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

More than 50 copies of a phi X174 DNA template can be made in 60 min in an in vitro DNA replication system consisting of seven purfied replication proteins isolated from T4 bacteriophage-infected 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 is also shown to respond to the mutagenic effect of Mn2+ and to display strong base-pair context effects on fidelity, as expected from in vivo studies.