FUNCTIONAL ROLES OF MAMMALIAN DNA-POLYMERASE

The viral DNA polymerases, with their probable role in viral DNA replication, point up the delicate control of DNA replication. Each cellular or viral induced DNA polymerase seems to have a role which is specific for the synthesis of a designated DNA and/or a place in a specialized replicative or repair process. A full understanding of the function of the eucaryotic DNA polymerases now depends on the clarification of the intimate mechanisms of DNA synthesis in its various modes. Identification of the accessory proteins, cofactors, and replicative DNA structures within a given replication complex, as has been accomplished in certain procaryotes (53), may help in this task. © 1979.