Gene-specific DNA repair of interstrand cross-links induced by chemotherapeutic agents can be preferential

Transcription-Coupled Repair of DNA Interstrand Crosslinks by UVSSA

DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) are covalent bonds between bases on opposing strands of the DNA helix which prevent DNA melting and subsequent DNA replication or RNA transcription. Here, we show that Ultraviolet Stimulated Scaffold Protein A (UVSSA) participates in transcription-coupled repair of ICLs in human cells. Inactivation of UVSSA sensitizes human cells to ICL-inducing drugs, and delays ICL repair. UVSSA is required for transcription-coupled repair of a single ICL in a fluorescence-based reporter assay. UVSSA localizes to chromatin following ICL damage, and interacts with transcribing Pol II, CSA, CSB, and TFIIH. Specifically, UVSSA interaction with TFIIH is required for ICL repair. Finally, UVSSA expression positively correlates with ICL chemotherapy resistance in human cancer cell lines. Our data strongly suggest that transcription-coupled ICL repair (TC-ICR) is a bona fide ICL repair mechanism that contributes to crosslinker drug resistance independently of replication-coupled ICL repair.

Kinetics of DNA Adducts and Abasic Site Formation in Tissues of Mice Treated with a Nitrogen Mustard

Nitrogen mustards (NM) are an important class of chemotherapeutic drugs used in the treatment of malignant tumors. The accepted mechanism of action of NM is through the alkylation of DNA bases. NM-adducts block DNA replication in cancer cells by forming cytotoxic DNA interstrand cross-links. We previously characterized several adducts formed by reaction of bis(2-chloroethyl)ethylamine (NM) with calf thymus (CT) DNA and the MDA-MB-231 mammary tumor cell line. The monoalkylated N7-guanine (NM-G) adduct and its cross-link (G-NM-G) were major lesions. The cationic NM-G undergoes a secondary reaction through depurination to form an apurinic (AP) site or reacts with hydroxide to yield the stable ring-opened N⁵-substituted formamidopyrimidine (NM-Fapy-G) adduct. Both of these lesions are mutagenic and may contribute to secondary tumor development, a major clinical limitation of NM chemotherapy. We established a kinetic model with NM-treated female mice and measured the rates of formation and removal of NM-DNA adducts and AP sites. We employed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to measure NM-G, G-NM-G, and NM-Fapy-G adducts in liver, lung, and spleen over 168 h. NM-G reached a maximum level within 6 h in all organs and then rapidly declined. The G-NM-G cross-link and NM-FapyG were more persistent with half-lives over three-times longer than NM-G. We quantified AP site lesions in the liver and showed that NM treatment increased AP site levels by 3.7-fold over the basal levels at 6 h. The kinetics of AP site repair closely followed the rate of removal of NM-G; however, AP sites remained 1.3-fold above basal levels 168 h post-treatment with NM. Our data provide new insights into NM-induced DNA damage and biological processing in vivo. The quantitative measurement of the spectrum of NM adducts and AP sites can serve as biomarkers in the design and assessment of the efficacy of novel chemotherapeutic regimens.

The differences between ICL repair during and outside of S phase

DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) are complex lesions that block essential DNA transactions including DNA replication, recombination, and RNA transcription. Naturally occurring ICLs are rare, yet these lesions are the major cause of toxicity following treatment with several classes of crosslinking cancer chemotherapeutic drugs. ICLs are repaired during and outside of S phase by pathways with overlapping as well as distinct features. Here, we discuss some recent insights into the mechanisms of replication-dependent and replication-independent repair of ICLs with special emphasis on the differences between these repair pathways.

Platinum-DNA interstrand crosslinks: molecular determinants of bending and unwinding of the double helix

Platinum diamine complexes are able to crosslink the guanines of d(GC)(2) dinucleotides within double-stranded DNA. The interstrand crosslink thus formed causes a bend of the double helix toward the minor groove and the helical sense changes locally to left-handed, resulting in a considerable unwinding. The bend and unwinding angles have been shown to depend on the platinum ligands. Here, we have used molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the DNA 20-mer d(C(1)T(2)C(3)T(4)C(5)C(6)T(7)T(8)G*(9)C(10)T(11)C(12)T(13)C(14)C(15)T(16)T(17)C(18)T(19)C(20))-d(G(21)A(22)G(23)A(24)A(25)G(26)G(27)A(28)G(29)A(30)G*(31)C(32)A(33)A(34)G(35)G(36)A(37)G(38)A(39)G(40)) with the G* guanines crosslinked by cis-Pt(NH(3))(2)(2+), Pt(R,R-DACH)(2+), or Pt(S,S-DACH)(2+). Previous investigations on cisplatin interstrand adducts indicated that the structure is similar in solid state and in solution; thus, we used the reported X-ray structure of a cisplatin adduct as a starting model. Replacing in the MD-relaxed model for the DNA duplex crosslinked with cis-Pt(NH(3))(2)(2+) the two NH(3) platinum ligands by R,R-DACH or S,S-DACH led to clashes between the DACH residue and the deoxyribose of C(12). Confrontation of MD-derived models with gel shift measurements suggested that these clashes are avoided differently in the adducts of Pt(R,R-DACH)(2+)versus Pt(S,S-DACH)(2+). The R,R-isomer avoids the clash by untwisting the T(11)/A(30)-C(12)/G(29) step, thus increasing the global unwinding. In contrast, the S,S-isomer modifies the shift and slide parameters of this step, which dislocates the helical axis and enhances the bend angle. The clash that leads to the differentiation of the structures as a function of the diamine ligand is related to a hydrogen bond between the platinum complex and the T(11) base and could be characteristic of interstrand crosslinks at d(pyG*Cpy)-d(puG*Cpu) sequences.

Initiation of DNA interstrand cross-link repair in mammalian cells

Interstrand cross-links (ICLs) are among the most cytotoxic DNA lesions to cells because they prevent the two DNA strands from separating, thereby precluding replication and transcription. Even though chemotherapeutic cross-linking agents are well established in clinical use, and numerous repair proteins have been implicated in the initial events of mammalian ICL repair, the precise mechanistic details of these events remain to be elucidated. This review will summarize our current understanding of how ICL repair is initiated with an emphasis on the context (replicating, transcribed or quiescent DNA) in which the ICL is recognized, and how the chemical and physical properties of ICLs influence repair. Although most studies have focused on replication-dependent repair because of the relation to highly replicative tumor cells, replication-independent ICL repair is likely to be important in the circumvention of cross-link cytotoxicity in nondividing, terminally differentiated cells that may be challenged with exogenous or endogenous sources of ICLs. Consequently, the ICL repair pathway that should be considered "dominant" appears to depend on the cell type and the DNA context in which the ICL is encountered. The ability to define and inhibit distinct pathways of ICL repair in different cell cycle phases may help in developing methods that increase cytotoxicity to cancer cells while reducing side-effects in nondividing normal cells. This may also lead to a better understanding of pathways that protect against malignancy and aging.

Relevance of the Fanconi anemia pathway in the response of human cells to trabectedin

Trabectedin (Yondelis; ET-743) is a potent anticancer drug that binds to DNA by forming a covalent bond with a guanine in one strand and one or more hydrogen bonds with the opposite strand. Using a fluorescence-based melting assay, we show that one single trabectedin-DNA adduct increases the thermal stability of the double helix by >20 degrees C. As deduced from the analysis of phosphorylated H2AX and Rad51 foci, we observed that clinically relevant doses of trabectedin induce the formation of DNA double-strand breaks in human cells and activate homologous recombination repair in a manner similar to that evoked by the DNA interstrand cross-linking agent mitomycin C (MMC). Because one important characteristic of this drug is its marked cytotoxicity on cells lacking a functional Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway, we compared the response of different subtypes of FA cells to MMC and trabectedin. Our data clearly show that human cells with mutations in FANCA, FANCC, FANCF, FANCG, or FANCD1 genes are highly sensitive to both MMC and trabectedin. However, in marked contrast to MMC, trabectedin does not induce any significant accumulation of FA cells in G2-M. The critical relevance of FA proteins in the response of human cells to trabectedin reported herein, together with observations showing the role of the FA pathway in cancer suppression, strongly suggest that screening for mutations in FA genes may facilitate the identification of tumors displaying enhanced sensitivity to this novel anticancer drug.

Apoptosis induction and DNA interstrand cross-link formation by cytotoxic trans-[PtCl2(NH(CH3)2)(NHCH(CH3)2) : cross-linking between d(G) and complementary d(C) within oligonucleotide duplexes

We have investigated the cytotoxic activity, the induction of apoptosis, and the interstrand cross-linking efficiency in the A2780cisR ovarian tumor cell line, after replacement of the two NH3 nonleaving groups in trans-[PtCl2(NH3)2] (trans-DDP) by dimethylamine and isopropylamine. The data show that trans-[PtCl2(NH(CH)2)(NHCH(CH3)2)] is able to circumvent resistance to cis-[PtCl2(NH3)2] (cis-DDP, cisplatin) in A2780cisR cells. In fact, trans-[PtCl2(NH(CH3)2)(NHCH(CH3)2)] shows a cytotoxic potency higher than that of cis-DDP and trans-DDP, with the mean IC50 values being 11, 58, and 300 microM, respectively. In addition, at equitoxic doses (concentrations of the platinum drugs equal to their IC50 values) and after 24 hours of drug treatment, the level of induction of apoptosis by trans-[PtCl2(NH(CH3)2)(NHCH(CH3)2)] is twice that produced by cis-DDP. Under the same experimental conditions, trans-DDP does not induce significant levels of apoptosis in A2780cisR cells. After 24 hours of incubation of A2780cisR cells at concentrations equal to the IC0o value of the platinum drugs, the level of DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs) induced by trans-[PtCI2(NH(CH)2)(NHCH(CH3)] is two and three times higher, respectively, than those induced by cis-DDP and trans-DDP. We also found that trans-[PtCl2(NH(CH3)2)(NHCH(CH3)2)] formed DNA ICLs between guanine and complementary cytosine. We propose that, in A2780cisR cells, the induction of apoptosis by trans-[PtCl2(NH(CH3)2)(NHCH(CH3)2)] is related to its greater ability (relative to cis-DDP and trans-DDP) to form DNA ICLs.

Cisplatin-mediated DNA double-strand breaks in replicating but not in quiescent cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are formed during the processing of DNA interstrand crosslinks in replicating yeast and Chinese hamster cells exposed to DNA crosslinkers such as psoralen plus UVA or nitrogen mustard. They were also detected in human cells after treatment with photoactivated psoralen or mitomycin C. In contrast, no DSBs were observed after exposure of Chinese hamster cells to cisplatin, another crosslinking agent widely used for the therapy of various cancers, challenging a common role for DSBs in the processing of DNA interstrand crosslinks. Here we report for the first time that cisplatin-mediated DSBs are induced in replicating but not quiescent cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. When the main pathway of repair of DSBs is inhibited, these breaks accumulate in replicating cells. Thus it appears that DNA interstrand crosslinks induced by different crosslinking agents, including cisplatin, are processed yielding DSBs as an intermediate lesion. In stationary cells, however, removal of DNA interstrand crosslinks after cisplatin treatment occurs without the formation of DSBs. These findings point to an altered mode of processing of cisplatin-DNA adducts in replicating versus quiescent cells.

Modification of the alkaline Comet assay to allow simultaneous evaluation of mitomycin C-induced DNA cross-link damage and repair of specific DNA sequences in RT4 cells

The alkaline Comet assay is a simple, sensitive method for measuring the extent of DNA strand breaks in individual cells. Several modifications to the original assay have been developed to increase its applications. One such modification allows the measurement of DNA cross-links by assessing the relative reduction in DNA migration induced by a strand-breaking agent. Another modification includes the application of fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) to investigate the localisation of specific gene domains within a cell. Although several studies have used these approaches separately, no report to date has combined these two versions of the Comet assay. The current study describes the modification of the Comet assay, to allow both measurement of mitomycin C (MMC)-induced cross-links and the subsequent application of FISH to study repair in the TP53 gene region. RT4 human bladder cancer cells were treated with 0, 5, 50 and 200 microg/ml MMC to study dose response, whilst for cross-link repair studies, they were treated with 50 microg/ml MMC and allowed to repair for up to 24 h. A clear dose response to MMC was displayed, demonstrable by a marked reduction in DNA migration, whilst repair studies showed that MMC-induced cross-links take at least 24 h to repair fully in RT4 cells. For Comet-FISH experiments, the number and location of TP53 hybridisation spots was also recorded for each cell. In dose response experiments, the number of spots per cell, and per Comet tail, decreased as MMC dose increased. In repair experiments, the number of spots, particularly in the Comet tail, increased as repair time increased. Furthermore, our results suggest that repair of the TP53 gene region is most rapid within the first 4 h following MMC treatment. We conclude that the novel experimental protocol presented here has considerable potential in evaluating DNA damage and sequence-related repair responses to cross-linking agents.

Repair of 8-oxoG is slower in endogenous nuclear genes than in mitochondrial DNA and is without strand bias

DNA is vulnerable to the attack of certain oxygen radicals and one of the major DNA lesions formed is 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), a highly mutagenic lesion that can mispair with adenine. The repair of 8-oxoG was studied by measuring the gene specific removal of 8-oxoG after treatment of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) fibroblasts with the photosensitizer Ro19-8022. This compound introduces 8-oxoG lesions, which can then be detected with the Escherichia coli formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (FPG). In this report we present gene specific repair analysis of endogenous genes situated in different important cellular regions and also the first analysis of strand specific DNA repair of 8-oxoG in an endogenous gene. We were not able to detect any preferential repair of transcribed genes compared to non-transcribed regions and we did not detect any strand-bias in the repair of the housekeeping gene, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). In vivo, mitochondrial DNA is highly exposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS), and we find that the repair of 8-oxoG is more efficient in the mitochondrial DNA than in the nuclear DNA.

Repair of DNA interstrand cross-links

DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs) are very toxic to dividing cells, because they induce mutations, chromosomal rearrangements and cell death. Inducers of ICLs are important drugs in cancer treatment. We discuss the main properties of several classes of ICL agents and the types of damage they induce. The current insights in ICL repair in bacteria, yeast and mammalian cells are reviewed. An intriguing aspect of ICLs is that a number of multi-step DNA repair pathways including nucleotide excision repair, homologous recombination and post-replication/translesion repair all impinge on their repair. Furthermore, the breast cancer-associated proteins Brca1 and Brca2, the Fanconi anemia-associated FANC proteins, and cell cycle checkpoint proteins are involved in regulating the cellular response to ICLs. We depict several models that describe possible pathways for the repair or replicational bypass of ICLs.

3-Methyladenine-DNA glycosylase (MPG protein) interacts with human RAD23 proteins

Human 3-methyladenine-DNA glycosylase (MPG protein) initiates base excision repair by severing the glycosylic bond of numerous damaged bases. In comparison, homologues of the Rad23 proteins (hHR23) and the hXPC protein are involved in the recognition of damaged bases in global genome repair, a subset of nucleotide excision repair. In this report, we show that the hHR23A and -B also interact with the MPG protein and can serve as accessory proteins for DNA damage recognition in base excision repair. Furthermore, the MPG.hHR23 protein complex elevates the rate of MPG protein-catalyzed excision from hypoxanthine-containing substrates. This increased excision rate is correlated with a greater binding affinity of the MPG protein-hHR23 protein complex for damaged DNA. These data suggest that the hHR23 proteins function as universal DNA damage recognition accessory proteins in both of these major excision repair pathways.

Role of DNA repair in carcinogen-induced ras mutation

In this contribution we discuss the gene- and cell type-specific repair of miscoding DNA alkylation products as a risk parameter in both mutation induction and malignant transformation by N-nitroso carcinogens. Upon exposure to N-nitroso compounds such as N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MeNU) or N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (EtNU), about a dozen different alkylation products are formed in cellular DNA. Among these are O(6)-methylguanine (O(6)-MeGua) and O(6)-ethylguanine (O(6)-EtGua), respectively, which differ only by one CH(2) group in their alkyl residue and, when unrepaired, cause G:C-->A:T transition mutations by anomalous base pairing during DNA replication. We have analyzed the global and gene-specific repair of O(6)-MeGua and O(6)-EtGua in target cell DNA, ras gene mutation frequencies, and tumor incidence, in the model of mammary carcinogenesis induced in 50-day-old female Sprague-Dawley rats by a single application of MeNU or EtNU. Both carcinogens induce histologically indistinguishable mammary adenocarcinomas at high yield. In the target mammary epithelia, O(6)-MeGua is repaired at similar slow rates in both transcriptionally active genes (Ha-ras, beta-actin), silent genes (lgE heavy chain), and in bulk DNA, by the one-step repair protein O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (MGMT; low level of expression in the target cells). The slow repair of O(6)-MeGua translates into a high frequency of mutations at the central position of Ha-ras codon 12 (GGA) in MeNU-induced tumors. O(6)-EtGua, however, is removed approximately 20 times faster than O(6)-MeGua selectively from transcribed genes via an MGMT independent, as yet uncharacterized excision mechanism. Accordingly, no Ha-ras codon 12 mutations are found in the EtNU-induced mammary tumors. Neither MeNU- nor EtNU-induced tumors exhibit mutations at codons 13 and 61 of Ha-ras or at codons 12, 13 and 61 of Ki-ras. While a moderate surplus MGMT activity of the target cells - contributed by a bacterial MGMT transgene (ada) - significantly counteracts mammary tumorigenesis in MeNU-exposed rats, this is not the case in the EtNU-treated animals. Differential repair of structurally distinct DNA lesions in transcribed or (temporarily) silent genes thus determines the probability of mutation and, together with cell type-specific and interindividual differences in DNA repair capacity, influences carcinogenic risk.

DNA interactions of cisplatin tethered to the DNA minor groove binder distamycin

Modifications of natural DNA in a cell-free medium using cisplatin tethered to the AT-specific, minor groove binder distamycin, were studied using various methods of biochemical analysis or molecular biophysics. These methods include: binding studies using differential pulse polarography and flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry, mapping DNA adducts using a transcription assay, use of ethidium bromide as a fluorescent probe for DNA adducts of platinum, measurement of DNA unwinding by gel electrophoresis, measurement of CD spectra, an interstrand cross-linking assay using gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions, measurement of melting curves with the aid of absorption spectrophotometry and the use of terbium ions as a fluorescent probe for distorted base pairs in DNA. The results indicate that attachment of distamycin to cisplatin changes several features of the DNA-binding mode of the parent platinum drug. Major differences comprise different conformational alterations in DNA and a considerably higher efficiency of the conjugated drug to form in DNA interstrand cross-links. Cisplatin tethered to distamycin, however, coordinates to DNA with similar base sequence preferences as the untargeted platinum drug. The results point to a unique profile of DNA binding for cisplatin-distamycin conjugates, suggesting that tethering cisplatin to minor groove oligopeptide binders may also lead to an altered biological activity profile.

Interstrand cross-links of cisplatin induce striking distortions in DNA

In the reaction between cellular DNA and cisplatin, different bifunctional adducts are formed including intrastrand and interstrand cross-links. The respective role of these lesions in the cytotoxicity of the drug is not yet elucidated. This paper deals with the current knowledge on cisplatin interstrand cross-links and presents results on the formation, stability and structure of these adducts. A key step in the studies of these lesions is the recent determination of solution and crystallographic structures of double-stranded oligonucleotides containing a unique interstrand cross-link. The DNA distortions induced by this adduct exhibit unprecedented features such as the location of the platinum residue in the minor groove, the extrusion of the cytosines of the cross-linked d(GpC).d(GpC) site, the bending of the helix axis towards the minor groove and a large DNA unwinding. In addition to a detailed determination of the distortions, the high resolution of the crystal structure allowed us to locate the water molecules surrounding the adduct. The possible implications of this structure for the chemical properties and the cellular processing of cisplatin interstrand cross-links are discussed.

Crystal structure of a double-stranded DNA containing a cisplatin interstrand cross-link at 1.63 A resolution: hydration at the platinated site

cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (cisplatin) is a powerful anti-tumor drug whose target is cellular DNA. In the reaction between DNA and cisplatin, covalent intrastrand and interstrand cross-links (ICL) are formed. Two solution structures of the ICL have been published recently. In both models the double-helix is bent and unwound but with significantly different angle values. We solved the crystal structure at 100K of a double-stranded DNA decamer containing a single cisplatin ICL, using the anomalous scattering (MAD) of platinum as a unique source of phase information. We found 47 degrees for double-helix bending and 70 degrees for unwinding in agreement with previous electrophoretic assays. The crystals are stabilized by intermolecular contacts involving two cytosines extruded from the double-helix, one of which makes a triplet with a terminal G.C pair. The platinum coordination is nearly square and the platinum residue is embedded into a cage of nine water molecules linked to the cross-linked guanines, to the two amine groups, and to the phosphodiester backbone through other water molecules. This water molecule organization is discussed in relation with the chemical stability of the ICL.

Induction of AT-specific DNA-interstrand crosslinks by bizelesin in genomic and simian virus 40 DNA

Bizelesin is a bifunctional AT-specific DNA alkylating drug. Our study characterized the ability of bizelesin to induce interstrand crosslinks, a potential lethal lesion. In genomic DNA of BSC-1 cells, bizelesin formed from approx. 0.3 to 6.03+/-0.85 interstrand crosslinks per 106 base pairs, at 5-100 nM drug concentration, respectively, comparable to the number of total adducts previously determined in the same system (J.M. Woynarowski, M.M. McHugh, L.S. Gawron, T.A. Beerman, Biochemistry 34 (1995) 13042-13050). Bizelesin did not induce DNA-protein crosslinks or strand breaks. A model defined target, intracellular simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA, was employed to map at the nucleotide level sites of bizelesin adducts, including potential interstrand crosslinks. Preferential adduct formation was observed at AT tracts which are abundant in the SV40 matrix associated region and the origin of replication. Many sites, including each occurrence of 5'-T(A/T)4A-3', co-mapped on both DNA strands suggesting interstrand crosslinks, although monoadducts were also formed. Bizelesin adducts in naked SV40 DNA were found at similar sites. The localization of bizelesin-induced crosslinks in AT-rich tracts of replication-related regions is consistent with the potent anti-replicative properties of bizelesin. Given the apparent lack of other types of lesions in genomic DNA, interstrand crosslinks localized in AT-rich tracts, and to some extent perhaps also monoadducts, are likely to be lethal effects of bizelesin.

Molecular interactions of ruthenium complexes in isolated mammalian nuclei and cytotoxicity on V79 cells in culture

In this paper, the molecular interactions in isolated mammalian nuclei of three ruthenium complexes, which are putative antineoplastic chemotherapeutic agents effective in reducing metastatic tumours in vivo, have been investigated and compared with the well-known antitumour drug CDDP (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum). The compounds studied are: Natrans-RuCl4(DMSO)Imidazole (NAMI), Natrans-RuCl4(DMSO)Oxazole (NAOX) and Natrans-RuCl4(TMSO)- Isoquinoline (TEQU). This study shows that the drugs bind to DNA but induce few, if any, DNA interstrand crosslinks, which are considered as the main biological lesions involved in the cytotoxic activity of several already known antitumour drugs, whilst in the same experimental conditions, CDDP is confirmed to induce them. On the other hand, proteins appear to be an important target in the cell for these drugs, since proteins-DNA crosslinks are shown to be induced by the complexes. Moreover, we investigated Ru complexes for their direct cytotoxicity on V79 cells in culture, showing that two of them (NAMI and NAOX) do not significantly reduce the cloning efficiency of the cells even at concentrations as high as 2-3 mg/ml: only TEQU both reduces cloning efficiency and induces a significant number of mutants in V79 cells in culture.

Lack of correlation between repair of DNA interstrand cross-links and hypersensitivity of hamster cells towards mitomycin C and cisplatin

The ability to repair DNA interstrand cross-links may be an important factor contributing to mitomycin C (MMC) and cisplatin cytotoxicities. We have assessed the repair of interstrand cross-links induced by MMC in two MMC-hypersensitive hamster cell mutants and their resistant parental cell line. Using a gene-specific repair assay, we found no evidence for repair of MMC cross-links in either parental or mutant cells, suggesting that persistence of DNA interstrand cross-links is not responsible for the differential toxicity of MMC towards hypersensitive cells. Repair of cisplatin-induced interstrand cross-links was efficient in resistant as well as in mutant cells. Therefore we concluded that a defect in excision repair of interstrand cross-links was not responsible for the cytotoxic effects of MMC and cisplatin in these hypersensitive mutants.

Gene-specific nuclear and mitochondrial repair of formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase-sensitive sites in Chinese hamster ovary cells

This study examines the capacity of a mammalian cell to repair, at the gene level, DNA base lesions generated by photoactivation of acridine orange. Chinese hamster ovary fibroblasts were exposed to acridine orange and visible light, and gene-specific DNA repair was measured in the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene and in the mitochondrial genome. DNA lesions were recognized by Escherichia coli formamidepyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (FPG) which removes predominantly 8-oxodG and the corresponding formamidopyrimidine ring opened bases, and subsequently cleaves the DNA at the resulting apurinic site. FPG-recognized DNA lesions increased linearly with increasing photo-activation of AO, while cell survival was not affected by light alone and was negligibly affected by preincubation with AO in the dark. The frequency of induction of FPG-sensitive DNA damage by photoactivation of AO was similar in the transcribed and non-transcribed nuclear DNA as well as in the mitochondrial DNA. FPG-sensitive sites in the DHFR gene were repaired quickly, with 84% of adducts repaired within 4 h. The lesion frequency, kinetics and percent of repair of non-transcribed genomic DNA did not differ significantly from repair in the active DHFR gene up to 1 h postexposure. At late time points, transcribed DNA was repaired faster than the non-transcribed DNA. Mitochondrial DNA was efficiently repaired, at a rate similar to that in the active nuclear DNA.

Mechlorethamine-induced enhancement of radiation sensitivity of guanine

This study describes and characterizes the interactions of nitrogen mustard mechlorethamine (HN2) with guanine and the radiation sensitivity of guanine in the presence of HN2. Briefly, in an equimolar solution (0.5 mmol dm-3) the pH-dependence (pH 3.0-12.0) and time-dependence (0-36 h) of alkylation of guanine at room temperature were determined using a reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (hplc) column. Based on the hplc peak areas of the product and intact guanine, the optimal pH for alkylation was determined to be 8.0. Similarly, the optimal time required for alkylation was 10 h. Two products, i.e. alkylated guanines, were detected (10:1, peak areas measured at 260 nm) and purified. Structural studies of the products were performed by direct insertion probe-electron impact mass spectrometry. These products were identified as N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-[2-(7-guanyl)ethyl]-methylamine (product 2). At optimal conditions, samples of either guanine or an equimolar solution of guanine and HN2 were 60Co irradiated (gamma-ray) at 25 Gy min-1 at doses up to 400 Gy. Both sets of samples were analysed by hplc. In each case, the sole radiation product observed and characterized was 8-hydroxy-guanine. Dose-yield plots were linear and showed that HN2 enhanced the radiation sensitivity of guanine. This increase in radiation sensitivity is attributed to the differences in electrophilic properties between nitrogen mustard and guanine.

In vitro and in vivo characterisation of low-resistant mouse reticulosarcoma (M5076) sublines obtained after pulse and continuous exposure to cisplatin

In order to simulate drug resistance observed in the clinic, two cisplatin-resistant cell lines were produced from a murine ovarian reticulosarcoma, M5076 (M5), by pulse (M5/CDDP) and continuous (M5/CDDPc) treatment with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II)(CDDP). These cell lines showed a similar stable low level of resistance (approximately 3-fold) to CDDP and cross-resistance to carboplatin, iproplatin and the new alkylating agent tallimustine, but not to L-PAM (L-phenylalanine mustard) and BCNU (1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea). Collateral sensitivity to two inhibitors of topoisomerase II, VP16 (etoposide) and doxorubicin (Dox), but cross-resistance to the topoisomerase I inhibitor, camptothecin, were observed. The two cell lines were also sensitive to 5-fluorouracil. No increase in the level of glutathione or activity of glutathione S-transferase could be observed in resistant cells compared with the parental M5 cells. Total DNA platination immediately after treatment was similar in the parental and resistant cell lines. Repair of total DNA platination, measured after 24 h of recovery, was undetectable in M5 and M5/CDDP cells, but was 33% in M5/ CDDPc cells. Initial DNA-interstrand cross-links (DNA-ISC) were six times higher in M5 than in M5/CDDP cells, but 24 h after treatment, both lines had completely repaired this damage. M5/ CDDPc cells did not show formation of DNA-ISC at any time after treatment. The two resistant cell lines were tumorigenic when implanted in mice and resistant to CDDP treatment in vivo. The CDDP resistant tumours were not cross-resistant in vivo to L-PAM, BCNU and Dox, which had been active in vitro, nor to tallimustine, which had been cross-resistant in vitro. Mechanisms of resistance in M5/CDDP and M5-CDDPc seem to be based on a lower formation of DNA-ISC combined, for the latter cell line, with a higher repair capacity for total DNA platination.

Preferential repair in yeast after induction of interstrand cross-links by 8-methoxypsoralen plus UVA

The gene-specific induction and removal of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) plus UVA-induced interstrand cross-links (ICL) was studied using the genetic system MAT alpha and HML alpha in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We first examined events in a SIR alpha haploid strain (K107) in which these identical sequences are respectively transcriptionally active (MAT alpha) and inactive (HML alpha). Induction and repair of ICL was then studied in a sir3 mutant in which HML alpha is derepressed so that MAT alpha and HML alpha are both transcriptionally active. In the SIR strain at low levels of damage, no preferential repair of ICL occurred for MAT alpha versus HML alpha, whereas at high levels of ICL, those at MAT alpha were clearly repaired more rapidly than those at HML alpha. Similar experiments with the sir3 mutant revealed that the repair of ICL from both MAT alpha and HML alpha loci proceeded at the same rate at both low and high levels of damage. These data suggest that 8-MOP plus UVA-induced ICL are subject to preferential repair in yeast and that for the MAT alpha and HML alpha loci, this is dependent on their transcriptional status (i.e., the transcribed sequences are repaired more rapidly than the identical non-transcribed ones).

Differential mutagenicity and cytotoxicity of (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-trans-7,8-dihydrodiol and (+/-)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene-trans-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide in genetically engineered human fibroblasts

DNA repair-deficient (xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA)) and DNA repair-proficient (normal) human skin fibroblasts were genetically engineered by transformation with a controllable human cytochrome P450 (CYP)1A1 expression vector. Induction of CYP1A1 enabled these cells to metabolize (+/-)-benzo[a]pyrene-trans-7,8-dihydrodiol (BPD) into a potent cytotoxicant and mutagen. The XPA cells were more susceptible than the normal cells to the cytotoxic effects of both CYP1A1-metabolized BPD and exogenously supplied (+/-)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene-trans-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10- epoxide (BPDE). Furthermore, the differential cytotoxicity between XPA and normal cells induced by CYP1A1-metabolized BPD was 8.4-fold greater than that induced by exogenously supplied BPDE. The two cell lines had similar CYP1A1 activities, suggesting that a difference in metabolic potential was not the cause of the differential response to BPD. At comparable cytotoxicity in both XPA and normal cells, BPD treatment induced more mutants and more DNA adducts than BPDE treatment did. At similar levels of DNA adducts in XPA cells, the levels of cytotoxicity induced by CYP1A1-metabolized BPD and exogenously supplied BPDE were similar, but CYP1A1-metabolized BPD induced a threefold higher hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase mutation frequency. In contrast, at similar levels of adducts in CYP1A1-expressing normal cells, BPD induced less cytotoxicity and a lower mutation frequency. DNA adducts were identified and quantified by 32P-postlabeling analyses. The principal adduct formed by both CYP1A1-metabolized BPD and exogenously supplied BPDE was 10-beta-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)-7 beta,8 alpha,9 alpha-trihydroxy-7,8,9,10- tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene, indicating that the differential effects of BPD- and BPDE-induced adducts were not due to a difference in the types of adducts formed. The results of these studies suggest that CYP1A1-metabolized BPD may form adducts preferentially in transcriptionally active genes or that the intracellular concentration of BPDE may influence the balance between cytotoxicity and mutagenicity (or both).

Repair analysis of 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide-induced DNA interstrand crosslinking in the c-myc gene in 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide-sensitive and -resistant medulloblastoma cell lines

Cyclophosphamide is one of the most active agents in the treatment of medulloblastoma. However, development of resistance to this alkylator frequently occurs and is the harbinger of tumor progression and death. In order to understand the biochemical basis of this resistance, we generated a panel of medulloblastoma cell lines in our laboratory that were resistant to 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC). Previously, we have shown that elevated levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase and glutathione mediate cellular resistance to 4-HC. The present study was conducted to identify the third unknown mechanism mediating the resistance of cell line D283 Med (4-HCR) to 4-HC, testing the hypothesis that this resistance is mediated by an increased repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs). The doses of 4-HC that produced a one- and two-log cell kill of D283 Med cells were 25 and 50 microM, respectively, compared with values of 125 and 165 microM in D283 Med (4-HCR), the resistant cell line. The formation and disappearance of 4-HC-induced DNA ICLs at the c-myc gene were subsequently studied by DNA denaturing/renaturing gel electrophoresis and Southern blot analysis. 4-HC-induced DNA ICLs in the c-myc gene exhibited a dose-dependent relationship. The percentage of the c-myc gene that was crosslinked was approximately 1-3% at a dose of 100 microM. More than 50% of the DNA crosslinking in D283 Med (4-HCR) cells was removed by 6 h after drug treatment, whereas, in D283 Med cells, more than 90% of the DNA crosslinking was still present at 6 h. These findings suggest that the increased repair of DNA ICLs in D283 Med (4-HCR) may contribute significantly to its resistance to 4-HC.

DNA damage and mutagenesis induced by nitrogen mustards

The nitrogen mustards are bifunctional alkylating agents which, although used extensively in cancer chemotherapy, are themselves highly carcinogenic. All nitrogen mustards induce monofunctional guanine-N7 adducts, as well as interstrand N7-N7 crosslinks involving the two guanines in GNC.GNC (5'-->3'/5'-->3') sequences. In addition, the aromatic mustards melphalan and chlorambucil also induce substantial alkylation at adenine N3, while cyclophosphamide forms phosphotriesters with relatively high frequency. Nitrogen mustards are genotoxic in virtually every assay, and produce a wide array of mutations, including base substitutions at both G.C and A.T base pairs, intragenic as well as multilocus deletions, and chromosomal rearrangements. Mutational spectra generated by these agents in various model systems vary widely, and no single lesion has been implicated as being primarily responsible for mustard-induced mutagenesis. On the contrary, adducts of both adenine and guanine, and monofunctional as well as bifunctional adducts, appear to be involved. Further, it is still not known which types of mutation are responsible for mustard-induced cancers, since no genes have yet been identified which are consistently altered in these malignancies.

Intragenomic heterogeneity of DNA damage formation and repair: a review of cellular responses to covalent drug DNA interaction

Chemical DNA interaction and its processing can now be studied at the level of specific genomic regions. Such investigations have revealed important new information about the molecular biology of the cellular responses to genomic insult and especially of the repair processes. They also have demonstrated that both the formation and repair of DNA damage display patterns of intragenomic heterogeneity. Therefore, mechanistic studies should involve examination of DNA damage formation and repair in specific genomic sequences besides in the overall genome to provide clues to the way in which specific modifications of DNA or chromatin could have specific biological effects. This review primarily focuses on studies done to elucidate the nature of DNA damage induction and intragenomic processing provoked by covalent drug-DNA modification in mammalian cells. The involvement of DNA damage formation and cellular processing as critical factors for genomic injury is exemplified by studies of the novel alkylating morpholinyl anthracyclines and the bifunctional alkylating agent nitrogen mustard as a prototype agent for covalent drug DNA interaction.