Cytosine deaminations catalyzed by DNA cytosine methyltransferases are unlikely to be the major cause of mutational hot spots at sites of cytosine methylation in Escherichia coli.

Sites of cytosine methylation are hot spots for C to T mutations in Escherichia coli DNA. We have developed a genetic reversion assay that allows direct selection of C to T mutations at a site of methylation. Because the mutant gene is on a plasmid, this system can be used to study mutational effects of biochemical agents in vitro as well as in vivo. Using this system we show that in vitro an E. coli methyltransferase can cause C to U deaminations at a site of methylation. Reaction conditions that are known to inhibit a side reaction of the methyltransferase also suppress reversion frequency, suggesting that this side reaction is required for deamination. Furthermore, a mutation in the enzyme that eliminates its catalytic activity but not its ability to bind DNA eliminates the ability of the enzyme to cause C to U deaminations. Despite this, in vivo experiments strongly suggest that enzyme-catalyzed deaminations of cytosine do not play a major role in making methylation sites in E. coli hot spots for mutations. For example, although uracil-DNA glycosylase (Ung) suppresses the occurrence of mutations due to C to U deaminations, the frequency of C to T mutations at a methylation site remains high in ung+ cells. Furthermore, the reversion frequencies in ung+ and ung- cells are quite similar.