DNA Replication Flashcards

Lecture Objectives

Describe the molecular components of replication and their functions
Describe the steps of replication
Compare and contrast eukaryotic and prokaryotic replication
Explain how replication plays a role in repair

11.1 Introduction

Topoisomerase: An enzyme that changes the number of times the two strands in a closed DNA molecule cross each other.
- It cuts the DNA, passes DNA through the break, and reseals the DNA.
Replisome: The multiprotein structure that assembles at the bacterial replication fork to undertake synthesis of DNA.
- It contains DNA polymerase and other enzymes.
Replication initiates when a protein complex binds to the origin and melts the DNA there.
Conditional lethal: A mutation that is lethal under one set of conditions, but is not lethal under a second set of conditions, such as temperature.
dna mutants: Temperature-sensitive replication mutants in E. coli that identify a set of loci called the dna genes.

11.2 DNA Polymerases Are the Enzymes That Make DNA

DNA is synthesized in both semiconservative replication and DNA repair reactions.
Semiconservative replication synthesizes two new strands of DNA.
Repair synthesis replaces a short stretch of one strand of DNA containing a damaged base.
DNA is synthesized by adding nucleotides to the 3’ –OH end of the growing chain.
A bacterium or eukaryotic cell has several different DNA polymerase enzymes.
One bacterial DNA polymerase (a DNA replicase) undertakes semiconservative replication; the others are involved in repair reactions.
Only one DNA polymerase is the replication enzyme.

11.3 DNA Polymerases Have Various Nuclease Activities

DNA polymerase I has a unique 5′–3′ exonuclease activity that can be combined with DNA synthesis to perform nick translation.
Nick translation replaces part of a preexisting strand of duplex DNA with newly synthesized material.

11.4 DNA Polymerases Control the Fidelity of Replication

High-fidelity DNA polymerases involved in replication have a precisely constrained active site that favors binding of Watson–Crick base pairs.
Processivity: The ability of an enzyme to perform multiple catalytic cycles with a single template instead of dissociating after each cycle.
DNA polymerases often have a 3′–5′ exonuclease activity that is used to excise incorrectly paired bases.
The fidelity of replication is improved by proofreading by a factor of about 100.
DNA polymerases scrutinize the base pair at the end of the growing chain and excise the nucleotide added in the case of a misfit.

11.5 DNA Polymerases Have a Common Structure

Many DNA polymerases have a large cleft composed of three domains that resemble a hand.
DNA lies across the “palm” in a groove created by the “fingers” and “thumb.”
The structure of the Klenow fragment from E. coli DNA polymerase I.

11.6 The Two New DNA Strands Have Different Modes of Synthesis

The DNA polymerase advances continuously when it synthesizes the leading strand (5′–3′), but synthesizes the lagging strand by making short fragments (Okazaki fragments) that are subsequently joined together.
Semidiscontinuous replication: The mode of replication in which one new strand is synthesized continuously while the other is synthesized discontinuously.
The leading strand is synthesized continuously, whereas the lagging strand is synthesized discontinuously.

11.7 Replication Requires a Helicase and a Single-Stranded Binding Protein

Replication requires a helicase to separate the strands of DNA using energy provided by hydrolysis of ATP.
A single-stranded DNA binding protein is required to maintain the separated strands.
A hexameric helicase moves along one strand of DNA.

11.8 Priming Is Required to Start DNA Synthesis

All DNA polymerases require a 3′–OH priming end to initiate DNA synthesis.
A DNA polymerase requires a 3' –OH end to initiate replication.
The priming end can be provided by an RNA primer, a nick in DNA, or a priming protein.
There are several methods for providing the free 3' –OH end that DNA polymerases require to initiate DNA synthesis.
For DNA replication, a special RNA polymerase called a primase synthesizes an RNA chain that provides the priming end.
E. coli has two types of priming reaction, which occur at the bacterial origin (oriC) and the φX174 origin.
Priming of replication on double-stranded DNA always requires a replicase, SSB, and primase.
DnaB is the helicase that unwinds DNA for replication in E. coli.
Initiation requires several enzymatic activities, including helicases, single- strand binding proteins, and synthesis of the primer.

11.9 Coordinating Synthesis of the Lagging and Leading Strands

Different enzyme units are required to synthesize the leading and lagging strands.
In E. coli, both these units contain the same catalytic subunit (DnaE).
In other organisms, different catalytic subunits might be required for each strand.
A replication complex contains separate catalytic units for synthesizing the leading and lagging strands.

11.10 DNA Polymerase Holoenzyme Consists of Subcomplexes

The E. coli DNA polymerase III catalytic core contains three subunits, including a catalytic subunit and a proofreading subunit.
The DNA Pol III holoenzyme has at least two catalytic cores, a processivity clamp, and a dimerization clamp-loader complex.
A clamp loader places the processivity subunits on DNA, where they form a circular clamp around the nucleic acid.
At least one catalytic core is associated with each template strand.
The E. coli replisome is composed of the holoenzyme complex and the additional enzymes required for chromosome replication.
DNA polymerase III holoenzyme assembles in stages, generating an enzyme complex that synthesizes the DNA of both new strands.

11.11 The Clamp Controls Association of Core Enzyme with DNA

The core on the leading strand is processive because its clamp keeps it on the DNA.
The clamp associated with the core on the lagging strand dissociates at the end of each Okazaki fragment and reassembles for the next fragment.
The helicase creating the replication fork is connected to two DNA polymerase catalytic subunits.
The helicase DnaB is responsible for interacting with the primase DnaG to initiate each Okazaki fragment.
Each catalytic core of Pol III synthesizes a daughter strand. DnaB is responsible for forward movement at the replication fork.
Core polymerase and the clamp dissociate at completion of Okazaki fragment synthesis and reassociate at the beginning.

11.12 Okazaki Fragments Are Linked by Ligase

Each Okazaki fragment begins with a primer and stops before the next fragment.
DNA polymerase I removes the primer and replaces it with DNA.
Synthesis of Okazaki fragments requires priming, extension, removal of RNA primer, gap filling, and nick ligation.
DNA ligase makes the bond that connects the 3′ end of one Okazaki fragment to the 5′ beginning of the next fragment.
DNA ligase seals nicks between adjacent nucleotides by employing an enzyme-AMP intermediate.

11.13 Separate Eukaryotic DNA Polymerases Undertake Initiation and Elongation

A replication fork has one complex of DNA polymerase α/primase, one complex of DNA polymerase δ, and one complex of DNA polymerase ε.
The DNA polymerase α/primase complex initiates the synthesis of both DNA strands.
DNA polymerase ε elongates the leading strand, and a second DNA polymerase δ elongates the lagging strand.

11.14 Lesion Bypass Requires Polymerase Replacement

A replication fork stalls when it arrives at damaged DNA.
The replication complex must be replaced by a specialized DNA polymerase for lesion bypass.
The replication fork stalls and may collapse when it reaches a damaged base or a nick in DNA. Arrowheads indicate 3' ends.
After the damage has been repaired, the primosome is required to reinitiate replication by reinserting the replication complex.
The primosome is required to restart a stalled replication fork after the DNA has been repaired.

11.15 Termination of Replication

The two replication forks usually meet halfway around the circle, but there are ter sites that cause termination if the replication forks go too far.
Replication termini in E. coli are located in a region between two sets of ter sites.