title: Enzymatic repair of an expanded genetic information system.
abstract: The excision repair machinery of a thermophilic bacterium has been shown to recognize and repair an expanded genetic base pair. Native Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase will remove a mispaired natural base and replace it with a non-natural base to form an expanded base pair. In addition, DNA ligase will recognize a nick formed by polymerase between two non-natural base pairs and covalently attach the two strands, thus demonstrating complete repair of a bifurcated base-paired model duplex. These results add evidence to the idea that the cellular replication and repair machinery of an organism containing an expanded genetic alphabet could recognize and properly repair a site containing consecutive unnatural bases.
authors.affiliation: Eragen Biosciences, Inc., 918 Deming Way, Madison, WI 53717-1944, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Prudent
mesh_terms: D020137:Base Pair Mismatch / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011088:DNA Ligases / Q000378:metabolism; D004260:DNA Repair; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008957:Models, Genetic
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes; D004247:DNA; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases; D011088:DNA Ligases