Location of putative binding and catalytic sites of NaeI by random mutagenesis.
Endonuclease NaeI is a prototype for an unusual group of type II restriction endonucleases that must bind two DNA recognition sequences to cleave DNA. The naeIR gene, expressed from a Ptac promotor construct, was toxic to Escherichia coli in the absence of NaeI-sequence specific methylases. The naeIR gene was mutagenized with N-methyl-N'-nitrosoguanidine; four classes of NaeI variants were isolated in the absence of protecting methylase activity. Class I variants (T60I, E70K) lacked detectable cleavage activity, but displayed good sequence-specific DNA binding. Class II variants (D95N, G141D) displayed 1-5% of the wild-type cleavage activity and normal DNA binding. Class III variants (G131E, G131R, G155D, G245E) displayed significantly attenuated cleavage and binding activities. Class IV variants (G197D, G214R/A219T, G236S, L241P, G245E, G245R, G250E, G270E) lacked both cleavage and binding activities. These results imply two amino acids (Thr-60, Glu-70) essential for catalysis. In addition, two domains are indicated in NaeI: one (Thr-60 to Gly-155) mediates substrate binding and catalysis, the other (Gly-197 to Gly-270) may mediate binding of the activating DNA sequence. Our results are compared with the active site residues of EcoRI, EcoRV, and BamHI.
Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina Medical School, Chapel Hill 27599-7295.
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002384:Catalysis; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009615:Nocardia / Q000201:enzymology; D013379:Substrate Specificity
D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C060630:endodeoxyribonuclease NaeI; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific