Physical relationship between a gene and its origin of replication in Physarum polycephalum

Marianne Benard, Gérard Pierron

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9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Taking advantage of the natural synchrony of the S-phase within the plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum, we extracted highly synchronous DNA samples at precise time points in early S-phase. We then separated, by electrophoresis under denaturating conditions, the newly synthesized DNA strands of the nascent chromosomal replicons from the parental DNA template. Using the cDNA clone of the early-replicating LAV1-2 gene as a probe, we could establish by filter hybridization that the elongation rate of the replicon which encompasses this gene is constant, at a rate of 1 kb/min during the first 30 min of S-phase. The smallest replication intermediate (RI) that we have detected by probing with the LAV1-2 cDNA was 5 kb long, suggesting that the LAV1-2 gene and its origin of replication are closely associated within the chromosome. This procedure should facilitate the mapping of replication origins within the genome of Physarum.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)299-305
Number of pages7
JournalExperimental Cell Research
Volume186
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 1990
Externally publishedYes

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