Tyrosyl-base-phenylalanyl intercalation in gene 5 protein-DNA complexes: proton nuclear magnetic resonance of selectively deuterated gene 5 protein.

The interactions of oligodeoxynucleotides with the aromatic residues of gene 5 protein in complexes with d(pA)8 and d(pT)8 have been determined by 1H NMR of the protein in which the five tyrosyl residues have been selectively deuterated either in the 2,6 or the 3,5 positions. Only the 3,5 protons of the three surface tyrosyls (26, 41, and 56) interact with the bases. The remainder of the aromatic protons undergoing base-dependent upfield ring-current shifts on complex formation are phenylalanyl protons, assigned to Phe(13) on the basis of model building. 19F NMR of the complexes of the m-fluorotyrosyl-labeled protein with d(pT)4 and d(pA)8 confirms the presence of ring-current perturbations of nuclei at the 3,5-tyrosyl positions of the three surface tyrosyls. Differential expression of the 19F(1H) nuclear Overhauser effect confirms the presence of two buried and three surface tyrosyl residues. A new model of the DNA binding groove is presented involving Tyr(26)-base-Phe(13) intercalation.