Evolution of thermophilic DNA polymerases for the recognition and amplification of C2ʹ-modified DNA

Naturally occurring DNA polymerases can amplify DNA efficiently via PCR, but they cannot utilize C2′-modified substrates to make non-natural nucleic acids. Such C2′-modified nucleic acids are of interest as they are resistant to nucleases. Now, a Stoffel fragment DNA polymerase has been evolved to transcribe C2′-modified DNA from a DNA template, reverse transcribe C2′-modified DNA back into DNA, and PCR-amplify C2′-modified DNA.