Single-molecule studies of fully reconstituted CMG

Prior to cell division, a cell must generate an exact copy of its entire genome to ensure that each of the daughter cells obtains a full copy. This process, known as DNA replication, is an essential process of life and is vital for the health and survival of all cellular organisms.
In eukaryotes, DNA replication is catalyzed by a megadalton-sized dynamic protein complex known as the replisome, which generally carries out its important function in a remarkably efficient and accurate manner. This Herculean task becomes even more impressive when one considers the thousands of roadblocks along the way around which the replisome must navigate, such as tightly bound DNA-binding proteins, covalent DNA-protein crosslinks, highly stable DNA secondary structures, and several forms of DNA damage. In addition to replicating DNA, the replisome is also responsible for a critical process in epigenetic inheritance: the disassembly of nucleosomes on the parental DNA ahead of the replication fork, and their reassembly onto the newly synthesized DNA behind it. Finally, adding to the list of complex tasks it must achieve, the replisome is also able to sense some forms of DNA damage and facilitate their repair...