Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

Recent excitement in the DNA replication problem

Abstract

It is now possible to reproduce most of the reactions involved in DNA replication using prokaryotic enzymes in vitro. Such systems have revealed that DNA replication is a complex process depending on a relatively large number of proteins, and that nucleoside triphosphate hydrolysis energy is used at several discrete steps. Much of the complexity of DNA replication may arise from the need for extreme copying fidelity.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Watson, J. D. & Crick, F. H. C. Nature 171, 964–967 (1953).

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Kornberg, T. & Kornberg, A. in The Enzymes (ed. Boyer, P. D.) 3rd edn, 10, 119–144 (Academic. New York, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Sigal, N., Delius, H., Kornberg, T., Gefter, M. L. & Alberts, B. M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69, 3537–3541 (1972).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Herrick, G. & Alberts, B. M. J. biol. Chem. 251, 2124–2132 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Alberts, B. M. & Frey, L. Nature 227, 1313–1318 (1970).

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Jensen, D. E., Kelly, R. C. & von Hippel, P. H. J. biol. Chem. 251, 7215–7228 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Molineux, I. J. & Gefter, M. L. J. molec. Biol. 98, 811–825 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Kelly, R. C. & von Hippel, P. H. J. biol. Chem. 251, 7229–7239 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Kelly, R. C., Jensen, D. E. & von Hippel, P. H. J. biol. Chem. 251, 7240–7250 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Wickner, S. & Hurwitz, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 71, 4120–4124 (1974).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Schekman, R., Weiner, J. H., Weiner, A. & Kornberg, A. J. biol. Chem. 250, 5859–5865 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Mosig, G. & Breschkin, A. M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 72, 1226–1230 (1975).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Mosig, G. & Bock, S. J. Virol. 17, 756–761 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Epstein, R. H. et al. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 28, 375–392 (1963).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Wechsler, J. A. & Gross, J. D. Molec. gen. Genet. 113, 273–284 (1971).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Barry, J. & Alberts, B. M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69, 2717–2721 (1972).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Morris, C. F., Sinha, N. K. & Alberts, B. M. Proc. natn. Acad Sci U.S.A. 72, 4800–4804 (1975).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Modrich, P. & Richardson, C. C. J. biol. Chem. 250, 5508–5514 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Hinkle, D. C. & Richardson, C. C. J. biol. Chem. 250, 5523–5529 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Scherzinger, E., Lanka, E., Morelli, G., Seiffert, D. & Yuki, A. Eur. J. Biochem. 72, 543–558 (1977).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Wickner, W., Brutlag, D., Schekman, R. & Kornberg, A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69, 965–969 (1972).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Alberts, B. et al. in Nucleic Acid-Protein Recognition (ed. Vogel, H. J.) 31–63 (Academic, New York, 1977).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Studier, F. W. Science 176, 367–376 (1972).

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Wickner, S., Wright, M. & Hurwitz, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 71, 783–787 (1974).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Wickner, W. & Kornberg, A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 70, 3679–3683 (1973).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Wickner, S. & Hurwitz, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 72, 3342–3346 (1975).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Scott, J. F., Eisenberg, S., Bertsch, L. L. & Kornberg, A. Proc. natn. Acad Sci. U.S.A. 74, 193–197 (1977).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Gellert, M., Mizuuchi, K., O'Dea, M. H. & Nash, H. A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 73, 3872–3876 (1976).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Alberts, B. M., Morris, C. F., Mace, D., Sinha, N., Bittner, M. & Moran, L. in DNA Synthesis and Its Regulation, ICN–UCLA Symposium on Molecular and Cellular Biology (eds Goulian, M., Hanawalt, P. and Fox C. F.) 3, 241–269 (W. H. Benjamin, Menlo Park, California, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Kolodner, R. & Richardson, C. C. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 1525–1529 (1977).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Cairns, J. J. molec. Biol. 6, 208–213 (1963).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Okazaki, R. et al. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 33, 129–143 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Okazaki, T. & Okazaki, R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 64, 1242–1248 (1969).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Gellert, M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 57, 148–155 (1967).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Newman, J. & Hanawalt, P. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 33, 145–150 (1968).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Richardson, C. C., Masamune, Y., Live, T. R., Jacquemin-Sablon, A., Weiss, B. & Fareed, G. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 33, 151–164 (1968).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Inman, R. B. & Schnos, M. J. molec. Biol. 56, 319–325 (1971).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Kornberg, A. DNA Synthesis (W. H. Freeman, San Francisco, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  39. Bollum, F. J. Science 144, 560 (1964).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Bollum, F. J. in Genetic Elements (ed. Shugar, D.) 3–15 (Academic, New York, 1967).

    Google Scholar 

  41. Bouché, J. P., Zechel, K. & Kornberg, A. J. biol. Chem. 250, 5995–6001 (1975).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Pigiet, V., Eliasson, R. & Reichard, P. J. molec. Biol. 84, 197–216 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Hunter, T. & Francke, B. J. molec. Biol. 83, 123–130 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Drake, J. W. Nature 221, 1132 (1969).

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Brutlag, D. & Kornberg, A. J. biol. Chem. 247, 241–248 (1972).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. England, P. T. J. biol. Chem. 246, 5684–5687 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  47. Nossal, N. G. & Hershfield, M. S. J. biol. Chem. 246, 5414–5426 (1971).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Muzyczka, N., Poland, R. L. & Bessman, M. J. J. biol. Chem. 247, 7116–7122 (1972).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Lo, K.-Y. & Bessman, M. J. J. biol. Chem. 251, 2475–2479 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Topal, M. D. & Fresco, J. R. Nature 263, 285–289 (1976).

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Hopfield, J. J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 71, 4135–4139 (1974).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Ninio, J. Biochimie 57, 587–595 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Watson, J. D. & Crick, F. H. C. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 18, 123–131 (1953).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Cairns, J. & Denhardt, D. T. J. molec. Biol. 36, 335–342 (1968).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Abdel-Monem, M. & Hoffmann-Berling, H. Eur. J. Biochem. 65, 431–440 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Abdel-Monem, M., Durwald, H. & Hoffmann-Berling, H. Eur. J. Biochem. 65, 441–449 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. MacKay, V. & Linn, S. J. biol. Chem. 249, 4286–4294 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Wilcox, K. W. & Smith, H. O. J. biol. Chem. 251, 6127–6134 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Eisenberg, S., Griffith, J. & Kornberg, A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 3198–3202 (1977).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Gilbert, W. & Dressler, D. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 33, 473–484 (1968).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Simmons, R. M. & Hill, T. L. Nature, 263, 615–618 (1976).

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Tinoco, I., Jr et al. Nature new Biol. 246, 40–41 (1973).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Abdel-Monem, M., Lauppe, H.-F., Kartenbeck, J., Dürwald, H. & Hoffman-Berling, H. J. molec. Biol. 110, 667–685 (1977).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Hill, T. L. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 64, 267–274 (1969).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Boyer, P. D. in Dynamics of Energy-Transducing Membranes (eds Ernster, L. Estabrook, R. W. & Slater, E. C.), 289–301 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  66. Lane, H. E. D. & Denhardt, D. T. J. molec. Biol. 97, 99–112 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  67. Wang, J. C. & Hsieh, T. Biochemistry 14, 527–535 (1975).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. Gellert, M., O'Dea, M. H., Itoh, T. & Tomizawa, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 73, 4474–4478 (1976).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. Reuben, R. C. & Gefter, M. L. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 70, 1846–1850 (1973).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. Banks, G. R. & Spanos, A. J. molec. Biol. 93, 63–77 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  71. Huberman, J. A., Kornberg, A. & Alberts, B. M. J. molec. Biol. 62, 39–52 (1971).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  72. Moise, H. & Hosoda, J. Nature 259, 455–458 (1976).

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  73. Konrad, E. B., Modrich, P. & Lehman, I. R. J. molec. Biol. 77, 519–529 (1973).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  74. Gottesman, M. M., Hicks, M. L. & Gellert, M. J. molec. Biol. 77, 531–547 (1973).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  75. Kuempel, P. L. & Veomett, G. E. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 41, 973–980 (1970).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  76. Louarn, J.-H. & Bird, R. E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 71, 329–333 (1974).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  77. Kainuma-Kuroda, R. & Okazaki, R. J. molec. Biol. 94, 213–228 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  78. Kurosawa, Y. & Okazaki, R. J. molec. Biol. 94, 229–241 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  79. Sternglanz, R., Wang, H. F. & Donegan, J. J. Biochemistry 15, 1838–1843 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  80. Konrad, E. B. & Lehman, I. R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 72, 2150–2154 (1975).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  81. Tye, B., Nyman, P., Lehman, I. R., Hochhauser, S. & Weiss, B. Proc. natn Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 154–157 (1977).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  82. Lindahl, T. Nature 259, 64–66 (1976).

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  83. Lindahl, T. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 71, 3649–3653 (1974).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  84. Verly, W. G. & Rassart, E. J. biol. Chem. 250, 8214–8219 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  85. Gates, F. T. III & Linn, S. J. biol. Chem. 252, 1647–1653 (1977).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  86. Kelly, R. B., Cozzarelli, N. R., Deutscher, M. P., Lehman, I. R. & Kornberg, A. J. biol. Chem. 245, 39–45 (1970).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  87. Olivera, B. M., Tye, B. & Lehman, I. R. Fedn Proc. 36, 654 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  88. Duncan, B. K., Rockstroh, P. A. & Warner, H. R. Fedn Proc. 35, 1493 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  89. Werner, R. Nature 230, 570–572 (1971).

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  90. Konrad, E. B. J. Bacterial. 130, 167–172 (1977).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  91. Reichard, P., Eliasson, R. & Soderman, G. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 71, 4901–4905 (1974).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  92. Tseng, B. Y. & Goulian, M. J. molec. Biol. 99, 339–346 (1975), and Fedn Proc. 36, 654 (1977).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  93. Okazaki, R. et al. in DNA Synthesis and Its Regulation (eds Goulian, M., Hanawalt, P. and Fox, C. F.) 832–862 (W. A. Benjamin, Menlo Park, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  94. Sugino, A., Hirose, S. & Okazaki, R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69, 1863–1867 (1972).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  95. Probst, H., Gentner, P. R., Hofstatter, T. & Jenke, S. Biochim. biophys. Acta 340, 361–373 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  96. Kurosawa, Y., Ogawa, T., Hirose, S., Okazaki, T. & Okazaki, R. J. molec. Biol. 96, 653–664 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  97. Ogawa, T., Hirose, S., Okazaki, T. & Okazaki, R. J. molec. Biol. 112, 121–140 (1977).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  98. Tamm, C., Shapiro, H. S., Lipshitz, R. & Chargaff, E. J. biol. Chem 203, 673–688 (1953).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  99. Seidel, H. Biochim. biophys. Acta 138, 98–106 (1967).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  100. Lehman, I. R. & Uyemura, D. G. Science 193, 963–969 (1976).

    ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  101. Uyemura, D., Eichler, D. C. & Lehman, I. R. J. biol. Chem. 251, 4085–4089 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  102. Brutlag, D., Schekman, R. & Kornberg, A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 68, 2826–2829 (1971).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  103. Geider, K. & Kornberg, A. J. biol. Chem. 249, 3999–4005 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  104. Wickner, R. B., Wright, M., Wickner, S. & Hurwitz, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69, 3233–3237 (1972).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  105. McMacken, R., Bouché, J.-P., Rowen, S. L., Weiner, J. H., Ueda, K., Thelander, L., McHenry, C. & Kornberg, A. in Nucleic Acid-Protein Recognition (ed. Vogel H.) 15–29 (Academic, New York, 1977).

    Google Scholar 

  106. Wickner, S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 2815–2819 (1977).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  107. Weiner, J. H., McMacken, R. & Kornberg, A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A 73, 752–756 (1976).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  108. Wickner, S. & Hurwitz, J. in DNA Synthesis and Its Regulation (ed. Goulian, M. Hanawalt, P. and Fox C. F.) 227–238 (W. A. Benjamin, Menlo Park, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  109. Lark, K. G. Nature new Biol. 240, 237–240 (1972).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  110. Wickner, S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 73, 3511–3515 (1976).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  111. Edenberg, H. J. & Huberman, J. A. Annual Rev. Gen. 9, 245–284 (1975).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  112. Weintraub, H., Worcel, A. & Alberts, B. M. Cell 9, 409–417 (1976).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  113. Chang, L. M. S. & Bollum, F. J. J. biol. Chem. 248, 3398–3404 (1973).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  114. Sedwick, W. D., Wang, T. S. & Korn, D. J. biol. Chem. 250, 7045–7056 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Alberts, B., Sternglanz, R. Recent excitement in the DNA replication problem. Nature 269, 655–661 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/269655a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/269655a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing