Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase
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Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase, also known as TdT and terminal transferase, is a specialized DNA polymerase expressed in immature, pre-B, pre-T lymphoid cells, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma cells. TdT adds N-nucleotides to the variable, diversity, and joining exons during antibody gene recombination.
TdT catalyses the addition of nucleotides to the 3' terminus of a DNA molecule. Unlike most DNA polymerases it does not require a template. The preferred substrate of this enzyme is a proturbing 3' overhang, but it can also add nucleotides to blunt or recessed 3' ends. Cobalt is a necessary cofactor.
Terminal transferase has applications in molecular biology. It can be used in RACE to add nucleotides which can then be used as a template for a primer in subsequent PCR. It can also be used to add nucleotides labelled with radioactive isotopes.
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