Which of the following DNA polymerases would be mainly involved in lagging strand synthesis in eukaryotes?

The involvement of DNA polymerases in eukaryotic DNA replication is crucial for ensuring accurate and efficient duplication of the genome. In the context of lagging strand synthesis, DNA polymerase δ is the primary enzyme responsible for synthesizing the Okazaki fragments that characterize this process.

During DNA replication, the DNA double helix unwinds, creating a leading strand and a lagging strand. The leading strand is synthesized continuously, while the lagging strand is synthesized discontinuously due to the antiparallel orientation of the DNA strands. This discontinuous synthesis creates short segments of DNA known as Okazaki fragments, which are later joined together by DNA ligase.

DNA polymerase δ is specifically optimized for this lagging strand synthesis. It has a role in replicating the template strands that are not oriented for continuous synthesis. Moreover, DNA polymerase δ has high processivity, which means it can add numerous nucleotides to the growing strand without detaching from the DNA template. This feature is particularly important in efficiently synthesizing longer stretches of DNA within the lagging strand.

In contrast, DNA polymerase α acts primarily as a primer synthesizer that initializes DNA replication but does not play a major role in the elongation of the lagging strand.