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Journal of Bacteriology, November 2000, p. 6412-6417, Vol. 182, No. 22
Department of Veterinary Science and
Microbiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
Received 17 April 2000/Accepted 22 August 2000
The predominant photolesion in the DNA of UV-irradiated dormant
bacterial spores is the thymine dimer 5-thyminyl-5,6-dihydrothymine, commonly referred to as spore photoproduct (SP). A major determinant of
SP repair during spore germination is its direct reversal by the enzyme
SP lyase, encoded by the splB gene in Bacillus
subtilis. SplB protein containing an N-terminal tag of six
histidine residues [(6His)SplB] was purified from dormant B. subtilis spores and shown to efficiently cleave SP but not
cyclobutane cis,syn thymine-thymine dimers in
vitro. In contrast, SplB protein containing an N-terminal 10-histidine
tag [(10His)SplB] purified from an Escherichia coli overexpression system was incompetent to cleave SP unless the 10-His
tag was first removed by proteolysis at an engineered factor Xa site.
To assay the parameters of binding of SplB protein to UV-damaged DNA, a
35-bp double-stranded oligonucleotide was constructed which carried a
single pair of adjacent thymines on one strand. Irradiation of the
oligonucleotide in aqueous solution or at 10% relative humidity
resulted in formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers
(Py
0021-9193/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Spore Photoproduct (SP) Lyase from Bacillus subtilis
Specifically Binds to and Cleaves SP
(5-Thyminyl-5,6-Dihydrothymine) but Not Cyclobutane Pyrimidine
Dimers in UV-Irradiated DNA

Py) or SP, respectively. (10His)SplB was assayed
for oligonucleotide binding using a DNase I protection assay. In the presence of (10His)SplB, the SP-containing oligonucleotide was selectively protected from DNase I digestion (half-life, >60 min), while the Py
Py-containing oligonucleotide and the
unirradiated oligonucleotide were rapidly digested by DNase I
(half-lives, 6 and 9 min, respectively). DNase I footprinting of
(10His)SplB bound to the artificial substrate was carried out utilizing
the 32P end-labeled 35-bp oligonucleotide containing SP.
DNase I footprinting showed that SplB protected at least a 9-bp region
surrounding SP from digestion with DNase I with the exception of two
DNase I-hypersensitive sites within the protected region. (10His)SplB also caused significant enhancement of DNase I digestion of the SP-containing oligonucleotide for at least a full helical turn 3' to
the protected region. The data suggest that binding of SP lyase to SP
causes significant bending or distortion of the DNA helix in the
vicinity of the lesion.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Veterinary Science and Microbiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721. Phone: (520) 621-2157. Fax: (520) 621-6366. E-mail:
wln{at}u.arizona.edu.
Present address: Department of Biology, Morningside College, Sioux
City, IA 51106.
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