Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Replication in Eukaryotes

Replication in Eukaryotes

Replication in Eukaryotes

Replication in Eukaryotes

In eukaryotic cells, DNA replication is highly conserved and tightly regulated. Multiple linear chromosomes must be duplicated with high fidelity before cell division, so there are many proteins that fulfill specialized roles in the replication process. Replication occurs in three phases: initiation, elongation, and termination, and ends with two complete sets of chromosomes in the nucleus.
Many Proteins Orchestrate Replication at the Origin
Eukaryotic replication follows many of the same...

Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases

Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases

RNA Polymerase (RNAP) is conserved in all animals, with bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic RNAPs sharing significant sequence, structural, and functional similarities. Among the three eukaryotic RNAPs, RNA Polymerase II is most similar to bacterial RNAP in terms of both structural organization and folding topologies of the enzyme subunits. However, these similarities are not reflected in their mechanism of action.
All three eukaryotic RNAPs require specific transcription factors, of which the...

Transcription in Prokaryotes

Transcription in Prokaryotes

Transcription is a highly regulated process that converts genetic information into RNA molecules. The transcription cycle is divided into three key stages: initiation, elongation, and termination, each driven by specific molecular mechanisms.Initiation of TranscriptionIn bacteria, transcription begins when the RNA polymerase core enzyme associates with a sigma factor to form a holoenzyme. For example, the E. coli sigma factor called σ70 forms a holoenzyme, which recognizes the -10 (Pribnow...

The Replisome

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...

Bacterial Transcription

Bacterial Transcription

RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out DNA-dependent RNA synthesis in both bacteria and eukaryotes. Bacteria do not have a membrane-bound nucleus. So, transcription and translation occur simultaneously, on the same DNA template.
Transcription can be divided into three main stages, each involving distinct DNA sequences to guide the polymerase. These are:

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Structural and mechanistic insights into primer synthesis initiation by DNA primase.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Topology-Dependent Coke Formation in the Catalytic Pyrolysis of Phenol Over HFAU and HZSM-5 Zeolites.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026

Same author

Characterization of strongly hyperfine-split protons by DNP.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026

Same author

Characterization of flexible RNA binding by tandem RNA recognition motifs through integrative ensemble modelling.

Nucleic acids research·2026

Same author

Single atoms of indium on hafnia enable superior CO<sub>2</sub>-based methanol synthesis.

Nature nanotechnology·2026

Same author

Towards full optimisation of automated double electron-electron resonance spectroscopy.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 7, 2025

DNA Sequence Recognition by DNA Primase Using High-Throughput Primase Profiling

DNA Sequence Recognition by DNA Primase Using High-Throughput Primase Profiling

Published on: October 8, 2019

Stringent Primer Termination by an Archaeo-Eukaryotic DNA Primase.

Jan Bergsch^1,2, Jean-Christophe Devillier^1,2, Gunnar Jeschke³

¹Institute of Chemistry and Bioanalytics, University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland.

Frontiers in Microbiology

|April 30, 2021

Summary

DNA primase enzymes initiate DNA replication by creating short RNA primers. This study investigates how the archaeal pRN1 primase from Sulfolobus islandicus precisely terminates primer synthesis, revealing key structural requirements for this essential DNA replication step.

Keywords:

DNA protein interaction archaea genome maintenance priming regulation replication

More Related Videos

Primer Extension Capture: Targeted Sequence Retrieval from Heavily Degraded DNA Sources

Primer Extension Capture: Targeted Sequence Retrieval from Heavily Degraded DNA Sources

Published on: September 3, 2009

Fluorescence Based Primer Extension Technique to Determine Transcriptional Starting Points and Cleavage Sites of RNases In Vivo

Fluorescence Based Primer Extension Technique to Determine Transcriptional Starting Points and Cleavage Sites of RNases In Vivo

Published on: October 31, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 7, 2025

DNA Sequence Recognition by DNA Primase Using High-Throughput Primase Profiling

DNA Sequence Recognition by DNA Primase Using High-Throughput Primase Profiling

Published on: October 8, 2019

Primer Extension Capture: Targeted Sequence Retrieval from Heavily Degraded DNA Sources

Primer Extension Capture: Targeted Sequence Retrieval from Heavily Degraded DNA Sources

Published on: September 3, 2009

Fluorescence Based Primer Extension Technique to Determine Transcriptional Starting Points and Cleavage Sites of RNases In Vivo

Fluorescence Based Primer Extension Technique to Determine Transcriptional Starting Points and Cleavage Sites of RNases In Vivo

Published on: October 31, 2014

Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Biochemistry
Genetics

Background:

DNA primase enzymes are crucial for DNA replication, initiating synthesis by creating short RNA primers on single-stranded templates.
Archeal-eukaryotic primases possess a unique ability to terminate primer formation at a specific length, a mechanism not fully understood.
Understanding primer termination is key to deciphering the complete DNA replication process.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the mechanistic basis of primer termination by the pRN1 primase from Sulfolobus islandicus.
To identify structural features of the primer 5'-end critical for consistent termination by pRN1 primase.
To explore the role of the unstructured linker in regulating primer termination length.

Main Methods:

Utilized an High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)-based assay to analyze primer termination.
Performed site-directed mutagenesis on the unstructured linker connecting the catalytic and template binding domains of pRN1 primase.
Assessed the impact of altered linker length and flexibility on primer termination efficiency and length.

Main Results:

Determined specific structural characteristics at the primer 5'-end essential for consistent termination by pRN1 primase.
Demonstrated that mutations in the unstructured linker significantly affect primer termination.
Showed that linker length and flexibility play a role in the precise control of primer synthesis termination.

Conclusions:

The study elucidates critical structural determinants for primer termination in archaeal DNA primase.
The findings highlight the importance of the linker region in regulating the 'counting' mechanism of primer synthesis.
This research provides insights into the conserved mechanisms of DNA replication initiation and termination across different species.