CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL NUCLEOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF ACYLPHOSPHATASES

A novel enzymatic activity on nucleic acids was discovered in both mus cle type (MT) and erythrocyte or common type (CT) isoforms of acylphos phatase, an enzyme that was previously known as a hydrolase (E.C.3.6.1 .7). Both deoxyribonucleic and ribonucleic hydrolitic activity were as sayed on a variety of substrates. Our results demonstrate that acylpho sphatase possesses both Mg++ dependent deoxyribonuclease and ribonucle ase activities, at pH ranging from 5.0 to 6.8. Furthermore, we present evidences, for both isoenzymatic forms, of the coexistence of exonucl eolytic and endonucleolytic activities on DNA.