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. 1996 Feb 1;15(3):684–693.

Recombination associated with replication of malarial mitochondrial DNA.

P R Preiser 1, R J Wilson 1, P W Moore 1, S McCready 1, M A Hajibagheri 1, K J Blight 1, M Strath 1, D H Williamson 1
PMCID: PMC449987  PMID: 8599952

Abstract

Mitochondrial DNA of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum comprises approximately 20 copies per cell of a 6 kb genome, arranged mainly as polydisperse linear concatemers. In synchronous blood cultures, initiation of mtDNA replication coincides with the start of the 4-5 doublings in nuclear DNA that mark the reproductive phase of the erythrocytic cycle. We show that mtDNA replication coincides with a recombination process reminiscent of the replication mechanism used by certain bacteriophages and plasmids. The few circular forms of mtDNA which are also present do not replicate by a theta mechanism, but are themselves the product of recombination, and we propose they undergo rolling circle activity to generate the linear concatemers.

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