The following are the summary of what happens during DNA replication:
- Starting from the origin of replication (ori), helicase unwinds the the double helix. Single-stranded bonding proteins (SSBPs) bind to the single stranded DNA to keep them apart.
- RNA polymerase constructs RNA primers on both leading and lagging strands
- The leading strand is continuously elongated by DNAP III.
- The lagging strand is elongated discontinuously. Each okazaki segment is primed with RNAP, and then elongated by by DNAP III. DNAP I replaces the RNA primer with DNA, and DNA ligase joins the fragments together by catalyzing the formation of phosphodiester bonds.
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This process continues until the replication fork meets the replication fork of another replication bubble, or when the end of the DNA strand is reached.
