Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 11, 2026

A High-Throughput Enzyme-Coupled Activity Assay to Probe Small Molecule Interaction with the dNTPase SAMHD1
Published on: April 16, 2021
SAMHD1 enhances immunoglobulin hypermutation by promoting transversion mutation
Eddy Sanchai Thientosapol1,2, Daniel Bosnjak1,2, Timothy Durack1,2
1Centenary Institute, Camperdown NSW 2050, Australia.
Activation-induced deaminase (AID) initiates hypermutation of Ig genes in activated B cells by converting C:G into U:G base pairs. G1-phase variants of uracil base excision repair (BER) and mismatch repair (MMR) then deploy translesion polymerases including REV1 and Pol η, which exacerbates mutation. dNTP paucity may contribute to hypermutation, because dNTP levels are reduced in G1 phase to inhibit viral replication. To derestrict G1-phase dNTP supply, we CRISPR-inactivated SAMHD1 (which degrades dNTPs) in germinal center B cells. Samhd1 inactivation increased B cell virus susceptibility, increased transition mutations at C:G base pairs, and substantially decreased transversion mutations at A:T and C:G base pairs in both strands. We conclude that SAMHD1's restriction of dNTP supply enhances AID's mutagenicity and that the evolution of Ig hypermutation included the repurposing of antiviral mechanisms based on dNTP starvation.
Activation-induced deaminase (AID) initiates hypermutation of Ig genes in activated B cells by converting C:G into U:G base pairs. G1-phase variants of uracil base excision repair (BER) and mismatch repair (MMR) then deploy translesion polymerases including REV1 and Pol η, which exacerbates mutation. dNTP paucity may contribute to hypermutation, because dNTP levels are reduced in G1 phase to inhibit viral replication. To derestrict G1-phase dNTP supply, we CRISPR-inactivated SAMHD1 (which degrades dNTPs) in germinal center B cells. Samhd1 inactivation increased B cell virus susceptibility, increased transition mutations at C:G base pairs, and substantially decreased transversion mutations at A:T and C:G base pairs in both strands. We conclude that SAMHD1's restriction of dNTP supply enhances AID's mutagenicity and that the evolution of Ig hypermutation included the repurposing of antiviral mechanisms based on dNTP starvation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Mutations
Mutations
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Viral Mutations
The Eukaryotic Promoter Region
Speed of a Transverse Wave
One of the key properties of any wave is the wave speed. Light...
Deformations in a Transverse Cross Section
As the material stretches, it expands or contracts in orthogonal directions to the load. This phenomenon varies...

