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Nucleic Acid Polymerases pp 1–15Cite as

Introduction to Nucleic Acid Polymerases: Families, Themes, and Mechanisms

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Part of the book series: Nucleic Acids and Molecular Biology ((NUCLEIC,volume 30))

Abstract

Template-dependent and template-independent nucleotidyl transfer reactions are fundamentally important in the maintenance of the genome as well as for gene expression in all organisms and viruses. These reactions are conserved and involve the condensation of an incoming nucleotide triphosphate at the 3′ hydroxyl of the growing oligonucleotide chain with concomitant release of pyrophosphate. DNA polymerase I (Pol I) isolated from E. coli extracts was initially characterized in in vitro reactions well over 50 years ago by the seminal work of Arthur Kornberg’s laboratory (Kornberg 1957; Lehman et al. 1958; Bessman et al. 1958). Inspired by this work, the discovery of a DNA-dependent RNA polymerase quickly followed in 1960 from a variety of researchers including Samuel Weiss (Weiss and Gladstone 1959), Jerald Hurwitz (Hurwitz et al. 1960), Audrey Stevens (Stevens 1960), and James Bonner (Huang et al. 1960). These early enzymatic characterizations of DNA-dependent deoxyribonucleotides and ribonucleotide incorporations gave credibility both to Watson and Crick’s DNA double helix model (Watson and Crick 1953) and the transcription operon model proposed by François Jacob and Jacques Monod (Jacob and Monod 1961).

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Abbreviations

CPD:

Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers

E. coli :

Escherichia coli

FDX:

Fidaxomicin

FILS:

Facial dysmorphism, immunodeficiency, livedo, and short statures

kDa:

Kilodaltons

pol:

Polymerase

Pol I:

E. coli DNA polymerase I

RdRp:

RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

Rif:

Rifampicin

rRNA:

Ribosomal RNA

TLS:

Translesion synthesis

UV:

Ultraviolet light

XPD:

Xeroderma pigmentosum

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA

    Michael A. Trakselis

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Katsuhiko S. Murakami

  3. The Center for RNA Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Katsuhiko S. Murakami

Authors
  1. Michael A. Trakselis
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  2. Katsuhiko S. Murakami
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Correspondence to Michael A. Trakselis or Katsuhiko S. Murakami .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Biochem. and Mol. Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Katsuhiko S. Murakami

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Michael A. Trakselis

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Trakselis, M.A., Murakami, K.S. (2014). Introduction to Nucleic Acid Polymerases: Families, Themes, and Mechanisms. In: Murakami, K., Trakselis, M. (eds) Nucleic Acid Polymerases. Nucleic Acids and Molecular Biology, vol 30. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39796-7_1

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