scholarly journals Creation of genetic information by DNA polymerase of the archaeon Thermococcus litoralis: influences of temperature and ionic strength

1998 ◽  
Vol 26 (20) ◽  
pp. 4652-4656 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Ogata ◽  
T. Miura
1997 ◽  
Vol 324 (2) ◽  
pp. 667-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norio OGATA ◽  
Takanori MIURA

DNA polymerase catalyses replication of cellular DNA. The reaction requires a primer–template complex, and a new DNA chain grows from the 3′ end of the primer along the template; no genetic information is created in this reaction. We demonstrate that DNA polymerase from Thermococcus litoralis, a hyperthermophilic marine Archaea, can synthesize up to 50000 bp of linear double-stranded DNA in the complete absence of a primer–template complex, indicating that genetic information is ‘created.’ The possibility of DNA contamination in the reaction mixture, which may serve as a primer and/or template, was vigorously excluded; for example, pretreatment of DNA polymerase with DNase I or extensive chromatographic purification of the substrate, deoxyribonucleoside 5′-triphosphates, did not abolish the primer–template-independent DNA synthesis. The DNA synthesized was (CTAGATAT)n, (TAGATATCTATC)n or a related sequence. Similar repetitive sequences are found in centromeric satellite DNA of many organisms. The significance of this ab initioDNA synthesis is that genetic information can flow from protein to DNA.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 89-92
Author(s):  
Muhammad Amir ◽  
Sabeera Afzal ◽  
Alia Ishaq

Polymerases were revealed first in 1970s. Most important to the modest perception the enzyme responsible for nuclear DNA replication that was pol , for DNA repair pol and for mitochondrial DNA replication pol  DNA construction and renovation done by DNA polymerases, so directing both the constancy and discrepancy of genetic information. Replication of genome initiate with DNA template-dependent fusion of small primers of RNA. This preliminary phase in replication of DNA demarcated as de novo primer synthesis which is catalyzed by specified polymerases known as primases. Sixteen diverse DNA-synthesizing enzymes about human perspective are devoted to replication, reparation, mutilation lenience, and inconsistency of nuclear DNA. But in dissimilarity, merely one DNA polymerase has been called in mitochondria. It has been suggest that PrimPol is extremely acting the roles by re-priming DNA replication in mitochondria to permit an effective and appropriate way replication to be accomplished. Investigations from a numeral of test site have significantly amplified our appreciative of the role, recruitment and regulation of the enzyme during DNA replication. Though, we are simply just start to increase in value the versatile roles that play PrimPol in eukaryote.


2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Vigneault ◽  
Régen Drouin

An optimized procedure for the ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique using Thermococcus litoralis exo– DNA polymerase (Vent exo–) was developed. The optimal dosage of Vent exo– at the primer extension and PCR amplification steps as well as the optimal DNA quantity to use were established. We showed that Vent exo– can efficiently create the blunt-ended termini required for subsequent linker ligation. Vent exo– proves to be more efficient than Pyrococcus furiosus exo– (Pfu exo–) for this task. Vent exo– resolves highly GC-rich sequence substantially better than Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase (Taq) and with a similar efficiency as Pfu exo–. The DNA/DNA polymerase activity ratio is significantly higher for Vent exo– than for Pfu exo–, which is reflected by the sensibility of Vent exo– in efficiently amplifying genomic DNA. Furthermore, the range of efficiency of Vent exo– demonstrates the importance of conducting evaluative testing to identify the optimal dosage of use of this polymerase to obtain successful PCR amplification. Optimal MgSO4 concentrations to use with Vent exo– were established. Our results show that Vent exo– DNA polymerase produces bands of uniform and strong intensity and can efficiently be used for the analysis of DNA in living cells by ligation-mediated PCR.Key words: Vent exo– DNA polymerase, Pfu exo– DNA polymerase, DNA sequence context, ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction (PCR), PCR buffer.


2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (20) ◽  
pp. 10270-10281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murari Chaudhuri ◽  
Deborah S. Parris

ABSTRACT The DNA polymerase holoenzyme of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a stable heterodimer consisting of a catalytic subunit (Pol) and a processivity factor (UL42). HSV-1 UL42 differs from most DNA polymerase processivity factors in possessing an inherent ability to bind to double-stranded DNA. It has been proposed that UL42 increases the processivity of Pol by directly tethering it to the primer and template (P/T). To test this hypothesis, we took advantage of the different sensitivities of Pol and Pol/UL42 activities to ionic strength. Although the activity of Pol is inhibited by salt concentrations in excess of 50 mM KCl, the activity of the holoenzyme is relatively refractory to changes in ionic strength from 50 to 125 mM KCl. We used nitrocellulose filter-binding assays and real-time biosensor technology to measure binding affinities and dissociation rate constants of the individual subunits and holoenzyme for a short model P/T as a function of the ionic strength of the buffer. We found that as observed for activity, the binding affinity and dissociation rate constant of the Pol/UL42 holoenzyme for P/T were not altered substantially in high- versus low-ionic-strength buffer. In 50 mM KCl, the apparent affinity with which UL42 bound the P/T did not differ by more than twofold compared to that observed for Pol or Pol/UL42 in the same low-ionic-strength buffer. However, increasing the ionic strength dramatically decreased the affinity of UL42 for P/T, such that it was reduced more than 3 orders of magnitude from that of Pol/UL42 in 125 mM KCl. Real-time binding kinetics revealed that much of the reduced affinity could be attributable to an extremely rapid dissociation of UL42 from the P/T in high-ionic-strength buffer. The resistance of the activity, binding affinity, and stability of the holoenzyme for the model P/T to increases in ionic strength, despite the low apparent affinity and poor stability with which UL42 binds the model P/T in high concentrations of salt, suggests that UL42 does not simply tether the Pol to DNA. Instead, it is likely that conformational alterations induced by interaction of UL42 with Pol allow for high-affinity and high-stability binding of the holoenzyme to the P/T even under high-ionic-strength conditions.


1991 ◽  
Vol 19 (18) ◽  
pp. 4967-4973 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Mattila ◽  
J. Korpela ◽  
T. Tenkanen ◽  
K. Pitkämem

Abstract We demonstrate that the DNA polymerase isolated from Thermococcus litoralis (VentTM DNA polymerase) is the first thermostable DNA polymerase reported having a 3′—5′ proofreading exonuclease activity. This facilitates a highly accurate DNA synthesis in vitro by the polymerase. Mutational frequencies observed in the base substitution fidelity assays were in the range of 30×10−6. These values were 5–10 times lower compared to other thermostable DNA polymerases lacking the proofreading activity. All classes of DNA polymerase errors (transitions, transversions, frameshift mutations) were assayed using the forward mutational assay (1). The mutation frequencies of Thermococcus litoralis DNA polymerase varied between 15−35×10−4 being 2 – 4 times lower than the respective values obtained using enzymes without proofreading activity. We also noticed that the fidelity of the DNA polymerase from Thermococcus litoralis responds to changes in dNTP concentration, units of enzyme used per one reaction and the concentration of MgSO4 relative to the total concentration of dNTPs present in the reaction. The high fidelity DNA synthesis In vitro by Thermococcus litoralis DNA polymerase provides good possibilities for maintaining the genetic information of original target DNA sequences intact in the DNA amplification applications.


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