UNG, a DNA uracil glycosylase, excises the uracil base generated when a DNA damaging agent deaminates cytosine (creating a U:G base pair) or when dUMP is misincorporated during DNA synthesis (creating a U:A base pair). UNG scans the DNA for damage by kinking and compressing the DNA phosphate backbone with a serine-proline pinch, which causes uracil to flip out at the phosphate-sugar junction into the recognition pocket of the UNG. The subsequent excision of uracil creates an apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) site in the DNA (Parikh et al. 1998).
Parikh, SS, Mol, CD, Slupphaug, G, Bharati, S, Krokan, HE, Tainer, JA
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