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Strategies for helicase recruitment and loading in bacteria
Author(s) -
Konieczny Igor
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/sj.embor.embor703
Subject(s) - helicase , replicon , biology , dna , control of chromosome duplication , genetics , plasmid , dna replication , prokaryotic dna replication , origin of replication , circular bacterial chromosome , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , rna
DNA replication initiation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes requires the recruitment and loading of a helicase at the replication origin. To subsequently unwind the double‐stranded DNA, the helicase must be properly positioned on the separated DNA strands. Several studies have revealed similarities and differences in the mechanisms used by different autonomously replicating DNA elements (replicons) for recruitment and activation of the appropriate helicase. Of particular interest are plasmid replicons that are adapted for replication in diverse bacterial hosts and are therefore intriguingly able to exploit the helicases of distantly related bacterial species. The different molecular mechanisms by which replicons recruit and load helicases are only just beginning to be understood.