Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Tools to Study the Role of Architectural Protein HMGB1 in the Processing of Helix Distorting, Site-specific DNA Interstrand Crosslinks
12:19

Tools to Study the Role of Architectural Protein HMGB1 in the Processing of Helix Distorting, Site-specific DNA Interstrand Crosslinks

Published on: November 10, 2016

8.7K

Structure-specific endonuclease activity of SNM1A enables processing of a DNA interstrand crosslink

Beverlee Buzon1,2, Ryan Grainger2, Simon Huang1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster, University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada.

Nucleic Acids Research
|August 31, 2018
PubMed

Insights

SNM1A exhibits endonuclease activity, cleaving single-stranded DNA structures crucial for DNA interstrand crosslink repair. This finding expands SNM1A

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • DNA Repair Mechanisms
  • Cancer Therapeutics

Background:

  • DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) covalently link opposing DNA strands, halting replication and transcription.
  • ICL-inducing agents are toxic but valuable anti-cancer therapeutics.
  • Efficient DNA repair, involving specific endonucleases for incisions, is critical for ICL removal.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the enzymatic activity of SNM1A in DNA interstrand crosslink repair.
  • To determine if SNM1A possesses endonuclease activity beyond its known exonuclease function.

Main Methods:

  • Biochemical assays to assess SNM1A's DNA cleavage activity.
  • Characterization of SNM1A's ability to process DNA structures relevant to ICL repair initiation.

Main Results:

  • SNM1A demonstrates endonuclease activity.
  • SNM1A specifically cleaves single-stranded DNA structures.
  • These structures are present 5' to an ICL during repair initiation.

Conclusions:

  • SNM1A possesses endonuclease activity, capable of cleaving single-stranded DNA.
  • This activity suggests SNM1A plays a direct role in initiating DNA interstrand crosslink repair incisions.
  • The findings expand the known functions of SNM1A in the human ICL repair pathway.

More Related Videos

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage10:59

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage

Published on: August 21, 2021

4.1K
In Vitro Directed Evolution of a Restriction Endonuclease with More Stringent Specificity09:16

In Vitro Directed Evolution of a Restriction Endonuclease with More Stringent Specificity

Published on: March 25, 2020

7.8K

Related Concept Videos

Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing02:41

Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing

In eukaryotic cells, nascent mRNA transcripts need to undergo many post-transcriptional modifications to reach the cell cytoplasm and translate into functional proteins. For a long time, transcription and pre-mRNA processing were considered two independent events that occur sequentially in the cell. However, it has now been well established that transcription and pre-mRNA processing are two simultaneous processes that are precisely regulated inside the cell.
The chromatin structure, especially...
8.2K
Recombinant DNA01:09

Recombinant DNA

Overview
103.3K
pre-mRNA Processing02:01

pre-mRNA Processing

In eukaryotic cells, transcripts made by RNA polymerase are modified and processed before exiting the nucleus. Unprocessed RNA is called precursor mRNA or pre-mRNA to distinguish it from mature mRNA.
Once about 20-40 ribonucleotides have been joined together by RNA polymerase, a group of enzymes adds a “cap” to the 5’ end of the growing transcript. In this process, a 5’ phosphate is replaced by modified guanosine that has a methyl group attached to it (7-Methyl...
57.6K
From DNA to Protein03:06

From DNA to Protein

The flow of genetic information in cells from DNA to mRNA to protein is described by the central dogma, which states that genes specify the sequence of mRNAs, which in turn specify the sequence of amino acids making up all proteins. The decoding of one molecule to another is performed by specific proteins and RNAs. Because the information stored in DNA is so central to cellular function, it makes intuitive sense that the cell would make mRNA copies of this information for protein synthesis...
22.4K
Structure-Activity Relationships and Drug Design01:28

Structure-Activity Relationships and Drug Design

Drug design is a dynamic field that involves discovering and developing new medications based on specific biological targets. This process heavily relies on structure-activity relationships (SAR) and quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) to guide the design and optimization of efficient drugs.
SAR studies the intricate relationship between a drug's chemical structure and biological activity. It focuses on understanding how modifications to a drug's structure can influence...
1.8K
Cell Specific Gene Expression01:58

Cell Specific Gene Expression

Multicellular organisms contain a variety of structurally and functionally distinct cell types, but the DNA in all the cells originated from the same parent cells. The differences in the cells can be attributed to the differential gene expression. Liver cells, whose functions include detoxification of blood, production of bile to metabolize fats, and synthesis of proteins essential for metabolism, must express a specific set of genes to perform their functions. Gene expression also varies with...
16.6K