recA-Dependent DNA Replication in the Absence of Protein Synthesis: Characteristics of a Dominant Lethal Replication Mutation, dnaT, and Requirement for recA+ Function

The requirement for protein synthesis to initiate a new cycle of DNA replication (Maaløe and Hanawalt 1961) limits the amount of DNA replication per cell. This form of regulation couples replication with cell growth and therefore this restriction seems reasonable. However, the mechanism of terminating replication is obscure. One obvious possibility, suggested by a variety of in vivo experiments, is that one or several components of the replication complex become inactive (Lark 1978). If components of the complex are not readily exchangeable, and in vivo data (Lark and Renger 1969; Kogoma and Lark 1970; Lark and Wechsler 1975; Kogoma 1976; Breschkin and Mosig 1977a,b; Schuster etal. 1977 and this volume; Lark 1978; Mosig et al., this volume) as well as in vitro data (Scheckman et al. 1975; Wickner and Hurwitz 1975; Weiner et al. 1976; Alberts and Sternglanz 1977; Kornberg; Meyer et al.; Wickner; Sumida-Yasumoto et al.; all this volume)...