EcoRII: a restriction enzyme evolving recombination functions

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	EcoRII: a restriction enzyme evolving recombination functions
Creators Name:	Muecke, M., Grelle, G., Behlke, J., Kraft, R., Krueger, D.H. and Reuter, M.
Abstract:	The restriction endonuclease EcoRII requires the cooperative interaction with two copies of the sequence 5′CCWGG for DNA cleavage. We found by limited proteolysis that EcoRII has a two‐domain structure that enables this particular mode of protein–DNA interaction. The C‐terminal domain is a new restriction endonuclease, EcoRII‐C. In contrast to the wild‐type enzyme, EcoRII‐C cleaves DNA specifically at single 5′CCWGG sites. Moreover, substrates containing two or more cooperative 5′CCWGG sites are cleaved much more efficiently by EcoRII‐C than by EcoRII. The N‐terminal domain binds DNA specifically and attenuates the activity of EcoRII by making the enzyme dependent on a second 5′CCWGG site. Therefore, we suggest that a precursor EcoRII endonuclease acquired an additional DNA‐binding domain to enable the interaction with two 5′CCWGG sites. The current EcoRII molecule could be an evolutionary intermediate between a site‐specific endonuclease and a protein that functions specifically with two DNA sites such as recombinases and transposases. The combination of these functions may enable EcoRII to accomplish its own propagation similarly to transposons.
Keywords:	DNA Recombination, DNA Restriction, EcoRII Evolution, Type IIE Restriction Endonuclease
Source:	EMBO Journal
ISSN:	0261-4189
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Volume:	21
Number:	19
Page Range:	5262-5268
Date:	1 October 2002
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1093/emboj/cdf514
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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