Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Translesion DNA Polymerases02:10

Translesion DNA Polymerases

11.5K
Translesion (TLS) polymerases rescue stalled DNA polymerases at sites of damaged bases by replacing the replicative polymerase and installing a nucleotide across the damaged site. Doing so, TLS allows additional time for the cell to repair the damage before resuming regular DNA replication.
TLS polymerases are found in all three domains of life - archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes. Of the different classes of TLS polymerases, members of the Y family are fitted with specialized structures that...
11.5K
Proofreading01:31

Proofreading

9.6K
Synthesis of new DNA molecules is carried out by the enzyme DNA polymerase, which adds nucleotides on the daughter strand complementary to the template DNA strand. DNA polymerase has a higher affinity to add the correct base and ensures fidelity during DNA replication. Furthermore,  it exhibits proofreading activity during replication, using an exonuclease domain that cuts off incorrect nucleotides from the nascent DNA strand.
Errors During Replication are Corrected by the DNA Polymerase...
9.6K
Proofreading01:43

Proofreading

61.8K
Overview
61.8K
The Replisome03:01

The Replisome

39.3K
DNA replication is carried out by a large complex of proteins that act in a coordinated matter to achieve high-fidelity DNA replication. Together this complex is known as the DNA replication machinery or the replisome.
The synthesis of the leading and lagging strands is a highly coordinated process. To explain this, the “Trombone model” was proposed by Bruce Alberts in 1980. The DNA loop formation starts when a primer is synthesized on the parent lagging strand. The loop grows with...
39.3K
Replication in Eukaryotes02:31

Replication in Eukaryotes

206.8K
Overview
206.8K
Replication in Eukaryotes01:29

Replication in Eukaryotes

18.6K
In eukaryotic cells, DNA replication is highly conserved and tightly regulated. Multiple linear chromosomes must be duplicated with high fidelity before cell division, so there are many proteins that fulfill specialized roles in the replication process. Replication occurs in three phases: initiation, elongation, and termination, and ends with two complete sets of chromosomes in the nucleus.
Many Proteins Orchestrate Replication at the Origin
Eukaryotic replication follows many of the same...
18.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

EZH2 and intracellular Ca<sup>2+</sup> signals interdependently coordinate alloreactive and CAR-T-cell responses.

Cellular & molecular immunology·2026
Same author

RTx-303, an Orally Bioavailable Polθ Polymerase Inhibitor That Potentiates PARP Inhibitors in BRCA Mutant Tumors.

Journal of medicinal chemistry·2025
Same author

Structural basis for Polθ-helicase DNA binding and microhomology-mediated end-joining.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Template-Independent Enzymatic RNA Synthesis.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

Structural basis for a Polθ helicase small-molecule inhibitor revealed by cryo-EM.

Nature communications·2024
Same author

PARG is essential for Polθ-mediated DNA end-joining by removing repressive poly-ADP-ribose marks.

Nature communications·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 14, 2026

Author Spotlight: Developing Novel Anticancer Therapeutics Targeting the DNA Damage Response
05:01

Author Spotlight: Developing Novel Anticancer Therapeutics Targeting the DNA Damage Response

Published on: June 14, 2024

2.4K

DNA Polymerase θ: A Unique Multifunctional End-Joining Machine.

Samuel J Black1, Ekaterina Kashkina2, Tatiana Kent3

  • 1Fels Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA. Samuel.J.Black@temple.edu.

Genes
|September 23, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

DNA polymerase theta (Polθ) is crucial for repairing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) via alternative end-joining (alt-EJ). This unique polymerase activity can lead to insertion mutations during the repair process.

Keywords:
DNA polymeraseDNA repairalternative end-joiningcancergenome instabilitymicrohomology-mediated end-joiningreplication repair

More Related Videos

Single-Molecule Fluorescence Visualization of DNA Polymerase Dynamics at G-Quadruplexes
05:37

Single-Molecule Fluorescence Visualization of DNA Polymerase Dynamics at G-Quadruplexes

Published on: April 4, 2025

1.4K
DNA Polymerase Activity Assay Using Near-infrared Fluorescent Labeled DNA Visualized by Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis
07:38

DNA Polymerase Activity Assay Using Near-infrared Fluorescent Labeled DNA Visualized by Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis

Published on: October 6, 2017

14.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 14, 2026

Author Spotlight: Developing Novel Anticancer Therapeutics Targeting the DNA Damage Response
05:01

Author Spotlight: Developing Novel Anticancer Therapeutics Targeting the DNA Damage Response

Published on: June 14, 2024

2.4K
Single-Molecule Fluorescence Visualization of DNA Polymerase Dynamics at G-Quadruplexes
05:37

Single-Molecule Fluorescence Visualization of DNA Polymerase Dynamics at G-Quadruplexes

Published on: April 4, 2025

1.4K
DNA Polymerase Activity Assay Using Near-infrared Fluorescent Labeled DNA Visualized by Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis
07:38

DNA Polymerase Activity Assay Using Near-infrared Fluorescent Labeled DNA Visualized by Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis

Published on: October 6, 2017

14.6K

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • DNA polymerase theta (Polθ) has a known role in suppressing genome instability in mammalian cells.
  • Recent studies highlight its essential function in the alternative end-joining (alt-EJ) pathway for double-strand break (DSB) repair in metazoans.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of Polθ-mediated end-joining.
  • To elucidate the specific activities of Polθ's polymerase and helicase domains.
  • To explain how Polθ facilitates alt-EJ repair of DSBs during S and G2 phases.

Main Methods:

  • Biochemical assays to characterize Polθ activity.
  • Cellular studies to investigate Polθ's role in DSB repair pathways.
  • Review of existing literature on Polθ function and mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Polθ uniquely performs alt-EJ, a DSB repair pathway.
  • Polθ exhibits robust terminal transferase activity, leading to insertion mutations via template-dependent and independent synthesis.
  • The conserved helicase domain in Polθ likely aids alt-EJ and suppresses homologous recombination (HR).

Conclusions:

  • Polθ is a multifunctional enzyme essential for alt-EJ repair of DSBs.
  • Its unique polymerase and helicase activities contribute to genome stability.
  • Understanding Polθ's mechanism provides insights into DNA repair and potential therapeutic targets.