[Uracil-DNA glycosylases]

Uracil is one of four nitrogen bases, most frequently found in normal RNA. Uracyl can be found also in DNA as a result of enzymatic or non-enzymatic deamination of cytosine as well as misincorporation of dUMP instead of dTMP during DNA replication. Uracil from DNA can be removed by DNA repair enzymes with apirymidine site as an intermediate. However, if uracil is not removed from DNA a pair C:G in parental DNA can be changed into a T:A pair in the daughter DNA molecule. Therefore, uracil in DNA may lead to a mutation. Uracil in DNA, similarly to thymine, forms energetically most favorable hydrogen bonds with adenine, therefore uracil does not change the coding properties of DNA. Uracil in DNA is recognized by uracil DNA glycosylase (UDGs), which initiates DNA base excision repair, leading to removing of uracil from DNA and replacing it by thymine or cytosine, when arose as a result of cytosine deamination. Eukaryotes have at least four nuclear UDGs: UNG2, SMUG1, TDG i MBD4, while UNG1 operates in the mitochondrium. UNG2 is involved in DNA repair associated with DNA replication and interacts with PCNA and RPA proteins. Uracil can also be an intermediate product in the process of antigen-dependent antibody diversification in B lymphocytes. Enzymatic deamination of viral DNA by host cells can be a defense mechanism against viral infection, including HIV-1. UNG2, MBD4 and TDG glycosylases may cooperate with mismatch repair proteins and TDG can be involved in nucleotide excision repair system.