DNA REPLICATION Objectives: 1
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Lecture 1 DNA REPLICATION Objectives: 1. To understand the replication process and where it occurs in the cell cycle. 2. To describe the Replication Fork, Okazaki fragments and the enzymes involved in the unwinding process and replication. 3. To understand how DNA polymerase initiate the synthesis of new strands. 4. To define Telomeres and Telomerase and their clinical significance. Gene expression also called protein expression or often simply expression: is the process by which a gene's DNA sequence is converted into the structures and functions of a cell. The amount of protein that a cell expresses depends on: 1. the tissue, 2. the developmental stage of the organism 3. and the metabolic or physiologic state of the cell. DNA replication or DNA synthesis is the process of copying a double-stranded DNA strand, prior to cell division. The two resulting double strands are identical (if the replication went well), and each of them consists of one original and one newly synthesized strand. This is called semi conservative replication. 1 Prof. Dr. H.D.El-Yassin 2013 Lecture 1 The process of replication consists of three steps, initiation, replication and termination. 1. Prokaryotic replication Basic Requirement for DNA Synthesis 1. Substrates: the four deoxy nucleosides triphosphates are needed as substrates for DNA synthesis. Cleavage of the high-energy phosphate bond between the α and β phosphates provides the energy for the addition of the nucleotide. 2. Template: DNA replication cannot occur without a template. A template is required to direct the addition of the appropriate complementary deoxynucleotide to the newly synthesized DNA strand. 3. Primer: DNA synthesis cannot start without a primer, which prepares the template strand for the addition of nucleotides. 4. Enzyme: the DNA synthesis that occurs during the process of replication is catalyzed by enzymes called DNA-dependent DNA polymerases. Commonly called DNA polymerases. DNA polymerase A DNA polymerase is an enzyme that assists in DNA replication. Such enzymes catalyze the polymerization of deoxyribonucleotides alongside a DNA strand, which they "read" and use as a template. The newly polymerized molecule is complimentary to the template strand and identical to the template's partner strand. All DNA polymerases synthesize DNA in the 5' to 3' direction. But no known DNA polymerase is able to begin a new chain. They can only add a nucleotide onto a preexisting 3'- OH group. For this reason DNA polymerase needs a primer at which it can add the first nucleotide. DNA polymerase I: is an enzyme that aids in DNA replication. It was discovered in the mid 1950's, and was the first such enzyme discovered (hence the name). It is often referred to as Pol I, for short. DNA polymerase I removes the RNA primer from the lagging strand and fills in the necessary nucleotides. Ligase then joins the various fragments together into a continuous strand of DNA. DNA polymerase II: is a minor DNA polymerase in E. coli, may be involved on some DNA repair processes. It is often referred to as Pol II, for short. DNA polymerase III holoenzyme: Pol III is a holoenzyme that aids in DNA replication. As a replicative enzymatic mechanism of DNA, the Polymerase replicates with high fidelity. Origin of Replication The origin of replication (also called replication origin or oriC) is a unique DNA sequence at which DNA replication is initiated and proceeds bidirectionally or unidirectionally. 1. OriC: The origin of replication oriC is a 250 bp sequence rich in adenine-thymine base pairs, which are more easily separated than cytosine-guanine base pairs. 2. DnaA: dnaA is an initiation factor which hydrolyzes ATP and promotes the unwinding or melting of DNA at oriC, during DNA replication. The oriC/dnaA complex formation does not require ATP until it is open. After initiation, dnaA binds dnaB and dnaC. 3. Replication fork: The replication fork is a structure which forms when DNA is ready to replicate itself. It is created by topoisomerase, which breaks the hydrogen bonds holding the two DNA strands together. The resulting structure has two branching "prongs", each one made up of a single strand of DNA. DNA polymerase then goes to work on creating new partners for the two strands by adding nucleotides. 2 Prof. Dr. H.D.El-Yassin 2013 Lecture 1 Basic Molecular Events at Replication Forks: 1. Leading strand synthesis: is the continuous synthesis of one of the daughter strands in a 5' to 3' direction. Pol III catalyzes leading strand synthesis. 2. Lagging strand synthesis: a. Okazaki fragments: One of the newly synthesized daughter strands is made discontinuously. The resulting short fragments are called Okazaki fragments. These fragments are latter joined by DNA ligase to make a continuous piece of DNA. This is called lagging strand synthesis. Discontinuous synthesis of lagging strands occurs because DNA synthesis always occurs in a 5' to 3' direction. Pol III catalyzes lagging strand synthesis b. Direction of new synthesis: As the replication fork moves forward, leading strand synthesis follows. A gap forms on opposite strand because it is in the wrong orientation to direct continuous synthesis of a new strand. After a lag period, the gap that forms is filled in by 5' to 3' synthesis. This means that new DNA synthesis on the lagging strands is actually moving away from the replication fork. c. Priming of Okazaki fragment synthesis. i. Enzyme: an enzyme called primase is the catalytic portion of a primosome that makes the RNA primer needed to initiate synthesis of Okazaki fragment. It also makes the primer that initiates leading strand synthesis at the origin. ii. Primers provide a 3'-hydroxyl group that is needed to initiate DNA synthesis. The primers made by primase are small pieces of RNA (4-12 nucleotides) complementary to the template strand. d. The role of pol I in replication: On completion of lagging strand synthesis by pol III, the RNA primer is then removed by pol I and replaced with DNA. Synthesis of each new Okazaki fragments takes place until it reach's the RNA primer of the preceding Okazaki fragment and the RNA primer. DNA pol I uses its nick-translation properties to hydrolyze the RNA (5' to 3' exonuclease activity) and replace it with DNA. e. Joining of Okazaki fragments: After pol I has removed the RNA primer and replaced it with DNA, an enzyme called DNA ligase can catalyze the formation of a phosphodiester bond given an unattached but adjacent 3'OH and 5'phosphate. This can fill in the unattached gap left when the RNA primer is removed and filled in. The DNA polymerase can organize the bond on the 5' end of the primer, but ligase is needed to make the bond on the 3' end.: 3 Prof. Dr. H.D.El-Yassin 2013 Lecture 1 Other Factors Needed for Propagation of Replication Forks 1. Topoisomerase is responsible for initiation of the unwinding of the DNA. 2. Helicases: are enzymes that catalyze the unwinding of the DNA helix. A helicase derives energy from cleavage of high energy phosphate bonds of nucleoside triphosphates, usually ATP, to unwind the DNA helix. Hilcase activity provides single strand templates for replication: 3. Gyrase. : Positive supercoils would build up in advance of a moving replication fork without the action of gyrase, which is a topomerase. 4. single-strand binding protein (SSBP): a. Function: SSBP enhances the activity of helicase and binds to a single-strand template DNA until it can serve as a template. It may also serve to protect single strand DNA from degradation by nucleases, and it may block formation of intrastrand duplexes of hairpins that can slow replication. b. Release: SSBP is displaced from single strand DNA when the DNA undergoes replication. 5. Primosome a. Definition: the primosome is a complex of proteins that comprises primase, a hexamer of the helicase dnaB protein, dnaC protein and several other proteins. b. Function: the primosome complex primes DNA synthesis at the origin. Driven by ATP hydrolysis, the primosome moves with the replication fork, making RNA primes for Okazaki fragment synthesis. The Replisome: It is believed that all the replication enzymes and factors are part of a large macromolecular complex called replisome. It has been suggested that the replisome may be attached to the membrane and that instead of the replisome moving along the DNA during replication, DNA passed through the stationary replisome. Replosome model of replication Termination of Replication: Replication sequences (e.g. ter) direct termination for replication. A specific protein (the termination utilization substance (TUS) protein) binds to these sequences and prevents the helicase dnaB protein from further unwinding DNA. This facilitates the termination of replication. 2. Eukaryotic Replications Eukaryotes are organisms with complex cells, in which the genetic material is organized into membrane-bound nuclei They may utilize slightly different mechanisms of replication. However most of these mechanisms are very similar to those in prokaryotic replication. Replicons are basic units of replication. 1. Function: A replicon encompasses the entire DNA replicated from the growing replication forks that share a single origin. 2. Size: Replicons may vary in size from 50-120 μm. There are estimated to be 10,000-100,000 replicon per cell in mammals. The large number of replicons is needed to replicate the large mammalian genomes in a reasonable period of time. It takes approximately 8 hours to replicate the human genome. 3. Replication rate: a. Prokaryotes. An E. coli replication fork progresses at approximately 1000 base pairs per second. b. Eukaryotes. The eukaryotic replication rate is about 10 times slower than the prokaryotic replication rate. Each replicon complete synthesis in approximately an hour. Therefore during the total period of eukaryotic replication not every replicon is active.