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Mechanisms for chromosome and plasmid segregation.
Santanu Kumar Ghosh1, Sujata Hajra, Andrew Paek
1Section of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-0612, USA. ghoshsk@mail.utexas.edu
Annual Review of Biochemistry
|June 8, 2006
Summary
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic chromosomes share fundamental DNA replication and transmission challenges. Evolutionary solutions reveal common themes, but distinct strategies arise from organizational differences, including unique mechanisms for bacterial plasmids and eukaryotic chromosomes.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Cell Biology
Background:
- DNA replication and segregation present complex geometric and topological challenges.
- These challenges are conserved across prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, despite vast differences in genome organization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the common evolutionary themes and distinct strategies in DNA segregation.
- To compare chromosome and plasmid segregation mechanisms in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of DNA segregation mechanisms.
- Review of established models for chromosome and plasmid partitioning.
Main Results:
- Prokaryotic chromosome segregation involves rapid daughter duplex migration.
- Bacterial plasmids utilize specific partitioning systems for regulated segregation.
- Eukaryotic chromosomes employ pairing and unpairing mechanisms for mitosis and meiosis.
- The yeast 2-micron plasmid surprisingly uses a similar eukaryotic segregation scheme.
Conclusions:
- Despite shared fundamental problems, diverse evolutionary solutions exist for DNA segregation.
- Organismal and extrachromosomal element organization dictates specific segregation strategies.
- The yeast plasmid's mechanism highlights convergent evolution in DNA partitioning.