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Before duplication, aptly named initiator proteins bind to DNA at replication initiation sites and break the bonds holding the complementary base pairs together, separating the double helix locally into single strands and creating two Y-shaped junctions at either end called replication forks. At each replication fork, a complex of proteins continues the business of unzipping the DNA and using the exposed single strands as templates to generate complementary daughter strands. What controls when and how individual initiation sites are activated in mammalian cells has remained obscure. Is initiation restricted to specific sites? Do specific DNA sequences control initiation events locally? Examining individual molecules of fluorescently labeled replicating DNA, Paolo Norio and Carl Schildkraut report that initiation events are not controlled by individual initiation sites but occur throughout the genome. And the activation of these sites appears to depend on what's happening at the genomic level. Norio and Schildkraut studied replication using two strains of the EBV virus grown in human B cells, their natural target. Previous studies, which had largely focused on the activity of individual initiation sites, had suggested that different EBV strains vary in how initiation sites are activated and that specific initiation sites or regions likely regulate replication. Looking at larger genomic regions, Norio and Schildkraut found something different: not only do initiation sites occur throughout the genomes, but their activity "differs dramatically" in the two EBV strains and even within a strain. Differences were seen in the order of initiation site activation, in the direction of replication fork movement, and in the speed of duplication in different parts of the genome. While the two largely similar viral genomes do show some genetic differences, the authors dismiss the idea that these local differences could explain the observed variations in replication control. It's more likely, they conclude, that epigenetic modifications (such as changes in chromatin structure) produce the differences in the order and frequency of activation of initiation sites across genomic regions. It seems that initiation events are not restricted to specific genomic areas, and experimentally induced loss of individual initiation sites does not significantly affect EBV genome replication (because other sites take up the slack). This redundancy provides flexibility in determining which sites are activated. Since the EBV genome uses human replication machinery to duplicate its genome, these findings likely apply to DNA replication in mammalian cells as well. The very survival of the cell-and the health of the organism it inhabits-depends upon the faithful replication of the genome. Using processes that operate at the genomic level may afford cells the means to manage an unwieldy genome, and perhaps, more importantly, guarantee their genes safe passage to the next generation.

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15y ago
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5mo ago

The foundation of DNA replication is the complementary base pairing between nucleotide bases. This means that adenine pairs with thymine and guanine pairs with cytosine, allowing for accurate replication of the DNA sequence through the formation of new DNA strands.

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DNA polymerases

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10y ago

the base pair rule

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Q: What is the foundation of DNA replication?
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Related questions

What are the areas on DNA where replication occurs called?

DNA replication begins in areas of DNA molecules are called origins of replication.


What role does the primase play in replication?

Primase is the enzyme responsible for synthesizing short RNA primers that provide a starting point for DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase during DNA replication. These primers serve as a foundation for the attachment of nucleotides that will form the new DNA strand. In essence, primer synthesis by primase initiates the replication process by allowing DNA polymerase to extend the primer with new DNA nucleotides.


Compare the number of replication forks in prokaryotic and eukaryotic DNA during replication?

Prokaryotic DNA replication has a single origin of replication, leading to two replication forks. In contrast, eukaryotic DNA replication has multiple origins of replication, resulting in multiple replication forks forming along the DNA molecule.


DNA is copied during a process called?

DNA is copied during a process called DNA replication. This process occurs in the nucleus of a cell and involves making an exact copy of the original DNA molecule. DNA replication is essential for cell division and passing genetic information from one generation to the next.


Who performed the experiments that elucidated the correct mechanism of DNA replication?

The experiments that elucidated the correct mechanism of DNA replication were performed by molecular biologist James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953. Their discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA laid the foundation for understanding how DNA replicates.


What does DNA replication make?

DNA replication produces a copy of the DNA. At the same time the cell in which the DNA is to be found splits into two with a copy of the DNA in each. DNA replication is caused by cell replication during the process of mitosis.


What process makes a copy of a DNA molecule?

Transcription.


What is the site of DNA replication in eukaryotes?

The site of DNA replication in eukaryotes is the nucleus. Replication occurs in the nucleus because this is where the DNA is stored. The process involves unwinding the DNA double helix and synthesizing new strands of DNA using the existing strands as templates.


What is it called when a DNA copies itself?

DNA replication


Where does DNA replication takes place?

DNA replication takes place in NUCLEUS


Is DNA transciption is another word for DNA replication?

No, DNA transcription and DNA replication are two distinct processes. DNA transcription is the process by which a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule is synthesized using DNA as a template, while DNA replication is the process by which a cell makes an identical copy of its DNA.


How many strands are there at the beginning of DNA replication?

At the beginning of DNA replication there are two strands of DNA nucleotides.