2. Academic Validation
  3. Endonuclease G preferentially cleaves 5-hydroxymethylcytosine-modified DNA creating a substrate for recombination

Endonuclease G preferentially cleaves 5-hydroxymethylcytosine-modified DNA creating a substrate for recombination

  • Nucleic Acids Res. 2014 Dec 1;42(21):13280-93. doi: 10.1093/nar/gku1032.
Adam B Robertson 1,  Julia Robertson 2,  Markus Fusser 2,  Arne Klungland 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Institute of Medical Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Norway adam.robertson@rr-research.no.
  • 2 Institute of Medical Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Norway.
  • 3 Institute of Medical Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Norway Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1018 Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway.
PMID: 25355512 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku1032
Abstract

5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) has been suggested to be involved in various nucleic acid transactions and cellular processes, including transcriptional regulation, demethylation of 5-methylcytosine and stem cell pluripotency. We have identified an activity that preferentially catalyzes the cleavage of double-stranded 5hmC-modified DNA. Using biochemical methods we purified this activity from mouse liver extracts and demonstrate that the Enzyme responsible for the cleavage of 5hmC-modified DNA is Endonuclease G (EndoG). We show that recombinant EndoG preferentially recognizes and cleaves a core sequence when one specific cytosine within that core sequence is hydroxymethylated. Additionally, we provide in vivo evidence that EndoG catalyzes the formation of double-stranded DNA breaks and that this cleavage is dependent upon the core sequence, EndoG and 5hmC. Finally, we demonstrate that the 5hmC modification can promote conservative recombination in an EndoG-dependent manner.

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