Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology, SUPA, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen 24 3UE, United Kingdom.
Phys Rev Lett. 2012 Feb 3;108(5):058101. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.058101. Epub 2012 Jan 30.
DNA replication is an essential process in biology and its timing must be robust so that cells can divide properly. Random fluctuations in the formation of replication starting points, called origins, and the subsequent activation of proteins lead to variations in the replication time. We analyze these stochastic properties of DNA and derive the positions of origins corresponding to the minimum replication time. We show that under some conditions the minimization of replication time leads to the grouping of origins, and relate this to experimental data in a number of species showing origin grouping.
DNA 复制是生物学中的一个基本过程，其时间必须稳健，以便细胞能够正常分裂。复制起点（称为 ori）形成和随后的蛋白质激活过程中的随机波动导致复制时间的变化。我们分析了 DNA 的这些随机特性，并推导出对应于最小复制时间的 ori 位置。我们表明，在某些条件下，复制时间的最小化导致 ori 的分组，并将其与许多物种的实验数据相关联，这些数据显示 ori 的分组。
