Metal ions bound at the active site of the junction-resolving enzyme T7 endonuclease I
Hadden, J.M., Declais, A.C., Phillips, S.E., Lilley, D.M.(2002) EMBO J 21: 3505-3515
- PubMed: 12093751 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/emboj/cdf337
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1M0D, 1M0I - PubMed Abstract: 
T7 endonuclease I is a nuclease that is selective for the structure of the four-way DNA junction. The active site is similar to those of a number of restriction enzymes. We have solved the crystal structure of endonuclease I with a wild-type active site. Diffusion of manganese ions into the crystal revealed two peaks of electron density per active site, defining two metal ion-binding sites. Site 1 is fully occupied, and the manganese ion is coordinated by the carboxylate groups of Asp55 and Glu65, and the main chain carbonyl of Thr66. Site 2 is partially occupied, and the metal ion has a single protein ligand, the remaining carboxylate oxygen atom of Asp55. Isothermal titration calorimetry showed the sequential exothermic binding of two manganese ions in solution, with dissociation constants of 0.58 +/- 0.019 and 14 +/- 1.5 mM. These results are consistent with a two metal ion mechanism for the cleavage reaction, in which the hydrolytic water molecule is contained in the first coordination sphere of the site 1-bound metal ion.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.