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Chapter 11
Part A: DNA Replication

Adapted from Textbook, Essentials of Biology, 7th Edition, McGraw Hill

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Content of the Chapter:

• Structure and Function of DNA
• Overview of DNA Replication
• The process of DNA replication

Learning Objectives:
• Describe the structure of a DNA molecule
• Describe the function of a DNA molecule
• List the steps involved in the replication of DNA
• Differentiate between the leading and lagging strands and how
each is synthesized
• List key enzymes involved in DNA Replication
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Content of the Chapter:

• Structure and Function of
DNA
• Overview of DNA Replication
• The process of DNA replication
Learning Objectives:
• Describe the structure of a DNA molecule
• Describe the function of a DNA molecule
• List the steps involved in the replication of DNA
• Differentiate between the leading and lagging strands and how
each is synthesized
• List key enzymes involved in DNA Replication
Recall
• DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
is a polymer made up of
monomers called
nucleotides.
• Each nucleotide consists of
three components:
1. Phosphate Group: a
molecule containing
phosphorus and oxygen
atoms.
2. Deoxyribose Sugar: a
five-carbon sugar
Structure of DNA
• DNA consists of two long
chains/strands of
nucleotides.
• DNA is a double helix,
resembling a twisted ladder.
o The backbone of the
ladder is made up of
alternating sugar and
phosphate groups
o The rungs of the ladder
consist of pairs of
nitrogenous bases.
Structure of DNA
• The two strands of the
helix are held together by
hydrogen bonds that
form between
complementary base pairs.
• Complementary base
pairing:
• Adenine (A) pairs with
Thymine (T)
• Guanine (G) pairs with
Cytosine (C)
• Each base pair forms a
Structure of DNA – How was it discovered?
1953
• James Watson and
1952 Francis Crick
deduced that DNA
• Rosalind was a double helix
1950 Franklin took through
an X-ray image observations of
• Chargaff’s of DNA the X-ray images
1944 rules • Her data of DNA made by
• The amount of showed DNA to Franklin
• Heritable • The X-ray images
A, T, G, and C in be a helix with
material found DNA varies from also enabled them
to be DNA, some portions to deduce the
species to repeating over
mainly through species width of the
experiments and over. helix and the
• In each species,
using bacteria spacing of the
and viruses the amount of A nitrogenous
= T and the bases – explained
amount of G = Chargaff’s rules
C • They built the first
model of DNA
Structure of DNA- How was it discovered?

Double-Helix Sugar-phosphate Specific Pairing of Nitrogen

with backbone with Bases:
Function of DNA
• DNA serves as the repository of genetic information.
• It carries the instructions necessary for the growth,
development, functioning, and reproduction of living
organisms.
• Genetic information carried by DNA is transmitted from one
generation of cells to the next.
o Before a cell divides, it must duplicate its DNA to ensure
that each daughter cell receives a complete set of genetic
instructions.
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In which phase does DNA replication occur?

A. G0
B. G1
C. G2
D. S
E. M
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Content of the Chapter:

• Structure and Function of DNA
• Overview of DNA Replication
• The process of DNA replication

Learning Objectives:
• Describe the structure of a DNA molecule
• Describe the function of a DNA molecule
• List the steps involved in the replication of DNA
• Differentiate between the leading and lagging strands and how
each is synthesized
• List key enzymes involved in DNA Replication
Overview of DNA Replication
• DNA replication is the
process of copying DNA
before cell division
o New DNA molecule is
identical to original DNA
molecule
• In general, replication
requires:
o Unwinding of parent
DNA
o Complementary base
pairing between each
parent DNA strand and
Overview of DNA Replication
• DNA replication is
Semiconservative
o The two strands separate, and
each strand serves as a template
for a new strand.
o Each new DNA molecule is made
of one parent strand (old) and
one new strand.
• More than a dozen enzymes and
other proteins participate in DNA
replication
• DNA replication is remarkable in its
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Content of the Chapter:

• Structure and Function of DNA
• Overview of DNA Replication
• The process of DNA
replication
Learning Objectives:
• Describe the structure of a DNA molecule
• Describe the function of a DNA molecule
• List the steps involved in the replication of DNA
• Differentiate between the leading and lagging strands and how
each is synthesized
• List key enzymes involved in DNA Replication
The process of DNA Replication Prokaryote
s
Step 1: Initiation and Unwinding
• DNA replication begins at
specific sites on the DNA
molecule called origins of
replication.
o In prokaryotes, there is only Eukaryote
one origin of replication s
o In eukaryotes, there are
multiple origins of
replication along each
Bubbles
chromosome spread in
• Enzymes called helicases both
The process of DNA Replication
Step 1: Initiation and
Unwinding
• Helicase breaks the
hydrogen bonds between the
complementary base pairs,
separating the two DNA
strands. This forms the
replication fork.
• Single-strand binding
proteins (SSBs) bind to the
separated DNA strands to
prevent them from
The process of DNA Replication
Step 2: Priming
• New strands of DNA get
synthesized through
complementary base pairing with
the help of an enzyme called DNA
polymerase III .
• However, DNA polymerase III
itself can not initiate the
synthesis process; it can just
elongate an existing strand by
adding nucleotides
 Another enzyme called Primase
The process of DNA Replication
Step 3: Elongation
• DNA polymerase III binds to the RNA primer and starts
synthesizing the new DNA strand
• However, DNA polymerase III elongates DNA strands only in
the 5’ to 3’ direction
 Along one template strand of DNA, the DNA polymerase
synthesizes a leading strand continuously, moving
toward the replication fork
 Along the other DNA strand, the DNA polymerase
synthesizes a lagging strand discontinuously (in
fragments called Okazaki fragments), moving away from
the replication fork
The process of DNA Replication
Step 3: Elongation – Leading Strand
• DNA polymerase III binds to the RNA primer and starts
synthesizing the new DNA strand continuously in the 5' to 3'
direction, following the replication fork.
 Only one primer is needed for synthesis of the leading
strand
• Since the leading strand is synthesized in the same direction
as the movement of the replication fork, DNA polymerase can
continuously add nucleotides in a smooth manner.
The process of DNA Replication
Step 3: Elongation – Lagging
Strand
• DNA polymerase III synthesizes the
lagging as a series of short
segments called Okazaki
fragments, which are then joined
together
o Synthesizes fragments in the 5'
to 3' direction away from the
replication fork.
o Each Okazaki fragment requires
its own RNA primer.
• After DNA polymerase III
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Lagging Leading Strand and

Strand Lagging Strand
The process of DNA Replication
Step 4: Termination
• Replication continues bidirectionally until the entire DNA
molecule is replicated.
• In eukaryotes, when the replication forks from adjacent
replication bubbles meet, the process terminates, and the
newly synthesized DNA strands are released.
In Summary,
Enzymes and proteins involved in replication :
• Helicase: unwinds the DNA double helix
• Single-strand binding proteins: bind to the separated
DNA strands to prevent them from reannealing (rewinding).
• Topoisomerase: works at the region ahead of the replication
fork to prevent supercoiling during unwinding (prevent
tangling of DNA and relieve stress)
• Primase: lays down RNA primers
• DNA polymerase III: synthesize new DNA strands by
elongation
• DNA polymerase I: Replaces RNA primers with DNA
In Summary,
Enzymes and proteins involved in replication (prokaryotes vs
eukaryotes) :
In Summary, DNA replication process

Leading strand

Lagging strand
Concept Check
How do the leading and the lagging strands differ?
A. The leading strand is synthesized in the same direction as
the movement of the replication fork, whereas the lagging
strand is synthesized in the opposite direction.
B. The leading strand is synthesized at twice the rate of the
lagging strand.
C. The lagging strand is synthesized continuously, whereas the
leading strand is synthesized in short fragments that are
ultimately stitched together.
D. The leading strand is synthesized by adding nucleotides to
the 3′ end of the growing strand, whereas the lagging strand
is synthesized by adding nucleotides to the 5′ end.
Concept Check
Consider the replication bubble diagrammed at the right. Which letters
represent places where one could find Okazaki fragments?
A. L and M
B. N and O L M
C. L and O 5′ 3′

D. M and N
E. L and N 3′ 5′
N O
Concept Check
Imagine a bacterial replication fork. Synthesis of which new strand(s)
would be aff ected by mutations in the enzyme DNA polymerase III?

A. leading strand
B. lagging strand
C. both leading and lagging strands
D. neither leading nor lagging strand
Concept Check
Imagine a bacterial replication fork. Synthesis of which new strand(s)
would be aff ected by mutations in the enzyme primase?

A. leading strand
B. lagging strand
C. both leading and lagging strands
D. neither leading nor lagging strand
Concept Check
Imagine a bacterial replication fork. Synthesis of which new strand(s)
would be aff ected by mutations in the enzyme DNA ligase?

A. leading strand
B. lagging strand
C. both leading and lagging strands
D. neither leading nor lagging strand
Thank You

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