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Catalytic domain of EDTA-resistant nuclease Nuc from Salmonella typhimurium and similar proteins Catalytic domain of an EDTA-resistant nuclease Nuc from Salmonella typhimurium and similar proteins. Nuc is an endonuclease cleaving both single- and double-stranded DNA. It is the smallest known member of the phospholipase D (PLD, EC 3.1.4.4) superfamily that includes a diverse group of proteins with various catalytic functions. Most members of this superfamily have two copies of the conserved HKD motif (H-x-K-x(4)-D, where x represents any amino acid residue) in a single polypeptide chain and both are required for catalytic activity. However, Nuc only has one copy of the HKD motif per subunit but form a functionally active homodimer (it is most likely also active in solution as a multimeric protein), which has a single active site at the dimer interface containing the HKD motifs from both subunits. Due to the lack of a distinct domain for DNA binding, Nuc cuts DNA non-specifically. It utilizes a two-step mechanism to cleave phosphodiester bonds: Upon substrate binding, the bond is first attacked by a histidine residue from one HKD motif to form a covalent phosphohistidine intermediate, which is then hydrolyzed by water with the aid of a second histidine residue from the other HKD motif in the opposite subunit.
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