title: Site-specific binding of short peptides with DNA modulated eukaryotic endonuclease activity.
abstract: Short peptides (2-4 amino acid residues) inhibit or stimulate hydrolysis of λ phage DNA by eukaryotic endonucleases WEN1 and WEN2 depending on DNA methylation status. Peptide modulation of endonucleases activity most likely appears as a result of their binding to DNA. Peptides discriminate (recognize) not only certain DNA sequences, but also their methylation status. Apart from intact DNA, the test peptides bind to single-stranded DNA structures (oligonucleotides) containing NG- and CG-sites methylated in eukaryotes. Peptides affect the set of hydrolyzed sites during endonuclease hydrolysis of double-stranded structures. The effects of peptides with different primary structure on DNA hydrolysis by endonucleases are different and are modulated by histones (histone H1). Site-specific peptide interactions with DNA may epigenetically control genetic functions of the cell. These interactions probably played an important role at the very early stages of evolution.
authors.affiliation: St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, Northwestern Division of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.
authors.forename: V Kh
authors.initials: VKh
authors.lastname: Khavinson
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Fedoreyeva
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Vanyushin
mesh_terms: D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000737:chemistry*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000378:metabolism; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D003854:Deoxyribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D056890:Eukaryota; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006868:Hydrolysis; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004279:DNA, Viral; D003854:Deoxyribonucleotides; D006657:Histones; D009842:Oligopeptides; D010940:Plant Proteins; D004247:DNA; D004720:Endonucleases