Divalent ions attenuate DNA synthesis by human DNA polymerase α by changing the structure of the template/primer or by perturbing the polymerase reaction.

ABSTRACT: DNA polymerases (pols) are sophisticated protein machines operating in the replication, repair and recombination of genetic material in the complex environment of the cell. DNA pol reactions require at least two divalent metal ions for the phosphodiester bond formation. We explore two understudied roles of metals in pol transactions with emphasis on polα, a crucial enzyme in the initiation of DNA synthesis. We present evidence that the combination of many factors, including the structure of the template/primer, the identity of the metal, the metal turnover in the pol active site, and the influence of the concentration of nucleoside triphosphates, affect DNA pol synthesis. On the poly-dT70 template, the increase of Mg(2+) concentration within the range typically used for pol reactions led t

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4917474 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature