What key enzymes safeguard the integrity of the eukaryotic genome? This review explores the crucial role of DNA polymerases (pols) in maintaining genetic information during cell division, DNA repair, DNA recombination, and damage bypass. It synthesizes knowledge on the variety of pols, including terminal transferase and telomerase. With the number of known pols increasing to at least 19, the review highlights that particular pols may have more than one functional task in a cell. That is to say that a particular DNA synthetic event may require more than one pol, which suggests that nature has provided various safety mechanisms. This multi-functional feature is especially valid for the variety of novel pols identified in the last three years. These are the lesion-replicating enzymes pol ζ, pol η, pol ι, pol κ, and Rev1, and a group of pols called pol θ, pol λ, pol μ, pol σ, and pol φ that fulfill a variety of other tasks. With diverse functions and roles in DNA maintenance, they are critical to a cells success.
The Annual Review of Biochemistry journal presents reviews of significant topics in the field. This article which delves into eukaryotic DNA polymerases, their structures, and their functions in maintaining genomic integrity, aligns perfectly with the journal's aim to synthesize and critically assess current knowledge in biochemistry.
| Category | Category Repetition |
|---|---|
| Science: Biology (General) | 179 |
| Science: Chemistry: Organic chemistry: Biochemistry | 151 |
| Science: Biology (General): Genetics | 117 |
| Science: Chemistry | 64 |
| Science: Biology (General): Cytology | 54 |