title: Getting it Right: How DNA Polymerases Select the Right Nucleotide.
abstract: All living organisms are defined by their genetic code encrypted in their DNA. DNA polymerases are the enzymes that are responsible for all DNA syntheses occurring in nature. For DNA replication, repair and recombination these enzymes have to read the parental DNA and recognize the complementary nucleotide out of a pool of four structurally similar deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) for a given template. The selection of the nucleotide is in accordance with the Watson-Crick rule. In this process the accuracy of DNA synthesis is crucial for the maintenance of the genome stability. However, to spur evolution a certain degree of freedom must be allowed. This brief review highlights the mechanistic basis for selecting the right nucleotide by DNA polymerases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology University of Konstanz Universitätsstrasse 10 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: Samra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ludmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology University of Konstanz Universitätsstrasse 10 78457 Konstanz, Germany. andreas.marx@uni-konstanz.de.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marx
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009711:Nucleotides; D004247:DNA; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase