Temporal order of evolution of DNA replication systems inferred by comparison of cellular and viral DNA polymerases.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The core enzymes of the DNA replication systems show striking diversity among cellular life forms and more so among viruses. In particular, and counter-intuitively, given the central role of DNA in all cells and the mechanistic uniformity of replication, the core enzymes of the replication systems of bacteria and archaea (as well as eukaryotes) are unrelated or extremely distantly related. Viruses and plasmids, in addition, possess at least two unique DNA replication systems, namely, the protein-primed and rolling circle modalities of replication. This unexpected diversity makes the origin and evolution of DNA replication systems a particularly challenging and intriguing problem in evolutionary biology.

Results

I propose a specific succession for the emergence of

SUBMITTER: Koonin EV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1766352 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature