African swine fever virus protein pE296R is a DNA repair apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease required for virus growth in swine macrophages.

ABSTRACT: We show here that the African swine fever virus (ASFV) protein pE296R, predicted to be a class II apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease, possesses endonucleolytic activity specific for AP sites. Biochemical characterization of the purified recombinant enzyme indicated that the K(m) and catalytic efficiency values for the endonucleolytic reaction are in the range of those reported for Escherichia coli endonuclease IV (endo IV) and human Ape1. In addition to endonuclease activity, the ASFV enzyme has a proofreading 3'-->5' exonuclease activity that is considerably more efficient in the elimination of a mismatch than in that of a correctly paired base. The three-dimensional structure predicted for the pE296R protein underscores the structural similarities between endo IV and the viral prote

SUBMITTER: Redrejo-Rodriguez M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1472066 | biostudies-literature | 2006 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature