Mutation Research/DNA Repair最新文献

The products of the SOS-regulated umuDC genes are required for most UV and chemical mutagenesis in Escherichia coli. Recently it has been recognized that UmuC is the founding member of a superfamily of novel DNA polymerases found in all three kingdoms of life. Key findings leading to these insights are reviewed, placing a particular emphasis on contributions made by Bryn Bridges and on his interest in the importance of interactions between the umuDC gene products and the replicative DNA polymerase.

The “Dutch DNA Repair Group” was established about 35 years ago. In this brief historical review some of the crucial decisions are described that have contributed to the relative success of the research of this group. The emphasis of the work of this group has been for many years on the genetic analysis of nucleotide excision repair (NER) and genetic diseases based on defects in this repair process: xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), Cockayne syndrome and trichothiodystrophy.

Defects in nucleotide excision repair (NER) as defined by the UV sensitivity of xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), Cockayne syndrome (CS) and trichothiodystrophy (TTD) patients has lead to the identification of most of the genes involved: XPA through XPG, CSA and CSB. Whereas XP patients often show an increased risk for skin cancer after exposure to sunlight, this is not the case for patients with CS and TTD. Several CS patients have been shown to carry a defect in the XPG gene. The XPG, a structure specific endonuclease makes the incision 3′ of damage and is also involved in the subsequent 5′incision during the NER process. In addition, XPG plays a role in the removal of oxidative DNA damage.

The Drosophila XPG gene was isolated and based on the molecular defect of a spontaneous (insertion) and an EMS induced mutant, it was shown that a mutated XPG is responsible for the Drosophila mutagen-sensitive mutants mus201. One of these mutants, mus201^D1 has been used extensively in studies of the effects and mechanisms of many chemical mutagens as well as X-rays. The results of these studies are discussed in the light of the finding that mus201p is the Drosophila homologue of XPG.

Like hydroxyl radicals, alkoxyl radicals have been implicated in the generation of cellular oxidative DNA damage under physiological conditions; however, their genotoxic potential has not yet been established. We have analyzed the DNA damage induced by a photochemical source of tert-butoxyl radicals, the water soluble peroxy ester [4-(tert-butyldioxycarbonyl)benzyl]triethylammonium chloride (BCBT), using various repair endonucleases as probes. The irradiation (UV³⁶⁰) of BCBT in the presence of bacteriophage PM2 DNA was found to generate a DNA damage profile that consisted mostly of base modifications sensitive to the repair endonuclease Fpg protein. Approximately 90% of the modifications were identified as 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoGua) residues by HPLC/ECD analysis. Oxidative pyrimidine modifications (sensitive to endonuclease III), sites of base loss (AP sites) and single-strand breaks were only minor modifications. Experiments with various scavengers and quenchers indicated that the DNA damage by BCBT+UV³⁶⁰ was caused by tert-butoxyl radicals as the ultimate reactive species. The mutagenicity associated with the induced damage was analyzed in the gpt gene of plasmid pSV2gpt, which was exposed to BCBT+UV³⁶⁰ and subsequently transfected into Escherichia coli. The results were in agreement with the specific generation of 8-oxoGua. Nearly all point mutations (20 out of 21) were found to be GC→TA transversions known to be characteristic for 8-oxoGua. In conclusion, alkoxyl radicals generated from BCBT+UV³⁶⁰ induce 8-oxoGua in DNA with a higher selectivity than any other reactive oxygen species analyzed so far.

The RAD52 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is essential for repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination. Inactivation of this gene confers hypersensitivity to DSB-inducing agents and defects in most forms of recombination. The rad22⁺ gene in Schizosaccharomyces pombe (here referred to as rad22A⁺) has been characterized as a homolog of RAD52 in fission yeast. Here, we report the identification of a second RAD52 homolog in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, called rad22B⁺. The amino acid sequences of Rad22A and Rad22B show significant conservation (38% identity). Deletion mutants of respectively, rad22A and rad22B, show different phenotypes with respect to sensitivity to X-rays and the ability to perform homologous recombination as measured by the integration of plasmid DNA. Inactivation of rad22A⁺ leads to a severe sensitivity to X-rays and a strong decrease in recombination (13-fold), while the rad22B mutation does not result in a decrease in homologous recombination or a change in radiation sensitivity. In a rad22A–rad22B double mutant the radiation sensitivity is further enhanced in comparison with the rad22A single mutant. Overexpression of the rad22B⁺ gene results in partial suppression of the DNA repair defects of the rad22A mutant strain. Meiotic recombination and spore viability are only slightly affected in either single mutant, but outgrowth of viable spores is almost 31-fold reduced in the rad22A–rad22B double mutant. The results obtained imply a crucial role for rad22A⁺ in repair and recombination in vegetative cells just like RAD52 in S. cerevisiae. The rad22B⁺ gene presumably has an auxiliary role in the repair of DSBs. The drastic reduced spore viability in the double mutant suggests that meiosis in S. pombe is dependent on the presence of either rad22A⁺ or rad22B⁺.

Endonuclease V (Endo V) of Escherichia coli participates in the excision repair of hypoxanthine and xanthine (deaminated adenine and guanine) in DNA. It thereby reduces the mutagenic effects of nitrous acid by attacking lesions caused by nitrosative deamination. Nitrosating agents may be produced endogenously when E. coli is grown in oxygen-poor cultures, during which nitrate and nitrite replace oxygen as preferred electron acceptors. In this study, the protective effect of Endo V was observed under such conditions. During micro-aerobic growth, an nfi (Endo V) mutation enhanced the frequency of nitrate- and nitrite-induced A:T→G:C and G:C→A:T transition mutations, which are consistent with a defect in the removal of DNA hypoxanthine and xanthine, respectively. Similar effects were observed in saturated, aerobic cultures but not in well-aerated, logarithmically growing ones. A narG (nitrate reductase) mutation blocked the mutagenesis of the nfi mutant by nitrate but not by nitrite. These results differed from those of previous studies in which cell suspensions generated an exogenous nitrosating agent from nitrite, but not from nitrate, in a reaction that was narG-dependent. Nitrate/nitrite metabolism is also known to generate endogenous alkylating agents through N-nitrosation. However, an nfi mutation did not appreciably enhance mutagenesis by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, suggesting that the mutator effect of nfi is not due to a defect in alkylation repair. The overall results indicate that Endo V functions during normal growth by helping to repair nitrosatively deaminated bases in DNA, which are by-products of anaerobic nitrate/nitrite respiration.

Defects in the repair and maintenance of DNA increase risk for cancer. X-ray cross-complementing group 1 protein (XRCC1) is involved with the repair of DNA single-strand breaks. A nucleotide substitution of guanine to adenine leading to a non-conservative amino acid change was identified in the XRCC1 gene at codon 399 (Arg/Gln). This change is associated with higher levels of aflatoxin B₁-adducts and glycophorin A somatic mutations. A case-control study was conducted to test the hypothesis that the 399Gln allele is positively associated with risk for adenocarcinoma of the lung. XRCC1 genotypes were assessed at codon 399 in 172 cases of lung adenocarcinoma and 143 cancer-free controls. Two ethnic populations were represented, non-Hispanic White and Hispanic. The distribution of XRCC1 genotypes differed between cases and controls. Among cases, 47.7% were Arg/Arg, 35.5% were Arg/Gln, and 16.9% were Gln/Gln. Among controls, XRCC1 allele frequencies were 45.5% for Arg/Arg, 44.8% for Arg/Gln, and 9.8% for Gln/Gln. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between lung adenocarcinoma and the G/G genotype relative to the A/A or A/G genotypes. In non-Hispanic White participants, the lung cancer risk associated with the G/G genotype increased significantly after adjustment for age (OR=2.81; 95% CI, 1.2–7.9; P=0.03) and increased further after adjustment for smoking (OR=3.25; 95% CI, 1.2–10.7; P=0.03). Among all groups, a significant association was found between the G/G homozygote and lung cancer (OR=2.45; 95% CI, 1.1–5.8; P=0.03) after adjustment for age, ethnicity, and smoking. This study links a functional polymorphism in the critical repair gene XRCC1 to risk for adenocarcinoma of the lung.

The high frequency of chromosomal breaks in Fanconi anemia (FA) lymphocytes has been related to the increased oxidative damage shown by these cells.

The effect of 100 μM dl-α-tocopherol (Vitamin E) on the level of chromosomal damage in mitosis was studied in lymphocytes from five FA patients and from age matched controls, both under basal conditions and when G₂ repair was prevented by 2.5 mM caffeine (G₂ unrepaired damage). In addition, the effect of this antioxidant on G₂ duration and the efficiency of G₂ repair was also evaluated in the sample.

α-Tocopherol (AT) decreased the frequency of chromosomal damage (under basal and inhibited G₂ repair conditions) and the duration of G₂ in FA cells. This antioxidant protective effect, expressed as the decrease in chromatid breaks, was greater in FA cells (50.8%) than in controls (25%).

The efficiency of the G₂ repair process (G₂R rate) defined as the ratio between the percentage of chromatid breaks repaired in G₂ and the duration of this cell cycle phase was lesser in FA cells (10.6) than in controls (22.6). AT treatment slightly increased this G₂R rate, both in FA cells and controls.

These results suggest that an increased oxidative damage and a lower G₂ repair rate may be simultaneously involved in the high frequency of chromatid damage detected in FA cells.

Microsatellite instability is regarded as one of the phenotypes of defective DNA mismatch repair and, consequently, as a marker of high risk for cancer. Despite numerous studies, the reported rates for positive microsatellite instability differ widely in each human malignancy. These discrepancies may relate to problems in the methods used. To establish a methodology for an accurate microsatellite instability analysis, technical requirements for a precise assay and biological conditions required for positive microsatellite instability were discussed. First, to describe microsatellite changes in detail, a sensitive detection system with linear detection characteristics and electrophoresis with standardised migration and minimised migration errors are considered to be necessary. Therefore, systems using fluorescent labelling and laser scanning are recommended. For reproducible polymerase chain reactions, it is essential to control the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase activity in Taq polymerase. Second, as a biological condition for positive microsatellite instability, feasible selection and combination of microsatellite markers, mutations in specific DNA mismatch repair genes and existence of monoclonal populations enriched sufficiently in a sample are essential. Finally, one possible diagnostic criterion for positive microsatellite instability is proposed, that is the existence of one of the patterns shown in the panel (see Fig. 6) at one or more loci in a set of more than five microsatellite markers.

Spontaneous deamination of cytosine results in a premutagenic G:U mismatch that may result in a GC→AT transition during replication. The human UNG-gene encodes the major uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG or UNG) which releases uracil from DNA, thus, initiating base excision repair to restore the correct DNA sequence. Bacterial and yeast mutants lacking the homologous UDG exhibit elevated spontaneous mutation frequencies. Hence, mutations in the human UNG gene could presumably result in a mutator phenotype. We screened all seven exons including exon–intron boundaries, both promoters, and one intron of the UNG gene and identified considerable sequence variation in cell lines derived from normal fibroblasts and tumour tissue. None of the sequence variants was accompanied by significantly reduced UDG activity. In the UNG gene from 62 sources, we identified 12 different variant alleles, with allele frequencies ranging from 0.01 to 0.23. We identified one variant allele per 3.8 kb in non-coding regions, but none in the coding region of the gene. In promoter B we identified four different variants. A substitution within an AP2 element was observed in tumour cell lines only and had an allele frequency of 0.10. Introduction of this substitution into chimaeric promoter–luciferase constructs affected transcription from the promoter. UDG-activity varied little in fibroblasts, but widely between tumour cell lines. This variation did not however correlate with the presence of any of the variant alleles. In conclusion, mutations affecting the function of human UNG gene are seemingly infrequent in human tumour cell lines.