In addition to the Taq polymerase enzyme, which other thermostable DNA...
In addition to Tag DNA polymerase, Pfu polymerase and Tli polymerase have been isolated which are also thermostable. Pfu polymerase is isolated from Pyrococcus furiosus. Tli (vent) polymerase is isolated from Thermococcus litoralis.
In addition to the Taq polymerase enzyme, which other thermostable DNA...
Introduction:
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a widely used technique in molecular biology that allows for the amplification of specific DNA sequences. The key component of PCR is a DNA polymerase enzyme, which synthesizes new DNA strands based on a template DNA molecule.
Thermostable DNA polymerases:
Thermostable DNA polymerases are enzymes that can withstand the high temperatures required for PCR. The most commonly used thermostable DNA polymerase is Taq polymerase, which is isolated from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus. However, there are other thermostable DNA polymerases that have also been isolated and used in PCR.
Pfu polymerase:
Pfu polymerase is one such thermostable DNA polymerase that has been isolated from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. Pfu polymerase exhibits proofreading activity, meaning it has 3' to 5' exonuclease activity that allows for the correction of errors during DNA synthesis. This makes Pfu polymerase highly accurate and useful for applications that require high-fidelity DNA amplification.
Tli polymerase (vent polymerase):
Tli polymerase, also known as Vent polymerase, is another thermostable DNA polymerase that has been isolated from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus litoralis. Like Pfu polymerase, Tli polymerase also possesses proofreading activity. It has 3' to 5' exonuclease activity that allows for the removal of misincorporated nucleotides during DNA synthesis. Tli polymerase has been found to have a higher fidelity compared to Taq polymerase, making it useful for applications that require accurate DNA amplification.
Conclusion:
In addition to Taq polymerase, Pfu polymerase and Tli polymerase (Vent polymerase) have been isolated and used as thermostable DNA polymerases in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Both Pfu polymerase and Tli polymerase possess proofreading activity, which contributes to their high fidelity and accuracy in DNA amplification. These alternative thermostable DNA polymerases offer researchers more options for specific PCR applications that require high-fidelity amplification.