Principal Investigator Leona Samson
Project Start Date February 1998
Project End Date July 2015
The human 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) catalyzes the first step of base excision repair by cleaving damaged bases from DNA. The structure of AAG complexed to DNA suggests how modified bases can be distinguished from normal DNA bases in the enzyme active site. Mutational analyses of residues contacting the alkylated base suggest that the shape of the damaged base, its hydrogen-bonding characteristics, and its aromaticity all contribute to the selective recognition of damage by AAG.