epsilon DNA polymerase complex

GO:0008622 · Other · Multiprotein complex · Proposed

A heterotetrameric DNA polymerase complex that catalyzes processive DNA synthesis in the absence of PCNA, but is further stimulated in the presence of PCNA. The complex contains a large catalytic subunit and three small subunits, and is best characterized in Saccharomyces, in which the subunits are named Pol2p, Dpb2p, Dpb3p, and Dpb4p. Some evidence suggests that DNA polymerase epsilon is the leading strand polymerase; it is also involved in nucleotide-excision repair and mismatch repair. [GO:0008622]

Synonyms: DNA polymerase epsilon complex

UniProt location names: UniProt Consortium, CC BY 4.0. Reference label and route sources.

Components

Component	Type	Part of / acts on	Grounding	Genes	Essential	Role
Pol2 catalytic subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	POL2	UNKNOWN	Large catalytic Pol2 constituent of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae heterotetramer. `GO:0008622` GO:0008622 defines the epsilon DNA polymerase complex as a heterotetramer containing large catalytic and three small subunits, named Pol2p, Dpb2p, Dpb3p and Dpb4p in Saccharomyces. `PMID:12571237` Chilkova et al. purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase epsilon as a Pol2/Dpb2/Dpb3/Dpb4 complex with 1:1:1:1 stoichiometry.
Dpb2 subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	DPB2	UNKNOWN	Dpb2 small subunit of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae heterotetramer. `GO:0008622` GO:0008622 defines the epsilon DNA polymerase complex as a heterotetramer containing large catalytic and three small subunits, named Pol2p, Dpb2p, Dpb3p and Dpb4p in Saccharomyces. `PMID:12571237` Chilkova et al. purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase epsilon as a Pol2/Dpb2/Dpb3/Dpb4 complex with 1:1:1:1 stoichiometry.
Dpb3 subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	DPB3	UNKNOWN	Dpb3 small subunit of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae heterotetramer. `GO:0008622` GO:0008622 defines the epsilon DNA polymerase complex as a heterotetramer containing large catalytic and three small subunits, named Pol2p, Dpb2p, Dpb3p and Dpb4p in Saccharomyces. `PMID:12571237` Chilkova et al. purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase epsilon as a Pol2/Dpb2/Dpb3/Dpb4 complex with 1:1:1:1 stoichiometry.
Dpb4 subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	DPB4	UNKNOWN	Dpb4 small subunit of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae heterotetramer. `GO:0008622` GO:0008622 defines the epsilon DNA polymerase complex as a heterotetramer containing large catalytic and three small subunits, named Pol2p, Dpb2p, Dpb3p and Dpb4p in Saccharomyces. `PMID:12571237` Chilkova et al. purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase epsilon as a Pol2/Dpb2/Dpb3/Dpb4 complex with 1:1:1:1 stoichiometry.

Taxonomic distribution

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — COMMON: Budding yeast has a heterotetrameric DNA polymerase epsilon complex containing Pol2, Dpb2, Dpb3, and Dpb4. [PMID:12571237]

Canonical examples

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — Reference budding-yeast system in which DNA polymerase epsilon was purified as a four-subunit 1:1:1:1 complex. [PMID:12571237]

Functions

DNA replication GO:0006260 — The epsilon DNA polymerase complex participates in chromosomal DNA replication.
- GO:0008622 GO:0008622 defines the complex by processive DNA synthesis and notes that evidence suggests a leading-strand-polymerase role.
- GO:0006260 GO:0006260 is the Gene Ontology biological-process term for DNA replication.
- PMID:12571237 Chilkova et al. report that Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase epsilon is essential for chromosomal DNA replication.

Mechanism graphs

DNA polymerase epsilon supports DNA replication (FUNCTION)

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pol2, Dpb2, Dpb3, and Dpb4 form the epsilon DNA polymerase complex that supports DNA replication.

Subject	Predicate	Object	Evidence
Pol2 catalytic subunit	contributes to	epsilon DNA polymerase complex	`GO:0008622` GO:0008622 defines the epsilon DNA polymerase complex as a heterotetramer containing large catalytic and three small subunits, named Pol2p, Dpb2p, Dpb3p and Dpb4p in Saccharomyces. `PMID:12571237` Chilkova et al. purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase epsilon as a Pol2/Dpb2/Dpb3/Dpb4 complex with 1:1:1:1 stoichiometry.
Dpb2 subunit	contributes to	epsilon DNA polymerase complex	`GO:0008622` GO:0008622 defines the epsilon DNA polymerase complex as a heterotetramer containing large catalytic and three small subunits, named Pol2p, Dpb2p, Dpb3p and Dpb4p in Saccharomyces. `PMID:12571237` Chilkova et al. purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase epsilon as a Pol2/Dpb2/Dpb3/Dpb4 complex with 1:1:1:1 stoichiometry.
Dpb3 subunit	contributes to	epsilon DNA polymerase complex	`GO:0008622` GO:0008622 defines the epsilon DNA polymerase complex as a heterotetramer containing large catalytic and three small subunits, named Pol2p, Dpb2p, Dpb3p and Dpb4p in Saccharomyces. `PMID:12571237` Chilkova et al. purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase epsilon as a Pol2/Dpb2/Dpb3/Dpb4 complex with 1:1:1:1 stoichiometry.
Dpb4 subunit	contributes to	epsilon DNA polymerase complex	`GO:0008622` GO:0008622 defines the epsilon DNA polymerase complex as a heterotetramer containing large catalytic and three small subunits, named Pol2p, Dpb2p, Dpb3p and Dpb4p in Saccharomyces. `PMID:12571237` Chilkova et al. purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase epsilon as a Pol2/Dpb2/Dpb3/Dpb4 complex with 1:1:1:1 stoichiometry.
epsilon DNA polymerase complex	supports	DNA replication	`GO:0008622` GO:0008622 defines the complex by processive DNA synthesis. `GO:0006260` GO:0006260 defines DNA replication.

Discussions

CURATION_TODO (OPEN): Resolve exact source-neutral family groundings for the Pol2, Dpb2, Dpb3, and Dpb4 subunit classes. GO:0008622 exactly identifies the heterotetrameric epsilon DNA polymerase complex and Chilkova et al. directly support the four Saccharomyces cerevisiae subunits, but exact source-neutral InterPro, Pfam, NCBIfam or UniProtKB family CURIEs were not curated in this pass.

Evidence

GO:0008622 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the epsilon DNA polymerase complex.
GO:0042575 Gene Ontology cellular-component parent term for DNA polymerase complexes.
GO:0006260 Gene Ontology biological-process term for DNA replication.
PMID:15814431 PubMed record for Garg and Burgers 2005, a review cited by GO:0008622.
PMID:9745046 PubMed record for Burgers 1998, a review cited by GO:0008622.
PMID:12571237 PubMed record for Chilkova et al. 2003, the JBC paper on the quaternary structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase epsilon.
PMID:16369485 PubMed record for Asturias et al. 2006, the cryo-EM study of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase epsilon.
PMID:25538242 PubMed record for Ganai et al. 2015, the biochemical study comparing the yeast DNA polymerase epsilon catalytic core and holoenzyme.

Curation history

2026-09-27T18:37:55Z codex · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
2026-09-27T18:38:58Z codex · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added GO synonymy and DNA-polymerase-complex parentage, Pol2/Dpb2/Dpb3/Dpb4 reviewed-label-only constituent rows, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae scope and canonical example, DNA-replication function evidence, GO/PubMed evidence, a nonmechanistic function graph, and a subunit-grounding TODO.

Source: data/structures/other/epsilon_dna_polymerase_complex.yaml