DNA polymerase: Difference between revisions

The basic structure of all DNA polymerases consists of subdomains referred to as the palm, fingers, and thumb and resemble an open right hand. The palm contains catalytically essential amino acids in it's active sites. The fingers are essential for nucleotide recognition and binding. The thumb is important for the binding of the DNA substrate. Between the finger and thumb domains is a pocket that is made up of two regions; the insertion site and postinsertion site. The incoming nucleotides bind to the insertion site and the new base pair resides in the postinsertion site. These subdomains, along with other subdomains specific to each family, are essential for the correct functioning of DNA polymerase. The structures of each of these subdomains are slightly different for each polymerases; to view these structures in greater detail, refer to the links at the bottom of the page. <ref name="structure">PMID: 16230118</ref>