On the opportunistic nature of transcription and replication initiation in the metazoan genome

Abstract

Cellular identity and its response to external or internal signalling variations are encoded in a cell's genome as regulatory information. The genomic regions that specify this type of information are highly variable and degenerated in their sequence determinants, as it is becoming increasingly evident through the application of genome-scale methods to study gene expression. Here, we speculate that the same scenario applies to the regulatory regions controlling where DNA replication starts in the metazoan genome. We propose that replication origins cannot be defined as unique genomic features, but rather that DNA synthesis initiates opportunistically from accessible DNA sites, making cells highly robust and adaptable to environmental or developmental changes. © 2012 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.