title: Sequence-selective recognition and cleavage of double-helical DNA.
abstract: Single sites within long double-helical DNA molecules can be recognized by a variety of mechanisms. Different strategies have been used to adapt sequence-specific recognition to sequence-specific cleavage of duplex DNA. Any nucleic acid can be converted into an artificial nuclease by the attachment of a cleaving reagent. Alternatively, a sequence-specific ligand can be used to protect a methylase recognition site from methylation. The protected site may then be cleaved selectively by a restriction endonuclease (the so-called 'Achilles heel' cleavage technique). Recent developments in this area have shown that it is possible to cleave chromosomal DNA at single sites within bacterial and eukaryotic genomes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biophysique, INSERM U 201, CNRS UA 481, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hélène
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000378:metabolism; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009841:Oligonucleotides; D004247:DNA; D011938:Rec A Recombinases