Photoaffinity labeling of T4 endonuclease V with a substrate containing a phenyldiazirine derivative.

T4 endonuclease V recognizes thymine photodimers in DNA duplexes and, in a two-step reaction, cleaves the glycosyl linkage of the 5'-side thymidine and the phosphodiester linkage. To determine the amino acid residues responsible for binding thymine photodimers, a photoaffinity reagent, 4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)-benzoate, was linked to the aminoalkylphosphonate of a thymine photodimer in a 14-mer duplex. The reactive substrate was treated with the enzyme under UV light (365 nm). The nascent enzyme and the modified enzyme were treated with lysyl endopeptidase, and the peptide maps were compared. Three peptides from the C terminus were found to interact with the reactive oligonucleotide to various extents. The three modified peptides were isolated and analyzed by Edman degradation. The amino acid residues Gly-133, Tyr-129, and Thr-89 were partially linked with the reactive substrate and may be involved in the binding of thymine photodimers.     

Preparation of DNA-duplexes, containing internucleotide thiophosphate groups in various positions of the recognition site for the EcoRII restriction endonuclease

Twenty-four 12-mer DNA duplexes, each containing a chiral phosphorothioate group successively replacing one of the internucleotide phosphate groups either in the EcoRII recognition site (5'CCA/TGG) or near to it, were obtained for studying the interaction of the restriction endonuclease EcoRII with internucleotide DNA phosphates. Twelve of the 12-mer oligonucleotides were synthesized as Rp and Sp diastereomeric mixtures. Six of them were separated by reversed-phase HPLC using various buffers. Homogeneous diastereomers of the other oligonucleotides were obtained by enzymatic ligation of the Rp and Sp diastereomers of 5- to 7-mer oligonucleotides preliminarily separated by HPLC with the corresponding short oligonucleotides on a complementary DNA template. The English version of the paper: Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2003, vol. 29, no. 6; see also http://www.maik.ru.     

Parallel-stranded duplex DNA containing dA · dU base pairs

DNA oligonucleotides with dA and dU residues can form duplexes with trans d(A · U) base pairing and the sugar-phosphate backbone in a parallel-stranded orientation, as previously established for oligonucleotides with d(A · T) base pairs. The properties of such parallel-stranded DNA (ps-DNA) 25-mer duplexes have been characterized by absorption (uv), CD, ir, and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as by nuclease sensitivity. Comparisons were made with duplex molecules containing (a) dT in both strands, (b) dU in one strand and dT in the second, and (c) the same base combinations in reference antiparallel-stranded (aps) structures. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that total replacement of deoxythymine by deoxyuridine was accompanied by destabilization of the ps-helix (reduction in T_m by −13°C in 2 mM MgGl₂, 10 mM Na-cacodylate). The U-containing ps-helix (U1 · U2) also melted 14°C lower than the corresponding aps-helix under the same ionic conditions; this difference was very close to that observed between ps and aps duplexes with d(A · T) base pairs. Force field minimized structures of the various ps and aps duplexes with either d(A · T) or d(A · U) base pairs ps/aps and dT/dU combinations are presented. The energy-minimized helical parameters did not differ significantly between the DNAs containing dT and dU. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

cis-syn thymine dimers are not absolute blocks to replication by DNA polymerase I of Escherichia coli in vitro

Both Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (pol I) and the large fragment of pol I (Klenow) were found to bypass a site-specific cis-syn thymine dimer, in vitro, under standard conditions. A template was constructed by ligating d(pCGTAT[c,s]TATGC), synthesized via a cis-syn thymine dimer phosphoramidite building block, to a 12-mer and 19-mer. The site and integrity of the dimer were verified by use of T4 denV endonuclease V. Extension of a 15-mer on the dimer-containing template by either pol I or Klenow led to dNTP and polymerase concentration dependent formation of termination and bypass products. At approximately 0.15 unit/microL and 1-10 microM in each dNTP, termination one prior to the 3'-T of the dimer predominated. At 100 microM in each dNTP termination opposite the 3'-T of the dimer predominated and bypass occurred. Bypass at 100 microM in each dNTP depended on polymerase concentration, reaching a maximum of 20% in 1 h at approximately 0.2 unit/microL, underscoring the importance of polymerase binding affinity for damaged primer-templates on bypass. Seven percent bypass in 1 h occurred under conditions of 100:10 microM dATP:dNTP bias, 1% under dTTP bias, and an undetectable amount under either dGTP or dCTP bias. At 100 microM in each dNTP, the ratio of pdA:pdG:pdC:pdT terminating opposite the 3'-T of the dimer was estimated to be 37:25:10:28. Sequencing of the bypass product produced under these conditions demonstrated that greater than 95% pdA was incorporated opposite both Ts of the dimer and that little or no frame shifting took place.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

NMR evidence for syn-anti interconversion of a trans opened (10R)-dA adduct of benzo[a]pyrene (7S,8R)-diol (9R,10S)-epoxide in a DNA duplex

2D NMR has been used to examine the structure and dynamics of a 12-mer DNA duplex, d(T(1)A(2)G(3)T(4)C(5)A(6)A(7)G(8)G(9)G(10)C(11)A(12))-d(T(13)G(14)C( 15)C(16)C(17)T(18)T(19)G(20)A(21)C(22)T(23)A(24)), containing a 10R adduct at dA(7) that corresponds to trans addition of the N(6)-amino group of dA(7) to (-)-(7S,8R,9R,10S)-7,8-dihydroxy-9, 10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene [(-)-(S,R,R,S)-BP DE-2]. This DNA duplex contains the base sequence for the major dA mutational hot spot in the HPRT gene when Chinese hamster V79 cells are given low doses of the highly carcinogenic (+)-(R,S,S,R)-BP DE-2 enantiomer. NOE data indicate that the hydrocarbon is intercalated on the 5'-side of the modified base as has been seen previously for other oligonucleotides containing BP DE-2 (10R)-dA adducts. 2D chemical exchange-only experiments indicate dynamic behavior near the intercalation site especially at the 10R adducted dA, such that this base interconverts between the normal anti conformation and a less populated syn conformation. Ab initio molecular orbital chemical shift calculations of nucleotide and dinucleotide fragments in the syn and anti conformations support these conclusions. Although this DNA duplex containing a 10R dA adduct exhibits conformational flexibility as described, it is nevertheless more conformationally stable than the corresponding 10S adducted duplex corresponding to trans opening of the carcinogenic isomer (+)-(R,S,S, R)-BP DE-2, which was too dynamic to permit NMR structure determination. UV and imino proton NMR spectral observations indicated pronounced differences between these two diastereomeric 12-mer duplexes, consistent with conformational disorder at the adduct site and/or an equilibrium with a nonintercalated orientation of the hydrocarbon in the duplex containing the 10S adduct. The existence of conformational flexibility around adducts may be related to the occurrence of multiple mutagenic outcomes resulting from a single DE adduct.     

The Preparation of DNA Duplexes Containing Internucleotide Phosphorothioate Groups in Various Positions of the Recognition Site for the EcoRII Restriction Endonuclease

Twenty four 12-mer DNA duplexes, each containing a chiral phosphorothioate group successively replacing one of the internucleotide phosphate groups either in the EcoRII recognition site (5CCA/TGG) or near to it, were obtained for studying the interaction of the restriction endonuclease EcoRII with internucleotide DNA phosphates. Twelve of the 12-mer oligonucleotides were synthesized as R _p and S _p diastereomeric mixtures. Six of them were separated by reversed-phase HPLC using various buffers. Homogeneous diastereomers of the other oligonucleotides were obtained by enzymatic ligation of the R _p and S _p diastereomers of 5–7-mer oligonucleotides preliminarily separated by HPLC with the corresponding short oligonucleotides on a complementary DNA template.     

Identification of 5-formyluracil DNA glycosylase activity of human hNTH1 protein

5-Formyluracil (5-foU) is a potentially mutagenic lesion of thymine produced in DNA by ionizing radiation and various chemical oxidants. The elucidation of repair mechanisms for 5-foU will yield important insights into the biological consequences of the lesion. Recently, we reported that 5-foU is recognized and removed from DNA by Escherichia coli enzymes Nth (endonuclease III), Nei (endonuclease VIII) and MutM (formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase). Human cells have been shown to have enzymatic activities that release 5-foU from X-ray-irradiated DNA, but the molecular identities of these activities are not yet known. In this study, we demonstrate that human hNTH1 (endonuclease III homolog) has a DNA glycosylase/AP lyase activity that recognizes 5-foU in DNA and removes it. hNTH1 cleaved 5-foU-containing duplex oligonucleotides via a β-elimination reaction. It formed Schiff base intermediates with 5-foU-containing oligonucleotides. Furthermore, hNTH1 cleaved duplex oligonucleotides containing all of the 5-foU/N pairs (N = G, A, T or C). The specific activities of hNTH1 for cleavage of oligonucleotides containing 5-foU and thymine glycol were 0.011 and 0.045 nM/min/ng protein, respectively. These results indicate that hNTH1 has DNA glycosylase activity with the potential to recognize 5-foU in DNA and remove it in human cells.     

Structural, energetic and dynamic properties of guanine(C8)-thymine(N3) cross-links in DNA provide insights on susceptibility to nucleotide excision repair

The one-electron oxidation of guanine in DNA by carbonate radical anions, a decomposition product of peroxynitrosocarbonate which is associated with the inflammatory response, can lead to the formation of intrastrand cross-links between guanine and thymine bases [Crean et al. (Oxidation of single-stranded oligonucleotides by carbonate radical anions: generating intrastrand cross-links between guanine and thymine bases separated by cytosines. Nucleic Acids Res. 2008; 36: 742-755.)]. These involve covalent bonds between the C8 positions of guanine (G*) and N3 of thymine (T*) in 5'-d(…G*pT*…) and 5'-d(…G*pCpT*…) sequence contexts. We have performed nucleotide excision repair (NER) experiments in human HeLa cell extracts which show that the G*CT* intrastrand cross-link is excised with approximately four times greater efficiency than the G*T* cross-link embedded in 135-mer DNA duplexes. In addition, thermal melting studies reveal that both lesions significantly destabilize duplex DNA, and that the destabilization induced by the G*CT* cross-link is considerably greater. Consistent with this difference in NER, our computations show that both lesions dynamically distort and destabilize duplex DNA. They disturb Watson-Crick base-pairing and base-stacking interactions, and cause untwisting and minor groove opening. These structural perturbations are much more pronounced in the G*CT* than in the G*T* cross-link. Our combined experimental and computational studies provide structural and thermodynamic understanding of the features of the damaged duplexes that produce the most robust NER response.     

The conformations of locked nucleic acids (LNA)

We have used 2D NMR spectroscopy to study the sugar conformations of oligonucleotides containing a conformationally restricted nucleotide (LNA) with a 2'-O, 4'-C-methylene bridge. We have investigated a modified 9-mer single stranded oligonucleotide as well as three 9- and 10-mer modified oligonucleotides hybridized to unmodified DNA. The single-stranded LNA contained three modifications whereas the duplexes contained one, three and four modifications, respectively. The LNA:DNA duplexes have normal Watson-Crick base-pairing with all the nucleotides in anti-conformation. By use of selective DQF-COSY spectra we determined the ratio between the N-type (C3'-endo) and S-type (C2'-endo) sugar conformations of the nucleotides. In contrast to the corresponding single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), we found that the sugar conformations of the single-stranded LNA oligonucleotide (ssLNA) cannot be described by a major S-type conformer of all the nucleotides. The nucleotides flanking an LNA nucleotide have sugar conformations with a significant population of the N-type conformer. Similarly, the sugar conformations of the nucleotides in the LNA:DNA duplexes flanking a modification were also shown to have significant contributions from the N-type conformation. In all cases, the sugar conformations of the nucleotides in the complementary DNA strand in the duplex remain in the S-type conformation. We found that the locked conformation of the LNA nucleotides both in ssLNA and in the duplexes organize the phosphate backbone in such a way as to introduce higher population of the N-type conformation. These conformational changes are associated with an improved stacking of the nucleobases. Based on the results reported herein, we propose that the exceptional stability of the LNA modified duplexes is caused by a quenching of concerted local backbone motions (preorganization) by the LNA nucleotides in ssLNA so as to decrease the entropy loss on duplex formation combined with a more efficient stacking of the nucleobases.     

NMR studies of abasic sites in DNA duplexes: deoxyadenosine stacks into the helix opposite acyclic lesions

Proton and phosphorus NMR studies are reported for two complementary nonanucleotide duplexes containing acyclic abasic sites. The first duplex, d(C-A-T-G-A-G-T-A-C).d(G-T-A-C-P-C-A-T-G), contains an acyclic propanyl moiety, P, located opposite a deoxyadenosine at the center of the helix (designated APP 9-mer duplex). The second duplex, d(C-A-T-G-A-G-T-A-C).d(G-T-A-C-E-C-A-T-G), contains a similarly located acyclic ethanyl moiety, E (designated APE 9-mer duplex). The ethanyl moiety is one carbon shorter than the natural carbon-phosphodiester backbone of a single nucleotide unit of DNA. The majority of the exchangeable and nonexchangeable base and sugar protons in both the APP 9-mer and APE 9-mer duplexes, including those at the abasic site, have been assigned by recording and analyzing two-dimensional phase-sensitive NOESY data sets in H2O and D2O solution between -5 and 5 degrees C. These spectroscopic observations establish that A5 inserts into the helix opposite the abasic site (P14 and E14) and stacks between the flanking G4.C15 and G6.C13 Watson-Crick base pairs in both the APP 9-mer and APE 9-mer duplexes. The helix is right-handed at and adjacent to the abasic site, and all glycosidic torsion angles are anti in both 9-mer duplexes. Proton NMR parameters for the APP 9-mer and APE 9-mer duplexes are similar to those reported previously for the APF 9-mer duplex (F = furan) in which a cyclic analogue of deoxyribose was embedded in an otherwise identical DNA sequence [Kalnik, M. W., Chang, C. N., Grollman, A. P., & Patel, D. J. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 924-931]. These proton NMR experiments demonstrate that the structures at abasic sites are very similar whether the five-membered ring is open or closed or whether the phosphodiester backbone is shortened by one carbon atom. Phosphorus spectra of the APP 9-mer and APE 9-mer duplexes (5 degrees C) indicate that the backbone conformation is similarly perturbed at three phosphodiester backbone torsion angles. These same torsion angles are also distorted in the APF 9-mer but assume a different conformation than those in the APP 9-mer and APE 9-mer duplexes.     

Action of T4 endonuclease V on DNA containing various photoproducts

The action of T4 endonuclease V on DNA containing various photoproducts was investigated. (1) The enzyme introduced strand breaks in DNA from ultraviolet-irradiated vegetative cells of Bacillus subtilis but not in DNA from irradiated spores of the same organism. DNA irradiated with long wavelength (360 nm peak) ultraviolet light in the presence of 4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen was not attacked by the enzyme. These results indicate that 5-thyminyl 5,6-dihydrothymine (spore photoproduct) and psoralen mediated cross-links in DNA are not recognized by T4 endonuclease V. (2) DNA of phage PBS1, containing uracil in place of thymine, and DNA of phage SPO1, containing hydroxymethyluracil in place of thymine, were fragmented by the enzyme when the DNA's had been irradiated with ultraviolet light. T4 endonuclease V seems to act on DNA with pyrimidine dimers whether the dimers contain thymine residues or not.     

Synthesis and characterization of oligonucleotides containing 2'-fluorinated thymidine glycol as inhibitors of the endonuclease III reaction

Endonuclease III (Endo III) is a base excision repair enzyme that recognizes oxidized pyrimidine bases including thymine glycol. This enzyme is a glycosylase/lyase and forms a Schiff base-type intermediate with the substrate after the damaged base is removed. To investigate the mechanism of its substrate recognition by X-ray crystallography, we have synthesized oligonucleotides containing 2′-fluorothymidine glycol, expecting that the electron-withdrawing fluorine atom at the 2′ position would stabilize the covalent intermediate, as observed for T4 endonuclease V (Endo V) in our previous study. Oxidation of 5′- and 3′-protected 2′-fluorothymidine with OsO₄ produced two isomers of thymine glycol. Their configurations were determined by NMR spectroscopy after protection of the hydroxyl functions. The ratio of (5R,6S) and (5S,6R) isomers was 3:1, whereas this ratio was 6:1 in the case of the unmodified sugar. Both of the thymidine glycol isomers were converted to the corresponding phosphoramidite building blocks and were incorporated into oligonucleotides. When the duplexes containing 2′-fluorinated 5R- or 5S-thymidine glycol were treated with Escherichia coli endo III, no stabilized covalent intermediate was observed regardless of the stereochemistry at C5. The 5S isomer was found to form an enzyme–DNA complex, but the incision was inhibited probably by the fluorine-induced stabilization of the glycosidic bond.     

Thermodynamics of sequence-specific binding of PNA to DNA

For further characterization of the hybridization properties of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), the thermodynamics of hybridization of mixed sequence PNA-DNA duplexes have been studied. We have characterized the binding of PNA to DNA in terms of binding affinity (perfectly matched duplexes) and sequence specificity of binding (singly mismatched duplexes) using mainly absorption hypochromicity melting curves and isothermal titration calorimetry. For perfectly sequence-matched duplexes of varying lengths (6-20 bp), the average free energy of binding (DeltaG degrees ) was determined to be -6.5+/-0.3 kJ mol(-1) bp(-1), corresponding to a microscopic binding constant of about 14 M(-1) bp(-1). A variety of single mismatches were introduced in 9- and 12-mer PNA-DNA duplexes. Melting temperatures (T(m)) of 9- and 12-mer PNA-DNA duplexes with a single mismatch dropped typically 15-20 degrees C relative to that of the perfectly matched sequence with a corresponding free energy penalty of about 15 kJ mol(-1) bp(-1). The average cost of a single mismatch is therefore estimated to be on the order of or larger than the gain of two matched base pairs, resulting in an apparent binding constant of only 0.02 M(-1) per mismatch. The impact of a mismatch was found to be dependent on the neighboring base pairs. To a first approximation, increasing the stability of the surrounding region, i.e., the distribution of A.T and G.C base pairs, decreases the effect of the introduced mismatch.     

Metabolism of thymineless mutants of Escherichia coli. I. Absence of thymidylate synthetase activity and growth characteristics of two sequential thymineless mutants

A study of optimal thymine and deoxythymidine (dThd) growth requirements of the thymineless mutants of Escherichia coli 15, E. coli 70-462 (strain 70), and a variant, E. coli 70V3-462 (strain 70V3), showed that for maximal turbidity (growth) strain 70 required 10-fold greater concentrations of thymine or dThd than did strain 70V3. On suboptimal concentrations of thymine or dThd, growth of strain 70 was greater on dThd than on thymine. In contrast, maximal growth of strain 70V3 was the same on equimolar concentrations of thymine and dThd. Growth rate of strain 70V3 was the same on equimolar concentrations of thymine and dThd up to 4 mum; at concentrations of 5 mum and greater, the "4-hr" growth was lower on dThd than on corresponding concentrations of thymine. Cultures of both thymineless mutants synthesized equal maximal amounts of DNA. Whereas strain 70V3 incorporated a maximum of 90% of the thymine or dThd in the media, strain 70 incorporated a maximum of only 10%. This poor utilization by strain 70 was neither a result of thymine or dThd conversion to a low-molecular-weight thymine derivative nor the production of a nonthymine inhibitory substance. Since strains 70 and 70V3 exhibited no thymidylate synthetase activity, the first mutation (strain 15 to strain 70) resulted in the loss of this activity. The second mutation (strain 70 to strain 70V3) probably brought about the loss of an enzyme(s) that catabolizes deoxyribose phosphate, permitting a greater net synthesis of dThd from thymine.     

Structure and drug interactions of parallel-stranded DNA studied by infrared spectroscopy and fluorescence.

The infrared spectra of three different 25-mer parallel-stranded DNAs (ps-DNA) have been studied. We have used ps-DNAs containing either exclusively dA x dT base pairs or substitution with four dG x dC base pairs and have them compared with their antiparallel-stranded (aps) reference duplexes in a conventional B-DNA conformation. Significant differences have been found in the region of the thymine C = O stretching vibrations. The parallel-stranded duplexes showed characteristic marker bands for the C2 = O2 and C4 = O4 carbonyl stretching vibrations of thymine at 1685 cm-1 and 1668 cm-1, respectively, as compared to values of 1696 cm-1 and 1663 cm-1 for the antiparallel-stranded reference duplexes. The results confirm previous studies indicating that the secondary structure in parallel-stranded DNA is established by reversed Watson--Crick base pairing of dA x dT with hydrogen bonds between N6H...O2 and N1...HN3. The duplex structure of the ps-DNA is much more sensitive to dehydration than that of the aps-DNA. Interaction with three drugs known to bind in the minor groove of aps-DNA--netropsin, distamycin A and Hoechst 33258--induces shifts of the C = O stretching vibrations of ps-DNA even at low ratio of drug per DNA base pair. These results suggest a conformational change of the ps-DNA to optimize the DNA-drug interaction. As demonstrated by excimer fluorescence of strands labeled with pyrene at the 5'-end, the drugs induce dissociation of the ps-DNA duplex with subsequent formation of imperfectly matched aps-DNA to allow the more favorable drug binding to aps-DNA. Similarly, attempts to form a triple helix of the type d(T)n.d(A)n.d(T)n with ps-DNA failed and resulted in the dissociation of the ps-DNA duplex and reformation of a triple helix based upon an aps-DNA duplex core d(T)10.d(A)10.     

Ultraviolet-induced thymine hydrates in DNA are excised by bacterial and human DNA glycosylase activities

Ultraviolet irradiation of DNA results in various pyrimidine modifications. We studied the excision of an ultraviolet thymine photoproduct by Escherichia coli endonuclease III and by a preparation of human WI-38 cells. These enzymes cleave UV-irradiated DNA at apyrimidinic sites formed by glycosylic removal of the photoproduct. Poly(dA-[3H]dT).poly(dA-[3H]dT) was UV irradiated and incubated with purified E. coli endonuclease III. 3H-Containing material was released in a manner consistent with Michaelis-Menten kinetics. This 3H-labeled material was determined to be a mixture of thymine hydrates (6-hydroxy-5,6-dihydrothymine), separable from unmodified thymine by chromatography in three independent systems. Both cis-thymine hydrate and trans-thymine hydrate were chemically and photochemically synthesized. These coeluted with the enzyme-released 3H-containing material. No thymine glycol was released from the UV-irradiated polymer. Similar results were obtained with extracts of WI-38 cells as the enzyme source. The release of thymine hydrates by both glycosylase activities was directly proportional to the amount of enzyme and the irradiation dose to the DNA substrate. These results demonstrate the modified thymine residues recognized and excised by endonuclease III and the human enzyme to be a mixture of cis-thymine hydrate and trans-thymine hydrate. The reparability of these thymine hydrates suggests that they are stable in DNA and therefore potentially genotoxic.     

The main role of human thymine-DNA glycosylase is removal of thymine produced by deamination of 5-methylcytosine and not removal of ethenocytosine

Metabolites of vinyl chloride react with cytosine in DNA to form 3,N(4)-ethenocytosine. Recent studies suggest that ethenocytosine is repaired by the base excision repair pathway with the ethenobase being removed by thymine-DNA glycosylase. Here single turnover kinetics have been used to compare the excision of ethenocytosine by thymine-DNA glycosylase with the excision of thymine. The effect of flanking DNA sequence on the excision of ethenocytosine was also investigated. The 34-bp duplexes studied here fall into three categories. Ethenocytosine base-paired with guanine within a CpG site (i.e. CpG.(epsilon)C-DNA) was by far the best substrate having a specificity constant (k(2)/K(d)) of 25.1 x 10(6) m(-1) s(-1). The next best substrates were DNA duplexes containing TpG.(epsilon)C, GpG.(epsilon)C, and CpG.T. These had specificity constants 45-130 times smaller than CpG.(epsilon)C-DNA. The worst substrates were DNA duplexes containing ApG.(epsilon)C and TpG.T, which had specificity constants, respectively, 1,600 and 7,400 times lower than CpG.(epsilon)C-DNA. DNA containing ethenocytosine was bound much more tightly than DNA containing a G.T mismatch. This is probably because thymine-DNA glycosylase can flip out ethenocytosine from a G.(epsilon)C base pair more easily than it can flip out thymine from a G.T mismatch. Because thymine-DNA glycosylase has a larger specificity constant for the removal of ethenocytosine, it has been suggested its primary purpose is to deal with ethenocytosine. However, these results showing that thymine-DNA glycosylase has a strong sequence preference for CpG sites in the excision of both thymine and ethenocytosine suggest that the main role of thymine-DNA glycosylase in vivo is the removal of thymine produced by deamination of 5-methylcytosine at CpG sites.     

DNA duplexes containing altered sugar residues as probes of EcoRII and MvaI endonuclease interactions with sugar-phosphate backbone

Oligonucleotides containing 1-(beta-D-2'-deoxy-threo-pentofuranosyl)cytosine (dCx) and/or 1-(beta-D-2'-deoxy-threo-pentofuranosyl)thymine (dTx) in place of dC and dT residues in the EcoRII and MvaI recognition site CC(A/T)GG were synthesized in order to investigate specific recognition of the DNA sugar-phosphate backbone by EcoRII and MvaI restriction endonucleases. In 2'-deoxyxylosyl moieties of dCx and dTx, 3'-hydroxyl groups were inverted, which perturbs the related individual phosphates. Introduction of a single 2'-deoxyxylosyl moiety into a dC x dG pair resulted in a minor destabilization of double-stranded DNA structure. In the case of a dA x dT pair the effect of a 2'-deoxyxylose incorporation was much more pronounced. Multiple dCx modifications and their combination with dTx did not enhance the destabilization effect. Hydrolysis of dCx-containing DNA duplexes by EcoRII endonuclease was blocked and binding affinity was strongly depended on the location of an altered sugar. A DNA duplex containing a dTx residue was cleaved by the enzyme, but kcat/K(M) was slightly reduced. In contrast, MvaI endonuclease efficiently cleaved both types of sugar-altered substrate analogs. However it did not cleave conformationally perturbed scissile bonds, when the corresponding unmodified bonds were perfectly hydrolyzed in the same DNA duplexes. Based on these data the possible contributions of individual phosphates in the recognition site to substrate recognition and catalysis by EcoRII were proposed. We observed strikingly non-equivalent inputs for different phosphates with respect to their effect on EcoRII-DNA complex formation.