Structurally altered substrates for DNA topoisomerase I. Effects of inclusion of a single 3'-deoxynucleotide within the scissile strand.

A partial DNA duplex containing a high efficiency topoisomerase I cleavage site was substituted singly at each of three sites with 3'-deoxyadenosine. Depending on the site of substitution, the facility of the topoisomerase I-mediated cleavage or ligation reactions was altered. Inclusion of the modified nucleoside at the 5'-end of the acceptor oligonucleotide diminished the rate of religation following substrate cleavage by the enzyme.