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Related Concept Videos

Restarting Stalled Replication Forks02:37

Restarting Stalled Replication Forks

DNA replication is initiated at sites containing predefined DNA sequences known as origins of replication. DNA is unwound at these sites by the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase and other factors such as Cdc45 and the associated GINS complex.The unwound single strands are protected by replication protein A (RPA) until DNA polymerase starts synthesizing DNA at the 5’ end of the strand in the same direction as the replication fork. To prevent the replication fork from falling apart, a...
DNA Replication02:40

DNA Replication

DNA replication involves the separation of the two strands of the double helix, with each strand serving as a template from which the new complementary strand is copied.  After replication, each double-stranded DNA includes one parental or “old” strand and one “new” strand. This is known as semiconservative replication. The resulting DNA molecules have the same sequence and are divided equally into the two daughter cells.
Replication in Prokaryotes
DNA replication uses a large number of...
The Replisome03:01

The Replisome

DNA replication is carried out by a large complex of proteins that act in a coordinated matter to achieve high-fidelity DNA replication. Together this complex is known as the DNA replication machinery or the replisome.
The synthesis of the leading and lagging strands is a highly coordinated process. To explain this, the “Trombone model” was proposed by Bruce Alberts in 1980. The DNA loop formation starts when a primer is synthesized on the parent lagging strand. The loop grows with the...
The Replisome03:01

The Replisome

DNA replication is carried out by a large complex of proteins that act in a coordinated matter to achieve high-fidelity DNA replication. Together this complex is known as the DNA replication machinery or the replisome.
The synthesis of the leading and lagging strands is a highly coordinated process. To explain this, the “Trombone model” was proposed by Bruce Alberts in 1980. The DNA loop formation starts when a primer is synthesized on the parent lagging strand. The loop grows with the...
The DNA Replication Fork01:02

The DNA Replication Fork

An organism’s genome needs to be duplicated in an efficient and error-free manner for its growth and survival. The replication fork is a Y-shaped active region where two strands of DNA are separated and replicated continuously. The coupling of DNA unzipping and complementary strand synthesis is a characteristic feature of a replication fork.   Organisms with small circular DNA, such as E. coli, often have a single origin of replication; therefore, they have only two replication forks, one in...
The DNA Replication Fork01:02

The DNA Replication Fork

An organism’s genome needs to be duplicated in an efficient and error-free manner for its growth and survival. The replication fork is a Y-shaped active region where two strands of DNA are separated and replicated continuously. The coupling of DNA unzipping and complementary strand synthesis is a characteristic feature of a replication fork.   Organisms with small circular DNA, such as E. coli, often have a single origin of replication; therefore, they have only two replication forks, one in...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Direct Observation of Enzymes Replicating DNA Using a Single-molecule DNA Stretching Assay
17:03

Direct Observation of Enzymes Replicating DNA Using a Single-molecule DNA Stretching Assay

Published on: March 23, 2010

Thermal trap for DNA replication.

Christof B Mast1, Dieter Braun

  • 1Systems Biophysics, Physics Department, Center for Nanoscience, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, Amalienstrasse 54, 80799 München, Germany.

Physical Review Letters
|May 21, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Scientists created a system that replicates DNA and stores it using a temperature gradient. This process mimics early life conditions, showing how genetic molecules could concentrate and multiply.

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Visualizing Single-molecule DNA Replication with Fluorescence Microscopy
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Visualizing Single-molecule DNA Replication with Fluorescence Microscopy

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Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Direct Observation of Enzymes Replicating DNA Using a Single-molecule DNA Stretching Assay
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Visualizing Single-molecule DNA Replication with Fluorescence Microscopy
15:57

Visualizing Single-molecule DNA Replication with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: October 9, 2009

Area of Science:

  • Origin of Life studies
  • Biophysics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Living matter is characterized by genetic molecule replication and active storage against diffusion.
  • Early Earth environments, like hydrothermal vents, may have provided conditions for abiogenesis.
  • Nonequilibrium conditions are crucial for life's emergence and persistence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To implement both DNA replication and active storage in a simple, non-equilibrium environment.
  • To investigate the potential of temperature gradients to drive these fundamental life processes.
  • To model conditions relevant to the origin of life on early Earth.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a temperature gradient to create a non-equilibrium environment.
  • Employed convective flow to drive DNA replication via polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
  • Leveraged concurrent thermophoresis for the accumulation of replicated DNA in bulk solution.

Main Results:

  • Achieved simultaneous DNA replication (doubling time of 50 s) and accumulation.
  • Observed DNA accumulation with a time constant of 92 s.
  • Demonstrated efficient concentration of 143 base pair DNA fragments.

Conclusions:

  • A simple temperature gradient system can effectively drive both DNA replication and its concentration.
  • This experimental setup serves as a viable model for understanding the origin of life.
  • The findings highlight the role of physical forces in concentrating and replicating genetic material.