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 Experiment Videos

DNA polymerase alpha and models for proofreading.

J Abbotts, L A Loeb

    Nucleic Acids Research
    |January 11, 1985
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    DNA polymerase alpha lacks kinetic proofreading, unlike bacterial enzymes. However, it shows increased mutation rates with deoxycytidine thiotriphosphate (dCTPαS), a unique finding.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

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

    Sort by
    Same author

    Werner Syndrome, aging and cancer.

    Genome dynamics·2008
    Same author

    Poor but healthy? The youngest generation of Irish catholics in west Scotland.

    Health bulletin·2003
    Same author

    Mutations in human DNA polymerase eta motif II alter bypass of DNA lesions.

    The EMBO journal·2001
    Same author

    In vivo mutagenesis by Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I. Ile(709) in motif A functions in base selection.

    The Journal of biological chemistry·2001
    Same author

    Getting a grip on how DNA polymerases function.

    Nature structural biology·2001
    Same author

    The contribution of endogenous sources of DNA damage to the multiple mutations in cancer.

    Mutation research·2001
    Same journal

    Correction to 'New origin firing is inhibited by APC/CCdh1 activation in S-phase after severe replication stress'.

    Nucleic acids research·2026
    Same journal

    VeloRM: disentangling pre- and post-splicing RNA modification dynamics at single-cell resolution.

    Nucleic acids research·2026
    Same journal

    Accessibility of telomeric overhangs to stabilizing small-molecule ligands.

    Nucleic acids research·2026
    Same journal

    Multivalent interactions mediate SNAIL transcription factor stimulation of the nucleosome deacetylase activity of the CoREST complex.

    Nucleic acids research·2026
    Same journal

    Genome-wide mapping of DNA G-quadruplexes in Trypanosoma brucei chromatin reveals enrichment in coding regions and transcription start sites.

    Nucleic acids research·2026
    Same journal

    Correction to 'The Gene Ontology knowledgebase in 2026'.

    Nucleic acids research·2026
    See all related articles

    Area of Science:

    • Molecular Biology
    • Biochemistry
    • Enzymology

    Background:

    • DNA polymerases are crucial for DNA replication and repair, with proofreading mechanisms ensuring high fidelity.
    • Kinetic proofreading is a known error-correction strategy in some DNA polymerases, particularly prokaryotic ones.
    • Understanding proofreading mechanisms in different polymerases, including eukaryotic ones like DNA polymerase alpha, is essential.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the proofreading capabilities of DNA polymerase alpha using a modified fidelity assay.
    • To compare the proofreading characteristics of DNA polymerase alpha with those of prokaryotic polymerases.
    • To assess the impact of specific chemical agents, like pyrophosphate and deoxycytidine thiotriphosphate (dCTPαS), on DNA polymerase alpha fidelity.

    Main Methods:

    Related Experiment Videos

    • Utilized a modified system to measure DNA replication fidelity at an amber site in the bacteriophage phi X174 genome.
    • Employed purified DNA polymerase alpha and other polymerases for in vitro fidelity assays.
    • Assessed the effects of deoxynucleoside monophosphates, pyrophosphate, and deoxycytidine thiotriphosphate (dCTPαS) on polymerase activity and error rates.

    Main Results:

    • DNA polymerase alpha did not exhibit kinetic proofreading or a "next nucleotide" effect, and fidelity was unaffected by deoxynucleoside monophosphates.
    • Pyrophosphate showed a weak improvement in DNA polymerase alpha fidelity, contrasting with its error-inducing effect on prokaryotic polymerases.
    • Deoxycytidine thiotriphosphate (dCTPαS) significantly increased the error rate of DNA polymerase alpha, even under conditions that should bypass kinetic proofreading.

    Conclusions:

    • DNA polymerase alpha possesses distinct proofreading characteristics compared to prokaryotic DNA polymerases, lacking typical kinetic proofreading mechanisms.
    • The observed increase in mutagenesis by dCTPαS is specific to DNA polymerase alpha and suggests a unique interaction or susceptibility.
    • These findings highlight the diversity of error-correction strategies among DNA polymerases and the specific biochemical properties of polymerase alpha.