Krauss, N. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2018

How Mg2+ stimulates DNA repair in prokaryotic (6-4) photolyases

Prokaryotic (6-4) photolyases branch at the base of the evolution of cryptochromes and photolyases. In the Agrobacterium (6-4) photolyase PhrB, the repair of DNA with UV-induced (6-4) pyrimidin dimers is stimulated by Mg2+. We show that Mg2+ is required for efficient lesion binding and for charge stabilization after electron transfer from the FADH- chromophore to the DNA lesion. Two highly conserved Asp residues close to the DNA binding site are essential for the Mg2+ effect. Simulations showed that two Mg2+ bind to the region around these residues. DNA repair by eukaryotic (6-4) photolyases is not increased by Mg2+. Here, the structurally overlapping region contains no Asp but positively charged Lys or Arg. During evolution, charge stabilization and DNA binding by Mg2+ was therefore replaced by a positive amino acid. We argue that this transition has evolved in a freshwater environment. Prokaryotic (6-4) photolyases usually contain an FeS cluster. DNA repair of a cyanobacterial member of this group which is missing the FeS cluster was also found to be stimulated by Mg2+.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2017

Oligomeric States In Sodium Ion-Dependent Regulation Of Cyanobacterial Histidine Kinase-2

Two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) consist of sensor histidine kinases and response regulators. TCSs mediate adaptation to environmental changes in bacteria, plants, fungi, and protists. Histidine kinase 2 (Hik2) is a sensor histidine kinase found in all known cyanobacteria and as chloroplast sensor kinase in eukaryotic algae and plants. Sodium ions have been shown to inhibit the autophosphorylation activity of Hik2 that precedes phosphoryl transfer to response regulators, but the mechanism of inhibition has not been determined. We report on the mechanism of Hik2 activation and inactivation probed by chemical crosslinking and size exclusion chromatography together with direct visualisation of the kinase using negative-stain transmission electron microscopy of single particles. We show that the functional form of Hik2 is a higher order oligomer such as a hexamer or octamer. Increased NaCl concentration converts the active hexamer into an inactive tetramer. Furthermore, the action of NaCl appears to be confined to the Hik2 kinase domain.\n\nIMPORTANCEBacteria sense change and respond to it by means of two-component regulatory systems. The sensor component is a protein that becomes covalently modified by a phosphate group on a histidine side chain. The response regulator accepts the phosphate group onto an aspartate, with structural and functional consequences, often for gene transcription. Histidine kinase 2 is a sensor of sodium ion concentration and redox potential, regulating transcription of genes for light-harvesting and reaction center proteins of photosynthesis in cyanobacteria and chloroplasts of algae and plants. Using radiolabeling, chemical crosslinking, chromatography and electron microscopy, we find that sodium ion concentration governs the oligomeric state of Histidine Kinase 2 and its phosphorylation by ATP.

biochemistry↗