Here, we report the study of a new multichannel DNA fluorescent base analogue 3-hydroxychromone (3HC) to evaluate its suitability as a fluorescent reporter probe of structural transitions during protein-DNA interactions and its comparison with the current commercially available 2-aminopurine (aPu), pyrrolocytosine (Cpy) and 1,3-diaza-2-oxophenoxazine (tCO). For this purpose, fluorescent base analogues were incorporated into DNA helix on the opposite or on the 5'-side of the damaged nucleoside 5,6-dihydrouridine (DHU), which is specifically recognized and removed by Endonuclease VIII. These fluorophores demonstrated different sensitivities to the DNA helix conformational changes. The highest sensitivity and the most detailed information about the conformational changes of DNA induced by protein binding and processing were obtained using the 3HC probe. The application of this new artificial fluorescent DNA base is a very useful tool for the studies of complex mechanisms of protein-DNA interactions. Using 3HC biosensor, the kinetic mechanism of Endonuclease VIII action was specified.

Human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (hOGG1) is a key enzyme responsible for initiating the base excision repair of 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanosine (oxoG). In this study a thermodynamic analysis of the interaction of hOGG1 with specific and non-specific DNA-substrates is performed based on stopped-flow kinetic data. The standard Gibbs energies, enthalpies and entropies of specific stages of the repair process were determined via kinetic measurements over a temperature range using the van't Hoff approach. The three steps which are accompanied with changes in the DNA conformations were detected via 2-aminopurine fluorescence in the process of binding and recognition of damaged oxoG base by hOGG1. The thermodynamic analysis has demonstrated that the initial step of the DNA substrates binding is mainly governed by energy due to favorable interactions in the process of formation of the recognition contacts, which results in negative enthalpy change, as well as due to partial desolvation of the surface between the DNA and enzyme, which results in positive entropy change. Discrimination of non-specific G base versus specific oxoG base is occurring in the second step of the oxoG-substrate binding. This step requires energy consumption which is compensated by the positive entropy contribution. The third binding step is the final adjustment of the enzyme/substrate complex to achieve the catalytically competent state which is characterized by large endothermicity compensated by a significant increase of entropy originated from the dehydration of the DNA grooves.