Replication forks routinely encounter damaged DNA and tightly bound proteins, leading to fork stalling and inactivation. To complete DNA synthesis, it is necessary to remove fork-blocking lesions and reactivate stalled fork structures, which can occur by multiple mechanisms. To study the mechanisms of stalled fork reactivation, we used a model fork intermediate, the origin fork, which is formed during replication from the bacteriophage T4 origin, ori(34). The origin fork accumulates within the T4 chromosome in a site-specific manner without the need for replication inhibitors or DNA damage. We report here that the origin fork is processed in vivo to generate a regressed fork structure. Furthermore, origin fork regression supports two mechanisms of fork resolution that can potentially lead to fork reactivation. Fork regression generates both a site-specific double-stranded end (DSE) and a Holliday junction. Each of these DNA elements serves as a target for processing by the T4 ATPase/exonuclease complex [gene product (gp) 46/47] and Holliday junction-cleaving enzyme (EndoVII), respectively. In the absence of both gp46 and EndoVII, regressed origin forks are stabilized and persist throughout infection. In the presence of EndoVII, but not gp46, there is significantly less regressed origin fork accumulation apparently due to cleavage of the regressed fork Holliday junction. In the presence of gp46, but not EndoVII, regressed origin fork DSEs are processed by degradation of the DSE and a pathway that includes recombination proteins. Although both mechanisms can occur independently, they may normally function together as a single fork reactivation pathway.2D gel electrophoresis ͉ DNA replication ͉ recombination ͉ restart R eplication forks routinely encounter various lesions, ranging from damaged nucleotide residues to covalent protein-DNA complexes. The consequences of these encounters depend on the type and position of the lesion (1). Although some lesions result in fork breakage, many result in fork stalling and replisome inactivation. Presumably, replisome disassembly is important for the repair of the original DNA lesion. However, it is then necessary to reactivate stalled forks to complete replication and maintain genome stability. Therefore, it is critical to understand the mechanisms of stalled fork resolution and reactivation.To identify the pathways of stalled fork reactivation, we have used a model fork intermediate that is formed during replication from bacteriophage T4 origin, ori(34). Replication from ori(34) occurs bidirectionally through a two-step process (Fig. 1) (2). A middle-mode promoter and DNA unwinding element promote the formation of an R loop that initiates the first replication fork (3). The mechanism of T4 replication from an R loop has been analyzed in vitro (4). Initially, the branch structure of the R loop supports the binding of the replicative helicase loader [gene product (gp) 59], which promotes removal of the ssDNA-binding protein (gp32) in favor of the replicative helicase (gp41). ...