Conformational changes of DNA repair glycosylase MutM triggered by DNA binding.

Bacterial MutM is a DNA repair glycosylase removing DNA damage generated from oxidative stress and, therefore, preventing mutations and genomic instability. MutM belongs to the Fpg/Nei family of prokaryotic enzymes sharing structural and functional similarities with their eukaryotic counterparts, for example, NEIL1-NEIL3. Here, we present two crystal structures of MutM from pathogenic Neisseria meningitidis: a MutM holoenzyme and MutM bound to DNA. The free enzyme exists in an open conformation, while upon binding to DNA, both the enzyme and DNA undergo substantial structural changes and domain rearrangement. Our data show that not only NEI glycosylases but also the MutMs undergo dramatic conformational changes. Moreover, crystallographic data support the previously published observations that MutM enzymes are rather flexible and dynamic molecules.

Absolute cross sections for chemoradiation therapy: Damages to cisplatin-DNA complexes induced by 10 eV electrons.

In chemoradiation therapy, the synergy between the radiation and the chemotherapeutic agent (CA) can result in a super-additive treatment. A priori, this increased effectiveness could be estimated from model calculations, if absolute cross sections (ACSs) involved in cellular damage are substantially higher, when the CA binds to DNA. We measure ACSs for damages induced by 10 eV electrons, when DNA binds to the CA cisplatin as in chemotherapy. At this energy, DNA is damaged essentially by the decay of core-excited transient anions into bond-breaking channels. Films of cisplatin-DNA complexes of ratio 5:1 with thicknesses 10, 15, and 20 nm were irradiated in vacuum during 5-30 s. Conformation changes were quantified by electrophoresis and yields extrapolated from exposure-response curves. Base damages (BDs) were revealed and quantified by enzymatic treatment. The ACSs were generated from these yields by two mathematical models. For 3197 base-pair plasmid DNA, ACS for single strand breaks, double strand breaks (DSBs), crosslinks, non-DSB cluster damages, and total BDs is 71 ± 2, 9.3 ± 0.4, 10.1 ± 0.3, 8.2 ± 0.3, and 115 ± 2 ×10-15 cm2, respectively. These ACSs are higher than those of nonmodified DNA by factors of 1.6 ± 0.1, 2.2 ± 0.1, 1.3 ± 0.1, 1.3 ± 0.3, and 2.1 ± 0.4, respectively. Since LEEs are produced in large quantities by radiolysis and strongly interact with biomolecules, we expect such enhancements to produce substantial additional damages in the DNA of the nucleus of cancer cells during concomitant chemoradiation therapy. The increase damage appears sufficiently large to justify more elaborate simulations, which could provide a quantitative evaluation of molecular sensitization by Pt-CAs.

Critical Sites of DNA Backbone Integrity for Damaged Base Removal by Formamidopyrimidine-DNA Glycosylase.

DNA glycosylases, the enzymes that initiate base excision DNA repair, recognize damaged bases through a series of precisely orchestrated movements. Most glycosylases sharply kink the DNA axis at the lesion site and extrude the target base from the DNA double helix into the enzyme's active site. Little attention has been paid so far to the role of the physical continuity of the DNA backbone in allowing the required conformational distortion. Here, we analyze base excision by formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) from substrates keeping all phosphates but containing a nick within three nucleotides of the lesion in either DNA strand. Four phosphoester linkages at the damaged nucleotide and two nucleotides 3' to it were essential for Fpg activity, while the breakage of the others, even at the same critical phosphates, had no effect or even stimulated the reaction. Reduction of the likelihood of hydrogen bonding at the nicks by using dideoxynucleotides as their 3'-terminal groups was more detrimental for the activity. All phosphoester bonds in the complementary strand were dispensable for base excision, but nicks close to the orphaned nucleotide caused early termination of damaged strand cleavage. Elastic network analysis of Fpg-DNA structures showed that the vibrational motions of the critical phosphates are strongly correlated, in part due to the presence of the protein. Overall, our results suggest that mechanical forces propagating along the DNA backbone play a critical role in the correct conformational distortion of DNA by Fpg and possibly by other target base-everting DNA glycosylases.

A cascade amplification platform assisted with DNAzyme for activity analysis, kinetic study and effector screening of Fpg in vitro.

As a highly conserved damage repair protein, Fpg can specifically recognize and digest 8-oxoG from a damaged DNA backbone. Meanwhile, DNAzyme, a single-stranded DNA with enzymatic activity, can cleave RNA in the presence of cofactors. In this study, we established a highly sensitive method for Fpg assay using a DNAzyme-mediated signal cascade amplification strategy. Based on the Fpg-dependent fluorescence response of the "turn-on" manner, we could reliably determine Fpg activity down to 0.14 U mL-1 with a linear response from 0.10 to 40 U mL-1 under optimal conditions. In addition, this strategy was successfully applied to analyze the kinetic parameter of Fpg with Km of 0.061 µM. Furthermore, the developed sensing system was used to screen the regulators of Fpg from natural compounds and antibiotics. These results indicated that all of the 14 natural compounds and 6 kinds of antibiotics deferentially showed an active effect on Fpg in vitro. In summary, these results show that the method not only provides an alternative for monitoring Fpg activity but also shows great potential for drug screening in the future.

Residue coevolution reveals functionally important intramolecular interactions in formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase.

In protein evolution, functionally important intramolecular interactions, such as polar bridges or hydrophobic interfaces, tend to be conserved. We have analyzed coevolution of physicochemical properties in pairs of amino acid residues in the formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) protein family, identified three conserved polar bridges (Arg54-Glu131, Gln234-Arg244, and Tyr170-Ser208 in the E. coli protein) located in known functional regions of the protein, and analyzed their roles by site-directed mutagenesis. The structure and molecular dynamic modeling showed that the coevolving pairs do not form isolated bridges but rather participate in tight local clusters of hydrogen bonds. The Arg54-Glu131 bridge, connecting the N- and C-terminal domains, was important for DNA binding, as its abolishment or even ion pair reversal inactivated Fpg and greatly decreased the enzyme's affinity for DNA. Mutations of the Gln234-Arg244 bridge, located at the base of the single Fpg ß-hairpin zinc finger, did not affect the activity but sharply decreased the melting temperature of the protein, with the bridge reversal partially restoring the thermal stability. Finally, Tyr170 mutation to Phe decreased Fpg binding but did not fully inactivate the protein, whereas Ser208 replacement with Ala had no effect; molecular dynamics showed that in both wild-type and S208 A Fpg, Tyr170 quickly re-orients to form an alternative set of hydrogen bonds. Thus, the coevolution analysis approach, combined with biochemical and computational studies, provides a powerful tool for understanding intramolecular interactions important for the function of DNA repair enzymes.

Structural Insight into the Discrimination between 8-Oxoguanine Glycosidic Conformers by DNA Repair Enzymes: A Molecular Dynamics Study of Human Oxoguanine Glycosylase 1 and Formamidopyrimidine-DNA Glycosylase.

hOgg1 and FPG are the primary DNA repair enzymes responsible for removing the major guanine (G) oxidative product, namely, 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (OG), in humans and bacteria, respectively. While natural G adopts the anti conformation and forms a Watson-Crick pair with cytosine (C), OG can also adopt the syn conformation and form a Hoogsteen pair with adenine (A). hOgg1 removes OG paired with C but is inactive toward the OG:A pair. In contrast, FPG removes OG from OG:C pairs and also exhibits appreciable (although diminished) activity toward OG:A pairs. As a first step toward understanding this difference in activity, we have employed molecular dynamics simulations to examine how the anti and syn conformers of OG are accommodated in the hOgg1 and FPG active sites. When anti-OG is bound, hOgg1 active site residues are properly aligned to initiate catalytic base departure, while geometrical parameters required for the catalytic reaction are not conserved for syn-OG. On the other hand, the FPG catalytic residues are suitably aligned for both OG conformers, with anti-OG being more favorably bound. Thus, our data suggests that the differential ability of hOgg1 and FPG to accommodate the anti- and syn-OG glycosidic conformations is an important factor that contributes to the relative experimental excision rates. Nevertheless, the positions of the nucleophiles with respect to the lesion in the active sites suggest that the reactant complex is poised to initiate catalysis through a similar mechanism for both repair enzymes and supports a recently proposed mechanism in which sugar-ring opening precedes nucleoside deglycosylation.

New Fpg probe chemistry for direct detection of recombinase polymerase amplification on lateral flow strips.

Rapid, cost-effective and sensitive detection of nucleic acids has the ability to improve upon current practices employed for pathogen detection in diagnosis of infectious disease and food testing. Furthermore, if assay complexity can be reduced, nucleic acid amplification tests could be deployed in resource-limited and home use scenarios. In this study, we developed a novel Fpg (Formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase) probe chemistry, which allows lateral flow detection of amplification in undiluted recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) reactions. The prototype nucleic acid lateral flow chemistry was applied to a human genomic target (rs1207445), Campylobacter jejuni 16S rDNA and two genetic markers of the important food pathogen E. coli O157:H7. All four assays have an analytical sensitivity between 10 and 100 copies DNA per amplification. Furthermore, the assay is performed with fewer hands-on steps than using the current RPA Nfo lateral flow method as dilution of amplicon is not required for lateral flow analysis. Due to the simplicity of the workflow, we believe that the lateral flow chemistry for direct detection could be readily adapted to a cost-effective single-use consumable, ideal for use in non-laboratory settings.

Molecular dynamics simulation of the opposite-base preference and interactions in the active site of formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase.

BACKGROUND: Formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) removes abundant pre-mutagenic 8-oxoguanine (oxoG) bases from DNA through nucleophilic attack of its N-terminal proline at C1' of the damaged nucleotide. Since oxoG efficiently pairs with both C and A, Fpg must excise oxoG from pairs with C but not with A, otherwise a mutation occurs. The crystal structures of several Fpg-DNA complexes have been solved, yet no structure with A opposite the lesion is available. RESULTS: Here we use molecular dynamic simulation to model interactions in the pre-catalytic complex of Lactococcus lactis Fpg with DNA containing oxoG opposite C or A, the latter in either syn or anti conformation. The catalytic dyad, Pro1-Glu2, was modeled in all four possible protonation states. Only one transition was observed in the experimental reaction rate pH dependence plots, and Glu2 kept the same set of interactions regardless of its protonation state, suggesting that it does not limit the reaction rate. The adenine base opposite oxoG was highly distorting for the adjacent nucleotides: in the more stable syn models it formed non-canonical bonds with out-of-register nucleotides in both the damaged and the complementary strand, whereas in the anti models the adenine either formed non-canonical bonds or was expelled into the major groove. The side chains of Arg109 and Phe111 that Fpg inserts into DNA to maintain its kinked conformation tended to withdraw from their positions if A was opposite to the lesion. The region showing the largest differences in the dynamics between oxoG:C and oxoG:A substrates was unexpectedly remote from the active site, located near the linker joining the two domains of Fpg. This region was also highly conserved among 124 analyzed Fpg sequences. Three sites trapping water molecules through multiple bonds were identified on the protein-DNA interface, apparently helping to maintain enzyme-induced DNA distortion and participating in oxoG recognition. CONCLUSION: Overall, the discrimination against A opposite to the lesion seems to be due to incorrect DNA distortion around the lesion-containing base pair and, possibly, to gross movement of protein domains connected by the linker.

Evaluation of imazethapyr-induced DNA oxidative damage by alkaline Endo III- and Fpg-modified single-cell gel electrophoresis assay in Hypsiboas pulchellus tadpoles (Anura, Hylidae).

Imazethapyr (IMZT) is a selective postemergent herbicide with residual action. Available data analyzing its effects in aquatic vertebrates are scarce. In previous studies, we demonstrated that IMZT induces lesions into the DNA of Hypsiboas pulchellus tadpoles using the single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay as a biomarker for genotoxicity. Currently, this assay can be modified by including incubation with lesion-specific endonucleases, e.g., endonuclease III (Endo III) and formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg), which detect oxidized pyrimidine and purine bases, respectively. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of oxidative stress in the genotoxic damage in circulating blood cells of H. pulchellus tadpoles exposed to the IMZT-based Pivot H® formulation (10.59% IMZT) at a concentration equivalent to 25% of the LC50 (96h) value (0.39mg/L IMZT) during 48 and 96h. Our results demonstrate that the herbicide induces oxidative DNA damage on H. pulchellus tadpoles at purines bases but not at pyrimidines. Our findings represent the first evidence of oxidative damage caused by IMZT on anuran DNA using the alkaline restriction enzyme-modified SCGE assay.

Mechanism of Discrimination of 8-Oxoguanosine versus Guanosine by Escherichia coli Fpg.

The mutagenic 8-oxoguanosine monophosphate, the predominant product of DNA oxidation, is excised by formamidopyrimidine glycosylase (Fpg) in bacteria. The mechanism of recognition of 8-oxodG, which differs subtly from its normal counterpart, guanosine monophosphate (dG), by Escherichia coli Fpg remains elusive due to the lack of structural data of E. coli Fpg bound to 8-oxodG. Here, we present solution-state structure of 8-oxodG oligomer bound to E. coli E3Q Fpg using UV resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopy. The vibrational spectra report on the π-stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions established by 8-oxodG with E. coli E3Q Fpg. Furthermore, we report on the interactions of E. coli E3Q Fpg with the normal, undamaged nucleotide, dG. We show that E. coli Fpg recognizes 8-oxodG and dG through their C2-amino group but only 8-oxodG forms extensive contacts with E. coli Fpg. Our findings provide a basis for mechanism of lesion recognition by E. coli Fpg.

Gas-Phase Studies of Formamidopyrimidine Glycosylase (Fpg) Substrates.

Gas-phase thermochemical properties (tautomerism, acidity, and proton affinity) have been measured and calculated for a series of nucleobase derivatives that have not heretofore been examined under vacuum. The studied species are substrates for the enzyme formamidopyrimidine glycosylase (Fpg), which cleaves damaged nucleobases from DNA. The gas-phase results are compared and contrasted to solution-phase data, to afford insight into the Fpg mechanism. Calculations are also used to probe the energetics of various possible mechanisms and to predict isotope effects that could potentially allow for discrimination between different mechanisms. Specifically, (18) O substitution at the ribose O4' is predicted to result in a normal kinetic isotope effect (KIE) for a ring-opening "endocyclic" mechanism and an inverse KIE for a direct base excision "exocyclic" pathway.

A dynamic checkpoint in oxidative lesion discrimination by formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase.

In contrast to proteins recognizing small-molecule ligands, DNA-dependent enzymes cannot rely solely on interactions in the substrate-binding centre to achieve their exquisite specificity. It is widely believed that substrate recognition by such enzymes involves a series of conformational changes in the enzyme-DNA complex with sequential gates favoring cognate DNA and rejecting nonsubstrates. However, direct evidence for such mechanism is limited to a few systems. We report that discrimination between the oxidative DNA lesion, 8-oxoguanine (oxoG) and its normal counterpart, guanine, by the repair enzyme, formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg), likely involves multiple gates. Fpg uses an aromatic wedge to open the Watson-Crick base pair and everts the lesion into its active site. We used molecular dynamics simulations to explore the eversion free energy landscapes of oxoG and G by Fpg, focusing on structural and energetic details of oxoG recognition. The resulting energy profiles, supported by biochemical analysis of site-directed mutants disturbing the interactions along the proposed path, show that Fpg selectively facilitates eversion of oxoG by stabilizing several intermediate states, helping the rapidly sliding enzyme avoid full extrusion of every encountered base for interrogation. Lesion recognition through multiple gating intermediates may be a common theme in DNA repair enzymes.

Single-molecule visualization of ROS-induced DNA damage in large DNA molecules.

We present a single molecule visualization approach for the quantitative analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced DNA damage, such as base oxidation and single stranded breaks in large DNA molecules. We utilized the Fenton reaction to generate DNA damage with subsequent enzymatic treatment using a mixture of three types of glycosylases to remove oxidized bases, and then fluorescent labeling on damaged lesions via nick translation. This single molecule analytical platform provided the capability to count one or two damaged sites per λ DNA molecule (48.5 kb), which were reliably dependent on the concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and ferrous ion at the micromolar level. More importantly, the labeled damaged sites that were visualized under a microscope provided positional information, which offered the capability of comparing DNA damaged sites with the in silico genomic map to reveal sequence specificity that GTGR is more sensitive to oxidative damage. Consequently, single DNA molecule analysis provides a sensitive analytical platform for ROS-induced DNA damage and suggests an interesting biochemical insight that the genome primarily active during the lysogenic cycle may have less probability for oxidative DNA damage.

Quantum mechanical study of the ß- and δ-lyase reactions during the base excision repair process: application to FPG.

Bacterial FPG (or MutM) is a bifunctional DNA glycosylase that is primarily responsible for excising 8-oxoguanine (OG) from the genome by cleaving the glycosidic bond and the DNA backbone at the 3'- and 5'-phosphates of the damaged nucleoside. In the present work, quantum mechanical methods (SMD-M06-2X/6-311+G(2df,2p)//IEF-PCM-B3LYP/6-31G(d)) and a ring-opened Schiff base model that includes both the 3'- and 5'-phosphate groups are used to investigate the ß- and δ-elimination reactions facilitated by FPG. Both the ß- and δ-elimination reactions are shown to proceed through an E1cB mechanism that involves proton abstraction prior to the phosphate-ribose bond cleavage. Since transition states for the phosphate elimination reactions could not be characterized in the absence of leaving group protonation, our work confirms that the phosphate elimination reactions require protonation by a residue in the FPG active site, and can likely be further activated by additional active-site interactions. Furthermore, our model suggests that 5'-PO4 activation may proceed through a nearly isoenergetic direct (intramolecular) proton transfer involving the O4' proton of the deoxyribose of the damaged nucleoside. Regardless, our model predicts that both 3'- and 5'-phosphate protonation and elimination steps occur in a concerted reaction. Most importantly, our calculated barriers for the phosphate cleavage reactions reveal inherent differences between the ß- and δ-elimination steps. Indeed, our calculations provide a plausible explanation for why the δ-elimination rather than the ß-elimination is the rate-determining step in the BER facilitated by FPG, and why some bifunctional glycosylases (including the human counterpart, hOgg1) lack δ-lyase activity. Together, the new mechanistic features revealed by our work can be used in future large-scale modeling of the DNA-protein system to unveil the roles of key active sites residues in these relatively unexplored BER steps.

Oxidative DNA damage induced by metabolites of chloramphenicol, an antibiotic drug.

Chloramphenicol (CAP) was an old antimicrobial agent. However, the use of CAP is limited because of its harmful side effects, such as leukemia. The molecular mechanism through which CAP has been strongly correlated with leukemogenesis is still unclear. To elucidate the mechanism of genotoxicity, we examined DNA damage by CAP and its metabolites, nitroso-CAP (CAP-NO), N-hydroxy-CAP (CAP-NHOH), using isolated DNA. CAP-NHOH have the ability of DNA damage including 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine formation in the presence of Cu(II), which was greatly enhanced by the addition of an endogenous reductant NADH. CAP-NO caused DNA damage in the presence of Cu(II), only when reduced by NADH. NADH can non-enzymatically reduce the nitroso form to hydronitroxide radicals, resulting in enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species followed by DNA damage through the redox cycle. Furthermore, we also studied the site specificity of base lesions in DNA treated with piperidine or formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase, using (32)P-5'-end-labeled DNA fragments obtained from the human tumor suppressor gene. CAP metabolites preferentially caused double base lesion, the G and C of the ACG sequence complementary to codon 273 of the p53 gene, in the presence of NADH and Cu(II). Therefore, we conclude that oxidative double base lesion may play a role in carcinogenicity of CAP.

Recognition and excision properties of 8-halogenated-7-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosine as 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine analogues and Fpg and hOGG1 inhibitors.

Cellular DNA continuously suffers various types of damage, and unrepaired damage increases disease progression risk. 8-Oxo-2'-deoxyguanine (8-oxo-dG) is excised by repair enzymes, and their analogues are of interest as inhibitors and as bioprobes for study of these enzymes. We have developed 8-halogenated-7-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosine derivatives that resemble 8-oxo-dG in that they adopt the syn conformation. In this study, we investigated their effects on Fpg (formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase) and hOGG1 (human 8-oxoguanine DNA N-glycosylase 1). Relative to 8-oxo-dG, Cl- and Br-deaza-dG were good substrates for Fpg, whereas they were less efficient substrates for hOGG1. Kinetics and binding experiments indicated that, although hOGG1 effectively binds Cl- and Br-deaza-dG analogues with low Km values, their lower kcat values result in low glycosylase activities. The benefits of the high binding affinities and low reactivities of 8-oxo-dG analogues with hOGG1 have been successfully applied to the competitive inhibition of the excision of 8-oxoguanine from duplex DNA by hOGG1.

Active destabilization of base pairs by a DNA glycosylase wedge initiates damage recognition.

Formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) excises 8-oxoguanine (oxoG) from DNA but ignores normal guanine. We combined molecular dynamics simulation and stopped-flow kinetics with fluorescence detection to track the events in the recognition of oxoG by Fpg and its mutants with a key phenylalanine residue, which intercalates next to the damaged base, changed to either alanine (F110A) or fluorescent reporter tryptophan (F110W). Guanine was sampled by Fpg, as evident from the F110W stopped-flow traces, but less extensively than oxoG. The wedgeless F110A enzyme could bend DNA but failed to proceed further in oxoG recognition. Modeling of the base eversion with energy decomposition suggested that the wedge destabilizes the intrahelical base primarily through buckling both surrounding base pairs. Replacement of oxoG with abasic (AP) site rescued the activity, and calculations suggested that wedge insertion is not required for AP site destabilization and eversion. Our results suggest that Fpg, and possibly other DNA glycosylases, convert part of the binding energy into active destabilization of their substrates, using the energy differences between normal and damaged bases for fast substrate discrimination.

Computational investigation of glycosylase and ß-lyase activity facilitated by proline: applications to FPG and comparisons to hOgg1.

Quantum mechanical methods are used to investigate the chemical steps during the bifunctional (glycosylase and ß-lyase) activity of bacterial FPG DNA glycosylase, which removes the major oxidation product (8-oxoguanine) from DNA as part of the base excision repair process. To facilitate investigation of all potential pathways, the smallest chemically relevant model is implemented, namely a modified OG nucleoside-3'-monophosphate and a truncated proline nucleophile. Potential energy surfaces are characterized with SMD-M06-2X/6-311+G(2df,2p)//PCM-B3LYP/6-31G(d) and compared to a previous study on the analogues human enzyme (hOgg1), which uses a lysine nucleophile (Kellie, J. L.; Wetmore, S. D. J. Phys. Chem. B 2012, 116, 10786-10797). Our large calculated barriers indicate that FPG must actively catalyze the three main phases of the overall reaction, namely, deglycosylation, (deoxyribose) ring-opening, and ß-elimination, and provide clues about how this is achieved through comparison to accurate crystal structures. The main conclusions about key mechanistic steps hold true regardless of the nucleophile, suggesting that most major differences in the relative activity of FPG and hOgg1 are primarily due to other active site residues. Nevertheless, support for possible monofunctional (deglycosylation only) activity is only evident when lysine is the nucleophile. This finding agrees with experimental observations of monofunctional activity of hOgg1 and further supports the broadly accepted bifunctional activity of FPG.

Evaluation of the genotoxicity of the pyrethroid insecticide phenothrin.

Phenothrin, a synthetic pyrethroid compound, is widely used to control agricultural and household insects, as well as to eliminate human louse infestation. Toxicity studies on the direct DNA-damaging effect of phenothrin are lacking. We therefore investigated whether phenothrin exposure can lead to increased DNA damage in vitro in human peripheral blood lymphocytes and in human hepatocytes. Genotoxicity was evaluated by means of the comet assay modified with formamidopyrimidine DNA-glycosylase post-treatment for the detection of oxidative base-damage in DNA. We also assessed the cytotoxic potential of this compound by use of combined fluorescence viability staining. Our results show that phenothrin induces statistically significant, dose-dependent DNA damage in the absence of marked cytotoxicity at concentrations higher than 20 µM and 50 µM in human blood peripheral lymphocytes and hepatocytes, respectively. Oxidative DNA damage could also be detected in the two cell types, although this did not reach statistical significance. These findings provide evidence of the DNA-damaging potential of phenothrin and call for additional studies to reveal the genotoxic properties of this pyrethroid. The observations also point at the importance of using caution when considering the use of phenothrin.

Zinc finger oxidation of Fpg/Nei DNA glycosylases by 2-thioxanthine: biochemical and X-ray structural characterization.

DNA glycosylases from the Fpg/Nei structural superfamily are base excision repair enzymes involved in the removal of a wide variety of mutagen and potentially lethal oxidized purines and pyrimidines. Although involved in genome stability, the recent discovery of synthetic lethal relationships between DNA glycosylases and other pathways highlights the potential of DNA glycosylase inhibitors for future medicinal chemistry development in cancer therapy. By combining biochemical and structural approaches, the physical target of 2-thioxanthine (2TX), an uncompetitive inhibitor of Fpg, was identified. 2TX interacts with the zinc finger (ZnF) DNA binding domain of the enzyme. This explains why the zincless hNEIL1 enzyme is resistant to 2TX. Crystal structures of the enzyme bound to DNA in the presence of 2TX demonstrate that the inhibitor chemically reacts with cysteine thiolates of ZnF and induces the loss of zinc. The molecular mechanism by which 2TX inhibits Fpg may be generalized to all prokaryote and eukaryote ZnF-containing Fpg/Nei-DNA glycosylases. Cell experiments show that 2TX can operate in cellulo on the human Fpg/Nei DNA glycosylases. The atomic elucidation of the determinants for the interaction of 2TX to Fpg provides the foundation for the future design and synthesis of new inhibitors with high efficiency and selectivity.