title: Statistical evidence for a biochemical pathway of natural, sequence-targeted G/C to C/G transversion mutagenesis in Haemophilus influenzae Rd.
abstract: Markov chain analysis of the Haemophilus influenzae Rd genome reveals striking under-representation of three palindromic tetranucleotide strings (CCGG, GGCC and CATG), accompanied by over-representation of six tetranucleotide strings that are derived from the former by exchanging strand location of the two residues making up a G/C nucleotide pair at the terminal palindrome position. Constraints are outlined for a molecular model able to explain the phenomenon as the result of sequence-targeted, enzyme-driven G/C to C/G transversion mutagenesis. Possible participation in the process by components of known DNA mismatch repair or restriction/modification systems (in particular, cytosine methylation) is discussed. The effect widens the spectrum of enzyme-driven, specific mutagenesis beyond the formerly described C/G to T/A transition (VSP repair of Escherichia coli). Potential evolutionary benefits of enzymatic pathways of specific mutagenesis can be envisioned.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Molekulare Genetik, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen,Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Merkl
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Fritz
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000235:genetics*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D015233:Models, Statistical; D016296:Mutagenesis
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial