Protecting recognition sequences on DNA by a cleavage-deficient restriction endonuclease.

This report describes the use of a biochemical tool that has been developed to aid in the manipulation of DNA. A DNA binding-proficient and cleavage-deficient BamHI mutant protein, E113K, was used in vitro to protect its recognition sequence (5'-GGATCC-3') against the catalytic action of site-specific endonuclease, exonuclease and methylase. In vitro conditions are reported here in which the E113K protein protects BamHI sites (5'-GGATCC-3') from cleavage by BamHI endonuclease or Sau3AI endonuclease (5'-GATC-3'); protects a neighboring restriction site 5'-CCCGGG-3' from SmaI endonuclease digestion; blocks methylation of 5'-GGATCC-3' by Dam methylase (5'-GATC-3'); and blocks Bal31 exonuclease progression at a BamHI site. The Bal31 procedure could be used to generate unidirectional deletions of a DNA fragment. The use of mutant endonucleases that are binding-proficient and cleavage-deficient to shield DNA from nuclease digestion or methylase modification expands the repertoire of methods to manipulate DNA in vitro.