A question of timing: emerging links between transcription and replication.
The coordination of transcription and timing of DNA replication during the S phase of the cell cycle has recently been studied chromosome-wide in high resolution. This revealed that in the complex genome of higher eukaryotes actively transcribed genes are more likely to replicate early in S phase. Dynamic changes in chromatin structure and nuclear organization appear to provide the underlying mechanism to link transcription and replication. A possible evolutionary benefit for this connection might result from differential replication fidelity during S phase, and comparisons of the human and chimpanzee genomes are compatible with this hypothesis.
Schwaiger
Michaela
M
Friedrich-Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
Schübeler
Dirk
D
D000818:Animals; D004261:DNA Replication; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic