title: The multiple activities of Escherichia coli endonuclease IV and the extreme lability of 5'-terminal base-free deoxyribose 5-phosphates.
abstract: 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.
authors: Biochimie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Liège, Belgium.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Bailly
authors: W G
authors: WG
authors: Verly
mesh_terms: D004260:DNA Repair; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D043603:DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase; D043223:Deoxyribonuclease IV (Phage T4-Induced); D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D006868:Hydrolysis; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000378:metabolism; D010428:Pentosephosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D012267:Ribosemonophosphates / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D010428:Pentosephosphates; D012267:Ribosemonophosphates; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; D043223:Deoxyribonuclease IV (Phage T4-Induced); C468972:endonuclease IV, E coli; D043603:DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase