Nucleases articles within Nature

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• Letter | 14 October 2012

  The structural biochemistry of Zucchini implicates it as a nuclease in piRNA biogenesis

  piRNAs act to protect the genome from the damaging effect of unrestrained expression of mobile elements; here it is suggested that the phosphodiesterase Zucchini may be the nuclease that generates the 5′ ends of primary piRNAs.

  • Jonathan J. Ipsaro
  • , Astrid D. Haase
  •  & Gregory J. Hannon

• Letter | 02 September 2010

  DNA end resection by Dna2–Sgs1–RPA and its stimulation by Top3–Rmi1 and Mre11–Rad50–Xrs2

  When double-strand breaks occur in DNA, the broken ends must undergo processing to prepare them for repair. Here, and in an accompanying study, this processing reaction has now been replicated in vitro using yeast proteins. Processing minimally requires the activities of a helicase, a nuclease and a single-strand-binding protein, although the reaction is enhanced by the addition of three factors that help to target the core complex and stimulate the unwinding activity.

  • Petr Cejka
  • , Elda Cannavo
  •  & Stephen C. Kowalczykowski