Recent Advances in Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of DNA Replication Process

DNA replication is the basis for biological inheritance, involving a series of sophisticated biochemical processes. Over the past decades, numerous in vitro or in vivo experiments have been implemented among a variety of organisms. While these resource-intensive techniques may always be costly, time-consuming or unable to measure the replication process on a global scale. Recently, mathematical modeling and computational simulation of biochemical processes that can be used for rapid testing of biology hypotheses have attracted considerable attention. In this review, we outline some key mathematical and computational works proposed recently for DNA replication process, with emphasis on the modeling and simulation of the replication origin identification and characterization, the replication process initiation and regulation, and the genome-wide profiling of DNA replication. Although many excellent works have been done, for a deeper insight into the DNA replication process, further iteration of mathematical modeling and biochemical experiment are still needed, and the prospective and possible research directions are discussed herein.