The three-dimensional structure of RNase H from Escherichia coli was determined at 1.8 A resolution by X-ray crystallography. The enzyme was found to belong to the alpha + beta class of structures, consisting of two distinct domains. The structure implies a possible region interacting with a DNA-RNA hybrid. The Mg2(+)-binding site essential for activity is located near a cluster of four acidic amino acids--one glutamic and three aspartic acid residues. These residues are completely conserved in the homology alignment of sequences of RNase H and reverse transcriptases from retroviruses and retrovirus-like entities. The structural motif of beta strands around the Mg2(+)-binding site has similarities to that in DNase I.

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The effects of hydroxylation at the C8 of a deoxyguanosine residue in DNA were studied by NMR analysis of a self-complementary dodecanucleotide, d(C1-G2-C3-oh8G4-A5-A6-T7-T8-C9-G10-C11-G12), which has an 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (oh8dG) residue at the 4th position. NMR data indicate that the 8-hydroxyguanine (oh8G) base takes a 6,8-diketo tautomeric form and is base-paired to C with Watson-Crick type hydrogen bonds in a B-form structure. The thermal stability of the duplex is reduced, but the overall structure is much the same as that of the unmodified d(CGCGAATTCGCG) duplex. The structural changes caused by 8-hydroxylation of the deoxyguanosine, if any, are localized near the modification site.

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