DNA Replication: In Focus

9780199632169

0199632162

An understanding of the initiation of DNA replication holds the key to what controls cell division, growth and differentiation. This topic is central to studies in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics and molecular biology, but many textbooks have fallen behind the rapid developments in the field. This timely volume reviews most of the current understanding of replication in different organisms and provides details of exciting new findings. The book presents the general model for DNA replication, the various types of proteins involved, and the reactions occurring at the replication fork. Additional topics include alternative initiation mechanisms, replication control in organisms with single replicons, the significance of timing and direction of gene transcription, and various experimental approaches to studying eukaryotic origins. Termination signals and exciting new findings regarding telomere structure are investigated, followed by a consideration of how replicated DNA is packaged prior to cell division and how epigenetic information is conserved.