Taq DNA Polymerase

Taq DNA Polymerase synthesizes DNA from denatured templates in the presence of gene-specific primers, dNTPs, and a suitable buffer system. It is a highly thermostable DNA polymerase expressed in Escherichia coli, derived from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus.

Taq DNA Polymerase possesses 5′→3′ DNA polymerase activity and weak 5′→3′ exonuclease activity, but lacks 3′→5′ exonuclease activity, resulting in a dA overhang at the 3′ end. This feature makes it ideal for TA cloning.

In PCR reactions, the extension rate of Taq DNA Polymerase is approximately 1–2 kb per minute, depending on template complexity. For most templates, 1 min/kb is sufficient. For agarose gel electrophoresis of PCR products, Safe DNA Gel Stain (Cat. No. A8743) can be added directly to the gel.