Inhibition of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase by an alkyltransferase-like protein from Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: The alkyltransferase-like (ATL) proteins contain primary sequence motifs resembling those found in DNA repair O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase proteins. However, in the putative active site of ATL proteins, a tryptophan (W(83)) residue replaces the cysteine at the known active site of alkyltransferases. The Escherichia coli atl gene was expressed as a fusion protein and purified. Neither ATL nor C(83) or A(83) mutants transferred [(3)H] from [(3)H]-methylated DNA to themselves, and the levels of O(6)-methyl guanine (O(6)-meG) in substrate DNA were not affected by ATL. However, ATL inhibited the transfer of methyl groups to human alkyltransferase (MGMT). Inhibition was reduced by prolonged incubation in the presence of MGMT, again suggesting that O(6)-meG in the substrate is not chang

SUBMITTER: Pearson SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1175458 | biostudies-literature | 2005

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature