What does the enzyme Taq polymerase do?
Taq DNA Polymerase, or Taq polymerase, is an enzyme and biological catalyst involved in the attachment of nucleotides to synthesize DNA––like any other polymerase.
What type of enzyme is Taq polymerase?
Taq DNA Polymerase is a highly thermostable recombinant DNA polymerase. It is named after Thermus aquaticus, the heat-tolerant bacterium from which it isolates itself. The molecular weight of the Taq Polymerase is 94kD, and it amplifies DNA up to 5kb with an elongation velocity of 0.9-1.2kb/min at 70-75°C.
What is the main enzyme used in PCR?
DNA polymerase
DNA polymerase is an essential component for PCR due to its key role in synthesizing new DNA strands. Consequently, understanding the characteristics of this enzyme and the subsequent development of advanced DNA polymerases is critical for adapting the power of PCR for a wide range of biological applications.
How many types of polymerase enzymes are there?
Article Summary:
| Family | Types of DNA polymerase | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| A | Replicative and Repair Polymerases | T7 DNA polymerase, Pol I, and DNA Polymerase γ |
| B | Replicative and Repair Polymerases | Pol II, Pol B, Pol ζ, Pol α, δ, and ε |
| C | Replicative Polymerases | Pol III |
| D | Replicative Polymerases | Not well-characterized |
Why is Thermus aquaticus used in PCR?
The main reasons that make Thermus aquaticus (Taq) perfect for DNA sequencing are that it’s active across a wide range of temperatures and as such is able to withstand the protein denaturing necessary during PCR so that PCR cycles can be automated, since the polymerase doesn’t need to be added for each cycle.
Why is Taq polymerase widely used to perform PCR?
The DNA polymerase typically used in PCR is called Taq polymerase, after the heat-tolerant bacterium from which it was isolated (Thermus aquaticus). This heat-stability makes Taq polymerase ideal for PCR. As we’ll see, high temperature is used repeatedly in PCR to denature the template DNA, or separate its strands.
Why is DNA polymerase from Thermus aquaticus ideal for PCR?
Why is DNA polymerase from Thermus aquaticus ideal for PCR? It can withstand the high temperatures associated with PCR. They cut DNA at sites, called recognition sites, that have specific nucleotide sequences.
How many polymerases are there?
three
Critical for DNA replication are three DNA polymerases: Polymerase α-primase, Polymerase δ, and Polymerase ε. These three polymerases function at the replication fork of the DNA strands.
What are the 5 types of DNA polymerase?
The eukaryotic cell contains five DNA polymerase α, β, γ, δ, and ε. Polymerase γ is found in the cell mitochondria and it actively replicates the mitochondrial DNA, while polymerase α, β, δ are found in the cell nucleus hence are involved in the nuclear DNA replication.
What does the Thermus aquaticus do?
Thermus aquaticus’ proteins are heat-stable. One of them, called Taq DNA polymerase, can keep copying DNA, even after being heated up. This allowed for the production of large quantities of DNA, which started a landslide into the study of our genes.