A site-specific endonuclease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

PaeI, a new restriction endonuclease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical strain was isolated and characterized. It recognizes and cleaves the sequence 5'-GCATG reduced C-3' generating DNA fragments with 3'-tetranucleotide sticky ends. DNAs of pBR322, SV40 and bacteriophage lambda have one, two and six PaeI recognition sites, respectively. Seventy-two strains of Pseudomonas, Clostridium, Escherichia coli, Shigella, Proteus and Saccharomyces were screened for the presence of site-specific endonucleases. Here we describe the PaeI restriction enzyme found in Pseudomonas aeruginosa; other data will be published elsewhere. Earlier Hinkle and Miller isolated from P. aeruginosa a PaeR7 restriction endonuclease recognizing and cleaving a sequence 5'-C reduced TCGAG-3' (1). Sequence analysis of DNAs cleaved by PaeI shows that the enzyme is the isoschizomer of SphI (2).