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Updated: May 8, 2026

DNAzyme-dependent Analysis of rRNA 2’-O-Methylation
Published on: September 16, 2019
Methylene insertion reveals the importance of phosphate-phosphate distance in DNase I cleavage
Ayano Nagaya1, Kohji Seio1, Yoshiaki Masaki1,2
1Department of Life Science and Technology, Institute of Science Tokyo 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori Yokohama Kanagawa 226-8501 Japan ymasaki@life.isct.ac.jp.
Abstract:
DNase I is a major endonuclease in human serum that cleaves double-stranded DNA. While its activity has been characterized for sequence preference and structural requirements, the effects of chemical modifications on cleavage activity remain underexplored. Here, we report that the insertion of methylene groups at defined positions on DNA substrates significantly changes the DNase I cleavage in a position-dependent manner, leading to either enhancement or suppression depending on the insertion site. These findings indicated that chemical modifications can be used to modulate DNase I activity and suggested that local structure, particularly the distance between phosphate groups, had a significant impact on DNase I cleavage.
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