S229L is a slow polymerase. Pre-steady-state kinetics experiments were performed by preincubating 300 nm 3C2M45 DNA substrate (Table 1) with 100 nm purified Pol β protein followed by the addition of 100 μm dCTP for various times. A, WT (filled circles) reactions were run on a time course ranging from 0.02 to 3 s. B, S229L (open triangles) pre-steady-state kinetic reactions were run on a time course ranging from 0.25 to 15 s. Products were resolved on 20% denaturing gels, imaged using a PhosphorImager, and quantified. Data were fit to the full burst equation (WT, kobs = 13 ± 2 s−1). S229L does not display biphasic burst kinetics, and a kobs could not be determined. Error bars, ±S.E.