Abstract
Summary
DNA‐binding proteins can be converted into site‐specific nucleases by linking them to the chemical nuclease 1,10‐phenanthroline‐copper. This can be readily accomplished by converting a minor groove‐proximal amino acid to a cysteine residue using site‐directed mutagenesis and then chemically modifying the sulphydryl group with 5‐iodoacetamido‐1,10‐ phenanthroline‐copper. These chimeric scission reagents can be used as rare cutters to analyse chromosomal DNA, to test predictions based on high‐resolution nuclear magnetic resonance and X‐ray crystal structures, and to locate binding sites of proteins within genomes.
