A human nuclease specific for G4 DNA. |
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| Authors: | H Sun A Yabuki N Maizels |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. |
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| Abstract: | We have identified a human nuclease that specifically cleaves four-stranded DNA stabilized by G quartets (G4 DNA). This nuclease, GQN1 (G quartet nuclease 1), cuts within the single-stranded region 5' of the barrel formed by stacked G quartets. GQN1 does not cleave duplex or single-stranded DNA, Holliday junctions, or G4 RNA. Cleavage depends on DNA structure and not on flanking sequence. Activity is elevated in but not restricted to B cells, making GQN1 a strong candidate for function in immunoglobulin heavy chain class switch recombination. Identification of a mammalian nuclease that specifically cleaves G4 DNA provides further support for the notion that DNA structures stabilized by G quartets form in vivo and function in regulated recombination and genomic evolution. |
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