Replicon (genetics)
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A replicon is a DNA molecule or RNA molecule, or a region of DNA or RNA that replicates from a single origin of replication.
For most prokaryotic chromosomes, the replicon is the entire chromosome. The only exceptions found comes from archaea, where two Sulfolobus species have been shown to contain three replicons. Plasmids and bacteriophages are also replicated as single replicons.
For eukaryotic chromosomes, there are multiple replicons per chromosome. The definition of replicons is somewhat confused with mitochondria, as they use unidirectional replication with two separate origins.
[edit] See also
Origin of replication/Ori/Replicon - DNA clamp - Okazaki fragment - Replication fork (Lagging and leading strands) - Single-strand binding protein - Primer - Processivity - Klenow fragment
Pre-replication complex: Helicase (dnaA, dnaB, T7) - Primase (dnaG) - DNA polymerase III holoenzyme (dnaQ)