Diversity of DNA replication in the archaea

DNA replication is arguably the most fundamental biological process. On account of their shared evolutionary ancestry, the replication machinery found in archaea is similar to that found in eukaryotes. DNA replication is initiated at origins and is highly conserved in eukaryotes, but our limited und...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ausiannikava, Darya, Allers, Thorsten
Format: Article
Published: MDPI 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41230/
_version_ 1848796226991947776
author Ausiannikava, Darya
Allers, Thorsten
author_facet Ausiannikava, Darya
Allers, Thorsten
author_sort Ausiannikava, Darya
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description DNA replication is arguably the most fundamental biological process. On account of their shared evolutionary ancestry, the replication machinery found in archaea is similar to that found in eukaryotes. DNA replication is initiated at origins and is highly conserved in eukaryotes, but our limited understanding of archaea has uncovered a wide diversity of replication initiation mechanisms. Archaeal origins are sequence‐based, as in bacteria, but are bound by initiator proteins that share homology with the eukaryotic origin recognition complex subunit Orc1 and helicase loader Cdc6). Unlike bacteria, archaea may have multiple origins per chromosome and multiple Orc1/Cdc6 initiator proteins. There is no consensus on how these archaeal origins are recognised— some are bound by a single Orc1/Cdc6 protein while others require a multi‐ Orc1/Cdc6 complex. Many archaeal genomes consist of multiple parts—the main chromosome plus several megaplasmids—and in polyploid species these parts are present in multiple copies. This poses a challenge to the regulation of DNA replication. However, one archaeal species (Haloferax volcanii) can survive without replication origins; instead, it uses homologous recombination as an alternative mechanism of initiation. This diversity in DNA replication initiation is all the more remarkable for having been discovered in only three groups of archaea where in vivo studies are possible.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T19:44:37Z
format Article
id nottingham-41230
institution University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T19:44:37Z
publishDate 2017
publisher MDPI
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling nottingham-412302020-05-04T18:28:45Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41230/ Diversity of DNA replication in the archaea Ausiannikava, Darya Allers, Thorsten DNA replication is arguably the most fundamental biological process. On account of their shared evolutionary ancestry, the replication machinery found in archaea is similar to that found in eukaryotes. DNA replication is initiated at origins and is highly conserved in eukaryotes, but our limited understanding of archaea has uncovered a wide diversity of replication initiation mechanisms. Archaeal origins are sequence‐based, as in bacteria, but are bound by initiator proteins that share homology with the eukaryotic origin recognition complex subunit Orc1 and helicase loader Cdc6). Unlike bacteria, archaea may have multiple origins per chromosome and multiple Orc1/Cdc6 initiator proteins. There is no consensus on how these archaeal origins are recognised— some are bound by a single Orc1/Cdc6 protein while others require a multi‐ Orc1/Cdc6 complex. Many archaeal genomes consist of multiple parts—the main chromosome plus several megaplasmids—and in polyploid species these parts are present in multiple copies. This poses a challenge to the regulation of DNA replication. However, one archaeal species (Haloferax volcanii) can survive without replication origins; instead, it uses homologous recombination as an alternative mechanism of initiation. This diversity in DNA replication initiation is all the more remarkable for having been discovered in only three groups of archaea where in vivo studies are possible. MDPI 2017-01-31 Article PeerReviewed Ausiannikava, Darya and Allers, Thorsten (2017) Diversity of DNA replication in the archaea. Genes, 8 (2). p. 56. ISSN 2073-4425 DNA replication; replication origin; Orc1/Cdc6; archaea; Sulfolobus; Haloferax http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/8/2/56 doi:10.3390/genes8020056 doi:10.3390/genes8020056
spellingShingle DNA replication; replication origin; Orc1/Cdc6; archaea; Sulfolobus; Haloferax
Ausiannikava, Darya
Allers, Thorsten
Diversity of DNA replication in the archaea
title Diversity of DNA replication in the archaea
title_full Diversity of DNA replication in the archaea
title_fullStr Diversity of DNA replication in the archaea
title_full_unstemmed Diversity of DNA replication in the archaea
title_short Diversity of DNA replication in the archaea
title_sort diversity of dna replication in the archaea
topic DNA replication; replication origin; Orc1/Cdc6; archaea; Sulfolobus; Haloferax
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41230/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41230/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41230/