When DNA replication and protein synthesis come together

In all organisms, DNA and protein are synthesized by dedicated, but unrelated, machineries that move along distinct templates with no apparent coordination. Therefore, connections between DNA replication and translation are a priori unexpected. However, recent findings support the existence of such connections throughout the three domains of life. In particular, we recently identified in archaeal genomes a conserved association between genes encoding DNA replication and ribosome-related proteins which all have eukaryotic homologs. We believe that this gene organization is biologically relevant and, moreover, that it suggests the existence of a mechanism coupling DNA replication and translation in Archaea and Eukarya.