Patent ID: 7060455

Claim:
A method for cleavage of a double-stranded DNA molecule characterized by a distorted structure, wherein said distorted structure results from a Dewar isomer of 6-4 photoproduct, dihyrouracil, uracil, an abasic site, mismatched nucleotide pairing, a platinum-DNA GG diadduct, an insertion or deletion loop of less than five nucleotides, said method comprising the step of contacting a DNA molecule characterized by a distorted structure with a broadly specific DNA damage endonuclease selected from the group of endonucleases consisting of a stable truncated Uve1p identified by the amino acid sequence as given in SEQ ID NO:4, wherein said Uve1p is at least 90% pure, and a fusion protein comprising a stable truncated Uve1p and a heterologous sequence, wherein said fusion protein Is Identified by the amino acid sequence given in SEQ ID NO:6, under conditions allowing for enzymatic activity of said endonuclease.