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[Novel site-specific endonucleases F-TflI, F-TflII and F-TflIV encoded by the bacteriophage T5].

Novel site-specific H-N-H endonucleases F-TflI, F-TflII and F-TflIV were identified. These endonucleases are encoded by open reading frames localized in the bacteriophage T5 tRNA gene region. The endonuclease F-TflIV was shown to introduce double-strand break into pseudo palindromic 17 bp DNA sequence yielding 1 bp extensions with 3'-overhangs. In contrast to F-TflIV, endonucleases F-TflI and F-TflII cleave only one strand of their asymmetric divergent DNA substrates. Each of these endonucleases introduces interruptions into only the particular strand (template or coding). Amino acid sequences of the endonucleases under study are highly homologous in the H-N-H motif regions and C-terminal sequences, forming putative catalytic domain. Endonuclease F-TflIV N-terminal region is homologous to the amino acid sequences representing H-T-H recognition domain found in LuxR family transcription regulators. Putative recognition NUMOD4 motif characteristic for a number of H-N-H endonucleases was shown to be also present in the endonuclease F-TflI and F-TflII N-terminal sequences. Two-domain structure was proposed for endonucleases F-TflI, F-TflII and F-TflIV with N-terminal recognition domain and C-terminal catalytic domain. A hypothesis of evolutionary origin of these endonucleases as a result of catalytic and recognition domains recombination was suggested.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Primary sequence of the EcoRII endonuclease and properties of its fusions with beta-galactosidase.

The EcoRII endonuclease cleaves DNA containing the sequence CC(A/T)GG before the first cytosine. The methylation of the second cytosine in the sequence by either the EcoRII methylase or Dcm, a chromosomally coded protein in Escherichia coli, inhibits the cleavage. The gene for the EcoRII endonuclease was mapped by analysis of derivatives containing linker insertions, transposon insertions, and restriction fragment deletions. Surprisingly, plasmids carrying the wild-type endonuclease gene and the EcoRII methylase gene interrupted by transposon insertions appeared to be lethal to dcm+ strains of E. coli. We conclude that not all the EcoRII/Dcm recognition sites in the cellular DNA are methylated in dcm+ strains. The DNA sequence of a 1650-base pair fragment containing the endonuclease gene was determined. It revealed an open reading frame that could code for a 45.6-kDa protein. This predicted size is consistent with the known size of the endonuclease monomer (44 kDa). The endonuclease and methylase genes appear to be transcribed convergently from separate promoters. The reading frame of the endonuclease gene was confirmed at three points by generating random protein fusions between the endonuclease and beta-galactosidase, followed by an analysis of the sequence at the junctions. One of these fusions is missing 18 COOH-terminal amino acids of the endonuclease but still displays significant ability to restrict incoming phage in addition to beta-galactosidase activity. No striking similarity between the sequence of the endonuclease and any other protein in the PIR data base was found. The knowledge of the primary sequence of the endonuclease and the availability of the various constructs involving its gene should be helpful in the study of the interaction of the enzyme with its substrate DNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Levels of the mitochondrial endonuclease during rat cardiac development implicate a role for the enzyme in repair of oxidative damage in mitochondrial DNA.

Mammalian heart mitochondria (MT) contain a potent Mg(2+)-dependent DNA endonuclease that becomes soluble once isolated mitochondria are disrupted using detergent. The level of this endonuclease was previously found to be markedly elevated in adult rat heart compared to other adult rat tissues. Among tissues, the level of the MT endonuclease does not appear to be correlated with the rate of MT DNA replication but rather with the rate of oxidative metabolism [Houmiel, K.L., Gerschenson, M. and Low, R.L., 1991. Biochimica Biophysica Acta 1079: 197-202]. In the present study, the level of the endonuclease has been quantitated both during rat cardiac development, from gestational day 18 through adulthood, and in cultured rat heart myoblasts. Surprisingly, the specific activity of the MT endonuclease in fetal and newborn mitochondria is high. The values are greater than 50% of that seen in the adult even though the mitochondria at this period of heart development are few and structurally disorganized. Remarkably, there is a burst of endonuclease activity at day 2 which accompanies a similar, transient elevation of respiratory complex I and IV activities. At later times, the endonuclease activity gradually increases until adulthood and correlates with steady increases in MT DNA and DNA polymerase-gamma. In cultured myoblasts, the level of the endonuclease increases about seven-fold as the growing cells reach confluency and differentiate into myotubes. These variations in the specific activity of the endonuclease, when considered along with other properties of the enzyme suggest that the endonuclease may serve a role in the removal of oxidative damage in MT DNA incurred from respiration.

Animals↗

Endonuclease activities in extracts of Micrococcus luteus that act on gemma-irradiated DNA.

Several protein fractions containing endonuclease activity against gemma-irradiated DNA (gamma-endonuclease) were isolated from M. luteus. The crude extract was eluted on a phosphocellulose column and chromatographed on TEAE cellulose and subsequently on hydroxyapatite. Five peaks of gamma-endonuclease were obtained from each preparation. Repeated experiments showed comparable chromatographic behavior of the fractions. There was no detectable activity of U.V.-endonuclease in the fractions with gamma-endonuclease but a small contamination of endonuclease against unirradiated DNA and against DNA with apurinic sites. The gamma-endonuclease is stimulated by, but is not dependent on, magnesium. Several tests for endonuclease activity have been used: the analysis of strand breaks in calf-thymus DNA or in PM2 DNA, and the determination of end-groups formed by endonuclease, either 3'OH end-groups or phosphomonoester end groups. From the results obtained it can be assumed that the strand breaks induced by the gamma-endonuclease carry 3'OH and 5' phosphate end groups.

Cobalt Radioisotopes↗

Inteins, introns, and homing endonucleases: recent revelations about the life cycle of parasitic genetic elements.

Self splicing introns and inteins that rely on a homing endonuclease for propagation are parasitic genetic elements. Their life-cycle and evolutionary fate has been described through the homing cycle. According to this model the homing endonuclease is selected for function only during the spreading phase of the parasite. This phase ends when the parasitic element is fixed in the population. Upon fixation the homing endonuclease is no longer under selection, and its activity is lost through random processes. Recent analyses of these parasitic elements with functional homing endonucleases suggest that this model in its most simple form is not always applicable. Apparently, functioning homing endonuclease can persist over long evolutionary times in populations and species that are thought to be asexual or nearly asexual. Here we review these recent findings and discuss their implications. Reasons for the long-term persistence of a functional homing endonuclease include: More recombination (sexual and as a result of gene transfer) than previously assumed for these organisms; complex population structures that prevent the element from being fixed; a balance between active spreading of the homing endonuclease and a decrease in fitness caused by the parasite in the host organism; or a function of the homing endonuclease that increases the fitness of the host organism and results in purifying selection for the homing endonuclease activity, even after fixation in a local population. In the future, more detailed studies of the population dynamics of the activity and regulation of homing endonucleases are needed to decide between these possibilities, and to determine their relative contributions to the long term survival of parasitic genes within a population. Two outstanding publications on the amoeba Naegleria group I intron (Wikmark et al. BMC Evol Biol 2006, 6:39) and the PRP8 inteins in ascomycetes (Butler et al.BMC Evol Biol 2006, 6:42) provide important stepping stones towards integrated studies on how these parasitic elements evolve through time together with, or despite, their hosts.

Amoeba↗

Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent endonuclease and ADP-ribosylation.

The molecular mechanism of the inhibition of Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent endonuclease by ADP-ribosylation was studied by using purified bull seminal plasma Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent endonuclease, endonuclease-stimulating proteins, and poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase. The activity of an essentially homogeneous preparation of the endonuclease was markedly suppressed by its preincubation with NAD+, poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase, DNA, and Mg2+. These four components of the incubation mixture were all essential for the suppression of the activity. Analyses of the initial and the chased reaction product by Sephadex G-100 column chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent endonuclease was ADP-ribosylated during the incubation and its activity was markedly inhibited by the elongation of the ADP-ribose polymer covalently attached to the endonuclease. When the suppressed enzymes were mildly treated with an alkaline pH of 10.0, the activity was restored almost to the level of the unmodified control sample. These facts indicate that the linkage between the enzyme and poly(ADP-ribose) is hydrolyzed at this pH, and that the liberated polymer itself does not appreciably affect the endonuclease activity. These results also suggest that an electric repulsion between negative charges on DNA and poly(ADP-ribose) attached to Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent endonuclease is the basis for the observed suppression of the enzyme by ADP-ribosylation. Though histone H2B and H1 are shown to be as good endonuclease-stimulators (1) as they are good acceptors of ADP-ribose in poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase reaction (2), ADP-ribosylation of these two proteins did not affect their endonuclease-stimulating ability appreciably, at least under the conditions used.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗

Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent endonuclease activity in different subpopulations of spleen cells from normal and erythroleukemic mice.

We have detected Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent endonuclease activity in spleen cells of normal, Friend erythroleukemic, and phenylhydrazine-treated mice. When nuclei were isolated and incubated in the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions, the activity resulted in the production of 3'-OH termini in the cellular DNA and the release of chromatin due to internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. This enzyme activity was chromatin-bound and could be extracted from chromatin in an active form in 0.35 M KCl. The majority of endonuclease activity from erythroleukemic spleens was present in nuclei of precursor erythroid cells of low buoyant density (1.025-1.05 g/ml). Uninfected normal splenic tissue contained an endonuclease activity which was almost entirely confined to a B-lymphocyte population of high buoyant density (greater than 1.07 g/ml). Erythroid cell-enriched spleens from phenylhydrazine-treated mice exhibited a distribution of endonuclease activity in cells at low and high densities reflecting a mixture of erythroid and lymphoid cells. Cloned erythroleukemic cell lines propagated in vitro lacked cells of low density and showed no detectable endonuclease activity. However, nuclei from these cell lines were susceptible to exogenously added endonuclease extracted from erythroleukemic spleen cells. These same cell lines propagated as subcutaneous tumors contained endonuclease activity and a morphologically-similar low-density cell population which accounted for the endonuclease activity in these tumors. Nuclei from cloned lymphoid cell lines, representing different B-lymphocyte phenotypes, showed differences in the presence of endonuclease activity. Among the cell lines tested, only those expressing late B-cell markers showed detectable endonuclease activity.

Animals↗

Isolation and characterization of endonuclease VIII from Escherichia coli.

Endonuclease VIII, a novel presumptive DNA repair enzyme, was isolated from Escherichia coli by FPLC1 purification. The enzyme was found in strains that contained or lacked endonuclease III and was purified by radial flow S-Sepharose, Mono S, phenyl-Superose, and Superose 12 FPLC. Examination of the properties of endonuclease VIII showed it to have many similarities to endonuclease III. DNA containing thymine glycol, dihydrothymine, beta-ureidoisobutyric acid, urea residues, or AP sites was incised by the enzyme; however, DNA containing reduced AP sites was not. HPLC analysis of the products formed by exhaustive enzymatic digestion of damage-containing DNA showed that endonuclease VIII released thymine glycol and dihydrothymine as free bases. Taken together, these data suggest that endonuclease VIII contains both N-glycosylase and AP lyase activities. Consistent with this idea, DNA containing AP sites or thymine glycols, that was enzymatically nicked by endonuclease VIII was not a good substrate for E. coli DNA polymerase I, suggesting that endonuclease VIII nicks damage-containing DNA on the 3' side of the lesion. Also, since monophosphates were not released after treating thymine glycol-containing DNA with endonuclease VIII, the enzyme does not appear to have exonuclease activity. The enzyme activity was maximal in 75 mM NaCl or 5 mM MgCl2. Analysis of endonuclease VIII by both Superose FPLC and Sephadex yielded native molecular masses of 28,000 and 30,000 Da, respectively. SDS-PAGE, in conjunction with activity gel analysis, gave a molecular mass of about 29,000 Da. Furthermore, renaturation of the putative active band from SDS-PAGE gave rise to an active enzyme.

Animals↗

Interaction of the HpaI endonuclease with synthetic oligonucleotides.

To determine which functional groups of bases within the grooves of double-helical DNA interact with the HpaI endonuclease, we have employed chemically synthesized octanucleotides containing base analogues. The 5-methyl group of thymine was probed as a contact between the HpaI endonuclease and its recognition sequence by using the oligonucleotides d(G-G-T-T-A-A-C-C), d(G-G-T-U-A-A-C-C), and d(G-G-T-U(Br)-A-A-C-C). The 2-amino group of guanine was probed as a contact for the HpaI endonuclease by using the octanucleotide d(G-I-T-T-A-A-C-C). The HpaI endonuclease cleaves octanucleotides d(G-G-T-T-A-A-C-C) and d(G-G-T-B-A-A-C-C) according to Michaelis-Menten kinetics. However, both the Km and turnover number for d(G-G-T-B-A-A-C-C) were severalfold lower than those for cleavage of d(G-G-T-T-A-A-C-C). In addition, d(G-G-T-U-A-A-C-C) was not cleaved by HpaI endonuclease, suggesting that the 5-methyl group of thymine is a contact between the HpaI endonuclease and its recognition sequence. d(G-I-T-T-A-A-C-C) was not cleaved by the HpaI endonuclease which may be due in part to the low thermal stability of the duplex. Nevertheless, our results suggest that the 2-amino group of guanine is a contact for the HpaI endonuclease. A phosphate group 5' external to the HpaI recognition sequence has been identified as a contact between the HpaI endonuclease and DNA. The HpaI endonuclease cleaved 5'-phosphorylated octanucleotide 30-fold faster than unphosphorylated octanucleotide. In addition, the Km of the d(G-G-T-T-A-A-C-C) was 8000-fold higher than the Km of the phage f1 RFI DNA, suggesting that the octanucleotide is too short to take advantage of the entire DNA binding site of the enzyme.

DNA Restriction Enzymes↗

Mechanism of action of Escherichia coli endonuclease III.

Endonuclease III isolated from Escherichia coli has been shown to have both N-glycosylase and apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease activities. A nicking assay was used to show that the enzyme exhibited a preference for form I DNA when DNA containing thymine glycol was used as a substrate. This preference was reduced or eliminated either when the DNA was relaxed or when the type of damage was altered to urea residues or AP sites. The combined N-glycosylase/AP endonuclease activity was at least 10-fold higher than the AP endonuclease activity alone when urea-containing DNA was used as a substrate as compared to AP DNA. When DNA containing thymine glycol was used as a substrate, the combined N-glycosylase/AP endonuclease activity was about 2-fold higher than the AP endonuclease activity. Yet, when DNA containing thymine glycol or urea was used as substrate, no apurinic sites remained. Furthermore, magnesium selectively inhibited endonuclease III activity when AP DNA was used as a substrate but had no effect when DNA containing either urea or thymine glycol was used as substrate. These data suggest that both the N-glycosylase and AP endonuclease activities of endonuclease III reside on the same molecule or are in very tight association and that these activities act in concert, with the N-glycosylase reaction preceding the AP endonuclease reaction.

Deoxyribonuclease (Pyrimidine Dimer)↗

The multiple activities of Escherichia coli endonuclease IV and the extreme lability of 5'-terminal base-free deoxyribose 5-phosphates.

Escherichia coli endonuclease IV hydrolyses the C(3')-O-P bond 5' to a 3'-terminal base-free deoxyribose. It also hydrolyses the C(3')-O-P bond 5' to a 3'-terminal base-free 2',3'-unsaturated sugar produced by nicking 3' to an AP (apurinic or apyrimidinic) site by beta-elimination; this explains why the unproductive end produced by beta-elimination is converted by the enzyme into a 3'-OH end able to prime DNA synthesis. The action of E. coli endonuclease IV on an internal AP site is more complex: in a first step the C(3')-O-P bond 5' to the AP site is hydrolysed, but in a second step the 5'-terminal base-free deoxyribose 5'-phosphate is lost. This loss is due to a spontaneous beta-elimination reaction in which the enzyme plays no role. The extreme lability of the C(3')-O-P bond 3' to a 5'-terminal AP site contrasts with the relative stability of the same bond 3' to an internal AP site; in the absence of beta-elimination catalysts, at 37 degrees C the half-life of the former is about 2 h and that of the latter 200 h. The extreme lability of a 5'-terminal AP site means that, after nicking 5' to an AP site with an AP endonuclease, in principle no 5'----3' exonuclease is needed to excise the AP site: it falls off spontaneously. We have repaired DNA containing AP sites with an AP endonuclease (E. coli endonuclease IV or the chromatin AP endonuclease from rat liver), a DNA polymerase devoid of 5'----3' exonuclease activity (Klenow polymerase or rat liver DNA polymerase beta) and a DNA ligase. Catalysts of beta-elimination, such as spermine, can drastically shorten the already brief half-life of a 5'-terminal AP site; it is what very probably happens in the chromatin of eukaryotic cells. E. coli endonuclease IV also probably participates in the repair of strand breaks produced by ionizing radiations: as E. coli endonuclease VI/exonuclease III, it is a 3'-phosphoglycollatase and also a 3'-phosphatase. The 3'-phosphatase activity of E. coli endonuclease VI/exonuclease III and E. coli endonuclease IV can also be useful when the AP site has been excised by a beta delta-elimination reaction.

DNA Repair↗

Characterization of an endonuclease IV 3'-5' exonuclease activity.

Previous characterization of Escherichia coli endonuclease IV has shown that the enzyme specifically cleaves the DNA backbone at apurinic/apyrimidinic sites and removes 3' DNA blocking groups. By contrast, and unlike the major apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease exonuclease III, negligible exonuclease activity has been associated with endonuclease IV. Here we report that endonuclease IV does possess an intrinsic 3'-5' exonuclease activity. The activity was detected in purified preparations of the endonuclease IV protein from E. coli and from the distantly related thermophile Thermotoga maritima; it co-eluted with both enzymes under different chromatographic conditions. Induction of either endonuclease IV in an E. coli overexpression system resulted in induction of the exonuclease activity, and the E. coli exonuclease activity had similar heat stability to the endonuclease IV AP endonuclease activity. Characterization of the exonuclease activity showed that its progression on substrate is sensitive to ionic strength, metal ions, EDTA, and reducing conditions. Substrates with 3' recessed ends were preferred substrates for the 3'-5' exonuclease activity. Comparison of the relative apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease and exonuclease activity of endonuclease IV shows that the relative exonuclease activity is high and is likely to be significant in vivo.

Cations, Divalent↗

In vitro detection of endonuclease IV-specific DNA damage formed by bleomycin in vivo.

Endonuclease IV of Escherichia coli has been implicated by genetic studies in the repair of DNA damage caused by the antitumor drug bleomycin, but the lesion(s) recognized by this enzyme in vivo have not been identified. We used the sensitive primer activation assay, which monitors the formation of 3'-OH groups that support in vitro synthesis by E.coli DNA polymerase I, to determine whether endonuclease IV-specific damage could be detected in the chromosomal DNA of cells lacking the enzyme after in vivo treatment with bleomycin. Chromosomal DNA isolated after a 1 h bleomycin treatment from wild-type, endonuclease IV-deficient (nfo-) and endonuclease IV-overproducing (p-nfo; approximately 10-fold) strains all supported modest polymerase activity. However, in vitro treatment with purified endonuclease IV activated subsequent DNA synthesis with samples from the nfo- strain (an average of 2.6-fold), to a lesser extent for samples from wild-type cells (2.1-fold), and still less for the p-nfo samples (1.5-fold). This pattern is consistent with the presence of unrepaired damage that correlates inversely with the in vivo activity of endonuclease IV. Incubation of the DNA from bleomycin-treated nfo- cells with polymerase and dideoxynucleoside triphosphates lowered the endonuclease IV-independent priming activity, but did not affect the amount of activation seen after endonuclease IV treatment. Primer activation with DNA from the nfo- strain could also be obtained with purified E.coli exonuclease III in vitro, but a quantitative comparison demonstrated that endonuclease IV was > or = 5-fold more active in this assay. Thus, endonuclease IV-specific damage can be detected after in vivo exposure to bleomycin. These may be 2-deoxy-pentos-4-ulose residues, but other possibilities are discussed.

Antibiotics, Antineoplastic↗

Restriction endonuclease DNA analysis of Leptospira interrogans serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae and Copenhageni.

Leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae strains Ictero No. I and RGA and serovar copenhageni strains M20, Shiromizu and Shibaura were examined by restriction endonuclease DNA analysis. Fifteen endonucleases (AluI, BamHI, BglII, EcoRI, HaeIII, HhaI, HindIII, KpnI, PstI, SacI, SalI, SmaI, StyI, XbaI and XhoI) were used as the digesting enzymes. Strain Ictero No. I showed endonuclease cleavage patterns which differed from those of the other four strains only when it was digested with enzymes KpnI and HindIII. When digested with KpnI, an extra band of about 5.4 kb was clearly produced, and when digested with HindIII, an extra band of about 25 kb was produced. When the other 13 enzymes were used, no differences were found between the endonuclease cleavage patterns among the five strains. Moreover, strains RGA, M20, Shiromizu and Shibaura could not be distinguished by the restriction endonuclease DNA analysis using all 15 endonucleases. In addition, six newly isolated leptospires from patients with leptospirosis and from Rattus norvegicus were compared with the Ictero No. I and M20 strains, by restriction endonuclease DNA analysis using enzymes KpnI and HindIII. Three leptospires belonging to serovar icterohaemorrhagiae showed the same endonuclease cleavage patterns as the M20 strain. The other three strains, which belong to serovar copenhageni, showed almost the same endonuclease cleavage patterns as the M20 strain; only the Kai ima 702 strain produced an extra band which was not identical to the Ictero No. I-specific extra band when digested with HindIII. The leptospiral restriction endonuclease DNA analysis has revealed taxonomic structures that are unrecognized by serology alone.

Animals↗

DNA repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: purification and characterization of apurinic endonucleases.

Five chromatographically distinct apurinic endonucleases (D1, D2, D3, D4, and E) were purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae 234, 122, 1,000, 4,550, and 5,490-fold, respectively. All appeared to be class II apurinic endonucleases and were not contaminated with exonuclease or nonspecific endonuclease activities under the reaction conditions used. All had similar pH optima, but endonucleases D4 and E showed higher salt requirements and endonuclease D4 had a lower Mg2+ requirement for optimal activity than the other endonucleases. Endonuclease D4 also nicked OsO4-treated DNA. The molecular weights of the apurinic endonucleases as determined by glycerol gradient sedimentation analysis were 37,000, 49,000, and 10,000, for endonucleases E, D4, and D2, respectively. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of samples of radioiodinated endonuclease E showed the presence of two proteins.

DNA Polymerase I↗

Mechanism of the inhibition of Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent endonuclease of bull seminal plasma induced by ADP-ribosylation.

The activity of purified Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent endonuclease was inhibited when the enzyme was incubated in a system containing poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase, NAD+, Mg2+, and DNA. All four ingredients were essential to mediate ADP-ribosylation and to demonstrate inhibition of the endonuclease. In the absence of Mg2+, ADP-ribose transferring activity of poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase was stimulated by the addition of purified endonuclease to the reaction mixture in a dose-dependent manner. Analysis of the reaction product showed that the endonuclease was ADP-ribosylated. The average chain length of the initial oligo(ADP-ribose) attached to the enzyme was about 5.9 residues. The oligomer was found to be extensively elongated during the chase experiment using unlabeled NAD+ and Mg2+. The present finding suggests that Mg2+ is essential for the extensive elongation of the oligo(ADP-ribose). The DNA-binding affinity of the modified endonuclease was significantly lower than that of unmodified enzyme. Also, free poly(ADP-ribose) was not an effective inhibitor of the endonuclease. These findings suggest that the observed inhibition of the endonuclease induced by ADP-ribosylation is probably due to an electrostatic repulsion between the substrate (DNA) and poly(ADP-ribose) covalently linked to the endonuclease. Histone H1 and H2B stimulated endonuclease activity and were acceptors of ADP-ribose; however, their capacity to stimulate endonuclease activity remained unchanged after ADP-ribosylation.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗

The restriction endonucleases in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens N strain. Substrate specificities.

Two species of restriction endonuclease were isolated by gel filtration and DEAE-cellulose chromatography from a cell-free extract of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (B. subtilits) N strain; a lower molecular weight endonuclease (endonuclease R.BamNI) and a higher molecular-weight one (endonuclease R.BamNx). Both of them required only Mg2+ for their activities. Endonuclease R.BamNx introduced a larger number of site-specific scissions in Excherchia coli phage lambda DNA that endonuclease R.BamNI did. Endonuclease R.BamNx cleaved Bacillus phage phi 105C DNA at the specific sites which are classified into two groups: one type of sites is modified by B. amyloliquefaciens H strain in vivo while the other is not affected. It was also active on DNA'S OF E. coli phage T7, lambdadvl, Simian virus 40 (SV40) and colicinogenic factor ColEI and was inactive on DNAs of Bacillus phages phi 29 and M2. Endonuclease R.BamHI isolated from H strain by Wilson and Young. This endonuclease was active on DNAs of phage lambda, lambdadvl and SV40, adn was inactive on DNAs of phages phi 105C, phi 29, M2 and T7, and ColEI DNA.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Sensitive determination of pyrimidine dimers in DNA of UV-irradiated mammalian cells. Introduction of T4 endonuclease V into frozen and thawed cells.

Endonuclease V from E. coli infected with phage T4 was used to evaluate the frequency and the removal of pyrimidine dimers from DNA in cultured mammalian cells. Cellular membranes were made permeable to the enzyme by two cycles of rapid freezing and thawing. The number of endonuclease-sensitive sites in DNA was assayed by sedimentation in alkaline sucrose gradients upon which the cells were lysed directly. Comparison of the frequency of endonuclease-sensitive sites with the frequency of pyrimidine dimers determined by chromatographic analysis of hydrolysed DNA indicated that about 50% of the dimers in the permeabilized cells were substrates for T4 endonuclease V. This was confirmed by observation that when DNA treated with the enzyme in situ was purified, it contained the expected additional number of endonuclease-sensitive sites if again treated with the enzyme. The percentage of pyrimidine dimers recognized by T4 endonuclease V was enhanced to nearly 100% by exposing the permeabilized cells to 2 M NaCl before the enzyme was introduced. This method allowed the measurement of frequencies of endonuclease-sensitive sites after doses of UV irradiation at low as 0.5 J/m2. Loss of endonuclease sites from cellular DNA was observed during post-irradiation incubation of V79 Chinese hamster cells and several human cell strains. A comparison of the results obtained in human cells with or without the high-salt exposure before endonuclease treatment suggested that the dimers recognized under low-salt conditions may be removed slightly faster than those recognized only after high-salt exposure.

Animals↗