PHOTOREACTIVATING ENZYME FROM Streptomyces griseus—VI. ACTION SPECTRUM AND KINETICS OF PHOTOREACTIVATION

Abstract— A high resolution action spectrum for photoreactivation was determined using purified photoreactivating enzyme from Streptomyces griseus. Conversion of pyrimidine dimers in UV-irradiated DNA, the substrate for photoreactivating enzyme, was measured with a Haemophilus influenzae transformation assay. A high similarity was found between action spectrum (max. at 445 nm) and the long wavelength absorption band (max. at 443 nm)of photoreactivating enzyme. In addition to the400–470 nm region considerable photoreactivation was found with wavelengths between 280 and 320 nm. No evidence was obtained for the presence of nonenzymatic photoreactivation. Comparison of in vitro and in vivo action spectra revealed that the sharp peak at 313 nm found in vivo is probably the result of counteracting photoreactivation and inactivation effects. Comparison of the action spectrum with the absorption spectrum of 8-hydroxy-10-methyl-5-deazaisoalloxazine in an aprotic dipolar solvent (which serves as a model for the 8-hydroxy-5-deazaflavin chromophore in photoreactivating enzyme) indicates the possible presence of other chromophore(s) involved in the photorepair process. From kinetic measurements and flash experiments values were obtained for the rate constants of the photoreactivation reaction. The quantum yield of photoreactivation was estimated to be approximately 1.