Point mutations causing Bloom's syndrome abolish ATPase and DNA helicase activities of the BLM protein

Bloom's syndrome (BS) is a rare human genetic disorder characterized by mutations within the BLM gene whose primary effects are excessive chromosome breakage and increased rates of sister chromatid interchange in somatic cells. We report the characterization of a murine protein (mBLM), highly related to the product of the human BLM gene. This protein exhibits an ATP-dependent DNA-helicase activity that unwinds DNA in a 3'-5' direction. Single amino acid substitutions found in BS cells, abolish both ATPase and helicase activities of this protein, indicating that defects in these BLM functions may be primarily responsible for BS establishment. These results provide the first evidence suggesting that the enzymatic activities of the BLM product are implicated in the upholding of genomic integrity.