RNase-dependent discontinuities associated with the crossovers of spontaneously formed joint DNA molecules in Physarum polycephalum

Replication forks reverse at high frequency upon replication stress in Physarum polycephalum

The addition of hydroxyurea after the onset of S phase allows replication to start and permits the successive detecting of replication-dependent joint DNA molecules and chicken foot structures in the synchronous nuclei of Physarum polycephalum. We find evidence for a very high frequency of reversed replication forks upon replication stress. The formation of these reversed forks is dependent on the presence of joint DNA molecules, the impediment of the replication fork progression by hydroxyurea, and likely on the propensity of some replication origins to reinitiate replication to counteract the action of this compound. As hydroxyurea treatment enables us to successively detect the appearance of joint DNA molecules and then of reversed replication forks, we propose that chicken foot structures are formed both from the regression of hydroxyurea-frozen joint DNA molecules and from hydroxyurea-stalled replication forks. These experiments underscore the transient nature of replication fork regression, which becomes detectable due to the hydroxyurea-induced slowing down of replication fork progression.

Unique genome replication mechanism of the archaeal virus AFV1

The exceptional genomic content and genome organization of the Acidianus filamentous virus 1 (AFV1) that infects the hyperthermophilic archaeon Acidianus hospitalis suggest that this virus might exploit an unusual mechanism of genome replication. An analysis of replicative intermediates of the viral genome by two-dimensional (2D) agarose gel electrophoresis revealed that viral genome replication starts by the formation of a D-loop and proceeds via strand displacement replication. Characterization of replicative intermediates using dark-field electron microscopy, in combination with the 2D agarose gel electrophoresis data, suggests that recombination plays a key role in the termination of AFV1 genome replication through the formation of terminal loops. A terminal protein was found to be attached to the ends of the viral genome. The results allow us to postulate a model of genome replication that relies on recombination events for initiation and termination.