Taq polymerase

Taq polymerase

[tak]

an enzyme found in the bacillus Thermus aquaticus, which lives in hot springs. It is heat resistant and thus can endure the high temperatures of the polymerase chain reaction.

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polymerase

an enzyme that catalyzes polymerization, particularly of nucleic acids.

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polymerase chain reaction

see pcr1.

RNA polymerase

1. an enzyme that synthesizes an RNA copy of the sequence in a limited region of DNA in a process known as DNA transcription. Called also DNA-dependent RNA polymerase.

2. a viral enzyme that synthesizes RNA from an RNA template during viral replication. Called also RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.

RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

see RNA polymerase (above).

Taq polymerase

a DNA polymerase that functions at high temperature; derived from the bacterium Thermus aquaticus and used in the polymerase chain reaction.