DNA replication is a key event in the cell cycle. Although
our knowledge is far from complete and many elusive
regulatory mechanisms still remain beyondour grasp, many
enzymes and a multiplicity of biochemical mechanisms
involved have been discovered. Recent findings in E. coli
have confirmed and yet surpassed the original hypothesis of
F. Jacob. In yeast and higher eucaryotes, the apparent
redundancy in putative origins and initiators has made an
estimation of the importance of each identified element
difficult to access. In spite of well established
methodologies - which are also described in the book - the
origin identification in mammalian chromosomes is still a
controversial subject. On the other hand, considerable
advances have been made in our understanding of virus DNA
replication and this continues to deepen and broaden our
understanding of the controls of cellular DNA replication.