Molecule stops DNA replication in its tracks

(PhysOrg.com) -- When a dividing cell duplicates its genetic material, a molecular machine called a sliding clamp travels along the DNA double helix, tethering the proteins that perform the replication. Researchers from the laboratory of Rockefeller University’s Michael O'Donnell, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, have discovered a small molecule that stops the sliding clamp in its tracks. The finding will enable scientists to better study the proteins that duplicate DNA, and may ultimately provide a platform for developing improved antibiotics.

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<p><a href="http://www.physorg.com/news143731311.html">Molecule stops DNA replication in its tracks</a></p> <p>(PhysOrg.com) -- When a dividing cell duplicates its genetic material, a molecular machine called a sliding clamp travels along the DNA double helix, tethering the proteins that perform the replication. Researchers from the laboratory of Rockefeller University’s Michael O'Donnell, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, have discovered a small molecule that stops the sliding clamp in its tracks. The finding will enable scientists to better study the proteins that duplicate DNA, and may ultimately provide a platform for developing improved antibiotics.</p>