Anti-Pol Iota

Protein function: Error-prone DNA polymerase specifically involved in DNA repair. Plays an important role in translesion synthesis, where the normal high-fidelity DNA polymerases cannot proceed and DNA synthesis stalls. Favors Hoogsteen base-pairing in the active site. Inserts the correct base with high-fidelity opposite an adenosine template. Exhibits low fidelity and efficiency opposite a thymidine template, where it will preferentially insert guanosine. May play a role in hypermutation of immunogobulin genes. Forms a Schiff base with 5'-deoxyribose phosphate at abasic sites, but may not have lyase activity. [The UniProt Consortium]