A topological view of the replicon.
The replication of circular DNA faces topological obstacles that need to be overcome to allow the complete duplication and separation of newly replicated molecules. Small bacterial plasmids provide a perfect model system to study the interplay between DNA helicases, polymerases, topoisomerases and the overall architecture of partially replicated molecules. Recent studies have shown that partially replicated circular molecules have an amazing ability to form various types of structures (supercoils, precatenanes, knots and catenanes) that help to accommodate the dynamic interplay between duplex unwinding at the replication fork and DNA unlinking by topoisomerases.
Departamento de Biología Celular y del Desarrollo, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Jorge B
JB
Schvartzman
Andrzej
A
Stasiak
D004261:DNA Replication; D027101:DNA Topoisomerase IV / Q000378:metabolism; D026942:DNA Topoisomerases / Q000378:metabolism; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000378:metabolism; D012093:Replicon
D004270:DNA, Circular; D004278:DNA, Superhelical; D027101:DNA Topoisomerase IV; D026942:DNA Topoisomerases