A unique exonuclease ExoG cleaves between RNA and DNA in mitochondrial DNA replication.

ABSTRACT: Replication of sufficient mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is essential for maintaining mitochondrial functions in mammalian cells. During mtDNA replication, RNA primers must be removed before the nascent circular DNA strands rejoin. This process involves mitochondrial RNase H1, which removes most of the RNA primers but leaves two ribonucleotides attached to the 5' end of nascent DNA. A subsequent 5'-exonuclease is required to remove the residual ribonucleotides, however, it remains unknown if any mitochondrial 5'-exonuclease could remove two RNA nucleotides from a hybrid duplex DNA. Here, we report that human mitochondrial Exonuclease G (ExoG) may participate in this particular process by efficiently cleaving at RNA-DNA junctions to remove the 5'-end RNA dinucleotide in an RNA/DNA hybrid duplex.

SUBMITTER: Wu CC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6547421 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature