Evidence for the involvement of a single major species of replicative complex in DNA synthesis from two diverse nuclear replicons in yeast.

The activity that replicates the 2-micron yeast DNA plasmid in vitro can be isolated as a high-molecular weight (approximately 2 X 10(6)) fraction, which possesses many of the features of a multiprotein replicative complex. This fraction also initiates DNA synthesis at the yeast chromosomal replicator ARS1 raising the question whether the preparations discriminate between origins. It was determined that the binding of replicative complex to plasmids containing either 2-microns or ARS1 origins of replication was indistinguishable. The preparations also showed no preference among them for replication. In addition, the DNAs competed with each other to the same extent for binding of replicative complex. These results suggest that these two origins share one major species of replicative complex.