A new family of polymerases related to superfamily A DNA polymerases and T7-like DNA-dependent RNA polymerases.

ABSTRACT: Using sequence profile methods and structural comparisons we characterize a previously unknown family of nucleic acid polymerases in a group of mobile elements from genomes of diverse bacteria, an algal plastid and certain DNA viruses, including the recently reported Sputnik virus. Using contextual information from domain architectures and gene-neighborhoods we present evidence that they are likely to possess both primase and DNA polymerase activity, comparable to the previously reported prim-pol proteins. These newly identified polymerases help in defining the minimal functional core of superfamily A DNA polymerases and related RNA polymerases. Thus, they provide a framework to understand the emergence of both DNA and RNA polymerization activity in this class of enzymes. They also provide

SUBMITTER: Iyer LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2579912 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature