title: Bacteriophage T4Dam DNA-(adenine-N(6))-methyltransferase. Comparison of pre-steady state and single turnover methylation of 40-mer duplexes containing two (un)modified target sites.
abstract: We analyzed pre-steady state and single turnover kinetics of bacteriophage T4Dam DNA-(adenine-N(6))-methyltransferase-mediated methyl group transfer from S-adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet) to 40-mer duplexes containing native recognition sites (5'-GATC/5'-GATC) or some modified variant(s). The results extend a model from studies with single-site 20-mer duplexes. Under pre-steady state conditions, monomeric T4Dam methyltransferase-AdoMet complexes were capable of rapid methylation of adenine residues in 40-mer duplexes containing two sites. During processive movement of T4Dam to the next site, the rate-limiting step was the exchange of the product S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (AdoHcy) for AdoMet without T4Dam dissociating from the duplex. Consequently, instead of a single exponential rate dependence, complex methylation curves were obtained with at least two pre-steady state steps. With 40-mer duplexes containing a single target site, the kinetics were simpler, fitting a single exponential followed by a linear steady state phase. Single turnover methylation of 40-mer duplexes also proceeded in two stages. First, two dimeric T4Dam-AdoMet molecules bound, and each catalyzed a two-step methylation. Instead of processive movement of T4Dam, a conformational adaptation occurred. We propose that following methyl transfer to one strand, dimeric (T4Dam-AdoMet)-(T4Dam-AdoHcy) was capable of rapidly reorienting itself and catalyzing methyl transfer to the target adenine on the complementary, unmethylated strand. This second stage methyl transfer occurred at a rate about 25-fold slower than in the first step; it was rate-limited by Dam-AdoHcy dissociation or its clearance from the methylated complementary strand. Under single turnover conditions, there was complete methylation of all target adenine residues with each of the two-site 40-mer duplexes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biology, State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology "Vector," Novosibirsk 630559, Russia.
authors.forename: Ernst G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Malygin
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sclavi
authors.forename: Victor V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Zinoviev
authors.forename: Alexey A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Evdokimov
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hattman
authors.forename: Malcolm
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buckle
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D017122:Bacteriophage T4 / Q000201:enzymology*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D007700:Kinetics; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine / Q000378:metabolism; D015265:Site-Specific DNA-Methyltransferase (Adenine-Specific) / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D014316:Tritium / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014316:Tritium; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine; D004247:DNA; D015265:Site-Specific DNA-Methyltransferase (Adenine-Specific); D000225:Adenine