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PubMed1994

Robust amplification and ethidium-visible detection of the fragile X syndrome CGG repeat using Pfu polymerase.

We report on a method for ethidium bromide detection of FMR1 normal and premutation-size CGG triplet repeats. A set of PCR conditions has been optimized for the polymerase of the hyperthermophilic bacterium, Pyrococcus furiosus. Using this protocol, normal-size alleles ranging from 5 to 50 repeats, as well as most of premutation-size alleles, varying from > 50 to approximately 200 repeats, could be detected by ethidium bromide staining of agarose gels. Since the protocol requires neither autoradiography nor polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, it promises to provide a rapid means for the exclusion of fragile X syndrome in males with mental retardation.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Different roles of electrostatics in heat and in cold: adaptation by citrate synthase.

Electrostatics plays a major role in heat adaptation by thermophilic proteins. Here we ask whether electrostatics similarly contributes to cold adaptation in psychrophilic proteins. We compare the sequences and structures of citrate synthases from the psychrophile Arthobacter Ds2-3R, from chicken, and from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus. The three enzymes share similar packing, burial of nonpolar surface area, and main-chain hydrogen bonding. However, both psychrophilic and hyperthermophilic citrate synthases contain more charged residues, salt bridges, and salt-bridge networks than the mesophile. The electrostatic free-energy contributions toward protein stability by individual charged residues show greater variabilities in the psychrophilic citrate synthase than in the hyperthermophilic enzyme. The charged residues in the active-site regions of the psychrophile are more destabilizing than those in the active-site regions of the hyperthermophile. In the hyperthermophilic enzyme, salt bridges and their networks largely cluster in the active-site regions and at the dimer interface. In contrast, in the psychrophile, they are more dispersed throughout the structure. On average, salt bridges and their networks provide greater electrostatic stabilization to the thermophilic citrate synthase at 100 degrees C than to the psychrophilic enzyme at 0 degrees C. Electrostatics appears to play an important role in both heat and cold adaptation of citrate synthase. However, remarkably, the role may be different in the two types of enzyme: In the hyperthermophile, it may contribute to the integrity of both the protein dimer and the active site by possibly countering conformational disorder at high temperatures. On the other hand, in the psychrophile at low temperatures, electrostatics may contribute to enhance protein solvation and to ensure active-site flexibility.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1994

Sequence, assembly and evolution of a primordial ferredoxin from Thermotoga maritima.

A gene coding for the ferredoxin of the primordial, strictly anaerobic and hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima was cloned, sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli. The ferredoxin gene encodes a polypeptide of 60 amino acids that incorporates a single 4Fe-4S cluster. T. maritima ferredoxin expressed in E. coli is a heat-stable, monomeric protein, the spectroscopic properties of which show that its 4Fe-4S cluster is correctly assembled within the mesophilic host, and that it remains stable during purification under aerobic conditions. Removal of the iron-sulfur cluster results in an apo-ferredoxin that has no detectable secondary structure. This observation indicates that in vivo formation of the ferredoxin structure is coupled to the insertion of the iron-sulfur cluster into the polypeptide chain. Sequence comparison of T. maritima ferredoxin with other 4Fe-4S ferredoxins revealed high sequence identities (75% and 50% respectively) to the ferredoxins from the hyperthermophilic members of the Archaea, Thermococcus litoralis and Pyrococcus furiosus. The high sequence similarity supports a close relationship between these extreme thermophilic organisms from different phylogenetic domains and suggests that ferredoxins with a single 4Fe-4S cluster are the primordial representatives of the whole protein family. This observation suggests a new model for the evolution of ferredoxins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

Comparison of the performance of round and rectangular wire in small solenoids for high-field NMR.

This paper considers the effects of conductor geometry on the performance of small solenoidal coils for high-field NMR. First, a simple analytical model is presented for investigating the effects of conductor geometry on the current distribution in such coils. The model was used to derive optimum parameters for coils constructed from wire with either rectangular or circular cross-sections as a function of the length-to-diameter ratio. Second, a commercial software package utilizing full three-dimensional finite-element solutions to Maxwell's equations was used to confirm the basic findings of the simple analytical model, and also to compare simulated S/N estimations with experimental NMR spectra acquired with 2.5 mm and 1.0 mm-diameter solenoid coils: reasonable agreement was found. Third, as a demonstration of the usefulness of such coils for mass-limited samples, multidimensional experiments were performed at 750 MHz on approximately 4.7 nmol (41 microg) of PF1061, a protein from Pyrococcus furiosus.

Equipment Design↗
PubMed1993

Investigations of the thermostability of rubredoxin models using molecular dynamics simulations.

The affects of differences in amino acid sequence on the temperature stability of the three-dimensional structure of the small beta-sheet protein, rubredoxin (Rd), was revealed when a set of homology models was subjected to molecular dynamics simulations at relatively high temperatures. Models of Rd from the hyperthermophile, Pyrococcus furiosus (Pf), an organism that grows optimally at 100 degrees C, were compared to three mesophilic Rds of known X-ray crystal structure. Simulations covering the limits of known Rd thermostabilities were carried out at temperatures of 300 K, 343 K, 373 K, and 413 K. They suggest that Rd stability is correlated with structural dynamics. Because the dynamic behavior of three Pf Rd models was consistently different from the dynamic behavior of the three mesophilic Rd structures, detailed analysis of the temperature-dependent dynamic behavior was carried out. The major differences between the models of the protein from the hyperthermophile and the others were: (1) an obvious temperature-dependent transition in the mesophilic structures not seen with the Pf Rd models, (2) consistent AMBER energy for the Pf Rd due to differences in nonbonded interaction terms, (3) less variation in the average conformations for the Pf Rd models with temperature, and (4) the presence of more extensive secondary structure for the Pf Rd models. These unsolvated dynamics simulations support a simple, general hypothesis to explain the hyperthermostability of Pf Rd. Its structure simplifies the conformational space to give a single minimum accessible over an extreme range of temperatures, whereas the mesophilic proteins sample a more complex conformational space with two or more minima over the same temperature range.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed1996

2D 1H and 3D 1H-15N NMR of zinc-rubredoxins: contributions of the beta-sheet to thermostability.

Based on 2D 1H-1H and 2D and 3D 1H-15N NMR spectroscopies, complete 1H NMR assignments are reported for zinc-containing Clostridium pasteurianum rubredoxin (Cp ZnRd). Complete 1H NMR assignments are also reported for a mutated Cp ZnRd, in which residues near the N-terminus, namely, Met 1, Lys 2, and Pro 15, have been changed to their counterparts, (-), Ala and Glu, respectively, in rubredoxin from the hyperthermophilic archaeon, Pyrococcus furiosus (Pf Rd). The secondary structure of both wild-type and mutated Cp ZnRds, as determined by NMR methods, is essentially the same. However, the NMR data indicate an extension of the three-stranded beta-sheet in the mutated Cp ZnRd to include the N-terminal Ala residue and Glu 15, as occurs in Pf Rd. The mutated Cp Rd also shows more intense NOE cross peaks, indicating stronger interactions between the strands of the beta-sheet and, in fact, throughout the mutated Rd. However, these stronger interactions do not lead to any significant increase in thermostability, and both the mutated and wild-type Cp Rds are much less thermostable than Pf Rd. These correlations strongly suggest that, contrary to a previous proposal [Blake PR et al., 1992, Protein Sci 1:1508-1521], the thermostabilization mechanism of Pf Rd is not dominated by a unique set of hydrogen bonds or electrostatic interactions involving the N-terminal strand of the beta-sheet. The NMR results also suggest that an overall tighter protein structure does not necessarily lead to increased thermostability.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Aromatic di-alanine repeats (AdAR) are structural motifs characteristic of the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein (SNAP) family.

The aromatic di-alanine repeat is a novel 12-amino acid-long motif constituting alternate small and large hydrophobic residues that mediate the close packing of alpha-helices. A hidden Markov model profile was constructed from the motifs initially described in Soluble N-ethyl maleimide-sensitive factor attachment proteins (SNAP), a family of soluble proteins involved in intracellular membrane fusion. Scanning different sets of protein sequences showed unambiguously that this profile defines a structural motif independent of the tetratrico peptide repeat, another widespread alpha-helical motif. In addition to SNAP, aromatic di-alanine repeats are found in selective LIM homeodomain binding proteins (SLB) and in proteins from the Pyrococcus and Archaeoglobus prokaryotes.

Alanine↗
PubMed2006

The role of backbone stability near Ala44 in the high reduction potential class of rubredoxins.

Rubredoxins may be separated into high and low reduction potential classes, with reduction potentials differing by approximately 50 mV. Our previous work showed that a local shift in the polar backbone due to an A(44) versus V(44) side-chain size causes this reduction potential difference. However, this work also indicated that in the low potential Clostridium pasteurianum (Cp) rubredoxin, a V(44) --> A(44) mutation causes larger local backbone flexibility, because the V(44) side-chain present in the wild-type (wt) is no longer present to interlock with neighboring residues to stabilize the subsequent G(45). Since Pyrococcus furiosus (Pf) and other high potential rubredoxins generally have a P(45), it was presumed that a G(45) --> P(45) mutation might stabilize a V(44) --> A(44) mutation in Cp rubredoxin. Here crystal structure analysis, energy minimization, and molecular dynamics (MD) were performed for wt V(44)G(45), single mutant A(44)G(45) and double mutant A(44)P(45) Cp, and for wt A(44)P(45) Pf rubredoxins. The local structural, dynamical, and electrostatic properties of Cp gradually approach wt Pf in the order wt Cp to single to double mutant because of greater sequence similarity, as expected. The double mutant A(44)P(45) Cp exhibits increased backbone stability near residue 44 and thus enhances the probability that the backbone dipoles point toward the redox site, which favors an increase in the electrostatic contribution to the reduction potential. It appears that the electrostatic potential of residue 44 and the solvent accessibility to the redox are both determinants for the reduction potentials of homologous rubredoxins. Overall, these results indicate that an A(44) in a rubredoxin may require a P(45) for backbone stability whereas a V(44) can accommodate a G(45), since the valine side-chain can interlock with its neighbors.

Alanine↗
PubMed1995

Molecular dynamics simulations of rubredoxin from Clostridium pasteurianum: changes in structure and electrostatic potential during redox reactions.

Molecular dynamics simulations of Clostridium pasteurianum rubredoxin in the oxidized and reduced forms have been performed. Good agreement between both forms and crystal data has been obtained (rms deviation of backbone atoms of 1.06 and 1.42 A, respectively), which was due in part to the use of explicit solvent and counterions. The reduced form exhibits an unexpected structural change: the redox site becomes much more solvent-accessible, so that water enters a channel between the surface and the site, but with little actual structural rearrangement (the rms deviation of backbone atoms between the oxidized and reduced is 0.77 A). The increase in solvent accessibility is also seen, although to a much lesser extent, between the oxidized and reduced crystal structures of Pyrococcus furiosus rubredoxin, but no high resolution crystal or nuclear magnetic resonance solution data exist for reduced C. pasteurianum rubredoxin. The electrostatic potential at the iron site and fluctuations in the potential, which contribute to both the redox and electron transfer properties, have also been evaluated for both the oxidized and the reduced simulations. These results show that the backbone plays a significant role (62-70 kcal/mol/e) and the polar side chains contribute relatively little (0-4 kcal/mol/e) to the absolute electrostatic potential at the iron of rubredoxin for both forms. However, both groups contribute significantly to the change in redox state by becoming more polarized and more densely packed around the redox site upon reduction. Furthermore, these results show that the solvent becomes much more polarized in the reduced form than in the oxidized form, even excluding the penetrating water. Finally, the simulation indicates that the contribution of the charged side chains to the electrostatic potential is largely canceled by that of the counterions.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2004

Unique sugar metabolism and novel enzymes of hyperthermophilic archaea.

Hyperthermophiles are a group of microorganisms that have their optimum growth temperature above 80 degrees C. More than 60 species of the hyperthermophiles have been isolated from marine and continental volcanic environments. Most hyperthermophiles belong to Archaea, the third domain of life, and are considered to be the most ancient of all extant life forms. Recent studies have revealed the presence of unusual sugar metabolic processes in hyperthermophilic archaea, for example, a modified Embden-Meyerhof pathway, that has so far not been observed in bacteria and eucarya. Several novel enzymes, such as ADP-dependent glucokinase, ADP-dependent phosphofructokinase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ferredoxin oxidoreductase, phosphoenolpyruvate synthase, pyruvate : ferredoxin oxidoreductase, and ADP-forming acetyl-CoA synthetase, have been found to be involved in a modified Embden-Meyerhof pathway of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. In addition, a unique mode of ATP regeneration has been postulated to exist in the pathway of P. furiosus. The metabolic design observed in this microorganism might reflect the situation at an early stage of evolution.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Identification of the molybdenum cofactor of dimethyl sulfoxide reductase from Rhodobacter sphaeroides f. sp. denitrificans as bis(molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide)molybdenum.

Chemical analysis of dimethyl sulfoxide reductase from Rhodobacter sphaeroides f. sp. denitrificans has shown that its molybdenum center contains two molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide molecules and a single atom of molybdenum. The enzyme, which exists as a monomer of 86 kDa, was shown to contain 1 mol of molybdenum, 4 mol of organic phosphate, and 2 mol of guanine per mole of protein. In addition, the relative yield of Form A, a fluorescent derivative of molybdopterin, was twice that obtained from sulfite oxidase, a protein which contains a single molybdopterin per molybdenum. These findings correlate with the recent report of the presence of two molybdopterin ligands in the tungsten cofactor of aldehyde ferredoxin oxidoreductase from Pyrococcus furiosus, providing the first example of a bis(pterin)molybdenum cofactor and extending this structural motif to the molybdopterin dinucleotide enzymes.

Guanine↗
PubMed1993

Low incorporation of dUMP by some thermostable DNA polymerases may limit their use in PCR amplifications.

Incorporation of dUMP instead of dTMP is frequently used to control carryover contamination during PCR amplifications. We have tested four thermostable DNA polymerases for their ability to utilize dUTP as a substrate in PCR. Amplification of products in the presence of dUTP instead of dTTP was good with Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase but highly inefficient with three other thermostable DNA polymerases. The latter was due to: (a) lower incorporation of dUMP relative to dTMP, (b) increased proofreading toward dUMP in DNA, (c) relative termination at dUMP residues as verified by sequencing reactions in the presence of dUTP, (d) thermostable dUTPase activity in the commercial enzyme preparation. The last point only applies to Pyrococcus furiosus DNA polymerase. This study demonstrates that various thermostable DNA polymerases utilize dTTP and dUTP with highly different efficiencies and thus the choice of DNA polymerase may be critical for amplification of DNA.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1999

Human and mouse homologs of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe rad17+ cell cycle checkpoint control gene.

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe rad17+ cell cycle checkpoint control gene is required for S-phase and G2/M arrest in response to both DNA damage and incomplete DNA replication. We isolated and characterized the putative human (RAD17Sp) and mouse (mRAD17Sp) homologs of the S. pombe Rad17 (Rad17Sp) protein. The human RAD17Sp open reading frame (ORF) encodes a protein of 681 amino acids; the mRAD17Sp ORF codes for a protein of 688 amino acids. The mRAD17Sp messenger is highly expressed in the testis as a single 3-kb mRNA species. The human RAD17Sp and mRAD17Sp proteins are 24% identical and 46% similar to the S.pombe Rad17Sp protein. Sequence homology was also noted with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad24Sc (which is the structural counterpart of S.pombe Rad17Sp) and structurally related polypeptides from Caenorhabditis elegans, Arabidopsis thaliana, Pyrococcus horikoshii, and Drosophila melanogaster. The degree of conservation between the mammalian RAD17Sp proteins and those of the other species is consistent with the evolutionary distance between the species, indicating that these proteins are most likely true counterparts. In addition, homology was found between the Rad17Sp homologs and proteins identified as components of mammalian replication factor C (RF-C)/activator 1, especially in several highly conserved RF-C-like domains including a "Walker A" motif. Using FISH and analysis of a panel of rodent-human cell hybrids, the human RAD17Sp gene (HGMW-approved symbol RAD17 could be localized on human chromosome 5q13-q14, a region implicated in the etiology of small cell lung carcinoma, non-small-cell lung carcinoma, duodenal adenocarcinoma, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Our results suggest that the structure and function of the checkpoint "rad" genes in the G2/M checkpoint pathway are evolutionary conserved between yeast and higher eukaryotes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

The crystal structure of a hyperthermophilic archaeal TATA-box binding protein.

This study analyzes the three-dimensional structure of the TATA-box binding protein (TBP) from the hyperthermophilic archaea Pyrococcus woesei. The crystal structure of P. woesei TBP (PwTBP) was solved at 2.2 A by X-ray diffraction and as expected from sequence homology (36% to 41% identical to eukaryotic TBPs) its overall structure is very similar to eukaryotic TBPs. The thermal unfolding transition temperature of this protein was measured by differential scanning calorimetry to be 101 degrees C, which is more than 40 degrees C higher than that of yeast TBP. Preliminary titration calorimetry data show that the affinity of PwTBP for its DNA target, unlike its eukaryotic counterparts, is enhanced by increasing the temperature and salt concentration. The structure reveals possible explanations for this thermostability and these unusual DNA binding properties. The crystal structure of this hyperthermostable protein was compared to its mesophilic homologs and analyzed for differences in the native structure that may contribute to thermostability. Differences found were: (1) a disulfide bond not found in mesophilic counterparts; (2) an increased number of surface electrostatic interactions; (3) more compact protein packing. The presumed DNA binding surface of PwTBP, like its eukaryotic counterparts, is hydrophobic but the electrostatic profile surrounding the protein is relatively neutral compared to the asymmetric positive potential that surrounds eukaryotic TBPs. The total reliance on a hydrophobic interface with DNA may explain the enhanced affinity of PwTBP for its DNA promoter at higher temperatures and increased salt concentration.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Crystal structure of glutamate dehydrogenase from the hyperthermophilic eubacterium Thermotoga maritima at 3.0 A resolution.

The extremely thermostable glutamate dehydrogenase from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima has been crystallized and the three-dimensional structure has been determined by X-ray diffraction methods. Crystals up to a maximum size of 1.2 mm have been grown in 3% polyethylene glycol, 120 mM ammonium acetate and 50 mM bis-tris propane (pH 6.5). The enzyme crystallized in the trigonal space group P3(1)21 with the cell dimensions a = b = 147.3 A, c = 273.6 A. The diffraction limit of these crystals is 3.0 A. Measured diffraction data have a completeness of 94% up to a resolution of 3.0 A and contain 75% of all possible data in the last resolution shell between 3.1 and 3.0 A. The crystal structure of T. maritima glutamate dehydrogenase has been solved by Patterson search methods using the hexameric Pyrococcus furiosus glutamate dehydrogenase as a search model. The crystallographic refinement has been carried out to a maximum resolution of 3.1 A and an crystallographic R-value of 22.5% (Rfree = 29.5%). The three-dimensional structure of the T. maritima enzyme shows typical features of hexameric glutamate dehydrogenases: six subunits are arranged in 32 symmetry. Each subunit consists of two domains connected by a flexible hinge region. Secondary structure elements as well as residues important for the catalytic activity of the enzyme are highly conserved. A structural comparison of the two glutamate dehydrogenases from the hyperthermophiles T. maritima and P. furiosus with the enzyme from the mesophilic bacterium Clostridium symbiosum has revealed that common as well as distinct mechanisms contribute to the thermal stability of these enzymes. The number of intrasubunit ion pairs is increased and the volume of intrasubunit cavities decreased in both thermostable enzymes, whereas striking differences have been observed in the subunit interfaces. In P. furiosus glutamate dehydrogenase the subunit interactions are dominated by ionic interactions realized by large saltbridge networks. However, in T. maritima glutamate dehydrogenase the number of intersubunit ion pairs is reduced and the hydrophobic interactions are increased.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Engineering activity and stability of Thermotoga maritima glutamate dehydrogenase. I. Introduction of a six-residue ion-pair network in the hinge region.

Comparison of the recently determined three-dimensional structures of several glutamate dehydrogenases allowed for the identification of a five-residue ion-pair network in the hinge region of Pyrococcus furiosus glutamate dehydrogenase (melting temperature 113 degrees C), that is not present in the homologous glutamate dehydrogenase from Thermotoga maritima (melting temperature 93 degrees C). In order to study the role of this ion-pair network, we introduced it into the T. maritima enzyme using a site-directed mutagenesis approach. The resulting T. maritima glutamate dehydrogenases N97D, G376 K and N97D/G376 K as well as the wild-type enzyme were overproduced in Escherichia coli and subsequently purified. Elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of the double mutant N97D/G376 K at 3.0 A, showed that the designed ion-pair interactions were indeed formed. Moreover, because of interactions with an additional charged residue, a six-residue network is present in this double mutant. Melting temperatures of the mutant enzymes N97D, G376 K and N97D/G376 K, as determined by differential scanning calorimetry, did not differ significantly from that of the wild-type enzyme. Identical transition midpoints in guanidinium chloride-induced denaturation experiments were found for the wild-type and all mutant enzymes. Thermal inactivation at 85 degrees C occured more than twofold faster for all mutant enzymes than for the wild-type glutamate dehydrogenase. At temperatures of 65 degrees C and higher, the wild-type and the three mutant enzymes showed identical specific activities. However, at 58 degrees C the specific activity of N97D/G376 K and G376 K was found to be significantly higher than that of the wild-type and N97D enzymes. These results suggest that the engineered ion-pair interactions in the hinge region do not affect the stability towards temperature or guanidinium chloride-induced denaturation but rather affect the specific activity of the enzyme and the temperature at which it functions optimally.

Enzyme Stability↗
PubMed1999

Engineering activity and stability of Thermotoga maritima glutamate dehydrogenase. II: construction of a 16-residue ion-pair network at the subunit interface.

The role of an 18-residue ion-pair network, that is present in the glutamate dehydrogenase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, in conferring stability to other, less stable homologous enzymes, has been studied by introducing four new charged amino acid residues into the subunit interface of glutamate dehydrogenase from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima. These two GDHs are 55 % identical in amino acid sequence, differ greatly in thermo-activity and stability and derive from microbes with different phylogenetic positions. Amino acid substitutions were introduced as single mutations as well as in several combinations. Elucidation of the crystal structure of the quadruple mutant S128R/T158E/N117R/S160E T. maritima glutamate dehydrogenase showed that all anticipated ion-pairs are formed and that a 16-residue ion-pair network is present. Enlargement of existing networks by single amino acid substitutions unexpectedly resulted in a decrease in resistance towards thermal inactivation and thermal denaturation. However, combination of destabilizing single mutations in most cases restored stability, indicating the need for balanced charges at subunit interfaces and high cooperativity between the different members of the network. Combination of the three destabilizing mutations in triple mutant S128R/T158E/N117R resulted in an enzyme with a 30 minutes longer half-life of inactivation at 85 degrees C, a 3 degrees C higher temperature optimum for catalysis, and a 0.5 degrees C higher apparent melting temperature than that of wild-type glutamate dehydrogenase. These findings confirm the hypothesis that large ion-pair networks do indeed stabilize enzymes from hyperthermophilic organisms.

Amino Acid Substitution↗
PubMed2001

Holliday junction resolving enzymes of archaeal viruses SIRV1 and SIRV2.

In the final stages of genetic recombination, Holliday junction resolving enzymes transform the four-way DNA intermediate into two duplex DNA molecules by introducing pairs of staggered nicks flanking the junction. This fundamental process is apparently common to cells from all three domains of life. Two cellular resolving enzymes from extremely thermophilic representatives of both kingdoms of the domain Archaea, the euryarchaeon Pyrococcus furiosus and the crenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus, have been described recently. Here we report for the first time the isolation, purification and characterization of Holliday junction cleaving enzymes (Hjc) from two archaeal viruses. Both viruses, SIRV1 and SIRV2, infect Sulfolobus islandicus. Their Hjcs both consist of 121 amino acid residues (aa) differing only by 18 aa. Both proteins bind selectively to synthetic Holliday-structure analogues with an apparent dissociation constant of 25 nM. In the presence of Mg(2+) the enzymes produce identical cleavage patterns near the junction. While S. islandicus shows optimal growth at about 80 degrees C, the nucleolytic activities of recombinant SIRV2 Hjc was highest between 45 degrees C and 70 degrees C. Based on their specificity for four-way DNA structures the enzymes may play a general role in genetic recombination, DNA repair and the resolution of replicative intermediates.

Amino Acid Sequence↗