A phage mechanism for selective nicking of dUMP-containing DNA
Tridib Mahata, Shahar Molshanski-Mor, Moran G. Goren, Biswanath Jana, Miriam Kohen-Manor, Ido Yosef, Oren Avram, Tal Pupko, Dor Salomon, Udi Qimron
Abstract
and confirmed physical binding of Ung by T5.015. In addition, biochemical assays with T5.015 and Ung indicated that T5.015 mediates endonucleolytic activity at abasic sites generated by the base-excision activity of Ung. Importantly, the growth inhibition resulting from the endonucleolytic activity is manifested by DNA replication and cell division arrest. We speculate that the phage uses this protein to selectively cause cleavage of the host DNA, which possesses more misincorporated uracils than that of the phage. This protein may also enhance phage utilization of the available resources in the infected cell, since halting replication saves nucleotides, and stopping cell division maintains both daughters of a dividing cell.