Biomics

After the elaboration of PCR using a thermostable Taq polymerase from the thermophilic eubacterium Thermus aquaticus, interest in such enzymes increased dramatically, and many DNA polymerases from several species of this genus of microorganisms, as well as from some other thermophilic eubacteria, were found. For many of them, methods have been proposed for isolating and purifying these enzymes, cloning and sequencing the genes encoding them, accompanied by the creation of E.coli strains producing the corresponding DNA polymerases, including their truncated variants devoid of 5’→3’-exonuclease activity. At the same time, with rare exceptions, these enzymes do not have editing 3’→5’-exonuclease activity. Taq polymerase is still the most widely used enzyme in PCR due to historical reasons, as well as thank to its satisfaction of the basic requirements imposed during the classical version of this reaction.

DNA polymerase, thermostable DNA polymerase, Taq polymerase, DNA, PCR, Thermus aquaticus

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