Two DNA polymerases at a bacterial replication fork

What is it about?

The E. coli model system posits that DNA replication depends on a single DNA polymerase presents in two copies in the replication machinery. In eukaryotes, two different replicative DNA polymerases are essential for replication. Here we show that replication in the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis depends on the DNA polymerase DnaE in addition to the well known DNA polymerase PolC and that DnaE is dedicated to lagging strand synthesis.

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Why is it important?

The demonstration that DNA replication depends on one (E. coli) or two (B. subtilis) DNA polymerases highlight the diversity of bacterial replication machineries.