Efficiency of T4 DNA ligase-catalyzed end joining after S1 endonuclease treatment on duplex DNA containing single-stranded portions.

Covalently closed-circular, superhelical SV4O DNA was used in all experiments. EcoRI endonuclease- and HpaII endonuclease-generated unit-length linear duplex DNAs were digested with S1 endonuclease under the conditions where single-stranded CNA was completely converted into the acid-soluble form. These were subjected to an end-to-end joining test with T4 DNA ligase. The ligation efficiency was significantly lower than that of the flush-ended linear duplex DNAs which were generated by both HpaI endonuclease digestion and the matching up of EcoRI-generated sticky end with Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (Klenow fraction). However, the ligation efficiency of the S1-treated DNAs increased up to same level as the flush-ended DNA upon treatment with E. coli DNA polymerase I . Similar results were obtained in the case of S1 -generated unit-length linear duplex DNA. S1 does cleave both strands of superhelical DNA at unbasepaired sites.