Bacterial DNA polymerase (DNA pol)

Bacterial DNA polymerases are essential enzymes responsible for synthesizing new DNA strands by catalyzing the addition of nucleotides to a template, a process vital for bacterial growth and division [4]. The primary replicative enzyme in most bacteria is DNA Polymerase III, a multi-subunit complex where the alpha subunit (encoded by dnaE in most bacteria or polC in some Gram-positives) performs the catalytic activity [1, 3]. Because these bacterial enzymes have distinct structural features and sequences compared to eukaryotic DNA polymerases, they serve as specialized targets for the development of novel antibiotics [3]. Drugs such as Griselimycin target the polymerase's sliding clamp (DnaN) to arrest replication, while others like anilinouracils specifically inhibit the catalytic core of Gram-positive polymerases [2, 3]. Targeting this enzyme is a critical strategy for addressing antibiotic-resistant pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, by halting their ability to replicate their genome [2, 4].

Other names

DNA-directed DNA polymeraseDNA nucleotidyltransferasePol IIIDnaEPolCDNA replicase

Inhibition of DNA synthesis by competitive blocking of the dNTP binding site on the catalytic subunit (e.g., DnaE or PolC) or by disrupting the interaction with the DnaN sliding clamp, which prevents the elongation of the DNA strand [2, 3].