DNA polymerase

DNA polymerase (Dpo) reads a DNA strand and catalyzes the synthesis of its complementary strand. Dpo's are divided into 7 families according to their sequence homology and 3D structure similarities.^[1] The families are:

Family A - replicative or repair Dpo.
Family B - replicative Dpo involved in processing DNA replication during cell division (includes eukaryotic Dpo α,δ,ε).
Family C - major replicative Dpo in bacteria (includes Dpo II, III, IV).
Family D - replicative. Present in archaea.
Family X - eukaryotic repair Dpo (includes Dpo β,λ,σ,μ and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase).
Family Y - replicative of damaged DNA (includes eukaryotic η,ι,κ).
Family RT - reverse transcriptase. See Reverse transcriptase.

Some Dpo terminology:

Dpo sliding clamp is made of the complex of Dpo and Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) which encircles it.
The BRCT domain in Dpo is the C-terminal domain of breast cancer susceptibility protein.
Klenow fragment is a large Dpo fragment produced upon cleavage of Dpo by subtilisin.
In the E. coli, the EcDpo III subunits β, γ, δ, δ' are named clamp loader. This complex assembles the β subunit sliding clamp unto the DNA.

Prokaryotic DNA polymerases:

DNA polymerase I: involved in excision repair. Major polymerase in E. coli. For more details see DNA Polymerase I. See also Taq DNA polymerase (Hebrew).
DNA polymerase II: active in replication forks.
DNA polymerase III: involved in DNA replication. For more details see Polymerase III homoenzyme beta subunit and Alpha Subunit of Thermus aquaticus DNA Polymerase III.
DNA polymerase IV: involved in non-targeted mutagenesis.
DNA polymerase V: involved in translesion synthesis.

Eukaryotic DNA polymerases:

Pol α,β,γ,δ,ε,ζ,η,ι,κ. See also DNA polymerase beta.
Rev1 is a Dpo involved in replication over DNA lesions.
Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is a family X Dpo expressed in immature lymphoid cells. TdT adds nucleotides to exons during antibody gene recombination.

in Family A DNA polymerase I (1taq).

in Family A DNA polymerase I (1taq).^[2]

3D Structures of DNA polymerase3D Structures of DNA polymerase

Updated on 16-November-2016

ReferencesReferences

↑ Steitz TA. DNA polymerases: structural diversity and common mechanisms. J Biol Chem. 1999 Jun 18;274(25):17395-8. PMID:10364165
↑ Kim Y, Eom SH, Wang J, Lee DS, Suh SW, Steitz TA. Crystal structure of Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase. Nature. 1995 Aug 17;376(6541):612-6. PMID:7637814 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/376612a0

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Alexander Berchansky, David Canner, Michal Harel, Joel L. Sussman, Cori Damron, Emily Bray, Jaime Prilusky

[1] Steitz TA. DNA polymerases: structural diversity and common mechanisms. J Biol Chem. 1999 Jun 18;274(25):17395-8. PMID:10364165

[2] Kim Y, Eom SH, Wang J, Lee DS, Suh SW, Steitz TA. Crystal structure of Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase. Nature. 1995 Aug 17;376(6541):612-6. PMID:7637814 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/376612a0

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DNA polymerase

3D Structures of DNA polymerase3D Structures of DNA polymerase

ReferencesReferences

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