AUTHOR=Barnes Wayne M. , Zhang Zhian , Kermekchiev Milko B. 

TITLE=A Single Amino Acid Change to Taq DNA Polymerase Enables Faster PCR, Reverse Transcription and Strand-Displacement

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2020.553474

DOI=10.3389/fbioe.2020.553474

ISSN=2296-4185

ABSTRACT=<p>A change of an aspartic acid to asparagine of Taq (<italic>Thermus aquaticus</italic>) DNA polymerase is a gain of function mutation that supports faster PCR: the extension times for PCR amplification can be 2–3 times shorter. Surprising results from negative controls led to the discovery of strand-displacement ability and reverse transcriptase activity of Taq D732N DNA polymerase. We demonstrate that the mutant enzyme can, by itself, catalyze RT-PCR, and RT-LAMP assays. Residue 732 is on the surface of the enzyme, not near the active site.</p>