DNA Polymerase: An Essential Enzyme for DNA Replication

Discovery and Significance

WEB DNA polymerase I or Pol I, discovered by Arthur Kornberg in 1956, is a crucial enzyme involved in the process of prokaryotic DNA replication. It plays a vital role in synthesizing DNA during replication, adding nucleotides to the growing strand at the 3' end.

Types of DNA Polymerases

WEB In eukaryotic cells, there are five main DNA polymerases (α, ε, δ, γ, and β), responsible for specific roles in DNA synthesis. Prokaryotic cells, such as E. coli, possess two primary DNA polymerases: DNA polymerase III, which performs the majority of DNA synthesis, and DNA polymerase I, which has a repair function.