What is meant by polymerase fidelity? What applications require a high-fidelity polymerase?
What is meant by polymerase fidelity? What applications require a high-fidelity polymerase?
The fidelity of a DNA polymerase refers to its ability to accurately replicate a template, or to add the correct nucleotides starting at the 3' end of the primer. The rate of base misincorporation is known as the error rate. PCR polymerases with proofreading activity possess 3'?5' exonuclease activity that can excise incorrectly incorporated nucleotides and replace them with the correct nucleotides.
High-fidelity polymerases are recommended for gene cloning, protein expression, structure-function studies of proteins, cDNA library construction, and next-generation sequencing. To select a high-fidelity polymerase, see our PCR selection guide.