The C-terminus of dUTPase: observation on flexibility using NMR

The dynamics of the C-terminus of the dUTPases from Escherichia coli and eq uine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) were studied by H-1-N-15 nuclear magne tic resonance spectroscopy. The two enzymes differ with regard to flexibili ty in the backbone of the 15 most C-terminal amino acid residues, some of w hich are conserved and essential for enzymic activity. In the bacterial enz yme, the residues closest to the C-terminus are highly flexible and display a correlation time in the nanosecond time range. No similar high flexibili ty could be detected for the C-terminal part of EIAV dUTPase, indicating a different time range of flexibility. (C) 2001 Federation of European Bioche mical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.