Sequence-specific DNA nicking endonucleases

A group of small HNH nicking endonucleases (NEases) was discovered recently from phage or prophage genomes that nick double-stranded DNA sites ranging from 3 to 5 bp in the presence of Mg2+ or Mn2+. The cosN site of phage HK97 contains a gp74 nicking site AC↑CGC, which is similar to AC↑CGR (R=A/G) of N.ϕGamma encoded by Bacillus phage Gamma. A minimal nicking domain of 76 amino acid residues from N.ϕGamma could be fused to other DNA binding partners to generate chimeric NEases with new specificities. The biological roles of a few small HNH endonucleases (HNHE, gp74 of HK97, gp37 of ϕSLT, ϕ12 HNHE) have been demonstrated in phage and pathogenicity island DNA packaging. Another group of NEases with 3- to 7-bp specificities are either natural components of restriction systems or engineered from type IIS restriction endonucleases. A phage group I intron-encoded HNH homing endonucleases, I-PfoP3I was found to nick DNA sites of 14-16 bp. I-TslI encoded by T7-like ΦI appeared to nick DNA sites with a 9-bp core sequence. DNA nicking and labeling have been applied to optical mapping to aid genome sequence assembly and detection of large insertion/deletion mutations in genomic DNA of cancer cells. Nicking enzyme-mediated amplification reaction has been applied to rapid diagnostic testing of influenza A and B in clinical setting and for construction of DNA-based Boolean logic gates. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-ribonucleoprotein complex consisting of engineered Cas9 nickases in conjunction with tracerRNA:crRNA or a single-guide RNA have been successfully used in genome modifications.