DNA replication is a key event in the cell cycle. Although our knowledge is far from complete and many elusive regulatory mechanisms still remain beyondour grasp, many enzymes and a multiplicity of biochemical mechanisms involved have been discovered. Recent findings in E. coli have confirmed and yet surpassed the original hypothesis of F. Jacob. In yeast and higher eucaryotes, the apparent redundancy in putative origins and initiators has made an estimation of the importance of each identified element difficult to access. In spite of well established methodologies - which are also described in the book - the origin identification in mammalian chromosomes is still a controversial subject. On the other hand, considerable advances have been made in our understanding of virus DNA replication and this continues to deepen and broaden our understanding of the controls of cellular DNA replication.

Provided here is an easily accessible introduction to the mechanisms of DNA replication, regulation and the biochemistry of cell cycle control. An overview of this rapidly developing field is presented to orient the reader, followed by a series of contributions by leading researchers summarizing recent results on selected topics, such as protein phosporylation, tumor suppressor genes, and signal transduction in prokaryotic and eucaryotic systems. The reader will gain an overview of our current understanding of DNA replication and the cell cycle, and a selection of useful recent references for further reading.