DNA Ligases from Thermophilic Bacteria Enhance PCR Amplification of Long DNA Sequences

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K. B. Ignatov^* and V. M. Kramarov

Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Gubkina 3, 119991 Moscow, Russia; fax: (495) 336-0900; E-mail: ignatovkb@bk.ru

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received April 4, 2008; Revision received June 19, 2008

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Bacterial NAD-dependent Taq and Tth DNA ligases are capable of significantly increasing the yield of long PCR products when the amplification is carried out using bacterial family A DNA polymerases, e.g. Taq or Tth DNA polymerases, or with enzymatic blends containing these polymerases. We also show that Taq and Tth DNA ligases improve the results of PCR in the absence of NAD and therefore in the absence of DNA ligase activity. These observations suggest that bacterial DNA ligases can interact with these DNA polymerases, presumably as accessory proteins, thereby enhancing the efficiency of DNA polymerization.

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KEY WORDS: long PCR, Taq DNA polymerase, Taq DNA ligase

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297909050113

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