title: Dynamics of the N-terminal alpha-helix unfolding in the photoreversion reaction of phytochrome A.
abstract: Time-resolved circular dichroism spectroscopy in the far-UV spectral region was used to examine the intermediates of the phytochrome photoreversion reaction (Pfr --> Pr). Three intermediates, lumi-F (tau = 320 ns), meta-Fa (tau = 265 micros) and meta-Fb (tau = 5.5 ms), have been identified in a simple sequential kinetic photoreversion mechanism by absorption spectroscopy [Linschitz, H., Kasche, V., Butler, W. L., & Siegelman, H. W. (1966) J. Biol. Chem. 241, 3395-3403; Pratt, L. H., & Butler, W. L. (1968) Photochem. Photobiol. 8, 477-485; Burke, M., Pratt, D. C., & Moscowitz, A. (1972) Biochemistry 11, 4025-4031; Spruit, C. J. P., Kendrick, R. E., & Cooke, R. J. (1975) Planta (Berlin) 127, 121-132; Eilfeld, P., & Rüdiger, W. (1985) Z. Naturforsch. 40c, 109-114; Chen, E., Lapko, V. N., Lewis, J. W., Song, P.-S., & Kliger, D. S. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 843-850]. In order to correlate the unfolding of the N-terminal alpha-helical segment with one or more of the intermediate species, time-resolved methods were coupled with the structurally sensitive probe of CD in the far-UV spectral region. Analysis of the TRCD data associates the decrease in alpha-helical content that occurs upon formation of Pr with decay of the meta-Fa intermediate. This unfolding process occurs with a time constant of 310 +/- 125 micros, which is consistent with the 265-micros lifetime for meta-Fa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz 95064, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Lapko
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kliger
mesh_terms: D018554:Avena / Q000737:chemistry; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D010777:Photochemistry; D010834:Phytochrome / Q000737:chemistry*; D051942:Phytochrome A; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017510:Protein Folding
chemical_list: D051942:Phytochrome A; D010834:Phytochrome