Archaeal DNA polymerases in biotechnology

DNA polymerase (pol) is a ubiquitous enzyme that synthesizes DNA strands in all living cells. In vitro, DNA pol is used for DNA manipulation, including cloning, PCR, site-directed mutagenesis, sequencing, and several other applications. Family B archaeal DNA pols have been widely used for molecular biological methods. Biochemical and structural studies reveal that each archaeal DNA pol has different characteristics with respect to fidelity, processivity and thermostability. Due to their high fidelity and strong thermostability, family B archaeal DNA pols have the extensive application on high-fidelity PCR, DNA sequencing, and site-directed mutagenesis while family Y archaeal DNA pols have the potential for error-prone PCR and random mutagenesis because of their low fidelity and strong thermostability. This information combined with mutational analysis has been used to construct novel DNA pols with altered properties that enhance their use as biotechnological reagents. In this review, we focus on the development and use of family B archaeal DNA pols.