Mechanistic details of the DNA recognition by the Dnmt1 DNA methyltransferase

A recently solved Dnmt1-DNA crystal structure revealed several enzyme-DNA contacts and large structural rearrangements of the DNA at the target site, including the flipping of the non-target strand base of the base pair flanking the CpG site and formation of a non-canonical base pair between the non-target strand Gua and the flanking base pair. Here, we show that the contacts of the enzyme to the target base and the Gua:5mC base pair that are observed in the structure are very important for catalytic activity. The contacts to the non-target strand Gua are not important since its exchange by Ade stimulated activity. Except target base flipping, we could not find evidence that the DNA rearrangements have a functional role. (C) 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.