title: Phage T4 DNA [N6-adenine]methyltransferase. Overexpression, purification, and characterization.
abstract: The bacteriophage T4 dam gene, encoding the Dam DNA [N6-adenine]methyltransferase (MTase), has been subcloned into the plasmid expression vector, pJW2. In this construct, designated pINT4dam, transcription is from the regulatable phage lambda pR and pL promoters, arranged in tandem. A two-step purification scheme using DEAE-cellulose and phosphocellulose columns in series, followed by hydroxyapatite chromatography, was developed to purify the enzyme to near homogeneity. The yield of purified protein was 2 mg/g of cell paste. The MTase has an s20,w of 3.0 S and a Stokes radius of 23 A and exists in solution as a monomer. The Km for the methyl donor, S-adenosylmethionine, is 0.1 x 10(-6) M, and the Km for substrate nonglucosylated, unmethylated T4 gt- dam DNA is 1.1 x 10(-12) M. The products of DNA methylation, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine and methylated DNA, are competitive inhibitors of the reaction; Ki values of 2.4 x 10(-6) M and 4.6 x 10(-12) M, respectively, were observed. T4 Dam methylates the palindromic tetranucleotide, GATC, designated the canonical sequence. However, at high MTase:DNA ratios, T4 Dam can methylate some noncanonical sequences belonging to GAY (where Y represents cytosine or thymine).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Rochester, New York 14627, USA.
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Kossykh
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Schlagman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hattman
mesh_terms: D002848:Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D007700:Kinetics; D008745:Methylation; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010957:Plasmids; D015265:Site-Specific DNA-Methyltransferase (Adenine-Specific); D014764:Viral Proteins
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D008780:Methyltransferases; C058693:Dam methyltransferase; D015265:Site-Specific DNA-Methyltransferase (Adenine-Specific); C499297:dam protein, Bacteriophage T4; C499294:dam protein, E coli