Restriction endonuclease activity induced by NC-1A virus infection of a Chlorella-like green alga.

A type II restriction endonuclease, CviBI, was isolated from a eukaryotic, Chlorella-like green alga infected with the dsDNA containing virus NC-1A. The enzyme recognizes the sequence GANTC and cleaves DNA between the G and A. Methylation of deoxyadenosine in the GANTC sequence probably inhibits enzyme activity. In vitro CviBI cleaves host nuclear DNA but not viral DNA. A survey of 18 other viruses which infect the same Chlorella sp. revealed that infection with 5 of these viruses also induced a restriction endonuclease which cleaves DNA into the same size fragments as CviBI.