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Confounded cytosine! Tinkering and the evolution of DNA

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 2, pages 147–151 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Early in the history of DNA, thymine replaced uracil, thus solving a short-term problem for storing genetic information — mutation of cytosine to uracil through deamination. Any engineer would have replaced cytosine, but evolution is a tinkerer not an engineer. By keeping cytosine and replacing uracil the problem was never eliminated, returning once again with the advent of DNA methylation.

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Figure 1: Stepwise evolution of DNA on the basis of what is inferred from modern biochemical pathways.
Figure 2: DNA structure and the chemistry of cytosine deamination.
Figure 3: Base-excision repair pathways.
Figure 4: 'Leaky' mismatch-specific uracil-DNA glycosylase as a driving force for evolution of U→T replacement in DNA.
Figure 5: De novo and salvage pathways of pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotide metabolism.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Swedish Natural Science Research Council (to B.M.S) and by the New Zealand Marsden Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Molecular BioSciences, PO Box 11222, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    Anthony Poole, David Penny & Britt-Marie Sjöberg

  2. Department of Molecular Biology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden

    Anthony Poole, David Penny & Britt-Marie Sjöberg

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Poole, A., Penny, D. & Sjöberg, BM. Confounded cytosine! Tinkering and the evolution of DNA. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2, 147–151 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35052091

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