Okazaki fragment

Okazaki fragment (pronunciation: /oʊkəˈzɑːki/; etymology: named after Japanese scientist Reiji Okazaki who discovered it) is a short, newly synthesized DNA fragment that is formed on the lagging template strand during DNA replication. They are complementary to the lagging template strand, together forming short double-stranded DNA sections.

Definition

An Okazaki fragment is a relatively short fragment of DNA with an RNA primer at the 5' end and about 100-200 nucleotides long in eukaryotes and 1000-2000 nucleotides long in prokaryotes. They are synthesized discontinuously and later linked together by the enzyme DNA ligase to create the lagging strand.

Discovery

The Okazaki fragment was discovered in 1968 by Reiji Okazaki, Tsuneko Okazaki, and their colleagues while studying Escherichia coli. The discovery was significant in explaining how DNA replication is not continuous in both directions.

Function

The primary function of Okazaki fragments is to assist in the replication of the lagging strand during DNA replication. They are synthesized in a 5' to 3' direction by DNA polymerase. The RNA primers are then removed and replaced with DNA, and the fragments are joined together by DNA ligase to create a continuous DNA strand.

Related Terms

• DNA replication
• DNA ligase
• DNA polymerase
• Reiji Okazaki
• Lagging strand
• Leading strand

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Okazaki fragment
• Wikipedia's article - Okazaki fragment

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