster catalyzes the synthesis of ribo-oligonucleotide primers on single-stranded M13 DNA or polydeoxythymidylate templates, which can be elongated by DNA polymerase action [Conaway, R. C. & Lehman, I. R. (1982) Proc, Natl. Acad. Sci, USA 79, 2523--2527]. The primers synthesized in a coupled primase-DNA polymerase alpha reaction with an M13 DNA template are of a unique size (15 residues); those synthesized with poly(dT) range from 8 to 15 nucleotides. Primer synthesis is initiated at multiple but nonrandom sites. Like the DNA primase of Escherichia coli and the comparable activity in intact nuclei of polyoma-infected mouse cells, the DNA primase of D. melanogaster can substitute deoxynucleotides for ribonucleotides during primer synthesis.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019915:DNA Primase; D004261:DNA Replication; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D003854:Deoxyribonucleotides / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000201:enzymology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012316:RNA Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012265:Ribonucleotides / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013698:Templates, Genetic
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D003854:Deoxyribonucleotides; D012265:Ribonucleotides; D019915:DNA Primase; D012316:RNA Nucleotidyltransferases; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase