DNA repair catalyzed by Escherichia coli DNA photolyase containing only reduced flavin: elimination of the enzyme's second chromophore by reduction with sodium borohydride
DNA photolyase from Escherichia coli contains FAD plus a partially characterized, second chromophore. In vivo, the flavin is fully reduced (FADH2), but oxidation to a stable, blue radical (FADH.) occurs during enzyme isolation. The second chromophore is irreversibly reduced by reaction of the enzyme with sodium borohydride or by photoreduction in the presence of dithiothreitol. A similar reaction occurs with the protein-free chromophore and sodium cyanoborohydride. Reduction of the second chromophore is accompanied by a complete loss of the chromophore''s visible absorption and fluorescence but does not significantly affect catalytic activity. The results show that the enzyme can repair dimers by a pathway involving only FADH2. Enzyme-bound FADH2 is fluorescent and exhibits emission (505 nm) and absorption (360 nm) maxima similar to that expected for a 1,5-dihydroflavin derivative. It is proposed that dimer cleavage via the second chromophore independent pathway involves electron donation from excited FADH2 to pyrimidine dimer. Pyrimidine dimer radicals are unstable and spontaneously monomerize. Unmodified second chromophore can also act as a sensitizer in a pathway that requires FADH2. This pathway may be similar to that proposed for the second chromophore independent reaction except that excited FADH2 would be produced via energy transfer from the excited second chromophore. The fluorescence observed for enzyme-bound, unmodified second chromophore is quenched by (FADH.) and increases 6-fold when the latter is reduced, but the absorption spectrum (.lambda.max = 390 nm, .epsilon.390 = 12.7 .times. 103 M-1 cm-1) is independent of the redox state of the flavin. The latter observation indicates that, if the enzyme-bound chromophores constitute a single molecule, they must be separated by an "insulating" link.