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Mechanism of RNA primer removal in plastid DNA replication

Nature Plants volume 11, pages 1233–1234 (2025)Cite this article

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The factors involved in the removal of RNA primers during plastid DNA (ptDNA) replication have been unclear. We now identify a plastid-localized 5′–3′ exonuclease (PEN1) that mediates the removal of RNA primers in ptDNA replication and provide structural insight into its mechanism of action in this process.

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Fig. 1: PEN1 mediates RNA primer removal in ptDNA replication.

References

  1. Al-Behadili, A. et al. A two-nuclease pathway involving RNase H1 is required for primer removal at human mitochondrial OriL. Nucleic Acids Res. 46, 9471–9483 (2018). This paper reports the functions of human ribonuclease H1 (RNase H1).

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This is a summary of: Huang, X. et al. PEN1 catalyses RNA primer removal during plastid DNA replication in maize. Nat. Plants https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02027-4 (2025).

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Mechanism of RNA primer removal in plastid DNA replication. Nat. Plants 11, 1233–1234 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02038-1

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