Conformational Dynamics of Damage Processing by Human DNA Glycosylase NEIL1

摘要

Endonuclease Vlll-like protein 1 (NEIL1) is a DNA repair enzyme found in higher eukaryotes, including humans. It belongs to the helix-two turn-helix (H2TH) structural superfamily together with Escherichia coli formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) and endonuclease VIII (Nei), and removes a variety of oxidized purine and pyrimidine bases from DNA. Structural, modeling and kinetic studies have established that the bacterial H2TH superfamily enzymes proceed through several conformational intermediates while recognizing and removing their cognate lesions. Here we apply stopped-flow kinetics with detection of intrinsic Trp fluorescence and Forster resonance energy transfer fluorescence to follow the conformational dynamics of human NEIL1 and DNA when the enzyme interacts with undamaged DNA, or DNA containing cleavable or non-cleavable abasic sites, or dihydrouracil lesions.