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Concept
Semiconservative replication
Summary
Semiconservative replication describe the mechanism of DNA replication in all known cells. DNA replication occurs on multiple origins of replication along the DNA template strands. As the DNA double helix is unwound by helicase, replication occurs separately on each template strand in antiparallel directions. This process is known as semi-conservative replication because two copies of the original DNA molecule are produced, each copy conserving (replicating) the information from one half of the original DNA molecule. Each copy contains one original strand and one newly synthesized strand. (Both copies should be identical, but this is not entirely assured.) The structure of DNA (as deciphered by James D. Watson and Francis Crick in 1953) suggested that each strand of the double helix would serve as a template for synthesis of a new strand. It was not known how newly synthesized strands combined with template strands to form two double helical DNA molecules.
Multiple experiments were conducted to determine how DNA replicates. The semiconservative model was anticipated by Nikolai Koltsov and later supported by the Meselson–Stahl experiment, which confirmed that DNA replicated semi-conservatively by conducting an experiment using two isotopes: nitrogen-15 () and nitrogen-14 (). When was added to the heavy - DNA, a hybrid of - was seen in the first generation. After the second generation, the hybrid remained, but light DNA (-) was seen as well. This indicated that DNA replicated semi-conservatively. This mode of DNA replication allowed for each daughter strand to remain associated with its template strand.
Semiconservative replication derives its name from the fact that this mechanism of transcription was one of three models originally proposed for DNA replication:
Semiconservative replication would produce two copies that each contained one of the original strands of DNA and one new strand. Semiconservative replication is beneficial to DNA repair. During replication, the new strand of DNA adjusts to the modifications made on the template strand.
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