DNA clamp

A DNA bracket (English DNA clamp, sliding clamp ) is a protein structure in some DNA-binding proteins, which is a binding of a DNA -modifying enzyme to the DNA during DNA replication. DNA clip comprises several proteins with approximately wedge-shaped construction with a sequence-independent protein domains for DNA binding and multimerization, so that there is the typical ring shape.

As an integral part of a protein complex with the DNA polymerase III, the polymerase binds to the DNA. The interactions between the polymerase and the DNA clamp and the interaction between DNA and DNA clamp are stronger than between the polymerase and the DNA.

DNA brackets can be genetically appended to thermostable DNA polymerases in the wake of a protein design. Such fusion proteins have an increased number of synthesized nucleic in a barrel ( increased processivity ), and an increased rate of synthesis and are therefore used for the polymerase chain reaction. The DNA clamp can increase the rate of synthesis by a factor of 1000.