title: A role for the weak DnaA binding sites in bacterial replication origins.
abstract: DnaA initiates the chromosomal DNA replication in nearly all bacteria, and replication origins are characterized by binding sites for the DnaA protein (DnaA-boxes) along with an 'AT-rich' region. However, great variation in number, spatial organization and specificity of DnaA-boxes is observed between species. In the study by Taylor et al. (2011), new and unexpectedly weak DnaA-boxes were identified within the Caulobacter crescentus origin of replication (Cori). The position of weak and stronger DnaA-boxes follows a pattern seen in Escherichia coli oriC. This raises the possibility that bacterial origins might be more alike than previously thought.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Godefroid
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Charbon
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Løbner-Olesen
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites; D016935:Caulobacter crescentus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004261:DNA Replication; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D018741:Replication Origin
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C066312:DnaA protein, Bacteria