Abstract
The photoreactivating enzyme, PRE, monomerizes pyrimidine dimers in DNA in a light requiring reaction (λ > 300 nm). However, the purified PRE from E. coli has no well-defined absorption band for λ > 300 nm. Using absorption difference spectroscopy, we show that when PRE is mixed with ultraviolet-irradiated DNA, new absorption appears in the spectral region required for catalysis. There is a concomitant decrease in the absorption of the mixture for wavelengths less than 300 nm. The hyperchromicity for λ > 300 nm is true absorption, not an artifact due to light scattering. Both the hyperchromicity (λ > 300 nm) and hypochromicity (λ < 300 nm) can be reversed by irradiation at 365 nm with identical first-order kinetics. We estimate the molar extinction coefficient of the new absorption to be 6900 ± 1400 at 350 nm. We conclude that the PRE from E. coli does not possess a distinct “chromophore” which by itself is entirely responsible for the absorption of photoreactivating light. Instead, new absorption results when PRE binds its substrate, dimer-containing DNA.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 921-924 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Biochemistry |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1 1977 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry