Nucleic Acid Polymerases: The Two-Metal-Ion Mechanism and Beyond

Download or read book Nucleic Acid Polymerases: The Two-Metal-Ion Mechanism and Beyond written by Whitney Yin and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2022-10-04 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: olymerases are the nucleotidyl transferases that are responsible for synthesizing DNA and RNA. They are crucial for essential cellular processes including cellular and viral genome replication, DNA repair and damage tolerance, and transcription. Consistent with their vital roles, polymerases are found in all domains of life. The overall chemistry employed by these enzymes is conserved but there are variations among the different groups of polymerases that confer different substrate specificities and nucleotide incorporation fidelities that allow them to be involved in a wide array of cellular activities. Since polymerases were first isolated more than six decades ago, we have made great progress in understanding how different polymerases have adapted to their specific roles. In this Research Topic we will focus on the enzymatic mechanisms of these enzymes and the relationships between polymerase structure and mechanism, to highlight common themes and unique adaptations.