Methylene blue plus light mediates 8-hydroxy 2'-deoxyguanosine formation in DNA preferentially over strand breakage

A light in multidrug resistance: photodynamic treatment of multidrug-resistant tumors

The major drawback of cancer chemotherapy is the development of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tumor cells, which are cross-resistant to a broad range of structurally and functionally unrelated agents, making it difficult to treat these tumors. In the last decade, a number of authors have studied the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT), a combination of visible light with photosensitizing agents, on MDR cells. The results, although still inconclusive, have raised the possibility of treating MDR tumors by PDT. This review examines the growing literature concerning the responses of MDR cells to PDT, while stressing the need for the development of new photosensitizers that possess the necessary characteristics for the photodynamic treatment of this class of tumor.

Photomutagenicity of thiabendazole, a postharvest fungicide, in bacterial assays

We investigated the photomutagenicity of thiabendazole (TBZ), a postharvest fungicide commonly used on imported citrus fruits. Using UVA light (320-400 nm), we irradiated bacterial cultures with or without TBZ in a 24-well multiplate. UVA-irradiation without TBZ was not mutagenic to the tester strains, nor was unirradiated TBZ. TBZ was strongly photomutagenic in Escherichia coli WP2uvrA and WP2uvrA/pKM101 strains, weakly photomutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and TA98, and not photomutagenic in S. typhimurium TA1535 and TA1538. The photomutagenicity of TBZ was more evident in WP2uvrA/pKM101, which carries the trpE65 ochre mutation (TAA), than in TA100, which carries the hisG46 missense mutation (CCC). In E. coli WP3101-WP3106 and the corresponding pKM101-containing strains, photoactivated TBZ induced predominantly G:C-->A:T transitions and A:T-->T:A transversions. In the plasmid-containing strains only, TBZ induced a moderate number of A:T-->G:C transitions and a few A:T-->C:G and G:C-->T:A transversions. The observation that UVA-irradiated TBZ mutated both G:C and A:T basepairs may explain why WP2uvrA/pKM101 was more sensitive to its mutagenicity than TA100. TBZ that was irradiated before it was added to the WP2uvrA/pKM101 cells was not photomutagenic, which suggests that the photomutagenic products of TBZ were unstable or rapidly reacted with other molecules before being incorporated into cells.

Mitochondrial repair of 8-oxoguanine is deficient in Cockayne syndrome group B

Reactive oxygen species, which are prevalent in mitochondria, cause oxidative DNA damage including the mutagenic DNA lesion 7,8-dihydroxyguanine (8-oxoG). Oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA has been implicated as a causative factor in a wide variety of degenerative diseases, and in cancer and aging. 8-oxoG is repaired efficiently in mammalian mitochondrial DNA by enzymes in the base excision repair pathway, including the 8-oxoguanine glycosylase (OGG1), which incizes the lesion in the first step of repair. Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a segmental premature aging syndrome in humans that has two complementation groups, CSA and CSB. Previous studies showed that CSB-deficient cells have reduced capacity to repair 8-oxoG. This study examines the role of the CSB gene in regulating repair of 8-oxoG in mitochondrial DNA in human and mouse cells. 8-oxoG repair was measured in liver cells from CSB deficient mice and in human CS-B cells carrying expression vectors for wild type or mutant forms of the human CSB gene. For the first time we report that CSB stimulates repair of 8-oxoG in mammalian mitochondrial DNA. Furthermore, evidence is presented to support the hypothesis that wild type CSB regulates expression of OGG1.

An ab initio theoretical study of electronic structure and properties of 2'-deoxyguanosine in gas phase and aqueous media

Molecular geometries of two structural forms of 2'-deoxyguanosine (keto-N9R and keto-N7R, R = the sugar moiety) considering both the C2'-endo and C3'-endo conformations of the sugar ring and those of the complexes of these species with two water molecules each were optimized employing the ab initio RHF procedure. A mixed basis set consisting of the 6-311+G* basis set for the nitrogen atom of the amino group and the 4-31G basis set for all the other atoms was used. The RHF calculations were followed by correlation correction of the total energy at the MP2 level. Both the structural forms of 2'-deoxyguanosine were solvated using the polarized continuum model (PCM) of the self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) theory and the corresponding RHF optimized geometries at the RHF and MP2 levels. Geometry optimization was also performed in aqueous media using the Onsager model at the RHF level using the above-mentioned mixed basis set, and subsequently, using the reoptimized geometries, single-point MP2 calculations were performed. It is found that both the keto-N9R and keto-N7R forms of 2'-deoxyguanosine as well as their complexes with two water molecules each would occur, particularly at the water-air interface. Though the normal Watson-Crick-type base pairing would not be possible with the keto-N7R form of 2'-deoxyguanosine(G*), two other (G*-C and G*-T) base pairing schemes may occur with this form of the nucleoside, which may cause mutation. The present calculated geometry of the keto-N9R form of the anti-conformation of 2'-deoxyguanosine including the dihedral angle chi(CN) agree satisfactorily with the available crystallographic results. The present results also agree satisfactorily with those obtained by other authors earlier for the keto-N9R form of 2'-deoxyguanosine using B3LYP and MP2 methods employing the 6-31G* basis set. Using transition state calculations, it is shown that tautomerism of guanine and other similar molecules where the tautomers would coexist would be facilitated by the occurrence of the H(+) and OH(-) fragments of water molecules. Further, this coexistence of the two tautomers appears to make the C8 carbon atom located between the N7 and N9 nitrogen atoms susceptible to attack by the OH(-) group. Thus, an explanation is obtained for the efficient formation of the reaction product 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, which serves as a biomarker for oxidative damage to DNA in biological systems.

Phototoxicity to diuretics and antidiabetics in the cultured keratinocyte cell line HaCaT: evaluation by clonogenic assay and single cell gel electrophoresis Comet assay)

BACKGROUND

Potential phototoxicity has been described for a number of drugs and chemical substances. Psoralens, chlorpromazines and fluoroquinolones have been described as inducing photomutagenicity and photocarcinogenicity in vitro and in vivo. We wanted to investigate oral antidiabetics and diuretics for potential phototoxicity and possible DNA damage in the HaCaT cell line.

METHODS

: The oral antidiabetics tolbutamide, glibenclamide and glipizide, and the diuretics bendroflumethiazide, butizide, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide and trichlormethiazide were dissolved in DMSO to final concentrations of 1 mM, 0.1 mM, and 0.01 mM, incubated together with the cells, and exposed to UVA1 (23 or 48 J/cm2). Cell survival was evaluated in a clonogenic assay and phototoxic DNA damage was investigated by single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). To investigate possible inhibiting effects of antioxidants, L-ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol were added at a final concentration of 1 mM 24 h before treatment with the drugs.

RESULTS

Bendroflumethiazide, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, trichlormethiazide and tolbutamide induced dose-dependent phototoxicity in the clonogenic assay. Cells incubated with bendroflumethiazide, tolbutamide and glibenclamide and irradiated with UVA1 demonstrated increased oxidative DNA damage, revealed as alkali-labile sites in the comet assay. Pretreatment with L-ascorbic acid or alpha-tocopherol suppressed the UVA-induced DNA damage in cells incubated with 1 mM bendroflumethiazide, furosemide, glibenclamide, glipizide, tolbutamide or trichloromethiazide.

CONCLUSION

Several oral antidiabetics and diuretics show phototoxic effects in the HaCaT cell line. Inhibiting effects of antioxidants point towards involvement of reactive oxygen species in phototoxic DNA damage, suggesting a link between the phototoxic and photocancerogenic potential of the sulfonamide-derived oral antidiabetic and diuretic drugs. Excessive exposure to UV light may be deleterious for patients treated with oral antidiabetic and diuretic drugs.

Interactions by carcinogenic metal compounds with DNA repair processes: toxicological implications

Even though compounds of nickel, arsenic, cobalt and cadmium are carcinogenic, their mutagenic potentials are rather weak. In contrast, they exert pronounced comutagenic effects, which may be explained by disturbances of different DNA repair systems. Thus, cobalt, arsenic, nickel and cadmium interfere with base and nucleotide excision repair, even though they affect different steps of the respective repair systems and act by different, not yet completely understood mechanisms. Potential target molecules for some metal ions are so-called zinc finger structures in DNA repair proteins, but each zinc finger protein exerts its own sensitivity towards toxic metal ions. Possible consequences of repair inhibitions are discussed in more detail for soluble and particulate nickel compounds, which have recently been shown to interfere with the repair of stable DNA adducts induced by benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). Since nickel compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as B[a]P are frequently associated in the ambient air, in cigarette smoke and at many workplaces, an impaired removal of B[a]P-derived DNA adducts will lead to persistent DNA damage and thus increase the risk of mutations and tumor formation.

Repair of damaged DNA by Arabidopsis cell extract

All living organisms have to protect the integrity of their genomes from a wide range of genotoxic stresses to which they are inevitably exposed. However, understanding of DNA repair in plants lags far behind such knowledge in bacteria, yeast, and mammals, partially as a result of the absence of efficient in vitro systems. Here, we report the experimental setup for an Arabidopsis in vitro repair synthesis assay. The repair of plasmid DNA treated with three different DNA-damaging agents, UV light, cisplatin, and methylene blue, after incubation with whole-cell extract was monitored. To validate the reliability of our assay, we analyzed the repair proficiency of plants depleted in AtRAD1 activity. The reduced repair of UV light- and cisplatin-damaged DNA confirmed the deficiency of these plants in nucleotide excision repair. Decreased repair of methylene blue-induced oxidative lesions, which are believed to be processed by the base excision repair machinery in mammalian cells, may indicate a possible involvement of AtRAD1 in the repair of oxidative damage. Differences in sensitivity to DNA polymerase inhibitors (aphidicolin and dideoxy TTP) between plant and human cell extracts were observed with this assay.

Photosensitizer initiated attacks on DNA under dry conditions and their inhibition: a DNA archiving issue

Long-term aging of dry DNA is thought to be due to the attack of diverse cascades of reactive species with probably, no one single initiator of the cascades explaining all circumstances. Photosensitizer-initiated reactions from methylene blue and riboflavin were used to generate two model systems of reactive species around dry DNA in order to understand such systems and how to block them. Damage was assessed using plasmid DNA as a substrate with an in-situ microgel electrophoretic technique. Photodynamic methylene blue damage to DNA was very oxygen dependent but not that of riboflavin. This indicates that indirect type II pathways, probably via singlet oxygen were important for methylene blue but not for riboflavin. In both the absence and presence of oxygen, the DNA protection offered by dry caffeine and urate to both photodynamic agents indicated that most DNA attack was via electrophilic species. Overall, protection of dry archived DNA from spontaneously reactive species such as free radicals appears to be a real issue and, as expected, the predominant species in air appear to involve oxygen but not exclusively or necessarily so.

DNA repair and sequence context affect (1)O(2)-induced mutagenesis in bacteria

Electronic excited molecular oxygen (singlet oxygen, (1)O(2)) is known to damage DNA, yielding mutations. In this work, the mutagenicity induced by (1)O(2) in a defined sequence of DNA was investigated after replication in Escherichia coli mutants deficient for nucleotide and base excision DNA repair pathways. For this purpose a plasmid containing a (1)O(2)-damaged 14 base oligonucleotide was introduced into E.coli by transfection and mutations were screened by hybridization with an oligonucleotide with the original sequence. Mutagenesis was observed in all strains tested, but it was especially high in the BH20 (fpg), AYM57 (fpg mutY) and AYM84 (fpg mutY uvrC) strains. The frequency of mutants in the fpg mutY strain was higher than in the triple mutant fpg mutY uvrC, suggesting that activity of the UvrABC excinuclease can favor the mutagenesis of these lesions. Additionally, most of the mutations were G-->T and G-->C transversions, but this was dependent on the position of the guanine in the sequence and on repair deficiency in the host bacteria. Thus, the kind of repair and the mutagenesis associated with (1)O(2)-induced DNA damage are linked to the context of the damaged sequence.

Anti-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine phage antibodies: isolation, characterization, and relationship to disease states

We have used human single chain Fv (scFv) phage display antibody libraries to isolate recombinant antibodies against the DNA adduct 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG). One of these scFvs (175G) bound to several 8-oxodG-containing oligonucleotides whilst demonstrating no cross-reactivity with G-containing control oligonucleotides, and bound to 8-oxodG lesions introduced into DNA by treatment with methylene blue and white light. In addition, 175G inhibited the cleavage of an 8-oxodG-containing oligonucleotide by the Escherichia coli enzyme formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg). The nucleotide sequence of the 175G V(H) gene segment was 98% homologous to the published V(H) sequence of a human hybridoma derived from a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Sera from two SLE patients bound to damaged DNA, and this binding could be inhibited by 175G. The use of human scFv phage display libraries has thus produced a unique reagent with specificity for 8-oxodG, which may have a role in damage detection and quantitation and in modifying DNA repair activity. 175G also offers support to the hypothesis that SLE might be associated with oxidative damage to DNA.

Methylene blue derivatives--suitable photoantimicrobials for blood product disinfection?

Photodynamic antimicrobial agents based on the well-established phenothiazinium biological stain methylene blue offer a simple method for the inactivation or destruction of pathogens contained in donated blood and blood products. The technique is currently concentrated on viruses and the disinfective procedure can be carried out in blood bags using basic low-power light sources. Pathogens of the bacterial, yeast and protozoal classes are also susceptible to phenothiaziniums. The photoantimicrobial mode of action is usually via oxidative damage to cellular components, either due to redox reactions between the agent and a biomolecular target or by the action of reactive oxygen species generated in situ by photodynamic action. The targeting of various microbial species is discussed in relation to the physicochemical make-up of the photosensitizers, and future directions are suggested.

In vitro effects of Se-allylselenocysteine and Se-propylselenocysteine on cell growth, DNA integrity, and apoptosis

Two previously unevaluated selenium compounds, Se-allylselenocysteine (ASC) and Se-propylselenocysteine (PSC), have been shown recently to be active in the chemoprevention of experimentally induced mammary carcinogenesis. Other than their potential as chemopreventive agents, little is known about the pharmacological properties of these compounds. In this article, we report on the in vitro effects of ASC and PSC on cell growth inhibition, apoptosis, and the induction of DNA damage. The effects of ASC and PSC were examined in two mouse mammary epithelial cell lines derived from mammary hyperplasias. These cell lines, designated TM2H and TM12, have mutant or wild-type p53, respectively. It was observed that ASC but not PSC reduced, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, the number of adherent cells in culture, and this suppressive effect was more prominent in TM12 than in TM2H cells. ASC was also found to induce alkaline-labile DNA damage and the oxidation of pyrimidines, and it also increased the rate of apoptosis. These changes were not seen by exposure to PSC or the sulfur analog of ASC. However, additional data obtained from the intact rat mammary gland suggest that the loss of DNA integrity induced by ASC might not be manifest in vivo at doses of ASC that inhibit carcinogenesis.

Oxidative DNA base damage induced by singlet oxygen and photosensitization: recognition by repair endonucleases and mutagenicity

We have analyzed the recognition by various repair endonucleases of DNA base modifications induced by three oxidants, viz. [4-(tert-butyldioxycarbonyl)benzyl]triethylammonium chloride (BCBT), a photochemical source of tert-butoxyl radicals, disodium salt of 1,4-etheno-2,3-benzodioxin-1,4-dipropanoic acid (NDPO(2)), a chemical source of singlet oxygen, and riboflavin, a type-I photosensitizer. The base modifications induced by BCBT, which were previously shown to be mostly 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoGua) residues, were recognized by Fpg and Ogg1 proteins, but not by endonuclease IIII, Ntg1 and Ntg2 proteins. In the case of singlet oxygen induced damage, 8-oxoGua accounted for only 35% of the base modifications recognized by Fpg protein. The remaining Fpg-sensitive modifications were not recognized by Ogg1 protein and relatively poor by endonuclease III, but they were relatively good substrates of Ntg1 and Ntg2. In the case of the damage induced by photoexcited riboflavin, the fraction of Fpg-sensitive base modifications identified as 8-oxoGua was only 23%. In contrast to the damage induced by singlet oxygen, the remaining lesions were not only recognized by Ntg1 and Ntg2 proteins and (relatively poor) by endonuclease III, but also by Ogg1 protein. The analysis of the mutations observed after transfection of modified plasmid pSV2gpt into Escherichia coli revealed that all agents induced near exclusively GC-->TA and GC-->CG transversions, the numbers of which were correlated with the numbers of 8-oxoGua residues and Ntg-sensitive modifications, respectively. In conclusion, both singlet oxygen and the type-I photosensitizer riboflavin induce predominantly oxidative guanine modifications other than 8-oxoGua, which most probably give rise to GC-->CG transversions and in which eukaryotic cells are substrates of Ntg1 and Ntg2 proteins.

Inactivation of WBCs in RBC suspensions by photoactive phenothiazine dyes: comparison of dimethylmethylene blue and MB

BACKGROUND

The transfusion of blood components containing WBCs can cause unwanted complications, which include virus transmission, transfusion-associated GVHD, alloimmunization, febrile reactions, and immunomodulation. Phototreatment with 4 microM of dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) and 13 J per cm(2) of white light irradiation has previously been shown to be an effective way to inactivate different models of enveloped and nonenveloped viruses in RBC suspensions, with minimum damage to RBCs. The present study compares WBC photoinactivation in buffy coat after DMMB or MB phototreatment under virucidal conditions.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Buffy coat diluted to 30-percent Hct was treated with the dye and white light. Isolated WBCs were assayed for cell proliferation and viability by an assay using a tetrazolium compound, limiting dilution analysis, DNA fragmentation, and flow cytometry assays.

RESULTS

DMMB and 2.5 J per cm(2) of light phototreatment can inactivate T cells to the limit of detection by limiting dilution analysis (>4.76 log reduction). No WBC proliferation activity was observed after DMMB and 3.8 J per cm(2) of light. DNA degradation after DMMB phototreatment was light dependent. In addition, DMMB phototreatment induced apoptosis in WBCs. In contrast, MB phototreatment under virucidal conditions did not cause significant changes in the viability of WBCs. Neither DNA degradation nor signs of apoptosis were observed after MB phototreatment.

CONCLUSION

DMMB phototreatment inactivates T-lymphocytes, the cells that cause GVHD.

Detection of DNA base-excision repair activity for oxidative lesions in adult rat brain mitochondria

Endogenous oxidative damage to brain mitochondrial DNA and consequential disturbances of gene expression and mitochondrial dysfunction have long been implicated in aging and the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. It has yet to be determined, however, whether mitochondria in brain cells contain an active DNA repair system and, if so, how this system functions. Therefore, the capacity for the repair of defined types of oxidative DNA lesions has been investigated in adult rat brain mitochondria. Using in vitro DNA incorporation repair assay, we have detected base excision repair (BER) activity for the common oxidative DNA adduct 8-hydroxyl-2'-deoxyguanine (8-oxodG) in mitochondria protein extracts from cortical tissues and cultured primary cortical neurons and astrocytes. The levels of BER activity were both protein concentration-dependent and repair-incubation time-dependent. To resolve the BER pathway, the activity of essential BER enzymes was examined in mitochondria using oligonucleotide incision assay, DNA polymerase assay, and DNA ligase assay employing specific DNA substrates. Mitochondrial extracts were able to remove specifically 8-oxodG, uracil, and the apurinic/apyrimidinic abasic site from substrates. Moreover, a gamma-like DNA polymerase activity and a DNA ligase activity were detected in mitochondiral extracts, based on the formation of specific repair products. These results demonstrate that adult brain mitochondria possess an active BER system for repairing oxidative DNA lesions. This repair system appears to function by sequential actions of DNA repair enzymes that are homologous to, but not identical to, that in the nucleus. Thus, BER may represent an endogenous protective mechanism against oxidative damage to mitochondrial, as well as nuclear, genomes in brain cells.

Mitochondrial GPx1 decreases induced but not basal oxidative damage to mtDNA in T47D cells

The production of oxyradicals by mitochondria (mt) is a source of oxidative damage to mtDNA such as 8-oxo-dG lesions that may lead to mutations and mitochondrial dysfunction. The potential protection of mtDNA by glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx1) was investigated in GPx1-proficient (GPx-2) and GPx1-deficient (Hygro-3) human breast T47D cell transfectants. GPx activity and GPx1-like antigen concentration in mitochondria were respectively at least 100-fold and 20- to 25-fold higher in GPx2 than Hygro-3 cells. In spite of this large difference in peroxide-scavenging capacity, the basal 8-oxo-dG frequency in mtDNA, assessed by carefully controlled postlabeling assay, was strikingly similar in both cell lines. In contrast, in response to menadione-mediated oxidative stress, induction of 8-oxo-dG and DNA strand breaks was much lower in the GPx1-proficient mitochondria (e.g., +14% 8-oxo-dG versus +54% in Hygro-3 after 1-h exposure to 25 microM menadione, P < 0.05). Our data indicate that the mitochondrial glutathione/GPx1 system protected mtDNA against damage induced by oxidative stress, but did not prevent basal oxidative damage to mtDNA, which, surprisingly, appeared independent of GPx1 status in the T47D model.

The involvement of singlet oxygen in copper-phenanthroline/H2O2-induced DNA base damage: a chemiluminescent study

Copper in the presence of excess 1,10-phenanthroline, a reducing agent, and H2O2 causes DNA base damage as well as strand breakage. We have reported in previous work that a strong chemiluminescence was followed by DNA base damage in this system, which is characteristic of guanine. In the present work, the mechanism of the chemiluminescence was studied. Results show that the luminescence was inhibited by all three classes of reactive oxygen species (*OH, O2-, (1)O2) scavengers to different degrees. Singlet oxygen scavengers showed the most powerful inhibition while the other two classes of scavengers were relatively weaker. The emission intensity in D2O was 3-fold that in H2O. Comparing the effect of scavengers on the luminescence of DNA with that of dGMP, the ratio of inhibition was similar. On the other hand, DNA breakage analysis showed that inhibition by the singlet oxygen scavenger NaN3 of strand breakage was strong and comparable to that of the scavengers of the two oxygen radicals. The results suggest that singlet oxygen may be a major factor for the chemiluminescence of guanine, while DNA strand breakage may be caused by many active species.

Methylene blue reverts multidrug resistance: sensitivity of multidrug resistant cells to this dye and its photodynamic action

Photodynamic action has been advocated as an alternative treatment of tumors but the most common used dyes, hematoporphyrin derivatives, are substrate for P-glycoprotein. This study investigated the MDR-reverting properties of methylene blue (MB) and compared the sensitivity to its photodynamic action (PDA) in five cell lines that either express or do not express the MDR phenotype. MB was able to revert the MDR phenotype and there was no difference in sensitivity to MB-PDA between MDR and non-MDR cells, suggesting that MB has the advantage of being used simultaneously as a MDR reverser and a photodynamic agent.

Detection of oxidative base DNA damage by a new biochemical assay

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage DNA which appears to represent the major target involved in mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and aging cell responses. Various DNA modifications are generated by ROS, but 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxoG) has retained a lot of attention in the last few years. Therefore, numerous methods have been developed to detect and quantify the extent of 8-oxoG in DNA, most of them requiring a significant amount of DNA that might be limiting in the case of biological samples. 8-oxoG is repaired in Escherichia coli by a specific glycosylase, the Fpg (formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase) protein, in a reaction that requires a covalent intermediate favored under reducing conditions. We set up a new assay based on the capture of plasmid DNA into sensitized microplate wells. DNA damaged by photoactivation of methylene blue was adsorbed on a polylysine-treated plastic well. Then the Fpg protein was added, allowed to fix on the damage by taking advantage of minimized glycosylase activity at low temperature and the reductive trapping of the covalent intermediate, yielding to a stable DNA-protein interaction. The trapped protein was subsequently recognized by a specific antibody. A secondary antibody coupled with horseradish peroxidase was used to detect the complex and the measurement was carried out by chemiluminescence. This new assay offers various potentialities, specifically in the field of technology of ROS producers.

Copper, zinc superoxide dismutase enhances DNA damage and mutagenicity induced by cysteine/iron

Oxidative DNA damage caused by a cysteine metal-catalyzed oxidation system (Cys-MCO) comprised of Fe(3+), O(2), and a cysteine as an electron donor was enhanced by copper, zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) in a concentration-dependent manner, as reflected by the formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) and strand breaks. Unlike CuZnSOD, manganese SOD (MnSOD) as well as iron SOD (FeSOD) did not enhance DNA damage. The capacity of CuZnSOD to enhance damage to DNA was inhibited by a spin-trapping agent, 5, 5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) and a metal chelator, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DETAPAC). The deoxyribose assay showed that hydroxyl free radicals were generated in the reaction of CuZnSOD with Cys-MCO. We found that the Cys-MCO system caused the release of free copper from CuZnSOD. CuZnSOD also caused the two-fold enhancement of a mutation in the pUC18 lacZ' gene in the presence of Cys-MCO when measured as a loss of alpha-complementation. Based on these results, we interpret the effects of CuZnSOD on Cys-MCO-induced DNA damage and mutation as due to reactive oxygen species, probably hydroxyl free radicals, formed by the reaction of free Cu(2+), released from oxidatively damaged CuZnSOD, and H(2)O(2) produced by the Cys-MCO system.

Oxidative DNA damage and mutations induced by a polar photosensitizer, Ro19-8022

The oxidative DNA damage induced by the polar photosensitizer Ro19-8022 in the presence of light was studied and correlated with the associated mutagenicity. Both in isolated DNA and AS52 Chinese hamster ovary cells, photoexcited Ro19-8022 gave rise to a DNA damage profile that was similar to that caused by singlet oxygen: base modifications sensitive to the repair endonuclease Fpg protein, which according to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis were predominantly 8-hydroxyguanine (8-oxoG) residues, were generated in much higher yield than single-strand breaks, sites of base loss (AP sites) and oxidative pyrimidine modifications sensitive to endonuclease III. Fifty percent of the Fpg-sensitive modifications were repaired within 2 h. Under conditions that induced 10 Fpg-sensitive modifications per 10(6) bp (six 8-oxoG residues per 10(6) bp), approximately 60 mutations per 10(6) cells were induced in the gpt locus of the AS52 cells. A rather similar mutation frequency was observed when a plasmid carrying the gpt gene was exposed to Ro19-8022 plus light under cell-free conditions and subsequently replicated in bacteria. Sequence analysis revealed that GC-->TA and GC-->CG transversions accounted for 90% of the base substitutions. A significant generation of micronuclei was detectable in AS52 cells exposed to the photosensitizer plus light as well.

Mitochondrial DNA repair pathways

DNA repair mechanisms are fairly well characterized for nuclear DNA while knowledge regarding the repair mechanisms operable in mitochondria is limited. Several lines of evidence suggest that mitochondria contain DNA repair mechanisms. DNA lesions are removed from mtDNA in cells exposed to various chemicals. Protein activities that process damaged DNA have been detected in mitochondria. As will be discussed, there is evidence for base excision repair (BER), direct damage reversal, mismatch repair, and recombinational repair mechanisms in mitochondria, while nucleotide excision repair (NER), as we know it from nuclear repair, is not present.

Inhibition of radiation-induced DNA damage in plasmid pBR322 by chlorophyllin and possible mechanism(s) of action

Naturally occurring compounds capable of protecting DNA against ionizing radiation and chemical mutagens have considerable potential for prevention of mutation-based health impairment including cancer and other degenerative diseases. Chlorophyllin (CHL), a water-soluble derivative of chlorophyll, has been examined for its ability to protect DNA against radiation induced strand breaks using an in vitro plasmid DNA system. Gamma-radiation, up to a dose of 6 Gy (dose rate 1.25 Gy/min), induced a dose-dependent increase in single-strand breaks (ssbs) in plasmid pBR322 DNA. CHL per se did not induce, but inhibited radiation-induced ssbs in a concentration-dependent manner; 500 microM giving about 90% protection. The protection afforded by CHL was comparatively less than that of trolox, a water-soluble analogue of alpha-tocopherol. To elucidate the underlying mechanism(s), reaction of CHL with the radiation-derived hydroxyl radical (.OH) and deoxyribose peroxyl radical (ROO.) was studied by pulse radiolysis. CHL exhibited a rate constant of 6.1+/-0.4x109 M-1 s-1 with.OH and 5.0+/-1.3x107 M-1 s-1 with ROO. To our knowledge, this is the first report providing direct evidence of free radical-scavenging properties of CHL. The results showed that CHL, effectively protects plasmid DNA against ionizing radiation, in an in vitro system independent of DNA repair or other cellular defense mechanisms. The ability of CHL to scavenge. OH and ROO., may contribute to its protective effects against radiation induced DNA damage in the pBR322 system.

Spontaneous mutation, oxidative DNA damage, and the roles of base and nucleotide excision repair in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The OGG1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a DNA glycosylase that excises 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-OxoG). When compared to wild-type, ogg1 mutants show an increase in the frequency of GC to TA transversions, indicating a role for Ogg1 in the repair of 8-OxoG. Here we report an increased frequency of forward mutation to canavanine resistance in mutants defective in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) gene RAD14. This was not increased further in strains additionally defective in OGG1. However, when compared to strains solely defective in OGG1, ogg1radl4 mutants displayed an increase in spontaneous GC to TA transversions. Intriguingly, reversion of the lys1-1 ochre allele was not increased in rad14 mutants, suggesting that oxidative base damage may only represent a substrate for NER in certain regions of the genome. We also examined repair of oxidative DNA damage by transforming mutant strains with plasmid DNA treated with methylene blue plus visible light. Mutants defective in OGG1 showed no significant reduction in transformation efficiency compared with wild-type strains. In contrast, disruption of RAD14 reduced the efficiency of transformation, yet there was no further decrease in an ogg1rad14 mutant. This strongly supports a role for NER in the repair of oxidative base damage in yeast, and differs from similar experiments carried out in E. coli, where transformation efficiency is only reduced in mutants defective in both fpg and uvrA. Finally, the repair of Fpg-sensitive sites was examined at the MATalpha and HMLalpha mating type loci, and NER was found to play a role in their removal.

Spontaneous and photosensitiser-induced DNA single-strand breaks and formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase sensitive sites at nucleotide resolutionin the nuclear and mitochondrial DNA of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A system is described for mapping oxidative DNA damage (sites sensitive to formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase and single-strand breaks) at nucleotide resolution in the nuclear and mitochondrial DNA of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Our 3' end labelling method is sensitive and was first developed using the well-studied inducer of oxidative DNA damage, methylene blue (MB) plus light. We treated yeast DNA in vitro with this so as to maximise levels of damage for assay development. Unfortunately, MB does not remain in yeast cells and yeast DNA repair mutants sensitive to active oxygen species are not sensitive to this agent, thus for in vivo experiments we turned to a polycyclic aromatic, RO 19-8022 (RO). This resulted in oxidative DNA damage when light was applied to yeast cells in its presence. The spectra of enzyme-sensitive sites and single-strand breaks induced by MB in vitro or by RO plus light in vivo or in vitro were examined in two yeast reporter genes: the nuclear MFA2 and the mitochondrial OLI1. The experiments revealed that most of the enzyme-sensitive sites and single-strand breaks induced by MB or RO plus light are at the same positions in these sequences, and that these are guanines.

Hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus RNA degradation by methylene blue/light treatment of human plasma

Treatment of human plasma with methylene blue in combination with visible light (MB/light) inactivates several bloodborne viruses such as retro viruses and herpes viruses. The viral nucleic acid is thought to be a critical target for the inactivation procedure. We investigated the effects of photodynamic treatment on the RNA of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) using Amplicor reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which detects and quantifies a small fragment of the viral RNA. The detectable HCV RNA load (5-nontranslated region) in infected human plasma declined by 94-97 % within 10 min of illumination in small-scale experiments (1-2 ml vol.). Since the same effect was observed in both anti-HCV positive and negative ("window") samples, it can be concluded that HCV antibodies do not influence virus inactivation by photodynamic treatment. The effect of treatment on RT-PCR signals of HIV-1, which is known to be inactivated rapidly by MB/light treatment, was examined. Plasma was infected with HIV-1 and subjected to RT-PCR, which detected a part of the gag gene. The extent and kinetics of PCR signal reduction induced by MB/light treatment were similar to those observed for HCV. Experiments at production scale where single plasma units (300 ml) were infected with HCV showed reduction rates of PCR signals consistent with those measured in the small-scale experiments. The data support the view that MB/light treatment affects the viral nucleic acids and suggest that HCV is susceptible to the procedure.

Different DNA damaging species as a result of oxidation of n-butyraldehyde and iso-butyraldehyde by Cu(II)

The isomers n- and iso-butyraldehyde (BuA) in combination with Cu(II) induced single and double strand breaks in PM2 DNA, whereas the aldehydes, or Cu(II) alone had only negligible effect. The DNA damage was the result of radical oxidations of the aldehydes under formation of Cu(I). Cu(I) formation was independent of molecular oxygen. Extensive DNA degradation was only observed in the presence of molecular oxygen. Characterization of DNA damage pointed to different ultimate DNA damaging species. While catalase and neocuproine inhibited strand break formation induced by iso-BuA/Cu(II) to a high degree, these inhibitors were less effective in the n-BuA/Cu(II) reaction. On the other hand, sodium azide showed a high strand break inhibition in the n-BuA/Cu(II) reaction, but low inhibition in the iso-BuA/Cu(II) reaction. 2-Deoxyguanosine was hydroxylated in the 8-position by iso-BuA/Cu(II) but little reaction occurred with n-BuA/Cu(II). Chemiluminescence was detected during both BuA/Cu(II) reactions, whereby the intensity of the luminescence signal was 3.5-fold higher for n-BuA/Cu(II) than for iso-BuA/Cu(II). We suppose that the copper(II)-driven oxidation of n- and iso-BuA proceeds via different pathways with different DNA damaging consequences. Whereas the oxidation of iso-BuA mainly results in damage by .OH-radicals, the oxidation of n-BuA may lead to a radical reaction chain whereby excited states are involved and the resulting DNA-damaging species are not .OH-radicals.

Further evidence for a possible role of conformation in the immunogenicity and antigenicity of the oxidative DNA lesion, 8-oxo-2'deoxyguanosine

Damage to DNA by reactive oxygen species is acknowledged to be an important factor in a number of pathological conditions, including ageing and carcinogenesis. As a consequence, the development of methods for the sensitive detection and quantitation of oxidative DNA lesions has been of paramount importance. The oxidatively modified base product which has achieved most attention is 8-oxodeoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and is a recognised marker of oxidative DNA damage. Although both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies have previously been raised to 8-oxodG these have, for the most part failed to recognise this lesion within the DNA polymer. We have, through dilution cloning, produced a monoclonal antibody which appears to preferentially recognise 8-oxodG over deoxyguanosine (dG) in single-stranded oxidatively modified DNA. Such discrimination was not apparent when the DNA was double-stranded. Previous work has shown that 8-oxodG favours the syn glycosidic conformation due to steric repulsion, whereas dG assumes the anti. We present initial data that appear to support the postulate that it is these differences in conformation, in addition to structural recognition of the lesion itself, which are responsible for the discrimination, by our antibody of 8-oxodG over dG in single-stranded DNA.

The protein oxidation product 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) mediates oxidative DNA damage

A major product of hydroxy-radical addition to tyrosine is 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) which has reducing properties. Protein-bound DOPA (PB-DOPA) has been shown to be a major component of the stable reducing species formed during protein oxidation under several conditions. The aim of the present work was to investigate whether DOPA, and especially PB-DOPA, can mediate oxidative damage to DNA. We chose to generate PB-DOPA using mushroom tyrosinase, which catalyses the hydroxylation of tyrosine residues in protein. This permitted us to study the reactions of PB-DOPA in the virtual absence of other protein-bound oxidation products. The formation of two oxidation products of DNA, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8oxodG) and 5-hydroxy-2'-deoxycytidine (5OHdC), were studied with a novel HPLC using gradient elution and an electrochemical detection method, which allowed the detection of both DNA modifications in a single experiment. We found that exposure of calf thymus DNA to DOPA or PB-DOPA resulted in the formation of 8oxodG and 5OHdC, with the former predominating. The formation of these DNA oxidation products by either DOPA or PB-DOPA depended on the presence of oxygen, and also on the presence and on the concentration of transition metal ions, with copper being more effective than iron. The yields of 8oxodG and 5OHdC increased with DOPA concentration in proteins. Thus PB-DOPA was able to promote further radical-generating events, which then transferred damage to other biomolecules such as DNA.

Effect of cadmium(II) on the extent of oxidative DNA damage in primary brain cell cultures from Pleurodeles larvae

Compounds of cadmium(II) are well-known human and animal carcinogens. Furthermore, they affect development. growth and brain functions at subacute environmental concentrations in experimental animals. We investigated the potential of cadmium(II) to induce oxidative DNA damage in brain cell cultures obtained from larvae of Pleurodeles waltl. As indicators of DNA lesions typical of oxygen free radicals, we determined the frequencies of DNA strand breaks and of DNA base modifications recognized by the bacterial formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg protein). DNA strand breaks were generated in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations of 1 microM and greater. In contrast, no significant increase in Fpg-sensitive sites was observed under our experimental conditions. However, the repair of Fpg-sensitive DNA lesions induced by visible light was slightly diminished at 1 microM and inhibited completely at 10 microM of cadmium(II), while the closure of DNA strand breaks was not affected. Our results show that, although cadmium is not able to induce oxidative DNA base modifications in larval brain cells directly, its capability to generate DNA strand breaks and to interfere with the repair of oxidative DNA damage could explain the early life stage neurotoxicity of this metal.

Homogenous repair of singlet oxygen-induced DNA damage in differentially transcribed regions and strands of human mitochondrial DNA

Photoactivated methylene blue was used to damage purified DNA and the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of human fibroblasts in culture. The primary product of this reaction is the DNA lesion 7-hydro-8-oxo-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG). The DNA damage was quantitated using Escherichia coli formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg) in a gene-specific damage and repair assay. Assay conditions were refined to give incision at all enzyme-sensitive sites with minimal non-specific cutting. Cultured fibroblasts were exposed to photoactivated methylene blue under conditions that would produce an average of three oxidative lesions per double-stranded mitochondrial genome. Within 9 h, 47% of this damage had been removed by the cells. This removal was due to repair rather than to replication, cell loss or degradation of damaged genomes. The rate of repair was measured in both DNA strands of the frequently transcribed ribosomal region of the mitochondrial genome and in both strands of the non-ribosomal region. Fpg-sensitive alkali-resistant oxidative base damage was efficiently removed from human mtDNA with no differences in the rate of repair between strands or between two different regions of the genome that differ substantially with regard to transcriptional activity.

Proposed mechanism for the photodynamic generation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine produced in cultured cells by exposure to lomefloxacin

In this study, lomefloxacin (LMX), a widely used quinolone antibiotic with a high frequency of clinical phototoxicity, was investigated by measuring the effects of several antioxidants on its ability to form of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) in cultured adult rat liver cells after exposure to UVA. In the current study the observed DNA damage, reflected by the formation of 8-oxo-dG, was almost completely inhibited by co-incubation of LMX and cultured cells with sodium azide (NaN3) that specifically quenches singlet oxygen. Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), known to quench both superoxide and singlet oxygen, inhibited 8-oxo-dG formation by approximately 54%. Mannitol, a hydroxyl radical scavenger, inhibited 8-oxo-dG formation by 64%. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), a scavenger of hydroxyl, peroxy and alkoxy radicals, showed no inhibition of 8-oxo-dG formation but in fact enhanced levels of 8-oxo-dG by 169%. The results of this study suggest that the mechanism for the photodynamic generation of 8-oxo-dG by LMX is mediated, at least in part, by both singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical and involves both type I and type II photosensitization.

Peptide nucleic acid-DNA duplexes: long range hole migration from an internally linked anthraquinone

The discovery that peptide nucleic acids (PNA) mimic DNA and RNA by forming complementary duplex structures following Watson-Crick base pairing rules opens fields in biochemistry, diagnostics, and medicine for exploration. Progress requires the development of modified PNA duplexes having unique and well defined properties. We find that anthraquinone groups bound to internal positions of a PNA oligomer intercalate in the PNA-DNA hybrid. Their irradiation with near-UV light leads to electron transfer and oxidative damage at remote GG doublets on the complementary DNA strand. This behavior mimics that observed in related DNA duplexes and provides the first evidence for long range electron (hole) transport in PNA-DNA hybrid. Analysis of the mechanism for electron transport supports hole hopping.

Construction of mutants of Salmonella typhimurium deficient in 8-hydroxyguanine DNA glycosylase and their sensitivities to oxidative mutagens and nitro compounds

8-Hydroxyguanine (8-OH-G) DNA glycosylase is an enzyme involved in repair of oxidative DNA damage, e.g., 8-OH-G in DNA. In order to assess the roles of 8-OH-G in spontaneous and chemically-induced mutagenesis, the mutMST gene encoding 8-OH-G DNA glycosylase of Salmonella typhimurium was disrupted in several Ames tester strains, i.e., S. typhimurium TA1535 (hisG46, uvrB-, rfa), TA1975 (hisG46, uvr+, rfa) and TA102 (hisG428, uvr+, rfa). The spontaneous mutation frequencies were increased 2.4 and 1.6 times, respectively, by the mutMST deletions in strains TA1535 and TA1975, which are spontaneously reverted to His+ by mutations mainly at G:C base pairs. The resulting strains YG3001 (TA1535 delta mutMST) and YG3002 (TA1975 delta mutMST) were 2 to 8 times more sensitive to the mutagenicities of methylene blue plus visible light, neutral red plus visible light and 2-nitrofluorene than the parent strains. The strain YG3002 but not YG3001 was about 30 times more sensitive to the mutagenicity of 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide than the parent strain TA1975. Neither hydrogen peroxide nor phenazine methosulfate was mutagenic in the mutMST-deletion strains as well as in the parent strains. In contrast, the mutMST deletion did not affect the spontaneous mutation frequency of strain TA102, which has an A:T base pair at the critical site for reversion. The sensitivities of strain TA102 to the chemicals were not enhanced by the mutMST deletion except for hydrogen peroxide. These results suggest that 8-OH-G in DNA plays important roles in spontaneous mutagenesis occurring at G:C base pairs in S. typhimurium, and some nitro aromatics such as 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide or 2-nitrofluorene as well as the photosensitizers plus visible light can produce 8-OH-G in DNA, thereby inducing mutations. In the case of 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide, 8-OH-G rather than DNA adducts seems to play major roles in mutagenesis in uvr+ background. The new strains could be useful for the evaluation of the roles of 8-OH-G in mutagenesis in S. typhimurium and permit the efficient detection of some oxidative mutagens in the environment.

Anthraquinone photonucleases: a surprising role for chloride in the sequence-neutral cleavage of DNA and the footprinting of minor groove-bound ligands

Irradiation of water-soluble anthraquinone (AQ) reagents in the presence of chloride ions results in the spontaneous, sequence-neutral cleavage of DNA. Mechanistic studies indicate that cleavage is initiated by chlorine atoms, produced by charge transfer interaction between chloride anion and AQ triplet states. High-resolution gel electrophoresis suggests that cleavage arises from abstraction of a hydrogen atom from C-4' of deoxyribose units. The targeting of this hydrogen, which is located in the minor groove of duplex DNA, can be effectively blocked by netropsin and, to a lesser degree, berenil, leading to photofootprinting of these minor groove-binding drugs.

Irradiation of DNA with 193 nm light yields formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase(Fpg) protein-sensitive lesions

Irradiation of aqueous solutions of plasmid DNA (pUC18) at pH 7.6 with 193 nm laser light results in low yields of prompt single strand breakage (air-saturated sample phi ssh = [1.5 +/- 0.1] x 10(4), argon-saturated sample phi ssh = [0.9 +/- 0.1] x 10(4). Treatment of the irradiated DNA samples with Escherichia coli formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) protein results in an approximate 20-fold increase in the yield of single strand break-age (air-saturated sample phi fpg = [33.1 +/- 3.1] x 10(-4), argon-saturated sample phi fpg = [23.8 +/- 2.6] x 10(-4). This result indicates that 193 nm light induces other modification(s) (most likely of the purine moieties) that are 20 times more abundant than prompt strand breakage within the DNA matrix.

Comparison of methylene blue and methylene violet for photoinactivation of intracellular and extracellular virus in red cell suspensions

Previous studies with methylene blue (MB) in red cell suspensions have demonstrated that extracellular, but not intracellular, virus can be readily photoinactivated. To test if the resistance of intracellular virus to inactivation is related to the permanent positive charge of the phenothiazine, a series of uncharged phenothiazine dyes, methylene violet (MV), monodemethylated MV and didemethylated MV, were studied. Values of the sensitivity of intracellular relative to extracellular vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) inactivation for the three dyes (D10 extracellular/D10 intracellular) in buffer were 1.0, 0.60 and 0.33, respectively. In contrast, intracellular virus was resistant to inactivation with MB, with a D10 extracellular/D10 intracellular of 0.05 in buffer. Because virucidal activity of MV was inhibited by the presence of plasma, the red cells (30% hematocrit) were repeatedly washed prior to photoinactivation and storage. Under conditions where MB and MV inactivated approximately 5 log10 of extracellular VSV, intracellular VSV was inactivated by more than 4 log10 with MV compared to 0.88 log10 with MB. These phototreatment conditions did not significantly affect red cell morphology, extracellular pH, ATP or 2,3-diphosphoglycerol levels during 42 days of 1-6 degrees C storage. There was enhanced potassium efflux and hemolysis over values obtained from untreated control; the extent of change from controls was comparable for each phototreatment. These results indicate that the uncharged phenothiazine dye, MV, can inactivate both intracellular and extracellular virus yet exhibit similar in vitro red cell storage properties as MB phototreatment.

Leading versus lagging strand mutagenesis induced by 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine in Escherichia coli

We have previously shown that a single N-2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) adduct bound to the C-8 position of a guanine residue located within plasmids containing the unidirectional ColE1 origin of replication induces a 20-fold higher mutation frequency when the adduct is located in the lagging strand as compared to the leading strand. In this study, single 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) lesions have been introduced in the leading and lagging strand orientation within the same sequence context as for the AAF adducts. The induced frequency of guanine to thymine transversions has been measured, using a specific PCR-based quantitative assay, in strains deficient in the repair of the oxidative lesion. The potential involvement of the UvrABC excision repair system in the removal of 8-oxodG has also been investigated and ruled out. Concerning the mutation frequency asymmetry, in contrast to AAF adducts, 8-oxodG adducts induce the same mutation frequency, irrespective of their location in the leading or lagging strands. This striking difference between 8-oxodG and dGuo-C8-AAF adducts is discussed in terms of their differential capacity to block DNA replication.

The effects of methylene blue and oxygen concentration on the photoinactivation of Q beta bacteriophage

Concentration effects of methylene blue (MB) and oxygen on the photoinactivation rate of Q beta bacteriophage were examined. The effect of initial virus concentration was verified on the similar f2 phage. The inactivation rate, kappa, is an increasing function of MB and O2 concentration and shows saturation with respect to MB concentration. Thus the results suggest that MB must adsorb to Q beta sites and oxygen must be present for photoinactivation to occur. The inactivation rate is independent of the initial number of phage particles present before inactivation, indicating that inactivation does not depend upon interaction among viral particles or on surface effects. The results indicate that at least two different viral phenotypes exist within the wild-type Q beta and f2 populations: one susceptible and the other resistant.

Singlet oxygen involvement in ultraviolet (254 nm) radiation-induced formation of 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine in DNA

In the present article, we report that ultraviolet (UV 254 nm) radiation substantially induced the formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in purified DNA. The formation of 8-OHdG, a hallmarker of oxidative DNA damage, increased linearly up to 25 kJ/m2 and was dependent on the presence of oxygen in the solution. Deoxygenation by nitrogen significantly reduced the yield of 8-OHdG by UV radiation, whereas oxygenation with 100% oxygen substantially enhanced the yield. The hydroxyl radical (HO.) scavenger dimethysulfoxide (DMSO) dramatically quenched the formation of 8-OHdG by the ionizing radiation and Fenton reaction, but enhanced the formation of UV-induced 8-OHdG. Further studies showed that DMSO and mannitol, two predominant HO. scavengers, enhanced the levels of UV-induced 8-OHdG in a dose-dependent fashion, suggesting that UV-induced 8-OHdG is independent of the generation of HO.. The use of deuterium oxide (D2O), which prolongs the half life of singlet oxygen (1O2), substantially enhanced the yield of 8-OHdG by UV radiation, but not that by Fenton reaction. In contrast, sodium azide, a more and less specific 1O2 quencher, substantially reduced the levels of 8-OHdG by both UV radiation and Fenton reaction, indicating that sodium azide lacks the quenching specificity of 1O2 and HO.. It is proposed that UV induced 8-OHdG proceeds through a singlet oxygen involvement mechanism, rather than the generation of hydroxyl radicals.

Effect of glucose on photodynamic action of methylene blue in Escherichia coli cells

The results of this work show that the resistance of Escherichia coli cells to the photodynamic action of methylene blue is increased by the addition of glucose to the media in which they are grown. It is postulated that the increased resistance may be due to lowered retention of the dye by cells grown in the presence of glucose, leading to the diminution in DNA damage revealed in the alkaline sucrose gradients. The role of cyclic adenosine-monophosphate in the protective action of glucose is discussed.

Competitive reactions of peroxynitrite with 2'-deoxyguanosine and 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG): relevance to the formation of 8-oxodG in DNA exposed to peroxynitrite

We have examined the formation of 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) in reactions of peroxynitrite with 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG) and calf-thymus DNA. Peroxynitrite reacts with dG at neutral pH, but this reaction does not result in the buildup of 8-oxodG. We also do not find any evidence for the formation of 8-oxodG in calf-thymus DNA upon exposure to peroxynitrite. When 8-oxodG is mixed with 1000-fold excess dG and then allowed to react with peroxynitrite, about 50% of the 8-oxodG is destroyed. The preferential reaction of 8-oxodG is also evident when dG in calf-thymus DNA is partially oxidized in an Udenfriend system and then allowed to react with peroxynitrite. We suggest that 8-oxodG is not produced in peroxynitrite-mediated oxidations of dG and DNA or that it is produced but then is rapidly consumed in further reactions with peroxynitrite. Oxidized DNA bases frequently can be more oxidation sensitive than their corresponding progenitors and, therefore, may be present at] low steady-state concentrations and not represent stable markers of oxidative stress status. The importance of the 8-oxodG/peroxynitrite reaction is discussed in relation to the formation of more stable, secondary oxidation products that might be more useful markers of DNA damage.