Molecular Structure and Novel DNA Binding Sites Located in Loops of Flap Endonuclease-1 from Pyrococcus horikoshii

The crystal structure of flap endonuclease-1 fromPyrococcus horikoshii (phFEN-1) was determined to a resolution of 3.1 Å. The active cleft of the phFEN-1 molecule is formed with one large loop and four small loops. We examined the function of the conserved residues and positively charged clusters on these loops by kinetic analysis with 45 different mutants. Arg40 and Arg42 on small loop 1, a cluster Lys193–Lys195 on small loop 2, and two sites, Arg94 and Arg118-Lys119, on the large loop were identified as binding sites. Lys87 on the large loop may play significant roles in catalytic reaction. Furthermore, we successfully elucidated the function of the four DNA binding sites that form productive ES complexes specific for each endo- or exo-type hydrolysis, probably by bending the substrates. For the endo-activity, Arg94 and Lys193–Lys195 located at the top and bottom of the molecule were key determinants. For the exo-activity, all four sites were needed, but Arg118-Lys119 was dominant. The major binding sites for both the nick substrate and double-stranded DNA might be the same.