DNA polymerase-mediated DNA synthesis on a TNA template.
TNA, or threose nucleic acid, is capable of Watson-Crick base pairing with DNA, RNA, and TNA; coupled with its chemical simplicity, this suggests that TNA is a possible progenitor of RNA. As an initial step toward developing the molecular tools necessary to investigate the functional capabilities of TNA by in vitro selection, we have screened a variety of DNA polymerases for activity on a TNA template. We report that despite having a repeating unit that is one atom shorter than that of DNA, several polymerases showed surprisingly good ability to copy limited stretches of TNA.
Chaput
John C
JC
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Ichida
Justin K
JK
Szostak
Jack W
JW
D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D013698:Templates, Genetic; D013780:Tetroses / Q000737:chemistry*
D017931:DNA Primers; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D013780:Tetroses; D004247:DNA; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; C073321:erythrose