DNA replication
hideDNA replication, the basis for biological inheritance, is a fundamental process occurring in all living organisms to copy their DNA. This process is "semiconservative" in that each strand of the original double-stranded DNA molecule serves as template for the reproduction of the complementary strand. Hence, following DNA replication, two identical DNA molecules have been produced from a single double-stranded DNA molecule. Cellular proofreading and error-checking mechanisms ensure near perfect fidelity for DNA replication.
In a cell, DNA replication begins at specific locations in the genome, called "origins". Unwinding of DNA at the origin, and synthesis of new strands, forms a replication fork. In addition to DNA polymerase, the enzyme that synthesizes the new DNA by adding nucleotides matched to the template strand, a number of other proteins are associated with the fork and assist in the initiation and continuation of DNA synthesis.
DNA replication can also be performed in vitro (outside a cell). DNA polymerases, isolated from cells, and artificial DNA primers are used to initiate DNA synthesis at known sequences in a template molecule. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a common laboratory technique, employs such artificial synthesis in a cyclic manner to amplify a specific target DNA fragment from a pool of DNA.
For more information about DNA replication, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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News tagged with dna replication
Scientists uncover role of protein critical for activating DNA replication
Jan 07, 2010 |
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Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have discovered how a protein long known to be an essential activator of DNA replication actually triggers this process in cells.
MyoD helps stem cells proliferate in response to muscle injury
Jan 04, 2010 |
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The master regulator of muscle differentiation, MyoD, functions early in myogenesis to help stem cells proliferate in response to muscle injury, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University. ...
Enzyme necessary for development of healthy immune system
Dec 22, 2009 |
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Mice without the deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) enzyme have defects in their adaptive immune system, producing very low levels of both T and B lymphocytes, the major players involved in immune response, according to a study by ...
Drug kills cells through novel mechanism
Dec 10, 2009 |
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MIT and Boston University researchers have discovered that the drug hydroxyurea kills bacteria by inducing them to produce molecules toxic to themselves — a conclusion that raises the possibility of finding ...
Two proteins act as molecular tailors in DNA repair
Nov 13, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- On average, our cells encounter a very lethal form of DNA damage 10 times a day. Lucky for us, we have the capacity to repair each and every one of them. New research now reveals exactly how two well-known ...
Scientists Are First To Observe The Global Motions Of An Enzyme Copyinng DNA
Oct 27, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists here have identified how the motions of an enzyme are related to correctly copying genetic instructions, setting the stage for studies that can uncover what happens when DNA copying ...
Messenger RNA with FLASH
Oct 22, 2009 |
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A study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has identified a key player in a molecular process essential for DNA replication within cells.
Discovery of enzyme structure points way to creating less toxic anti-HIV drugs
Oct 15, 2009 |
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By discovering the atomic structure of a key human enzyme, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have pointed the way toward designing anti-HIV drugs with far less toxic side effects.
Scientists use math modeling to predict unknown biological mechanism of regulation
Oct 14, 2009 |
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A team of scientists, led by a biomedical engineer at The University of Texas at Austin, have demonstrated - for the first time - that mathematical models created from data obtained by DNA microarrays, can ...
Researchers identify protein -- telomere interactions that could be key in treating cancer
Aug 31, 2009 |
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A team of researchers from The Wistar Institute have shown that a large non-coding RNA in mammals and yeast plays a central role in helping maintain telomeres, the tips of chromosomes that contain important genetic information ...
'Jumping genes' create antibiotic resistance in bacteria
Aug 20, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A small piece of foreign DNA recognizes when and where to slip into a bacterium's genetic code, allowing bacteria to genetically adapt to their environment -- and develop resistance to antibiotics, ...
Math model accurately mimics cell division in carbon-cycling bacterium
Aug 14, 2009 |
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Scientists from the Department of Biological Sciences and the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech have developed a quantitative, mathematical model of DNA replication and cell division for the bacterium ...
Scientists uncover function of potential cancer-causing gene product
Aug 09, 2009 |
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The Stowers Institute's Conaway Lab has uncovered a previously unknown function of a gene product called Amplified in Liver Cancer 1 (Alc1), which may play a role in the onset of cancer. The work was published yesterday by ...
Researchers uncover potential mechanisms to protect against genetic alterations, diseases
Aug 06, 2009 |
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Peering into the DNA of tiny yeast, researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego and the San Diego Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have pinpointed a large number of ...
UCSD Engineer Provides Insights to Decades-Old DNA Squabble
Jul 31, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A group of nanoengineers, biologists and physicists have used innovative approaches to deduce the internal structure of chromatin, a key player in DNA regulation, to reconcile a longstanding ...
