Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.22.1 (DNase II)
 429 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The cellular basis for the enhanced sensitivity to ionising radiation and some DNA damaging chemicals in ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) cells is not clearly understood. Abnormalities in cell-cycle traverse, chromosome stability and DNA synthesis patterns have suggested that a chromatin associated defect may be the primary lesion in AT. This study involves an attempt to define such an anomaly by the use of a vital DNA specific bis-benzimidazole dye (Hoechst 33342) and deoxyribonuclease II as probes for chromatin organisation in intact and permeabilised human cells respectively. Despite similar DNA binding characteristics (determined by flow cytometry) of Ho33342 in normal and AT transformed fibroblasts, the AT cells show: (i) enhanced cell killing and increased accumulation of cells in G2 phase of the cell-cycle [both biological responses being relatively resistant in AT cells to modification by an inhibitor of poly (ADP ribosyl)ation], (ii) no resistance of de novo DNA synthesis to Ho33342-induced inhibition, (iii) elevated levels of slow-rejoining ligand-induced DNA strand-breaks, and (iv) enhanced expression of chromatin regions accessible to an exogenously supplied endonuclease. The results are interpreted on the basis that a chromatin anomaly of enhanced nuclease susceptibility, involving a minor fraction of the genome, may be a controlling factor in the expression of the various in vivo and in vitro characteristics of AT cells.
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PMID:Relationship between a chromatin anomaly in ataxia-telangiectasia cells and enhanced sensitivity to DNA damage. 648 55

The DNA sequences targeted by a complete homologous series of aromatic diamidines have been determined at single-nucleotide resolution via protection from cutting by the endonucleases DNase I, DNase II and micrococcal nuclease. Propamidine, pentamidine and to a lesser extent hexamidine bind selectively to nucleotide sequences composed of at least four consecutive A-T base pairs. In contrast, the binding to DNA of butamidine, heptamidine, octamidine and nonamidine is poorly sequence-selective. Sequences composed of only three consecutive A-T base pairs do not afford a potential binding site for propamidine or the longer homologues, and none of the drugs tolerate the presence of a G-C base pair within the binding site. Experiments with DNA molecules containing inosine in place of guanosine and 2,6-diaminopurine in place of adenine reveal that the lack of binding of propamidine to GC-containing sites is attributable to an obstructive effect of the exocyclic 2-amino group of guanosine. The present data support the view that the local conformation of the double helix (in particular the width of the minor groove) plays a dominant role in the binding reaction and that the capacity of diamidines to recognize AT-rich sequences selectively varies considerably depending on the length of the alkyl chain. The evidence indicates that binding to AT-tracts in DNA must play a role in the biological activity of these diamidines, but there is no simple correlation between binding and pharmacological efficacy.
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PMID:Sequence-selective binding to DNA of bis(amidinophenoxy)alkanes related to propamidine and pentamidine. 917 86