Nuclease P1 from Penicillium citrinum is a zinc dependent glyco-enzyme that recognizes single stranded DNA and RNA as substrates and hydrolyzes the phosphate ester bond. Nuclease Pl seems to recognize particular conformations of the phosphodiester backbone and shows significant variation in the rate of hydrolytic activity depending upon which nucleosides are coupled by the phosphodiester bond. The efficiency of nuclease Pl in hydrolyzing the phosphodiester bonds of a substrate can be altered by modifications to one of the substrate bases induced by ionizing radiation or oxidative stress. Measurements have been made of the effect of several radiation induced lesions on the catalytic rate of nuclease Pl. A model of the structure of the enzyme has been constructed in order to better understand the binding and activity of this enzyme on various ssDNA substrates.
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