Abstract
A DNA methyltransferase was isolated from a eucaryotic, Chlorella-like green alga infected with the virus PBCV-1. The enzyme recognized the sequence GATC and methylated deoxyadenosine solely in GATC sequences. Host DNA, which contains GATC sequences, but not PBCV-1 DNA, which contains GmATC sequences, was a good substrate for the enzyme in vitro. The DNA methyltransferase activity was first detected about 1 h after viral infection; PBCV-1 DNA synthesis and host DNA degradation also began at about this time. The appearance of the DNA methyltransferase activity required de novo protein synthesis, and the enzyme was probably virus encoded. Methylation of DNAs with the PBCV-1-induced methyltransferase conferred resistance of the DNAs to a PBCV-1-induced restriction endonuclease enzyme described previously (Y. Xia, D. E. Burbank, L. Uher, D. Rabussay, and J. L. Van Etten, Mol. Cell. Biol. 6:1430-1439). We propose that the PBCV-1-induced methyltransferase protects viral DNA from the PBCV-1-induced restriction endonuclease and is part of a virus-induced restriction and modification system in PBCV-1-infected Chlorella cells.
Full text
PDF





Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Boyer H. W. DNA restriction and modification mechanisms in bacteria. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1971;25:153–176. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.25.100171.001101. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Burnett T. S., Sleeman J. P. Uneven distribution of methylation sites within the human papillomavirus la genome: possible relevance to viral gene expression. Nucleic Acids Res. 1984 Dec 11;12(23):8847–8860. doi: 10.1093/nar/12.23.8847. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Danos O., Katinka M., Yaniv M. Molecular cloning, refined physical map and heterogeneity of methylation sites of papilloma virus type 1a DNA. Eur J Biochem. 1980 Aug;109(2):457–461. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1980.tb04815.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Doerfler W. DNA methylation and gene activity. Annu Rev Biochem. 1983;52:93–124. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.52.070183.000521. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Doerfler W. DNA methylation--a regulatory signal in eukaryotic gene expression. J Gen Virol. 1981 Nov;57(Pt 1):1–20. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-57-1-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Geier G. E., Modrich P. Recognition sequence of the dam methylase of Escherichia coli K12 and mode of cleavage of Dpn I endonuclease. J Biol Chem. 1979 Feb 25;254(4):1408–1413. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hattman S., Brooks J. E., Masurekar M. Sequence specificity of the P1 modification methylase (M.Eco P1) and the DNA methylase (M.Eco dam) controlled by the Escherichia coli dam gene. J Mol Biol. 1978 Dec 15;126(3):367–380. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(78)90046-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jones P. A., Taylor S. M. Hemimethylated duplex DNAs prepared from 5-azacytidine-treated cells. Nucleic Acids Res. 1981 Jun 25;9(12):2933–2947. doi: 10.1093/nar/9.12.2933. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lacks S., Greenberg B. Complementary specificity of restriction endonucleases of Diplococcus pneumoniae with respect to DNA methylation. J Mol Biol. 1977 Jul;114(1):153–168. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(77)90289-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Marinus M. G., Carraway M., Frey A. Z., Brown L., Arraj J. A. Insertion mutations in the dam gene of Escherichia coli K-12. Mol Gen Genet. 1983;192(1-2):288–289. doi: 10.1007/BF00327681. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Modrich P. Structures and mechanisms of DNA restriction and modification enzymes. Q Rev Biophys. 1979 Aug;12(3):315–369. doi: 10.1017/s0033583500005461. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Proffitt J. H., Davie J. R., Swinton D., Hattman S. 5-Methylcytosine is not detectable in Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA. Mol Cell Biol. 1984 May;4(5):985–988. doi: 10.1128/mcb.4.5.985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Van Etten J. L., Burbank D. E., Schuster A. M., Meints R. H. Lytic viruses infecting a Chlorella-like alga. Virology. 1985 Jan 15;140(1):135–143. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(85)90452-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Van Etten J. L., Schuster A. M., Girton L., Burbank D. E., Swinton D., Hattman S. DNA methylation of viruses infecting a eukaryotic Chlorella-like green alga. Nucleic Acids Res. 1985 May 24;13(10):3471–3478. doi: 10.1093/nar/13.10.3471. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wagner H., Simon D., Werner E., Gelderblom H., Darai C., Flügel R. M. Methylation pattern of fish lymphocystis disease virus DNA. J Virol. 1985 Mar;53(3):1005–1007. doi: 10.1128/jvi.53.3.1005-1007.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Willis D. B., Goorha R., Granoff A. DNA methyltransferase induced by frog virus 3. J Virol. 1984 Jan;49(1):86–91. doi: 10.1128/jvi.49.1.86-91.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Willis D. B., Granoff A. Frog virus 3 DNA is heavily methylated at CpG sequences. Virology. 1980 Nov;107(1):250–257. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(80)90290-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Xia Y. N., Burbank D. E., Uher L., Rabussay D., Van Etten J. L. Restriction endonuclease activity induced by PBCV-1 virus infection of a Chlorella-like green alga. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 May;6(5):1430–1439. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.5.1430. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]