title: Plasmid DNA replication and topology as visualized by two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis.
abstract: During the last 20 years, two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis combined with other techniques such as Polymerase Chain Reaction, helicase assay and electron microscopy, helped to characterize plasmid DNA replication and topology. Here we describe some of the most important findings that were made using this method including the characterization of uni-directional replication, replication origin interference, DNA breakage at the forks, replication fork blockage, replication knotting, replication fork reversal, the interplay of supercoiling and catenation and other changes in DNA topology that take place as replication progresses.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Celular y del Desarrollo, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain. schvartzman@cib.csic.es
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Schvartzman
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Martínez-Robles
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Krimer
mesh_terms: D004261:DNA Replication; D043864:DNA, Catenated / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel / Q000379:methods*; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D010957:Plasmids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D018741:Replication Origin
chemical_list: D043864:DNA, Catenated; D004278:DNA, Superhelical