GENETIC INFORMATION CREATED BY ARCHAEBACTERIAL DNA-POLYMERASE

DNA polymerase catalyses replication of cellular DNA. The reaction req uires a primer-template complex, and a new DNA chain grows from the 3' end of the primer along the template; no genetic information is creat ed in this reaction. We demonstrate that DNA polymerase from Thermococ cus litoralis, a hyperthermophilic marine Archaea, can synthesize up t o 50000 bp of linear double-stranded DNA in the complete absence of a primer-template complex, indicating that genetic information is `creat ed.' The possibility of DNA contamination in the reaction mixture, whi ch may serve as a primer and/or template, was vigorously excluded; for example, pretreatment of DNA polymerase with DNase I or extensive chr omatographic purification of the substrate, deoxyribonucleoside 5'-tri phosphates, did not abolish the primer-template-independent DNA synthe sis. The DNA synthesized was (CTAGATAT)(n), (TAGATATCTATC)(n) or a rel ated sequence. Similar repetitive sequences are found in centromeric s atellite DNA of many organisms. The significance of this ab initio DNA synthesis is that genetic information can flow from protein to DNA.