title: The DNA polymerase alpha-primase complex: multiple functions and interactions.
abstract: DNA polymerase alpha (pol alpha) holds a special position among the growing family of eukaryotic DNA polymerases. In fact, pol alpha is associated with DNA primase to form a four subunit complex and, as a consequence, is the only enzyme able to start DNA synthesis de novo. Because of this peculiarity the major role of the DNA polymerase alpha-primase complex (pol-prim) is in the initiation of DNA replication at chromosomal origins and in the discontinuous synthesis of Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand of the replication fork. However, pol-prim seems to play additional roles in other complex cellular processes, such as the response to DNA damage, telomere maintenance, and the epigenetic control of higher order chromatin assembly.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Genetica e di Biologia dei Microrganismi, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy. marco.muzifalconi@unimi.it
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muzi-Falconi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giannattasio
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foiani
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Plevani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage; D004256:DNA Polymerase I / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D019915:DNA Primase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004261:DNA Replication; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008957:Models, Genetic
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D004247:DNA; D019915:DNA Primase; C116932:DNA polymerase alpha-primase; D004256:DNA Polymerase I