title: Catalytic mechanisms of restriction and homing endonucleases.
abstract: The catalytic mechanisms of type II restriction endonucleases and homing endonucleases are discussed and compared. Brief reviews of the chemistry of phosphoryl transfers and canonical one-metal and two-metal endonucleolytic mechanisms are provided along with possible future directions in the study of endonuclease active sites. The discussion of type II restriction endonucleases is comprised of a description of the general architecture of the canonical active site structural motif followed by more in-depth examples of one- and two-metal mechanisms. The homing endonuclease section is comprised of four sections describing what is known regarding the cleavage mechanisms of the four group I intron homing endonuclease families: LAGLIDADG, His-Cys box, H-N-H, and GIY-YIG.
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Graduate Program in Biomolecular Structure and Design, University of Washington, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, A3-023, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Galburt
authors.forename: Barry L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Stoddard
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002384:Catalysis; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific