Photoactivation of the flavin cofactor in Xenopus laevis (6 - 4) photolyase: observation of a transient tyrosyl radical by time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Feb 5;99(3):1319-22. doi: 10.1073/pnas.032469399. Epub 2002 Jan 22.

Abstract

The light-induced electron transfer reaction of flavin cofactor photoactivation in Xenopus laevis (6-4) photolyase has been studied by continuous-wave and time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. When the photoactivation is initiated from the fully oxidized form of the flavin, a neutral flavin radical is observed as a long-lived paramagnetic intermediate of two consecutive single-electron reductions under participation of redox-active amino acid residues. By time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance, a spin-polarized transient radical-pair signal was detected that shows remarkable differences to the signals observed in the related cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer photolyase enzyme. In (6-4) photolyase, a neutral tyrosine radical has been identified as the final electron donor, on the basis of the characteristic line width, hyperfine splitting pattern, and resonance magnetic field position of the tyrosine resonances of the transient radical pair.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase / chemistry
  • Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase / metabolism*
  • Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase / radiation effects
  • Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy / methods
  • Ferricyanides / pharmacokinetics
  • Kinetics
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Photochemistry
  • Protein Conformation
  • Time Factors
  • Xenopus laevis

Substances

  • Ferricyanides
  • pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone photolyase
  • Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase
  • potassium ferricyanide