Relative direction of polymerase

[NDPitch]

So this can get confusing. What direction does Polymerase move in?

From what I understand, it moves along the template strand in the 3' to 5' direction, but the DNA that it is synthesizing is growing in the 5' to 3' direction. That makes sense. Same thing applies in the lagging strand, only in batches.

But I got confused when a question came up that asked what direction does polymerase move in if it goes backwards to repair an error. Well, in reference to which strand?? They said the answer is that it moves 3' to 5' to repair the error, and then continues along. So, they were referencing the direction to the newly synthesized strand.

Couldn't you also say that it moves backwards 5' to 3' in reference to the template strand? I feel like this could be ambiguous if you don't specify which strand you're referencing the direction to, unless of course there's a standard convention that is always followed.

If that's the case, then I've always looked at polymerase wrong, because I've always told myself that it moves along the template strand in the 3' to 5' direction, synthesizing DNA in the 5' to 3' direction. Confusing.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[412smb412]

RNA Pol 3 has 3-5 editing
RNA pol 1 has 5-3 editing

These are editing abilities and not actually synthesis/elongation. And it's only present in prok

 

[BRZ24]

So this can get confusing. What direction does Polymerase move in?

From what I understand, it moves along the template strand in the 3' to 5' direction, but the DNA that it is synthesizing is growing in the 5' to 3' direction. That makes sense. Same thing applies in the lagging strand, only in batches.

But I got confused when a question came up that asked what direction does polymerase move in if it goes backwards to repair an error. Well, in reference to which strand?? They said the answer is that it moves 3' to 5' to repair the error, and then continues along. So, they were referencing the direction to the newly synthesized strand.

Couldn't you also say that it moves backwards 5' to 3' in reference to the template strand? I feel like this could be ambiguous if you don't specify which strand you're referencing the direction to, unless of course there's a standard convention that is always followed.

If that's the case, then I've always looked at polymerase wrong, because I've always told myself that it moves along the template strand in the 3' to 5' direction, synthesizing DNA in the 5' to 3' direction. Confusing.

DNA polymerase synthesize DNA in 5' to 3' direction
its proof reading ability runs from 3' to 5' exonuclease.


in both the leading and lagging strand, DNA is synthesized from 5' to 3'

The old/template strand of the leading strand runs from 3' to 5' and that is anti parallel to the direction of the DNA that is synthesized by DNA polymerase so that's why it is continuous and thus it is called the "leading strand"

 

[Troyvdg]

RNA Pol 3 has 3-5 editing
RNA pol 1 has 5-3 editing

These are editing abilities and not actually synthesis/elongation. And it's only present in prok

did you mean DNA pol?