Synthesis and processing of kinetoplast DNA minicircles in Trypanosoma equiperdum

Kinetoplast DNA, the mitochondrial DNA in trypanosomes, is a giant network containing topologically interlocked minicircles. Replication occurs on free minicircles that have been detached from the network. In this paper, we report studies on the synthesis and processing of the minicircle L and H strands. Analysis of free minicircles from Trypanosoma equiperdum by two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis indicated that elongating L strands are present on theta structures. Hybridization studies indicated that L-strand elongation is continuous and unidirectional, starting near nucleotide 805 and proceeding around the entire minicircle. The theta structures segregate into monomeric progeny minicircles, and those with a newly synthesized L strand have a 8-nucleotide gap between nucleotides 805 and 814 (J. M. Ntambi, T. A. Shapiro, K. A. Ryan, and P. T. Englund, J. Biol. Chem. 261:11890-11895, 1986). These molecules are reattached to the network, where repair of the gap takes place. Of the molecules labeled during a 10-min pulse with [3H]thymidine, gap filling occurred on half within about 15 min and on virtually all by 60 min; however, there was no detectable covalent closure of the newly synthesized L strand by 60 min.