This is hands down the BEST video explaining the nucleophilic attack : i couldn't understand a thing until I found your video. So thank you thank you thank you !!!
with a polymerization rate of 1000 bases per second, and an error rate of 1 billion bases added/ 1 error, you can calculate an error rate of ~ 1 error every 12 days!! How crazy that is with 1000 bases being added every second. Mind blowing efficiency
Technically, it does not. All Nucleotide triphosphates are available. However, it usually only catalyzes the addition when the correct hydrogen bonding occurs. Basically, DNA pol catalyzes best when the base pairing is correct.
There has to be some necessity, some reaction, one process, one bond, one compulsion which makes this process sure shot ensuring 1 in billion accuracy.
RNA-DNA double strands have a slightly different conformation, which is needed for polymerase attachment. If it could attach to DNA-DNA double strands it could start where it is not needed.
RNA-DNA binds slightly differently than DNA-DNA and let's the polymerase attach where it is needed. There is a lot of double stranded DNA but the polymerase is only needed in certain places and times. DNA-RNA primer is one of those places.
