James E. Graham Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-11-05
Researcher in DNA replication. Graham and collaborators examined independent and stochastic behavior of DNA polymerases within the replisome, connecting molecular fluctuations with the coordinated duplication of a genome.[ref]
Replisome 2026-11-05
A replisome is the coordinated molecular machinery operating at a replication fork. It couples DNA unwinding with primer production and DNA synthesis. A DNA polymerase extends a paired strand end, while a helicase separates the template strands and other components stabilize or organize the reaction. [ref]
The templates are antiparallel, but DNA polymerization proceeds in one chemical direction. Leading-strand synthesis can follow fork movement continuously, while lagging-strand synthesis uses successive Okazaki fragments that are processed and joined. The resulting asymmetry is a constraint on coordination, not a requirement for two chemically opposite polymerization reactions. Replisome composition and organization differ among bacteria, eukaryotes and experimental systems.