| DNA polymerase | 5′→3′ polymerase activity | 3′→5′ exonuclease activity | Cellular function |
|---|---|---|---|
| α (alpha) | Yes | No | Initiation of nuclear DNA synthesis and DNA repair; has primase activity |
| δ (delta) | Yes | Yes | Lagging- |
| ε (epsilon) | Yes | Yes | Leading- |
| γ (gamma) | Yes | Yes | Replication and repair of mitochondrial DNA |
| ζ (zeta) | Yes | No | Translesion DNA synthesis |
| η(eta) | Yes | No | Translesion DNA synthesis |
| θ (theta) | Yes | No | DNA repair |
| ι(iota) | Yes | No | Translesion DNA synthesis |
| κ (kappa) | Yes | No | Translesion DNA synthesis |
| λ (lambda) | Yes | No | DNA repair |
| μ (mu) | Yes | No | DNA repair |
| σ (sigma) | Yes | No | Nuclear DNA replication (possibly), DNA repair, and sister- |
| Φ (phi) | Yes | No | Translesion DNA synthesis |
| Rev1 | Yes | No | DNA repair |
|
Note: The polymerases listed at the top of the table are those that carry out DNA replication. |
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