A specific 3' exonuclease activity of UvrABC

Specific cutting of undamaged DNA by UvrABC nuclease is observed. It occurs seven nucleotides (nt) from the 3' terminus of oligonucleotides annealed to single-stranded M13 DNA circles. Although the location of the UvrABC cut on undamaged DNA is similar to that of the cut on the 5' side of a damaged DNA site during the dual incision reaction, the cut of undamaged DNA is not an intermediate in the dual incision step. On DNA duplexes with a single AAF adduct, the anticipated cut at the eighth phosphodiester bond 5' of the lesion is present, but extra cuts at 7-nt increments are observed at the 15th and 22nd phosphodiester bonds. We suggest that these additional cuts are made by the UvrABC activity observed on undamaged DNA; such activity is referred to as ABC 3' exonuclease and may play a significant role by providing a suitable gap for RecA-mediated recombinational exchanges during repair of interstrand crosslinks and closely opposed lesions. This ABC 3' exonuclease activity depends on higher concentrations of Uvr proteins as compared with dual incision and may be relevant to reactions that occur when UvrA and UvrB are increased during SOS induction.