title: Eukaryotic topoisomerase II preferentially cleaves alternating purine-pyrimidine repeats.
abstract: Alternating purine-pyrimidine sequences (RY repeats) demonstrate considerable homology to the consensus sequence for vertebrate topoisomerase II (Spitzner and Muller (1988) Nucleic Acids Res. 16: 1533-1556). This is shown below and positions that can match are underscored. RYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRY = alternating purine-pyrimidine 18 bp RNYNNCNNGYNGKTNYNY = topoisomerase II consensus sequence (R is purine, Y is pyrimidine, K is G or T.) Topoisomerase II cleavage reactions were performed (in the absence of inhibitors) on a plasmid containing a 54 base RY repeat and the single strong cleavage site mapped to the RY repeat. Analysis of this DNA on sequencing gels showed that the enzyme cleaved a number of sites, all within the 54 base pair RY repeat. Topoisomerase II also made clustered cleavages within other RY repeats that were examined. Quantitative analysis of homology to the consensus sequence, as measured by the match of a site to a matrix of base proportions from the consensus data base (the matrix mean), showed that both the locations and the frequencies of cleavage sites within RY repeats were proportional to homology scores. However, topoisomerase II cleaved RY repeats preferentially in comparison to non-RY sites with similar homology scores. The activity of the enzyme at RY repeats appears to be proportional to the length of the repeat; additionally, GT, AC and AT repeats were better substrates for cleavage than GC repeats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Spitzner
authors.forename: I K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Muller
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004250:DNA Topoisomerases, Type II / Q000378:metabolism*; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D059005:Topoisomerase II Inhibitors
chemical_list: D059005:Topoisomerase II Inhibitors; D005914:Globins; D004247:DNA; D004250:DNA Topoisomerases, Type II