Resistance of alkylated DNA to degradation by deoxyribonuclease II at neutral and acid pH.

Methylation of a calf thymus DNA substrate by dimethyl sulphate (DMS) leads to an inhibition of deoxyribonuclease II activity which is gradually lost with time. The extent of this initial inhibition is linearly related to the amount of methylated products in DNA and quantitatively similar effects were found when the enzyme was used under either acid or neutral conditions. Deoxyribonuclease II was shown to produce 3'-phosphate termini under both acid and neutral conditions and thus, irrespective of the ionic conditions for the action of this enzyme in vivo the effects demonstrated here are of potential significance. Local denaturation of the methylated DNA may be partly responsible for these inhibitory effects but it is likely that the methyl purines also play a more direct role.