Activation of ATPase activity of simian virus 40 large T antigen by the covalent affinity analog of ATP, fluorosulfonylbenzoyl 5'-adenosine.

Fluorosulfonylbenzoyl 5'-adenosine (FSBA) bound to one site in simian virus 40 large T antigen (T) and covalently modified greater than 95% of the molecules in a complete reaction. This analog for ATP specifically cross-links to the Mg-phosphate pocket in ATP-binding sites. Cyanogen bromide cleavage and tryptic digestion of [14C]FSBA-labeled protein, paired with T-specific monoclonal antibody analyses, were used to map the site in T to a tryptic peptide just C terminal to the PAb204 epitope. The location of the FSBA linkage was consistent with the predicted tertiary structure of the ATP-binding region in T described previously (M. K. Bradley, T. F. Smith, R. H. Lathrop, D. M. Livingston, and T. A. Webster, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:4026-4030, 1987). Binding of FSBA to T was cooperative, implying an interaction between two binding sites. This could occur if the protein formed a dimer, and it is known that the ATPase activity is associated with a dimeric T. Most interesting was the activation of the ATPase when up to 50% of T was bound by the analog. The effect was also produced by preincubation with millimolar concentrations of ATP or the nonhydrolyzable analog gamma beta-methylene 5'-adenosine diphosphate at elevated temperatures. When greater than 50% of T was modified by FSBA, the ATPase was inhibited as the analog cross-linked to the second, previously activated, binding site. These data support a dual function for the one ATP-binding site in T as both regulatory and catalytic.