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MutT‐related error avoidance mechanism for DNA synthesis
Author(s) -
Sekiguchi Mutsuo
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
genes to cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1365-2443
pISSN - 1356-9597
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2443.1996.d01-232.x
Subject(s) - biology , mutagenesis , transversion , mutation , mutant , escherichia coli , dna , nucleotide , gene , genetics , enzyme , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry
Mutator mutants that show an increased frequency of spontaneous mutation have led to the elucidation of the multiple pathways of spontaneous mutagenesis. 8‐Oxo‐dGTP (8‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydrodeoxyguanosine triphosphate) is formed in the nucleotide pool of a cell during normal cellular metabolism, and when it is incorporated into DNA causes mutation. MutT protein of Escherichia coli and related mammalian enzymes specifically degrade 8‐oxo‐dGTP to 8‐oxo‐dGMP, thereby preventing occurrence of transversion mutation. The gene encoding the human enzyme, designated MTH1 (for mutT homologue 1), maps to chromosome 7p22. These proteins may be responsible for genomic stability.