Excision of the doubly methylated base N 4 ,5-dimethylcytosine from DNA by Escherichia coli Nei and Fpg proteins

Abstract

Cytosine (C) in DNA is often modified to 5-methylcytosine (m 5 C) to execute important cellular functions. Despite the significance of m 5 C for epigenetic regulation in mammals, damage to m 5 C has received little attention. For instance, almost no studies exist on erroneous methylation of m 5 C by alkylating agents to doubly or triply methylated bases. Owing to chemical evidence, and because many prokaryotes express methyltransferases able to convert m 5 C into N 4 ,5-dimethylcytosine (m N 4,5 C) in DNA, m N 4,5 C is probably present in vivo . We screened a series of glycosylases from prokaryotic to human and found significant DNA incision activity of the Escherichia coli Nei and Fpg proteins at m N 4,5 C residues in vitro . The activity of Nei was highest opposite cognate guanine followed by adenine, thymine (T) and C. Fpg-complemented Nei by exhibiting the highest activity opposite C followed by lower activity opposite T. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a repair enzyme activity at a further methylated m 5 C in DNA, as well as the first alkylated base allocated as a Nei or Fpg substrate. Based on our observed high sensitivity to nuclease S1 digestion, we suggest that m N 4,5 C occurs as a disturbing lesion in DNA and that Nei may serve as a major DNA glycosylase in E. coli to initiate its repair. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Frontiers in epigenetic chemical biology’.