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POLE Gene Function

DNA Polymerase Epsilon, Catalytic Subunit

ProteinCurated

Overview

POLE performs leading-strand DNA synthesis and proofreads newly copied DNA. Pathogenic exonuclease-domain mutations can cause an ultramutated tumour phenotype, while other POLE variants do not necessarily have the same functional consequence.

Read the DNA repair and genomic instability topic guide

Molecular Mechanism

Detailed mechanism data is not yet available for POLE.

Key Pathways

  • ·DNA replication
  • ·Polymerase proofreading
  • ·Replication-error repair

Disease Associations

  • ·Polymerase-proofreading-associated polyposis
  • ·Endometrial cancer
  • ·Colorectal cancer

Research Activity

POLE is an actively studied target: about 100+ clinical trials that mention it are currently recruiting on ClinicalTrials.gov. Trial activity reflects research interest, not proven benefit — designs, endpoints and populations vary widely.

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Functional Partners

Common Questions About POLE

What does POLE do?

POLE participates in DNA replication, Polymerase proofreading, Replication-error repair. POLE performs leading-strand DNA synthesis and proofreads newly copied DNA. Pathogenic exonuclease-domain mutations can cause an ultramutated tumour phenotype, while other POLE variants do not necessarily have the same functional consequence.

Why is POLE relevant to cancer research?

Its reported relevance includes Polymerase-proofreading-associated polyposis, Endometrial cancer, Colorectal cancer. The exact alteration, assay and disease context determine what a result can support.

Answers are based on peer-reviewed literature from PubMed and curated gene databases. Read our complete guide to gene function →