Localization of the phosphoester bond hydrolyzed by the major apurinic/apyrmidinic endodeoxyribonuclease from rat-liver chromatin.

The major apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endodeoxyribonuclease from rat liver chromatin, an enzyme specific for AP sites in DNA, cleaves the phosphodiester bridge which is the immediate neighbour of the AP site on its 5' side leaving 3'-hydroxyl and 5'-phosphate ends. In contrast with Escherichia coli endonuclease VI, this chromatin enzyme is inactive on reduced AP sites.