An investigation of DNA repair processes during DNA replication using the archaeon, Sulfolobus, as a model organism.

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Mutations in DNA are responsible for a number of medical diseases including cancers. The aim of this study is further our understanding of how cells prevent and repair DNA damage during DNA replication, the process when DNA is copied prior to cell division. The intricacy of the mechanisms involved in human and animal cells can complicate direct experimental observation, and for this reason we often use ‘simple‘ model organisms to gain further insight into these processes. In this study, I intend to examine new aspects of DNA repair using a single-celled model organism that thrives in harsh environmental conditions at temperatures of up to 80 C. This organism, called Sulfolobus, belongs to an ancient superfamily of microorganisms called archaea that are genetically distinct from bacteria. In fact, the archaeal apparatus for DNA replication and repair is more closely related to the machineries found in animal cells rather than those present in bacteria. Sulfolobus is also easy and inexpensive to cultivate, and the robustness of the heat-stable proteins isolated from these organisms facilitates experimental investigation. Therefore, Sulfolobus is an ideal organism in which to study the basic processes of replication-associated DNA repair.