DNA repair: bioinformatics helps reverse methylation damage.
Recent work has uncovered a novel DNA repair enzyme: the AlkB protein of Escherichia coli, which oxidises the methyl groups of 1-methyladenine and 3-methylcytosine to hydroxymethyl moieties; the oxidised groups are subsequently released as formaldehyde, regenerating the unmodified bases.
Jiricny
Josef
J
Institute of Medical Radiobiology of the University of Zürich and the Paul Scherrer Institute, August Forel-Strasse 7, CH-8008 Zürich, Switzerland. jiricny@imr.unizh.ch
D000225:Adenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods; D003596:Cytosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000502:physiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000502:physiology*
D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C036386:3-methylcytosine; C008407:1-methyladenine; D003596:Cytosine; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; C466427:AlkB protein, E coli; D000225:Adenine