What is the replication/synthesis of the lagging strand known as?
Okazaki Fragments
The replication/synthesis of the lagging strand is known as discontinuous replication or Okazaki fragment synthesis. This process occurs during DNA replication, where both the leading and lagging strands are replicated simultaneously by DNA polymerase enzyme. The leading strand is replicated continuously in the 5′ to 3′ direction, while the lagging strand is synthesized discontinuously in the opposite orientation due to the antiparallel nature of DNA, resulting in the formation of Okazaki fragments.
These fragments are short segments of DNA that are approximately 1,000-2,000 nucleotides long and are synthesized in the opposite direction to the replication fork movement. The fragments are initiated periodically by the primase enzyme that synthesizes an RNA primer, which is then extended by DNA polymerase alpha. The fragments are joined together by DNA ligase, resulting in the formation of a continuous strand.
Discontinuous synthesis is important because without it, the lagging strand would not be replicated, and the synthesis of the entire DNA molecule would be incomplete. The discovery of discontinuous replication was significant in understanding the mechanism of DNA replication and its role in the transfer of genetic information from generation to generation.
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