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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Functional Cloning Using a Xenopus Oocyte Expression System
09:40

Functional Cloning Using a Xenopus Oocyte Expression System

Published on: January 30, 2016

How Xenopus laevis embryos replicate reliably: investigating the random-completion problem.

Scott Cheng-Hsin Yang1, John Bechhoefer

  • 1Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6. scotty@sfu.ca

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|November 13, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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DNA replication in Xenopus embryos is surprisingly reliable despite random origin firing. A model shows increasing initiation rates ensure timely DNA synthesis, optimizing protein use and preventing cell death.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • DNA replication initiates stochastically at multiple origins in Xenopus frog embryos.
  • Stochastic initiation poses a risk of incomplete replication, potentially leading to cell death if it exceeds cell cycle time.
  • Despite this, in vivo experiments reveal a low failure rate (1 in 300) for DNA replication.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the mechanisms controlling accurate DNA replication timing amidst stochastic origin initiation.
  • Evaluate proposed biological solutions to the 'random-completion problem' of DNA replication.
  • Analyze the role of origin spacing and initiation rates in ensuring replication fidelity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a mathematical model inspired by first-order phase transition kinetics.

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Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients
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Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients

Published on: December 14, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Functional Cloning Using a Xenopus Oocyte Expression System
09:40

Functional Cloning Using a Xenopus Oocyte Expression System

Published on: January 30, 2016

Physical Manipulation to Generate Xenopus Mini Embryos
04:09

Physical Manipulation to Generate Xenopus Mini Embryos

Published on: April 10, 2026

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients
08:10

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients

Published on: December 14, 2015

  • Applied extreme-value statistics to derive replication-completion time distributions for finite genomes.
  • Compared model predictions with experimental observations of DNA replication in Xenopus embryos.

    • Main Results:

    • The study derived the distribution of replication-completion times for finite genomes.
    • Demonstrated that increasing origin initiation rates as S phase progresses aligns with experimental data.
    • Showed that spatial regularity of origin placement has minimal impact on replication timing distributions.

    Conclusions:

    • The first proposed solution (increasing initiation rates) is consistent with experimental findings and near-optimal for replicative protein usage.
    • Spatial regularity in origin placement is not essential for controlling DNA replication timing.
    • The findings provide insights into robust biological mechanisms ensuring genome integrity.