Coupling the initiation of chromosome replication to cell size in Escherichia coli.
Bacterial cells change size dramatically with change in growth rate, but the ratio between cell volume and the number of copies of the origin of chromosome replication (oriC) is roughly constant at the time of initiation of DNA replication at almost all growth rates. Recent research on the inactivation of initiator protein (DnaA) and depletion of DnaA pools by the high-affinity DnaA-binding locus datA allows us to propose a simple model to explain the long-standing question of how Escherichia coli couples DNA replication to cell size.
Donachie
William D
WD
Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Darwin Building, King's Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, Scotland, UK.
Blakely
Garry W
GW
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial; D004261:DNA Replication; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D008957:Models, Genetic
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C066312:DnaA protein, Bacteria; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate