Cleavage of DNA containing 5-fluorocytosine or 5-fluorouracil by type II restriction endonucleases.

A systematic study of the cleavage of DNA sequences containing 5-fluorocytosine or 5-fluorouracil by type II restriction endonucleases (REs) was performed and the results compared with the same sequences containing natural pyrimidine bases, uracil or 5-methylcytosine. The results show that some REs recognize fluorine as a hydrogen on cytosine and cleave the corresponding sequences where the presence of m5dC leads to blocking of the cleavage. However, on uracil, the same REs recognize the F as a methyl surrogate and cleave the sequences which are not cleaved if uracil is incorporated instead of thymine. These results are interesting for understanding the recognition of DNA sequences by REs and for manipulation of the specific DNA cutting.

Polymerase Synthesis and Restriction Enzyme Cleavage of DNA Containing 7-Substituted 7-Deazaguanine Nucleobases.

Previous studies of polymerase synthesis of base-modified DNAs and their cleavage by restriction enzymes have mostly related only to 5-substituted pyrimidine and 7-substituted 7-deazaadenine nucleotides. Here we report the synthesis of a series of 7-substituted 7-deazaguanine 2'-deoxyribonucleoside 5'-O-triphosphates (dG(R) TPs), their use as substrates for polymerase synthesis of modified DNA and the influence of the modification on their cleavage by type II restriction endonucleases (REs). The dG(R) TPs were generally good substrates for polymerases but the PCR products could not be visualised on agarose gels by intercalator staining, due to fluorescence quenching. The presence of 7-substituted 7-deazaguanine residues in recognition sequences of REs in most cases completely blocked the cleavage.

Polymerase synthesis of DNAs bearing vinyl groups in the major groove and their cleavage by restriction endonucleases.

DNA molecules containing 5-vinyluracil, 5-vinylcytosine, or 7-deaza-7-vinyladenine were prepared by polymerase incorporation of the corresponding vinyl-modified 2'-deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, and the influence of the vinyl group in the major groove of DNA on the cleavage by diverse type II restriction endonucleases (REs) was studied. The presence of 5-vinyluracil was tolerated by most of the REs, whereas only some REs were able to cleave sequences containing 7-deaza-7-vinyladenine. The enzyme ScaI was found to cleave DNA containing 5-vinylcytosine efficiently but not DNA containing the related 5-ethynylcytosine. All other REs failed to cleave sequences containing any cytosine modifications.