Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 20, 2026

DNA Polymerase Activity Assay Using Near-infrared Fluorescent Labeled DNA Visualized by Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis
Published on: October 6, 2017
Structural and mechanistic relationships between nucleic acid polymerases
1Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Abstract:
A superfamily of nucleic acid polymerases that includes the pol I and pol alpha classes of DNA-directed DNA polymerases, mitochondrial and phage DNA-directed RNA polymerases, and most RNA-directed polymerases may be defined on the basis of the occurrence of conserved sequence motifs and tertiary structure similarities between HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, DNA polymerase I and T7 RNA polymerase. Although sequence or structural similarities do not yet justify inclusion of the multi-subunit DNA-directed RNA polymerases in this superfamily, mechanistic similarities suggest a deep relationship between these and the simpler T7-like RNA polymerases.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
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 the...
Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases
All three eukaryotic RNAPs require specific transcription factors, of which the...
Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases
All three eukaryotic RNAPs require specific transcription factors, of which the...
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 the...
Proofreading
Errors During Replication are Corrected by the DNA Polymerase Enzyme
Nucleic Acid Structure
DNA Structure
DNA has a double-helix structure. The...

