Laboratorio de diagnóstico citogenético
Acoxpa 542-401, Tlalpan 14650 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

The replisome complex in action: During DNA replication, helicase unzips the parent strands while single stranded binding proteins stabilize each strand. Topois...omerase relieves tension by cutting and rejoining DNA downstream of the replication fork. The primase enzyme catalyzes an RNA primer so that DNA polymerase III (guided by a sliding clamp) can begin polymerizing the new DNA molecule from the template. On the leading strand, this happens continuously as helicase continues unzipping the parent stranded, but since DNA has a polarity, and DNA can only be polymerized 5' to 3', the lagging strand has to be polymerized in pieces called Okazaki fragments. Later, DNA polymerase I replaces the RNA primers with DNA, and DNA ligase fills in the sugar phosphate backbone between adjacent Okazaki fragments. As fast as this clip may seem, my understanding is that the real thing is roughy an order of magnitude faster still. ~ Credible Hulk Note: the above description pertains to bacterial DNA replication (which looks to be what the gif is depicting). Humans and other eukaryotes each have their own offshoots of these enzymes). Animation c/o DNA Learning Center

FISH Technique: Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization