IMP

error prone translesion synthesis

The conversion of DNA-damage induced single-stranded gaps into large molecular weight DNA after replication by using a specialized DNA polymerase or replication complex to insert a defined nucleotide across the lesion. This process does not remove the replication-blocking lesions and causes an increase in the endogenous mutation level. For example, in E. coli, a low fidelity DNA polymerase, pol V, copies lesions that block replication fork progress. This produces mutations specifically targeted to DNA template damage sites, but it can also produce mutations at undamaged sites.