A source of heat-stable DNA polymerase is?

Answer 1

A DNA polymerase is one of the crucial enzymes when DNA is synthesised. It is also the only enzyme needed when making DNA in the test tube, using a molecular Biology technique known as PCR.

In this reaction, the other enzymes that nature uses are are replaced by cycles of heating and cooling, up to 95 degrees Celsius. The DNA polymerase consists of protein, so normal DNA polymerase is of course destroyed in the heating step. The first PCR's were performed by opening the tube in each step and adding a tiny amount of fresh enzyme. Using heat-stable DNA polymerases made the technique a lot more practical. The enzymes used were taken från a type of archae (not exactly a bacterium, but almost) that live in hot springs and whose proteins all are very stable even in extreme temperatures. The archaeon is called "Thermus aquaticus", hence the name of the common lab DNA polymerases "Taq polymerase":

To sum it up. A heat-stable DNA polymerase is a kind of DNA polymerase found in archaea living in hot springs, and of much use in the molecular biology lab.

Answer 2

Thermococcus litoralis, a thermophyllic archaea. Its found in the hot springs of Yellowstone park.

Answer 3

The most famous is probably Thermus aquaticus - source of Taq polymerase.