title: A DNA exonuclease induced during meiosis of Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
abstract: In meiotic cells of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a DNA exonuclease activity increased approximately 5-fold after premeiotic S-phase and decreased to the initial level before the meiotic divisions. We have purified this activity, designated exonuclease I, to near homogeneity. The activity co-purified with a polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of 36,000. With a linear double-stranded DNA substrate, exonuclease I degraded only the 5'-ended strand from each end to produce 3'-single-stranded tails. The enzyme also acted on nicked circular DNA with comparable affinity. The meiotic induction of exonuclease I and its mode of action, similar to that of recombination-promoting exonucleases from bacteria, suggest that exonuclease I is involved in meiotic homologous recombination in S. pombe.
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98104.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szankasi
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008540:Meiosis; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases; C028450:exodeoxyribonuclease I