Sequence and Substrate Specificity of Isolated DNA Methylases from Escherichia Coli C

Overview

Journal J Bacteriol

Publisher American Society for Microbiology

Specialty Microbiology

Date 1983 Jan 1

PMID 6336735

Citations 19

Authors

S Urieli-Shoval

Y Gruenbaum

A Razin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Two DNA methylase activities of Escherichia coli C, the mec (designates DNA-cytosine-methylase gene, which is also designated dcm) and dam gene products, were physically separated by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The sequence and substrate specificity of the two enzymes were studied in vitro. The experiments revealed that both enzymes show their expected sequence specificity under in vitro conditions, methylating symmetrically on both DNA strands. The mec enzyme methylates exclusively the internal cytosine residue of CCATGG sequences, and the dam enzyme methylates adenine residues at GATC sites. Substrate specificity experiments revealed that both enzymes methylate in vitro unmethylated duplex DNA as efficiently as hemimethylated DNA. The results of these experiments suggest that the methylation at a specific site takes place by two independent events. A methyl group in a site on one strand of the DNA does not facilitate the methylation of the same site on the opposite strand. With the dam methylase it was found that the enzyme is incapable of methylating GATC sites located at the ends of DNA molecules.

Citing Articles

DNA N(6)-methyladenine: a new epigenetic mark in eukaryotes?.

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Optical mapping discerns genome wide DNA methylation profiles.

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Mutations within the catalytic motif of DNA adenine methyltransferase (Dam) of Aeromonas hydrophila cause the virulence of the Dam-overproducing strain to revert to that of the wild-type phenotype.

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DNA adenine methyltransferase influences the virulence of Aeromonas hydrophila.

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Structure of the bacteriophage T4 DNA adenine methyltransferase.

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