Toggle Main Menu Toggle Search

Open Access padlockePrints

Interaction of the E. coli DNA G:T-mismatch endonuclease (vsr protein) with oligonucleotides containing its target sequence

Lookup NU author(s): Dr David Turner, Professor Bernard Connolly

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.


Abstract

The Escherichia coli vsr endonuclease recognises G:T base-pair mismatches in double-stranded DNA and initiates a repair pathway by hydrolysing the phosphate group 5′ to the incorrectly paired T. The enzyme shows a preference for G:T mismatches within a particular sequence context, derived from the recognition site of the E. coli dcm DNA-methyltransferase (CC[A/T]GG). Thus, the preferred substrate for the vsr protein is (CT[A/T]GG), where the underlined T is opposed by a dG base. This paper provides quantitative data for the interaction of the vsr protein with a number of oligonucleotides containing G:T mismatches. Evaluation of specificity constant (kst/KD; kst = rate constant for single turnover, KD = equilibrium dissociation constant) confirms vsr's preference for a G:T mismatch within a hemi-methylated dcm sequence, i.e. the best substrate is a duplex (both strands written in the 5′-3′ orientation) composed of CT[A/T]GG and C5MeC[T/A]GG. Conversion of the mispaired T (underlined) to dU or the d5MeC to dC gave poorer substrates. No interaction was observed with oligonucleotides that lacked a G:T mismatch or did not possess a dcm sequence. An analysis of the fraction of active protein, by "reverse-titration" (i.e. adding increasing amounts of DNA to a fixed amount of protein followed by gel-mobility shift analysis) showed that less than 1% of the vsr endonuclease was able to bind to the substrate. This was confirmed using "competitive titrations" (where competitor oligonucleotides are used to displace a 32P-labelled nucleic acid from the vsr protein) and burst kinetic analysis. This result is discussed in the light of previous in vitro and in vivo data which indicate that the MutL protein may be needed for full vsr activity. © 2000 Academic Press.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Turner DP; Connolly BA

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Molecular Biology

Year: 2000

Volume: 304

Issue: 5

Pages: 765-778

ISSN (print): 0022-2836

ISSN (electronic):

Publisher: Academic Press

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jmbi.2000.4248

DOI: 10.1006/jmbi.2000.4248

PubMed id: 11124025


Altmetrics

Altmetrics provided by Altmetric


Share