Recombination associated with replication of malarial mitochondrial DNA. |
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Authors: | P R Preiser R J Wilson P W Moore S McCready M A Hajibagheri K J Blight M Strath and D H Williamson |
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Institution: | The National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK. |
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Abstract: | Mitochondrial DNA of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum comprises approximately 20 copies per cell of a 6 kb genome, arranged mainly as polydisperse linear concatemers. In synchronous blood cultures, initiation of mtDNA replication coincides with the start of the 4-5 doublings in nuclear DNA that mark the reproductive phase of the erythrocytic cycle. We show that mtDNA replication coincides with a recombination process reminiscent of the replication mechanism used by certain bacteriophages and plasmids. The few circular forms of mtDNA which are also present do not replicate by a theta mechanism, but are themselves the product of recombination, and we propose they undergo rolling circle activity to generate the linear concatemers. |
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