bacterial pre-replicative complex

GO:0036389 · Other · Nucleoprotein complex · Proposed

A protein-DNA complex that forms at the bacterial oriC during the initial step of DNA replication and allows the origin to become competent, or 'licensed', for replication. [GO:0036389]

Synonyms: bacterial pre-RC

UniProt location names: UniProt Consortium, CC BY 4.0. Reference label and route sources.

Components

Component	Type	Part of / acts on	Grounding	Genes	Stoichiometry	Essential	Role
DnaA replication initiation protein	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	dnaA		UNKNOWN	Replication initiator that occupies oriC recognition sites during bacterial pre-RC assembly. `GO:1990101` GO:1990101 defines DnaA-oriC binding as the first step in bacterial pre-RC assembly. `PMID:19833870` Miller et al. 2009 analyzed how E. coli DnaA bound at high-affinity oriC sites assists loading of additional DnaA during pre-RC assembly.
oriC origin DNA	Dna	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)			UNKNOWN	Bacterial chromosomal origin DNA scaffold on which the pre-RC forms. `GO:0036389` GO:0036389 defines the bacterial pre-replicative complex as a protein-DNA complex that forms at bacterial oriC. `PMID:19833870` Miller et al. 2009 tested DnaA occupation of the E. coli oriC origin during bacterial pre-RC assembly.

Taxonomic distribution

NCBITaxon:562 Escherichia coli — COMMON: Miller et al. 2009 investigated E. coli DnaA and oriC interactions during bacterial pre-RC assembly. [PMID:19833870]

Canonical examples

NCBITaxon:562 Escherichia coli — Miller et al. 2009 used the E. coli oriC system to study assembly of bacterial pre-replicative complexes from high-affinity DnaA origin recognition complexes. [PMID:19833870]

Functions

DNA replication initiation GO:0006270 — The bacterial pre-replicative complex forms at oriC during the initial stage of DNA replication to license the origin for replication.
- GO:0036389 GO:0036389 defines the bacterial pre-RC as forming at oriC during the initial step of DNA replication.
- GO:0006270 GO:0006270 is the Gene Ontology biological-process term for DNA replication initiation.
- PMID:21035377 Leonard and Grimwade 2010 reviewed regulation of DnaA complex assembly during bacterial replication initiation.

Mechanism graphs

DnaA and oriC form the bacterial pre-RC (ASSEMBLY)

DnaA occupies oriC origin DNA during bacterial pre-RC assembly to make the origin competent for DNA replication initiation.

Subject	Predicate	Object	Evidence
DnaA replication initiation protein	contributes to	bacterial pre-replicative complex	`GO:1990101` GO:1990101 defines DnaA-oriC binding as the first step in bacterial pre-RC assembly. `PMID:19833870` Miller et al. 2009 tested DnaA loading during E. coli pre-RC assembly.
oriC origin DNA	scaffolds	bacterial pre-replicative complex	`GO:0036389` GO:0036389 defines the bacterial pre-RC as a protein-DNA complex that forms at bacterial oriC.
bacterial pre-replicative complex	supports	DNA replication initiation	`GO:0036389` GO:0036389 defines the bacterial pre-RC as allowing oriC to become licensed for replication. `GO:0006270` GO:0006270 is the DNA replication initiation process term.

Discussions

CURATION_TODO (OPEN): Resolve exact source-neutral DnaA and oriC origin DNA groundings for the bacterial pre-replicative complex. GO:0036389 defines the bacterial pre-RC as a protein-DNA complex at oriC, and GO:1990101 identifies DnaA-oriC binding as the first step in bacterial pre-RC assembly. Exact source-neutral InterPro, Pfam, NCBIfam, UniProt family or SO sequence-feature CURIEs need narrower curation before these components can be grounded.
INTERPRETATION (RESOLVED): Keep the generic bacterial pre-RC distinct from named DnaA-oriC, DnaA-DiaA, DnaA-HU and helicase-loading complexes. GO:0036389 denotes the generic bacterial pre-RC at oriC. GO models DnaA-oriC, DnaA-DiaA and DnaA-HU complexes as separate named cellular components, and DnaB-DnaC complexes mark later helicase loading states rather than required parts of every bacterial pre-RC.

Evidence

GO:0036389 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the bacterial pre-replicative complex and its exact bacterial pre-RC synonym.
GO:0036387 QuickGO reports GO:0036389 bacterial pre-replicative complex as an is-a child of GO:0036387 pre-replicative complex.
GO:0032993 QuickGO reports GO:0032993 protein-DNA complex as an ancestor of GO:0036389.
GO:1990101 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the DnaA-oriC complex, the first step in bacterial pre-RC assembly.
GO:0006270 Gene Ontology biological-process term for DNA replication initiation.
PMID:19833870 PubMed identifier for Miller et al. 2009, the PNAS paper cited by GO:0036389.
DOI:10.1073/pnas.0909472106 DOI for Miller et al. 2009, 'Bacterial origin recognition complexes direct assembly of higher-order DnaA oligomeric structures', as reported by PubMed.
PMID:21035377 PubMed identifier for Leonard and Grimwade 2010, the Current Opinion in Microbiology review cited by GO:0036389.
DOI:10.1016/j.mib.2010.10.001 DOI for Leonard and Grimwade 2010, 'Regulating DnaA complex assembly: it is time to fill the gaps', as reported by PubMed.

Curation history

2026-10-01T11:35:38Z codex · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
2026-10-01T11:36:57Z codex · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added GO synonymy, pre-replicative-complex parentage, reviewed-label-only DnaA and oriC DNA components, E. coli bacterial pre-RC evidence, DNA-replication-initiation function evidence, GO/PubMed/DOI evidence, a nonmechanistic bacterial pre-RC graph, and grounding/boundary discussions.
2026-10-01T11:38:24Z codex · FIX_EVIDENCE_NOTES — Narrowed the GO:0036387 parent note to direct child evidence and removed unsupported regulatory-architectural-protein scope text.

Source: data/structures/other/bacterial_pre_replicative_complex.yaml