[Diversity and unity of methods of replication of viral DNA].

A systematization of the modes of viral DNA genomes replication was attempted. The key problem of replication, the complete copying of the genome, has several fundamentally different ("strategic") solutions, which utilize different mechanisms of initiation of a round of replication. Noticeable diversity may exist also within a given strategy, since consecutive replication steps may be accomplished by several (but not many) distinct means. There appears to exist a significant similarity between the viral and cellular replication systems. The approach used permits an assessment of the actual diversity in DNA replication systems.