DNA polymerase activity at the single-molecule level

DNA polymerases are essential enzymes responsible for replication and repair of DNA in all organisms. To replicate DNA with high fidelity, DNA polymerases must select the correct incoming nucleotide substrate during each cycle of nucleotide incorporation, in accordance with the templating base. When an incorrect nucleotide is sometimes inserted, the polymerase uses a separate 3′→5′ exonuclease to remove the misincorporated base (proofreading). Large conformational rearrangements of the polymerase–DNA complex occur during both the nucleotide incorporation and proofreading steps. Single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy provides a unique tool for observation of these dynamic conformational changes in real-time, without the need to synchronize a population of DNA–protein complexes.