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Updated: Aug 30, 2026

DNA Sequence Recognition by DNA Primase Using High-Throughput Primase Profiling
Published on: October 8, 2019
Recognition of threosyl nucleotides by DNA and RNA polymerases
Veerle Kempeneers1, Karen Vastmans, Jef Rozenski
1Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory for Medicinal Chemistry, Minderbroedersstraat 10, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract:
Alpha-L-threose nucleic acids (TNA) are potentially natural nucleic acids that could have acted as an evolutionary alternative to RNA. We determined whether DNA or RNA polymerases could recognize phosphorylated threosyl nucleosides. We found that for both the Vent (exo-) DNA polymerase and HIV reverse transcriptase K(m) values were increased and kcat values decreased for the incorporation of tTTP in comparison to their natural counterparts. Our results suggest that TNA may have played a role in the evolution of the DNA-RNA-protein world. Thus, TNA may be a candidate for further studies in evolutionary chemistry and biology.
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