- Q5 DNA polymerase is a next-generation, high-fidelity DNA-dependent DNA polymerase engineered for exceptional performance in PCR applications requiring accuracy, speed, and robustness. Developed by New England Biolabs, Q5 combines a thermostable DNA polymerase with a proprietary fusion domain that enhances processivity and resistance to inhibitors, making it one of the most advanced polymerases available for molecular biology.
- Q5 exhibits 5′→3′ DNA polymerase activity and a strong 3′→5′ exonuclease (proofreading) activity, resulting in an extremely low error rate—approximately 1 error per 10 million base pairs—which is over 100 times more accurate than Taq polymerase and even exceeds the fidelity of Pfu and Phusion polymerases. This makes Q5 an ideal choice for applications where sequence integrity is critical, such as cloning, mutagenesis, gene synthesis, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation.
- With an optimal extension temperature of 72°C and an extension rate of ~1 kb per 10–30 seconds, Q5 is both fast and efficient, even with high GC content or structurally complex templates. The enzyme produces blunt-ended PCR products, which are compatible with a variety of cloning strategies.
- Q5 is typically supplied with a proprietary buffer system (Q5 Reaction Buffer and High GC Enhancer) optimized for high fidelity and yield across a wide range of templates. Additionally, hot-start versions are available to enhance specificity by preventing nonspecific amplification during reaction setup.
- In summary, Q5 DNA polymerase is a high-fidelity, high-performance PCR enzyme that excels in demanding applications requiring both speed and sequence accuracy. It has rapidly become a standard tool for precision molecular biology, especially in fields such as synthetic biology, functional genomics, and gene editing.
