The structure and workings of DNA replicators have been revealed for the first time

DNA is the carrier of life genetic information, and its replication is the most important step in the process of life reproduction. The study of the molecular mechanism of DNA replication has always been one of the most basic problems in life science. Recently, Yang Wei's team, a distinguished researcher at the National Institutes of Health, revealed the structure and workings of DNA replicators, the results of which were published in Science.
DNA is done in collaboration with multiple proteins, including DNA polymerases, DNA helixases, trigger enzymes, and several auxiliary proteins. DNA was identified as a genetic material 60 years ago, and the double helix structure of DNA was parsed. To this day, however, there is no clear answer to the question of how replicas assemble and collaborate on DNA replication.
using cryoscopic technology, researchers studied the DNA replication mechanism of the model bioT7 phage and obtained the first three-dimensional structure of the replicator to replicate DNA.
It has been known that during DNA replication, double-stranded DNA is disintegred into leading and hysteresic chains, respectively, as replication templates, while lead chains and lag chains together form a structure called a "copy fork."
researchers found that dna polymerases, helixases, and trigger enzymes bind tightly around "T-shaped" replication forks in a replica structure, forming a multi-layered, tight molecular structure. The leading and hysteresic chains are captured by DNA polymerases and DNA helixases, respectively, and the two enzymes stretch the female strand DNA in opposite directions, co-completing the deconstructing of the parent chain DNA. The pilot chain is copied directly by the DNA polymerase, and after the lag chain passes through the helixase, it is captured by the trigger enzyme and DNA polymerase on the lag chain and copied as a replication template.
they even captured multiple molecular components of the replicator, especially the helixase, during the replication process, revealing the dynamic process of DNA replication.
years, textbook 'Y-shaped copy forks' have come from assumptions. And this study is the first time humans have seen a real replica fork. Interestingly, it's not 'Y-shaped', but 'T-shaped' - downstream DNA is the backbone of the 'T-word' and the top two branches are two separate lead and lag chains. "
" we observed the dynamic process of replicators, both in bacteria and in the uterine organisms are conservatively present. In other words, the replicator not only participates in the DNA replication process, but also detects DNA damage and co-stress responses. Gao Yang, the paper's first author and now a postdoctoral student in the group, said, "Such a detailed structure of DNA replicators can shed light on many previously published results and provide a basis for understanding the coordination of DNA replication, recombination, and repair processes." (Source: Science Network Li Chenyang)