PS00130

Uracil-DNA glycosylase signature

PROSITE patterns entry
Member databasePROSITE patterns
PROSITE patterns typeconserved site
Short nameU_DNA_GLYCOSYLASE

Description

Uracil-DNA glycosylase (EC 3.2.2.-) (UNG)
[5]
is a DNA repair enzyme that excises uracil residues from DNA by cleaving the N-glycosylic bond. Uracil in DNA can arise as a result of misincorportation of dUMP residues by DNA polymerase or deamination of cytosine. The sequence of uracil-DNA glycosylase is extremely well conserved
[4]
in bacteria and eukaryotes as well as in herpes viruses. More distantly related uracil-DNA glycosylases are also found in poxviruses
[3]
. In eukaryotic cells, UNG activity is found in both the nucleus and the mitochondria. Human UNG1 protein is transported to both the mitochondria and the nucleus
[6]
. The N-terminal 77 amino acids of UNG1 seem to be required for mitochondrial localization
[6]
, but the presence of a mitochondrial transit peptide has not been directly demonstrated. As a signature for this type of enzyme, we selected the most N-terminal conserved region. This region contains an aspartic acid residue which has been proposed, based on X-ray structures
[2]
[1]
to act as a general base in the catalytic mechanism.

References

1.Crystal structure and mutational analysis of human uracil-DNA glycosylase: structural basis for specificity and catalysis. Mol CD, Arvai AS, Slupphaug G, Kavli B, Alseth I, Krokan HE, Tainer JA. Cell 80, 869-78, (1995). View articlePMID: 7697717

2.The structural basis of specific base-excision repair by uracil-DNA glycosylase. Savva R, McAuley-Hecht K, Brown T, Pearl L. Nature 373, 487-93, (1995). View articlePMID: 7845459

3.Identification of a poxvirus gene encoding a uracil DNA glycosylase. Upton C, Stuart DT, McFadden G. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 90, 4518-22, (1993). View articlePMID: 8389453

4.Molecular cloning of human uracil-DNA glycosylase, a highly conserved DNA repair enzyme. Olsen LC, Aasland R, Wittwer CU, Krokan HE, Helland DE. EMBO J. 8, 3121-5, (1989). View articlePMID: 2555154

5.DNA repair enzymes. Sancar A, Sancar GB. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 57, 29-67, (1988). View articlePMID: 3052275

6.Nuclear and mitochondrial forms of human uracil-DNA glycosylase are encoded by the same gene. Slupphaug G, Markussen FH, Olsen LC, Aasland R, Aarsaether N, Bakke O, Krokan HE, Helland DE. Nucleic Acids Res. 21, 2579-84, (1993). View articlePMID: 8332455

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