The term proofreading is used in genetics to refer to the error-correcting processes, first proposed by John Hopfield and Jacques Ninio, involved in DNA replication, immune system specificity, enzyme-substrate recognition among many other processes that require enhanced specificity. The proofreading mechanisms of Hopfield and Ninio are non-equilibrium active processes that consume ATP to enhance specificity of various biochemical reactions.
In bacteria, all three DNA polymerases (I, II, and III) have the ability to proofread, using 3'->5' exonuclease activity. When an incorrect base pair is recognized, DNA polymerase reverses its direction by one base pair of DNA and excises the mismatched base. Following base excision, the polymerase can re-insert the correct base and replication can continue.
In eukaryotes only the polymerases that deal with the elongation (γ, δ and ε) have proofreading ability (3'->5' exonuclease activity).
Proofreading also occurs in mRNA translation for protein synthesis.[1] In this case, one mechanism is release of any incorrect aminoacyl-tRNA prior to peptide bond formation.[2]