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Describe the three important functions of DnaA protein.

Short Answer

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The three important functions of the DnaA protein are: 1. It acts as the initiator of replication by locating and unwinding the origin of replication on the DNA strand. 2. It assembles the pre-replication complex by recruiting the necessary proteins for DNA replication, such as helicase, single-strand binding protein (SSBP), DNA gyrase, and DNA polymerase. 3. It regulates DNA replication to ensure that it only occurs once per cell division and controls its timing.

Step by step solution

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Function 1 - Initiator of Replication

The first function of the DnaA protein is to act as the initiator of replication. It locates the origin of replication on the DNA strand, also known as OriC, where replication is to begin. The DnaA protein binds to the OriC, unwinding the DNA strand by breaking the hydrogen bonds between the two DNA strands. This creates the 'replication bubble'.
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Function 2 - Assembly of the Pre-Replication Complex

The second function of the DnaA protein is the assembly of the pre-replication complex. After DnaA opens the DNA strands at the origin of replication, it cruits other proteins that are necessary for DNA replication. First, DnaA recruits the helicase, which further unwinds the DNA strands making it ready for other proteins to function. It also attracts the single-strand binding protein (SSBP) to prevent the DNA from rewinding back into a double helix and DNA gyrase to reduce DNA supercoiling. Then it recruits DNA polymerase for the synthesis of new DNA strand.
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Function 3 - Regulation of DNA Replication

The third function of the DnaA protein is the regulation of DNA replication. Once activated, DnaA ensures that DNA replication only happens once per cell division. It controls the initiation of DNA replication to ensure proper timing which regulates cell division.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

In eukaryotes, what is meant by the term DNA replication licensing? How does the process occur?

C1. What key structural features of the DNA molecule underlie its ability to be faithfully replicated?

Sometimes DNA polymerase makes a mistake, and the wrong nucleotide is added to the growing DNA strand. With regard to pyrimidines and purines, two general types of mistakes are possible. The addition of an incorrect pyrimidine instead of the correct pyrimidine (e.g., adding cytosine where thymine should be added) is called a transition. If a pyrimidine is incorrectly added to the growing strand instead of purine (e.g., adding cytosine where an adenine should be added), this type of mistake is called a transversion. If a transition or transversion is not detected by DNA polymerase, a mutation is created that permanently changes the DNA sequence. Though both types of mutations are rare, transition mutations are more frequent than transversion mutations. Based on your understanding of DNA replication and DNA polymerase, offer three explanations why transition mutations are more common.

If a eukaryotic chromosome has 25 origins of replication, how many replication forks does it have at the beginning of DNA replication?

As discussed in Chapter 18, some viruses contain RNA as their genetic material. Certain RNA viruses can exist as a provirus in which the viral genetic material has been inserted into the chromosomal DNA of the host cell. For this to happen, the viral RNA must be copied into a strand of DNA. An enzyme called reverse transcriptase, encoded by the viral genome, copies the viral RNA into a complementary strand of DNA. The strand of DNA is then used as a template to make a double-stranded DNA molecule. This doublestranded DNA molecule is then inserted into the chromosomal DNA, where it may exist as a provirus for a long period of time. A. How is the function of reverse transcriptase similar to the function of telomerase? B. Unlike DNA polymerase, reverse transcriptase does not have a proofreading function. How might this affect the proliferation of the virus?

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