Balancing eukaryotic replication asymmetry with replication fidelity

Coordinated replication of eukaryotic nuclear genomes is asymmetric, with copying of a leading strand template preceding discontinuous copying of the lagging strand template. Replication is catalyzed by DNA polymerases α, δ and ɛ, enzymes that are related yet differ in physical and biochemical properties, including fidelity. Recent studies suggest that Pol ɛ is normally the primary leading strand replicase, whereas most synthesis by Pol δ occurs during lagging strand replication. New studies show that replication asymmetry can generate strand-specific genome instability resulting from biased deoxynucleotide pools and unrepaired ribonucleotides incorporated into DNA during replication, and that the eukaryotic replication machinery has evolved to most efficiently correct those replication errors that are made at the highest rates.

► Pols ɛ and δ are likely to replicate the leading and lagging strand templates, respectively. ► The intrinsic asymmetry of replication generates strand-specific genome instability. ► Biased dNTP pools and unrepaired rNMPs in DNA result in strand-specific mutagenesis. ► The most common replication errors are corrected most efficiently by mismatch repair.