Dna Replication Controls Volume 1

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "DNA Replication Controls" that was published in Genes

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "DNA Replication Controls" that was published in Genes

The conditions for DNA replication are not ideal, owing to endogenous and exogenous replication stresses that lead to arrest of the replication fork. Arrested forks are among the most serious threats to genomic integrity because they can break or rearrange, leading to genomic instability, which is a hallmark of cancers and aging-related disorders. This title, "DNA Replication Controls", presents series of new reviews and original research articles, providing a comprehensive guide to theoretical advancements in the field of DNA replication research in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. The topics include DNA polymerases and helicases; replication initiation; replication timing; replication-associated DNA repair; and replication of difficult-to-replicate genomic regions, including telomeres, centromeres and highly-transcribed regions. This title also provides recent advancements in studies of cellular processes that are coordinated with DNA replication and how defects in the DNA replication program result in genetic disorders, including cancer. Written by leading experts in DNA replication regulation, this book will be an important resource for a wide variety of audiences, including junior graduate students and established investigators who have interests in DNA replication and genome maintenance mechanisms.

DNA replication, the process of copying one double stranded DNA molecule to produce two identical copies, is at the heart of cell proliferation. This book highlights new insights into the replication process in eukaryotes, from the assembly of pre-replication complex and features of DNA replication origins, through polymerization mechanisms, to propagation of epigenetic states. It also covers cell cycle control of replication initiation and includes the latest on mechanisms of replication in prokaryotes. The association between genome replication and transcription is also addressed. We hope that readers will find this book interesting, helpful and inspiring.

This Special Issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) is dedicated to the mechanisms mediated at the molecular and cellular levels in response to adverse genomic perturbations and DNA replication stress. The relevant proteins and processes play paramount roles in nucleic acid transactions to maintain genomic stability and cellular homeostasis. A total of 18 articles are presented which encompass a broad range of highly relevant topics in genome biology. These include replication fork dynamics, DNA repair processes, DNA damage signaling and cell cycle control, cancer biology, epigenetics, cellular senescence, neurodegeneration, and aging. As Guest Editor for this IJMS

The study of DNA advanced human knowledge in a way comparable to the major theories in physics, surpassed only by discoveries such as fire or the number zero. However, it also created conceptual shortcuts, beliefs and misunderstandings that obscure the natural phenomena, hindering its better understanding. The deep conviction that no human knowledge is perfect, but only perfectible, should function as a fair safeguard against scientific dogmatism and enable open discussion. With this aim, this book will offer to its readers 30 chapters on current trends in the field of DNA replication. As several contributions in this book show, the study of DNA will continue for a while to be a leading front of scientific activities.

Intracellular checkpoint controls constitute a network of signal transd- tion pathways that protect cells from external stresses and internal errors. Ext- nal stresses can be generated by the continuous assault of DNA-damaging agents, such as environmental mutagens, ultraviolet (UV) light, ionizing radiation, or the reactive oxygen species that can arise during normal cellular metabolism. In response to any of these assaults on the integrity of the genome, the activation of the network of checkpoint control pathways can lead to diverse cellular responses, such as cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, or elimination of the cell by cell death (apoptosis) if the damage cannot be repaired. Moreover, internal errors can occur during the highly orchestrated replication of the cellular genome and its distribution into daughter cells. Here, the temporal order of these cell cycle events must be strictly enforced—for example, to ensure that DNA replication is c- plete and occurs only once before cell division, or to monitor mitotic spindle assembly, and to prevent exit from mitosis until chromosome segregation has been completed. Thus, well functioning checkpoint mechanisms are central to the maintenance of genomic integrity and the basic viability of cells and, the- fore, are essential for proper development and survival. The importance of proper functioning of checkpoints becomes plainly obvious under conditions in which this control network malfunctions and fails. Depending on the severity and timing, failure of this machinery can lead to embryonic lethality, genetic diseases, and cancer.