Fidelity of DNA replication catalysed in vitro on a natural DNA template by the T4 bacteriophage multi-enzyme complex

Abstract
More than 50 copies of a [phage] .PHI.X174 DNA template can be made in 60 min in an in vitro DNA replication system consisting of 7 purified replication proteins isolated from T4 bacteriophage-infected [Escherichia coli] cells. By transfecting with the DNA products and assaying for the reversion of specific amber mutants, the high degree of base-pairing fidelity in this system is revealed; the in vitro system also responds to the mutagenic effect of Mn2+ and displays strong base-pair context effects on fidelity, as expected from in vivo studies.