Diagram of FEN1 and Active Site (IMAGE)

DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Diagram of FEN1 and Active Site

Caption

FEN1 threads the 5’ flap through the narrow archway until it is positioned so that the new strand’s backbone can be sliced between two already paired bases. Two catalytic metal ions (green spheres) stabilize and position the “scissile phosphate” for attack by a hydroxide. The fragments are now prepared for direct ligation (joining) into a continuous double strand, which replicates the original double helix.

Credit

Susan Tsutakawa, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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