Archaea: an archetype for replication initiation studies?
Whereas the process of DNA replication is fundamentally conserved in the three domains of life, the archaeal system is closer to that of eukarya than bacteria. In the time since the complete genome sequences of several members of the archaeal domain became available, there has been a burst of research on archaeal DNA replication. These studies have led to both expected and surprising findings. This review summarizes the search for origins of replication in archaea, and our current knowledge of initiation, the process by which replication origins are recognized, the DNA molecule is unwound and the replicative helicase is loaded onto the DNA in preparation for DNA synthesis. The similarities and differences of the initiation process in archea, bacteria and eukarya are also summarized.
Kelman
Lori M
LM
Montgomery College, 20200 Observation Drive, Germantown, MD 20876, USA. kelman@umbi.umd.edu
Kelman
Zvi
Z
D001105:Archaea / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004265:DNA Helicases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004261:DNA Replication; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008958:Models, Molecular; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D018741:Replication Origin
D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D019641:DNA, Archaeal; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004265:DNA Helicases