deoxyribonuclease IV;
deoxyribonuclease IV (phage-T4-induced) (misleading);
endodeoxyribonuclease IV (phage T4-induced) (misleading);
E. coli endonuclease IV;
endodeoxyribonuclease (misleading);
redoxyendonuclease;
deoxriboendonuclease (misleading);
endonuclease II;
endonuclease IV;
DNA-adenine-transferase;
nfo (gene name)

Hydrolases;
Acting on ester bonds;
Endodeoxyribonucleases producing 5'-phosphomonoesters

Endonucleolytic cleavage of ssDNA at apurinic/apyrimidinic sites to 5'-phosphooligonucleotide end-products

The enzyme is an apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) site endonuclease that primes DNA repair synthesis at AP sites. It specifically cleaves the DNA backbone at AP sites and also removes 3' DNA-blocking groups such as 3' phosphates, 3' phosphoglycolates, and 3' alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes that arise from oxidative base damage and the activity of combined glycosylase/lyase enzymes. It is also the only known repair enzyme that is able to cleave the DNA backbone 5' of the oxidative lesion alpha-deoxyadenosine. The enzyme has a strong preference for single-stranded DNA.

EC 3.1.21.2 created 1972 as EC 3.1.4.30, transferred 1978 to EC 3.1.21.2, modified 2014