Estimating DNA Polymerase Numbers in Eukaryotic Cells

In summary, the conversation discusses estimating the number of DNA polymerase in a eukaryotic cell. The suggested approach is to calculate the minimum number of polymerase molecules needed to copy the entire genome in the span of the doubling time or S-phase. This would require knowing the time allotted for DNA replication, the speed of polymerase synthesis, and the size of the genome.
  • #1
Damascus Road
120
0
Greetings all,

I have a problem where I am asked to estimate the number of DNA polymerase in a eukaryotic cell. The sub-question prior to this asked me to find what fraction of the total DNA of a fly was shown in a micrograph in my book.

How do I go about estimating this? Is it 2 for each "loop" ?
 
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  • #2
yowza
 
  • #3
One way to go about making some guess at this number would be to calculate the minimum number of polymerase molecules to copy the entire genome in the span of the doubling time (or the length of the S-phase for eukaryotes). For this, you would need to know the amount of time that the cell has to replicate its DNA, the average speed at which a DNA polymerase can synthesize DNA, and the size of the genome.
 

Related to Estimating DNA Polymerase Numbers in Eukaryotic Cells

1. What is the function of DNA polymerase in biophysics?

DNA polymerase is an enzyme that plays a critical role in DNA replication, which is the process of copying genetic information from one DNA molecule to another. It is responsible for adding nucleotides to the growing DNA strand, resulting in a faithful copy of the original DNA molecule.

2. How does DNA polymerase ensure accuracy during DNA replication?

DNA polymerase has a proofreading function that checks for errors in the newly synthesized DNA strand. If an incorrect nucleotide is added, the enzyme removes it and replaces it with the correct one. This ensures that the replicated DNA is an accurate copy of the original.

3. What is the structure of DNA polymerase?

DNA polymerase has a hand-like structure with fingers, palm, and thumb regions. The fingers and thumb bind to the DNA template strand, while the palm region is responsible for adding nucleotides to the growing DNA strand. This structure allows for efficient and accurate DNA replication.

4. How does the activity of DNA polymerase differ in prokaryotes and eukaryotes?

In prokaryotes, DNA polymerase is a single enzyme that is responsible for both synthesizing and proofreading the DNA strand. In contrast, eukaryotes have multiple DNA polymerases with specialized functions. For example, DNA polymerase alpha is involved in DNA replication, while DNA polymerase gamma is involved in DNA repair.

5. Can DNA polymerase be used in biotechnology applications?

Yes, DNA polymerase is commonly used in biotechnology for techniques such as PCR (polymerase chain reaction), which is used to amplify specific DNA sequences. It is also used in DNA sequencing, cloning, and gene expression studies.

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