Taq polymerase
A heat-stable form of DNA polymerase extracted from bacteria that live in hot environments, such as hot springs, that is used during PCR technique
Taq polymerase is a thermostable enzyme used in the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Taq polymerase was originally discovered in the bacterium Thermus aquaticus, which is found in hot springs and underwater vents. Taq polymerase is heat-stable, which allows it to withstand the high temperatures required during PCR cycles.
During PCR, Taq polymerase works by attaching to a single-stranded DNA template and adding nucleotides, or building blocks, to form a complementary strand of DNA. The process is repeated for multiple cycles, resulting in the amplification of the DNA target sequence.
Taq polymerase is preferred in PCR reactions over other polymerases because it has a low error rate and can amplify DNA fragments up to 5 kb in length. This makes Taq polymerase particularly useful for diagnostic testing and genetic research.
It is important to note that Taq polymerase lacks proofreading activity, which means it does not have the ability to correct errors made during DNA synthesis. Therefore, the accuracy of the final PCR product is limited by the quality of the starting DNA template. In PCR reactions where high fidelity is required, other polymerases such as Pfu or Phusion may be used instead of Taq polymerase.
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