1-5-dihydro-fad and 5-10-methenyltetrahydrofolate

Escherichia coli DNA photolyase mediates photorepair of pyrimidine dimers occurring in UV-damaged DNA. The enzyme contains two chromophores, 1,5-dihydroflavin adenine dinucleotide (FADH2) and 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolylpolyglutamate (MTHF). To define the roles of the two chromophores in the photochemical reaction(s) resulting in DNA repair and the effect of DNA structure on the photocatalytic step, we determined the absolute action spectra of the enzyme containing only FADH2 (E-FADH2) or both chromophores (E-FADH2-MTHF), with double- and single-stranded substrates and with substrates of different sequences in the immediate vicinity of the thymine dimer. We found that the shape of the action spectrum of E-FADH2 matches that of the absorption spectrum with a quantum yield phi (FADH2) = 0.69. The action spectrum of E-FADH2-MTHF is also in a fairly good agreement with the absorption spectrum with phi (FADH2-MTHF) = 0.59. From these values and from the previously established properties of the two chromophores, we propose that MTHF transfers energy to FADH2 with a quantum yield of phi epsilon T = 0.8 and that 1FADH2 singlet transfers an electron to or from the dimer with a quantum yield phi ET = 0.69. The chemical nature of the chromophores did not change after several catalytic cycles. The enzyme repaired a thymine dimer in five different sequence contexts with the same efficiency. Similarly, single- and double-stranded DNAs were repaired with the same overall quantum yield.

Topics: Base Sequence; Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase; DNA Repair; Escherichia coli; Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide; Folic Acid; Molecular Sequence Data; Protein Denaturation; Pyrimidine Dimers; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; Substrate Specificity; Tetrahydrofolates

Escherichia coli DNA photolyase contains 1,5-dihydro-FAD (FADH2) plus 5,10-methenyl-tetrahydrofolate (5,10-CH+-H4folate). Both chromophores are fluorescent, and either can function as a sensitizer in catalysis. At 77 K separate fluorescence emission bands are observed for FADH2 (lambda max = 505 nm, shoulder at 540 nm) and 5,10-CH+-H4folate (lambda max = 465, 440 nm) whereas at 5 degrees C only a shoulder at 505 nm is attributable to FADH2. Formation of an enzyme-substrate complex with various dimer-containing oligothymidylates [UV-oligo(dT)n] quenches the fluorescence due to FADH2 at 5 degrees C or 77 K and also stabilizes FADH2 against air oxidation. The fluorescence of 5,10-CH+-H4folate is unaffected by substrate. Reduction of the pterin chromophore eliminates the chromophore's fluorescence but does not affect catalytic activity or the ability of substrate to quench FADH2 fluorescence. Quenching of FADH2 fluorescence is fully reversible upon dimer repair. The results are consistent with the proposal that the singlet state of FADH2 functions as an intermediate in catalysis. Fluorometric titrations indicate that the enzyme has a similar affinity for dimers in UV-oligo(dT)4 (KD = 2.5 X 10(-7) M, delta G = 8.4 kcal/mol at 5 degrees C) or UV-oligo(dT)6, except for dimers located at the unphosphorylated 3' end of the oligomers where binding is considerably weaker.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Catalysis; Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase; Escherichia coli; Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide; Lyases; Molecular Weight; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; Oxidation-Reduction; Photochemistry; Pyrimidine Dimers; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Spectrophotometry; Tetrahydrofolates; Ultraviolet Rays