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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

In Vitro Directed Evolution of a Restriction Endonuclease with More Stringent Specificity
Published on: March 25, 2020
Role of single-stranded DNA in targeting REV1 to primer termini
1Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan.
Abstract:
Cellular functions of the REV1 gene have been conserved in evolution and appear important for maintaining genetic integrity through translesion DNA synthesis. This study documents a novel biochemical activity of human REV1 protein, due to higher affinity for single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) than the primer terminus. Preferential binding to long ssDNA regions of the template strand means that REV1 is targeted specifically to the included primer termini, a property not shared by other DNA polymerases, including human DNA polymerases alpha, beta, and eta. Furthermore, a mutant REV1 lacking N- and C-terminal domains, but catalytically active, lost this function, indicating that control is not due to the catalytic core. The novel activity of REV1 protein might imply a role for ssDNA in the regulation of translesion DNA synthesis.
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