Replication is the process by which DNA duplicates itself. It occurs in three stages - initiation, elongation, and termination. In initiation, enzymes separate the DNA strands and prime replication. In elongation, DNA polymerases add nucleotides to the primers to synthesize new DNA. Replication proceeds bidirectionally from the replication fork. In prokaryotes like E. coli, replication terminates when the fork reaches the terminus sequence. In eukaryotes, replication terminates when it reaches telomeres, and telomerase maintains telomere length.
Replication is the process by which DNA duplicates itself. It occurs in three stages - initiation, elongation, and termination. In initiation, enzymes separate the DNA strands and prime replication. In elongation, DNA polymerases add nucleotides to the primers to synthesize new DNA. Replication proceeds bidirectionally from the replication fork. In prokaryotes like E. coli, replication terminates when the fork reaches the terminus sequence. In eukaryotes, replication terminates when it reaches telomeres, and telomerase maintains telomere length.
Replication is the process by which DNA duplicates itself. It occurs in three stages - initiation, elongation, and termination. In initiation, enzymes separate the DNA strands and prime replication. In elongation, DNA polymerases add nucleotides to the primers to synthesize new DNA. Replication proceeds bidirectionally from the replication fork. In prokaryotes like E. coli, replication terminates when the fork reaches the terminus sequence. In eukaryotes, replication terminates when it reaches telomeres, and telomerase maintains telomere length.
Replication is the process by which DNA duplicates itself. It occurs in three stages - initiation, elongation, and termination. In initiation, enzymes separate the DNA strands and prime replication. In elongation, DNA polymerases add nucleotides to the primers to synthesize new DNA. Replication proceeds bidirectionally from the replication fork. In prokaryotes like E. coli, replication terminates when the fork reaches the terminus sequence. In eukaryotes, replication terminates when it reaches telomeres, and telomerase maintains telomere length.
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REPLICATION.
Replication is a process of duplication of DNA ,in which the
parental DNA is copied accurately to produce daughter DNA. The daughter DNA (replica of the parental DNA) thus produced are transferred to the daughter cells during cell division.
Replication is semiconservative.
The process of replication in eukaryotes and prokaryotes can be studied in 3 stages : 1.INITIATION. 2.ELONGATION. 3.TERMINATION.
I. Replication in prokaryotes : Process is from studies made on bacterium,E.coli. About 20 enzymes and proteins take part in prokaryotic replication to overcome the structural complexity of DNA and to achieve accuracy in copying.
INITIATION : 1.A specific protein dnaA locates the site of origin of replication on parental strand. This site is usually a short sequence of A=T base pairs. There is 1 site of origin in prokaryotic DNA.
2.Two other proteins dnaB & dnaC ,which are helicase enzymes bind to the DNA strands and start unwinding them. Helicases act as zip openers & are responsible for the separation of strands as they move along the DNA helix.Helicases utilize ATP for energy supply during the process. This leads to the formation of a bubble like structure initially that eventually forms REPLICATION FORK.
3.Separation of strands by helicases produces topological stress in the supercoiled structure of DNA,which is relieved by topoisomerases (also known as DNA gyrases) . These enzymes cut the strands (nuclease activity) and reseal (ligase activity) them.This mechanism relieves the strain over the helical structure and make it reasdy for replication.
4.Further a group of proteins called single stranded DNA binding (SSB) proteins bind to the single stranded DNA separated by helicases & prevent them from recoiling until the replication is completed in that region.
5.The synthesis of new strand of DNA needs a pre-existing primer. Primer which is present on the template strand is a short segment of RNA synthesized earlier by an enzyme called primase ( a RNA polymerase). A template strand is the parental DNA strand which is copied.
Replication of DNA occurs in 5 to 3 direction, simultaneously on both strands. One strand of DNA (leading strand) is synthesized continuously, Whereas the opposite strand of DNA (lagging strand) is synthesized in pieces ,called okazaki fragments ,in a discontinuous manner. A single primer occurs on the leading strand, multiple primers exist on the lagging strand ( 1 / okazaki fragment).
At this stage replication is initiated by the enzyme DNA polymerase III which adds a deoxyribonucleotide residue to the RNA primer molecule.
The leading strand proceeds (5-3) in the same direction as that of replication fork movement ,whereas the lagging strand runs (5-3) opposite to the direction of replication fork movement.
ELONGATION The synthesis of a new DNA strand by DNAP III occurs antiparallel to the template strand as per the complementary base pairing and proceeds in 5-3 direction.
The incoming deoxyribonucleotide residues are added one after another to the 3 end of the growing DNA strand. A molecule of pyrophosphate is released forming a phosphodiester linkage between the two adjacent nucleotides.
leading strand synthesis proceeds continuously,uninterrupted as the parent DNA is separated by helicases. DNA synthesis proceeds rapidly & steadily on both the leading & lagging strand templates at the same time,catalyzed by 2 sets of DNAP III .
DNA synthesis on the lagging strand occurs as small pieces (in 5-3 direction), discontinuously (okazaki fragments) Once the synthesis of an okazaki fragment is completed, Replication stops & DNAP III dissociates & reassociates with a new RNA primer to synthesize a new okazaki fragment.
Once an okazaki fragment is synthesized,its RNA primer is removed & replaced with a DNA fragment by enzyme called DNAP I.
The gap between the DNA synthesized by DNAP III & the small fragment of DNA synthesized by DNAP I is bridged by a phosphodiester linkage. This nicksealing reaction is catalyzed by an enzyme called DNA ligase ,which uses ATP for this purpose.
Apart from the main function of DNA synthesis,DNAP IIII also has a proof reading activity. It checks the incoming nucleotides & allows only the complementary base pairing preventing any sort of mismatching
TERMINATION: The synthesis of DNA continues until it reaches a region known as terminus sequence. once the replication fork enters into Terminus region,it cannot make exit & replication comes to an endin the circular chromosome of E.coli.Any DNA repair is done by DNAP II.
REPLICATION IN EUKARYOTES : Despite its structural complexity, the eukaryotic genome replicates on similar lines as that of bacteria. There are 5 distinct DNAP in eukaryotes : 1.DNAP alpha : synthesizes primers. 2.DNAP beta : similar to DNAP II DNA repair. 3.DNAP gamma : replicates mitochondrial DNA. 4.DNAP delta : analogous to DNAP III . 5.DNAP eta : DNAP I , removal of RNA primers of okazaki fragments on lagging strand. Replication in eukaryotic cells can also be studied under three stages : Initiation , Elongation and Termination
INITIATION : There are multiple sites of origin of replication at which the replication is initiated. The helicases bind to both the strands of parental DNA to separate them.The strain thus produced is relieved by topoisomerases (DNA gyrases). A single stranded DNA binding protein called replication protein a (RPA) binds to the separated parental strands & prevents their reunification as helix. This forms a perfect structure of replication fork. Primase (RNAP) associates with DNAP alpha and synthesizes primers .once the primer is formed,primase & DNAP dissocite from the DNA.
2.ELONGATION :
A protein called replication factor C (RFC) binds to the primer. RFC acts a clamp loader to another protein named proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). PCNA forms a circular clamp around DNA which is capable of moving on it freely. At this stage DNAP delta bids to the sliding clamp & starts elongating the new DNA strand.The synthesis is continuous on the leading strand, discontinuous on the lagging strand.
. Once the synthesis of okazaki fragments is completed, the RNA primer is removed by 2 enzymes RNase H and FENI (flap endonuclease I) . The gap formed is filled by DNAP eta. The small nick is sealed by DNA ligase.
3.TERMINATION : The termination of repication in eukaryotic cells involves special structures called telomeres at the end of the linear chromosome. The ends of the chromosome are not replicated by DNAP. Telomeres ,the specialized structures occuring at the ends of the chromosomes are thousands of repeat sequences of 6 nucleotides (TTAGGG).
Telomerases are the enzymes that synthesize telomeres Telomerase contains RNA apart from protein. The RNA component of the enzyme acts as a template for the synthesis of telomere (RNA dependent DNA synthesis). The telomere synthesis is thus extended by telomerase so that the loss of DNA at the ends of chromosomes is minimized during replication. There after the replication in eukaryotes is completed producing 2 daughter DNA. INHIBITORS OF REPLICATION
The differences between the replication in bacteria & human cells give scope for developing antibiotics that target bacterial replication but unaffects the human calls.
Several drugs ciprofloxacin, nalidixix acid ; act by inhibiting the enzymes of bacterial replication. Drugs targeting human replication enzymes such as topoisomerases ,telomerases arrest new DNA synthesis & thus cell division. They are effective in the treatment of cancer. Eg: doxorubicin,adriamycin,etoposide. Certain nucleotide analogues such as 6-mercaptopurine ,5FU inhibit human DNAP. They are also used as anticancer drugs. Thankyou.