Smad7 foci are present in micronuclei induced by heavy particle radiation

Epigenetic regulation of TGF-β pathway and its role in radiation response

PURPOSE

Transforming growth factor (TGF-β) plays a dual role in tumor progression as well as a pivotal role in radiation response. TGF-β-related epigenetic regulations, including DNA methylation, histone modifications (including methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination), chromatin remodeling and non-coding RNA regulation, have been found to affect the occurrence and development of tumors as well as their radiation response in multiple dimensions. Due to the significance of radiotherapy in tumor treatment and the essential roles of TGF-β signaling in radiation response, it is important to better understand the role of epigenetic regulation mechanisms mediated by TGF-β signaling pathways in radiation-induced targeted and non-targeted effects.

CONCLUSIONS

By revealing the epigenetic mechanism related to TGF-β-mediated radiation response, summarizing the existing relevant adjuvant strategies for radiotherapy based on TGF-β signaling, and discovering potential therapeutic targets, we hope to provide a new perspective for improving clinical treatment.

Micronuclei as biomarkers of DNA damage, aneuploidy, inducers of chromosomal hypermutation and as sources of pro-inflammatory DNA in humans

Micronuclei (MNi) are among the most widely studied biomarkers of DNA damage and chromosomal instability in humans. They originate from chromosome fragments or intact chromosomes that are not included in daughter nuclei during mitosis. The main reasons for their formation are a lack of functional centromere in the chromosome fragments or whole chromosomes or defects in one or more of the proteins of the mitotic system that, consequently, fails to segregate chromosomes properly. Assays have been developed to measure MNi in peripheral blood lymphocytes, red blood cells as well as various types of epithelial cells such as buccal, nasal, urothelial and cervical cells. Some of the assays have been further developed into micronucleus (MN) cytome assays to include additional nuclear anomalies, cell death and nuclear division biomarkers. In addition, the use of molecular probes has been adopted widely for the purpose of understanding the mechanistic origin of MNi. MN assays in humans are used for the purpose of investigating the genotoxic effects of adverse environmental, life-style and occupational factors, genetic susceptibility to DNA damage, and for determining risk of accelerated aging and diseases affected by genomic instability such as developmental defects and cancer. The emerging new knowledge showing that chromosomes trapped in MNi can undergo a high rate of fragmentation and become massively re-arranged have highlighted the possibility that MN formation is not only a biomarker of induced DNA damage but also a mechanism that drives hypermutation. Furthermore, another line of recent research showed that DNA and chromatin leaking from disrupted MNi triggers the innate immune cGAS-STING mechanism that promotes inflammation which can cause a wide-range of age-related diseases if left unresolved. For these reasons, MN assays in humans have become an increasingly important biomarker of disease initiation and progression across all life-stages.

The Relationship between Nkx2.1 and DNA Oxidative Damage Repair in Nickel Smelting Workers: Jinchang Cohort Study

Background: Occupational nickel exposure can cause DNA oxidative damage and influence DNA repair. However, the underlying mechanism of nickel-induced high-risk of lung cancer has not been fully understood. Our study aims to evaluate whether the nickel-induced oxidative damage and DNA repair were correlated with the alterations in Smad2 phosphorylation status and Nkx2.1 expression levels, which has been considered as the lung cancer initiation gene. Methods: 140 nickel smelters and 140 age-matched administrative officers were randomly stratified by service length from Jinchang Cohort. Canonical regression, χ² test, Spearman correlation etc. were used to evaluate the association among service length, MDA, 8-OHdG, hOGG1, PARP, pSmad2, and Nkx2.1. Results: The concentrations of MDA, PARP, pSmad2, and Nkx2.1 significantly increased. Nkx2.1 (r_s = 0.312, p < 0.001) and Smad2 phosphorylation levels (r_s = 0.232, p = 0.006) were positively correlated with the employment length in nickel smelters, which was not observed in the administrative officer group. Also, elevation of Nkx2.1 expression was positively correlated with service length, 8-OHdG, PARP, hOGG1 and pSmad2 levels in nickel smelters. Conclusions: Occupational nickel exposure could increase the expression of Nkx2.1 and pSmad2, which correlated with the nickel-induced oxidative damage and DNA repair change.

Particles with similar LET values generate DNA breaks of different complexity and reparability: a high-resolution microscopy analysis of γH2AX/53BP1 foci

Biological effects of high-LET (linear energy transfer) radiation have received increasing attention, particularly in the context of more efficient radiotherapy and space exploration. Efficient cell killing by high-LET radiation depends on the physical ability of accelerated particles to generate complex DNA damage, which is largely mediated by LET. However, the characteristics of DNA damage and repair upon exposure to different particles with similar LET parameters remain unexplored. We employed high-resolution confocal microscopy to examine phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX)/p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1) focus streaks at the microscale level, focusing on the complexity, spatiotemporal behaviour and repair of DNA double-strand breaks generated by boron and neon ions accelerated at similar LET values (∼135 keV μm^-1) and low energies (8 and 47 MeV per n, respectively). Cells were irradiated using sharp-angle geometry and were spatially (3D) fixed to maximize the resolution of these analyses. Both high-LET radiation types generated highly complex γH2AX/53BP1 focus clusters with a larger size, increased irregularity and slower elimination than low-LET γ-rays. Surprisingly, neon ions produced even more complex γH2AX/53BP1 focus clusters than boron ions, consistent with DSB repair kinetics. Although the exposure of cells to γ-rays and boron ions eliminated a vast majority of foci (94% and 74%, respectively) within 24 h, 45% of the foci persisted in cells irradiated with neon. Our calculations suggest that the complexity of DSB damage critically depends on (increases with) the particle track core diameter. Thus, different particles with similar LET and energy may generate different types of DNA damage, which should be considered in future research.

Novel Double-Hit Model of Radiation and Hyperoxia-Induced Oxidative Cell Damage Relevant to Space Travel

Spaceflight occasionally requires multiple extravehicular activities (EVA) that potentially subject astronauts to repeated changes in ambient oxygen superimposed on those of space radiation exposure. We thus developed a novel in vitro model system to test lung cell damage following repeated exposure to radiation and hyperoxia. Non-tumorigenic murine alveolar type II epithelial cells (C10) were exposed to >95% O₂ for 8 h only (O₂), 0.25 Gy ionizing γ-radiation (IR) only, or a double-hit combination of both challenges (O₂ + IR) followed by 16 h of normoxia (ambient air containing 21% O₂ and 5% CO₂) (1 cycle = 24 h, 2 cycles = 48 h). Cell survival, DNA damage, apoptosis, and indicators of oxidative stress were evaluated after 1 and 2 cycles of exposure. We observed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in cell survival across all challenge conditions along with an increase in DNA damage, determined by Comet analysis and H2AX phosphorylation, and apoptosis, determined by Annexin-V staining, relative to cells unexposed to hyperoxia or radiation. DNA damage (GADD45α and cleaved-PARP), apoptotic (cleaved caspase-3 and BAX), and antioxidant (HO-1 and Nqo1) proteins were increased following radiation and hyperoxia exposure after 1 and 2 cycles of exposure. Importantly, exposure to combination challenge O₂ + IR exacerbated cell death and DNA damage compared to individual exposures O₂ or IR alone. Additionally levels of cell cycle proteins phospho-p53 and p21 were significantly increased, while levels of CDK1 and Cyclin B1 were decreased at both time points for all exposure groups. Similarly, proteins involved in cell cycle arrest was more profoundly changed with the combination challenges as compared to each stressor alone. These results correlate with a significant 4- to 6-fold increase in the ratio of cells in G2/G1 after 2 cycles of exposure to hyperoxic conditions. We have characterized a novel in vitro model of double-hit, low-level radiation and hyperoxia exposure that leads to oxidative lung cell injury, DNA damage, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest.

New tricks for an old fox: impact of TGFβ on the DNA damage response and genomic stability

Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) is a well-known master regulator of cellular proliferation and is a critical factor in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. TGFβ is classically defined as a tumor suppressor that functions in the early stages of carcinogenesis, yet paradoxically it functions as a tumor promoter in established cancers. Less well studied is its role in maintaining genomic stability through its participation in the DNA damage response (DDR). Deletion of Tgfb1 in murine epithelium increases genomic instability (GIN) as measured by gene amplification, aneuploidy, and centrosome aberrations; likewise, GIN is increased by depleting the TGFβ ligand or inhibiting TGFβ pathway signaling in human epithelial cells. Subsequent studies demonstrated that TGFβ depletion compromises cell survival in response to radiation and impairs activation of the DDR because of severely reduced activity of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), a serine/threonine protein kinase that is rapidly activated by DNA double-strand breaks. The SMAD transcription factors are intermediaries in the crosstalk between the TGFβ and ATM pathways in the DDR. Recent studies have shown that SMAD2 and SMAD7 participate in the DDR in a manner dependent on ATM or TGFβ receptor type I, respectively, in human fibroblasts and epithelial cells. Understanding the role of TGFβ in the DDR and suppressing GIN is important to understanding its seemingly paradoxical roles in tumorigenesis and thus has therapeutic implications for improving the response to DNA damage-inducing therapy.

Biological characterization of low-energy ions with high-energy deposition on human cells

During space travel, astronauts are exposed to cosmic radiation that is comprised of high-energy nuclear particles. Cancer patients are also exposed to high-energy nuclear particles when treated with proton and carbon beams. Nuclear interactions from high-energy particles traversing shielding materials and tissue produce low-energy (<10 MeV/n) secondary particles of high-LET that contribute significantly to overall radiation exposures. Track structure theories suggest that high charge and energy (HZE) particles and low-energy secondary ions of similar LET will have distinct biological effects for cellular and tissue damage endpoints. We investigated the biological effects of low-energy ions of high LET utilizing the Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), and compared these to experiments with HZE particles, that mimic the space environment produced at NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at BNL. Immunostaining for DNA damage response proteins was carried out after irradiation with 5.6 MeV/n boron (LET 205 keV/μm), 5.3 MeV/n silicon (LET 1241 keV/μm), 600 MeV/n Fe (LET 180 keV/μm) and 77 MeV/n oxygen (LET 58 keV/μm) particles. Low-energy ions caused more persistent DNA damage response (DDR) protein foci in irradiated human fibroblasts and esophageal epithelial cells compared to HZE particles. More detailed studies comparing boron ions to Fe particles, showed that boron-ion radiation resulted in a stronger G2 delay compared to Fe-particle exposure, and boron ions also showed an early recruitment of Rad51 at double-strand break (DSB) sites, which suggests a preference of homologous recombination for DSB repair in low-energy albeit high-LET particles. Our experiments suggest that the very high-energy radiation deposition by low-energy ions, representative of galactic cosmic radiation and solar particle event secondary radiation, generates massive but localized DNA damage leading to delayed DSB repair, and distinct cellular responses from HZE particles. Thus, low-energy heavy ions provide a valuable probe for studies of homologous recombination repair in radiation responses.