Biochemical regulation of the initiation of DNA replication

Abstract

The initiation of DNA replication is a key step in the cell division cycle and in DNA endoreduplication. Initiation of replication takes place at specific places in chromosomes known as replication origins. These are subject to temporal regulation within the cell cycle and may also be regulated as a function of plant development. In yeast, replication origins are recognised and bound by three different groups of proteins at different stages of the cell cycle. Of these, the MCM proteins are the most likely to be involved in activating the origins in order to facilitate initiation. MCM-like proteins also occur in plants, but have not been characterised in detail. Other proteins which bind to origins have been identified, as has a protein with a strong affinity for ds-ss junctions in DNA molecules.

Key Words:

• DNA replication
• origin of replication
• ARS
• DNA binding protein
• Pisum sativum