Thermus scotoductus nucleic acid polymerases

1. A method of synthesizing DNA comprising contacting a polypeptide having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:14, wherein said polypeptide comprises an Asp at a position corresponding to amino acid 46 and an Arg at a position corresponding to amino acid 250 of SEQ ID NO:13, with a DNA under conditions sufficient to permit polymerization of DNA.

2. A method for thermocyclic amplification of nucleic acid comprising:

(a) contacting a nucleic acid with a thermostable polypeptide having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:14, wherein said polypeptide comprises an Asp at a position corresponding to amino acid 46 and an Arg at a position corresponding to amino acid 250 of SEQ ID NO:13 under conditions suitable for amplification of said nucleic acid; and

(b) amplifying the nucleic acid.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the thermocyclic amplification of the nucleic acid includes cycles of denaturation, primer annealing and primer extension.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the thermocyclic amplification of the nucleic acid is performed by Strand Displacement Amplification.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein thermocyclic amplification of the nucleic acid is performed by Polymerase Chain Reaction.

6. A method of primer extension comprising contacting a polypeptide having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:14, wherein said polypeptide comprises an Asp at a position corresponding to amino acid 46 and an Arg at a position corresponding to amino acid 250 of SEQ ID NO:13 with a primer and a nucleic acid that is complementary to the primer under conditions sufficient to permit polymerization of DNA.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the nucleic acid is DNA.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the primer extension is done to sequence the nucleic acid.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the primer extension is done to amplify the nucleic acid.