r/genetics • u/DrySympathy7937 • 10h ago

How does MMR even function properly ?

Hello, I am a student in health sciences. I have recently come upon a simple question that I could not find the answer of:

In mismatch repair (MMR), the basic function in E.Coli requires Mut H to attach to a partially methylated sequence GATC. From my understanding, this GATC sequence determines the cleaving point of the DNA from the exonuclease. If such a statement is correct, how would this remove a single nucleotide and not...everything from the Mut S fixing point to the Mut H fixing point, which would include the entire genetic sequence from the mismatch to the GATC sequence ?

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u/chem44 4h ago

Try the Wikipedia page for mismatch repair. Explains it well, I think.

Finding a mismatch and distinguishing old vs new strands are separate functions.