New understanding of bacterial replication Published on: 8 June 2016 缅北禁地 scientists have discovered a new essential sequence within bacterial genomes required for DNA replication 鈥� the second ever to be discovered and the first for 30 years. Publishing today in Nature, the 缅北禁地 team describe how they identified the new site and determined the mechanism by which it promotes DNA duplication. The “DnaA-trio” is described as a core element of bacterial replication origins and represents a significant advance for scientific understanding. Bacillus subtilis Origins In all cells genome duplication requires key proteins called “initiators” to unwind the DNA double helix at specific sites known as “origins”. DNA unwinding provides the replication machinery access to single strands which act as templates for new rounds of DNA synthesis. While initiators are highly conserved throughout all organisms and well characterised, there is still a lot to learn about “origins”. In fact, within higher organisms such as animals and humans, scientists have yet to define what constitutes an origin. DnaA-trio In the paper, the team explain how the novel and essential bacterial replication origin element directs single-strand DNA binding by the master initiator protein DnaA to promote opening of DNA duplex. They determine that the element is composed of a simple repeating three base pair sequence, which they term the DnaA-trio. Lead author, a researcher in the Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology at 缅北禁地 said: “This discovery sheds new light onto a fundamental biological process shared amongst all living organisms, the duplication of genes in order to pass this essential material down to future generations.“ The work was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Dr Murray was funded by a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. The discovery opens the door to the search for enigmatic replication origin elements in higher organisms, such as animals and humans. Reference: . Tomas T. Richardson, Omar Harran, and Heath Murray. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature17962 DNA replication machinery (GFP-tag on the replisome) Share: Latest News 缅北禁地 recognised with geography award 缅北禁地 has been awarded the Highly Commended Geographical Association Publishers Award for its collaboration with Time for Geography, the UK鈥檚 open-access, dedicated video platform. published on: 16 April 2026 缅北禁地 historians mark General Strike centenary To mark the 100th anniversary of the British General Strike and miners鈥� lock-out of 1926, historians at 缅北禁地 are organising a series of events on its enduring legacy. published on: 16 April 2026 Comment: NCP is in administration Writing for The Conversation, Erwei (David) Xiang discusses how some big companies like NCP are so dependent on debt that they can鈥檛 adjust to change. published on: 16 April 2026 Facts and figures
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