Novel non-specific DNA adenine methyltransferases.

ABSTRACT: The mom gene of bacteriophage Mu encodes an enzyme that converts adenine to N(6)-(1-acetamido)-adenine in the phage DNA and thereby protects the viral genome from cleavage by a wide variety of restriction endonucleases. Mu-like prophage sequences present in Haemophilus influenzae Rd (FluMu), Neisseria meningitidis type A strain Z2491 (Pnme1) and H. influenzae biotype aegyptius ATCC 11116 do not possess a Mom-encoding gene. Instead, at the position occupied by mom in Mu they carry an unrelated gene that encodes a protein with homology to DNA adenine N(6)-methyltransferases (hin1523, nma1821, hia5, respectively). Products of the hin1523, hia5 and nma1821 genes modify adenine residues to N(6)-methyladenine, both in vitro and in vivo. All of these enzymes catalyzed extensive DNA methylation; m

SUBMITTER: Drozdz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3299994 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature