A newly identified photolyase from Arthrospira platensis possesses a unique methenyltetrahydrofolate chromophore-binding pattern.
Yan, H., Zhu, K., Teng, M., Li, X.(2020) FEBS Lett 594: 740-750
- PubMed: 31675429 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.13657
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
6KII - PubMed Abstract: 
Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD), as a common DNA damage caused by UV radiation, often lead to skin cancer. Here, we identified a photolyase from the alga Arthrospira platensis (designated as Ap-phr), which has been regarded as a safe organism for humans for centuries, that can efficiently repair CPD lesions in ssDNA and dsDNA in vitro. The 1.6 Å resolution crystal structure of Ap-phr revealed that it possesses a unique methenyltetrahydrofolate chromophore-binding pattern with high energy transfer efficiency. Our study of Ap-phr highlights its potential use in cosmetic, industrial and aesthetic medicine applications.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.