Evolutionary Origins of DNA Repair Pathways: Role of Oxygen Catastrophe in the Emergence of DNA Glycosylases.

It was proposed that the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) evolved under high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment, similar to those found in deep-sea vents and on volcanic slopes. Therefore, spontaneous DNA decay, such as base loss and cytosine deamination, was the major factor affecting LUCA's genome integrity. Cosmic radiation due to Earth's weak magnetic field and alkylating metabolic radicals added to these threats. Here, we propose that ancient forms of life had only two distinct repair mechanisms: versatile apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonucleases to cope with both AP sites and deaminated residues, and enzymes catalyzing the direct reversal of UV and alkylation damage. The absence of uracil-DNA N-glycosylases in some Archaea, together with the presence of an AP endonuclease, which can cleave uracil-containing DNA, suggests that the AP endonuclease-initiated nucleotide incision repair (NIR) pathway evolved independently from DNA glycosylase-mediated base excision repair. NIR may be a relic that appeared in an early thermophilic ancestor to counteract spontaneous DNA damage. We hypothesize that a rise in the oxygen level in the Earth's atmosphere ~2 Ga triggered the narrow specialization of AP endonucleases and DNA glycosylases to cope efficiently with a widened array of oxidative base damage and complex DNA lesions.

Endogenous DNA damage clusters in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

Clustered DNA damages-multiple oxidized bases, abasic sites, or strand breaks within a few helical turns-are potentially mutagenic and lethal alterations induced by ionizing radiation. Endogenous clusters are found at low frequencies in unirradiated normal human cells and tissues. Radiation-sensitive hematopoietic cells with low glycosylase levels (TK6 and WI-L2-NS) accumulate oxidized base clusters but not abasic clusters, indicating that cellular repair genotype affects endogenous cluster levels. We asked whether other factors, i.e., in the cellular microenvironment, affect endogenous cluster levels and composition in hematopoietic cells. TK6 and WI-L2-NS cells were grown in standard medium (RPMI 1640) alone or supplemented with folate and/or selenium; oxidized base cluster levels were highest in RPMI 1640 and reduced in selenium-supplemented medium. Abasic clusters were low under all conditions. In primary hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from four non-tobacco-using donors, cluster levels were low. However, in cells from tobacco users, we observed high oxidized base clusters and also abasic clusters, previously observed only in irradiated cells. Protein levels and activity of the abasic endonuclease Ape1 were similar in the tobacco users and nonusers. These data suggest that in highly damaging environments, even normal DNA repair capacity can be overwhelmed, leaving highly repair-resistant clustered damages.

Expression of the E. coli fpg protein in CHO cells lowers endogenous oxypurine clustered damage levels and decreases accumulation of endogenous Hprt mutations.

Endogenous DNA damage clusters--two or more oxidized bases, abasic sites, or strand breaks within about 20 base pairs on opposing strands--can accumulate in unirradiated mammalian cells, and may be significant origins of spontaneous detrimental biological effects. Factors determining the levels of such endogenous clusters are largely unknown. To determine if cellular repair genotype can affect endogenous cluster levels in mammalian cells, the authors examined cluster levels, growth rates, and mutant frequencies in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing the Escherichia coli glycosylase fpg protein, whose principal substrates are oxidized purines. In cells expressing high levels of fpg protein, the levels of oxypurine clustered damages were decreased while those of oxypyrimidine clusters and abasic clusters were unchanged. Furthermore, in these cells, the growth rates were increased and the level of spontaneous background mutants in the hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase gene was decreased. These results suggest that endogenous clusters are potentially detrimental DNA damages, and that their levels-as well as the detrimental consequences of their presence-can be effectively reduced by increased cellular activity of specific DNA repair proteins.

Sequence-specific p53 gene damage by chloroacetaldehyde and its repair kinetics in Escherichia coli.

Oxidative stress and certain environmental carcinogens, e.g. vinyl chloride and its metabolite chloroacetaldehyde (CAA), introduce promutagenic exocyclic adducts into DNA, among them 1,N(6)-ethenoadenine (epsilonA), 3,N(4)-ethenocytosine (epsilonC) and N(2),3-ethenoguanine (epsilonG). We studied sequence-specific interaction of the vinyl-chloride metabolite CAA with human p53 gene exons 5-8, using DNA Polymerase Fingerprint Analysis (DPFA), and identified sites of the highest sensitivity. CAA-induced DNA damage was more extensive in p53 regions which revealed secondary structure perturbations, and were localized in regions of mutation hot-spots. These perturbations inhibited DNA synthesis on undamaged template. We also studied the repair kinetics of CAA-induced DNA lesions in E. coli at nucleotide resolution level. A plasmid bearing full length cDNA of human p53 gene was modified in vitro with 360 mM CAA and transformed into E. coli DH5alpha strain, in which the adaptive response system had been induced by MMS treatment before the cells were made competent. Following transformation, plasmids were re-isolated from transformed cultures 35, 40, 50 min and 1-24 h after transformation, and further subjected to LM-PCR, using ANPG, MUG and Fpg glycosylases to identify the sites of DNA damage. In adaptive response-induced E. coli cells the majority of DNA lesions recognized by ANPG glycosylase were removed from plasmid DNA within 35 min, while MUG glycosylase excised base modifications only within 50 min, both in a sequence-dependent manner. In non-adapted cells resolution of plasmid topological forms was perturbed, suggesting inhibition of one or more bacterial topoisomerases by unrepaired epsilon-adducts. We also observed delayed consequences of DNA modification with CAA, manifesting as secondary DNA breaks, which appeared 3 h after transformation of damaged DNA into E. coli, and were repaired after 24 h.

Characterisation of the substrate specificity of homogeneous vaccinia virus uracil-DNA glycosylase.

The decision to stop smallpox vaccination and the loss of specific immunity in a large proportion of the population could jeopardise world health due to the possibility of a natural or provoked re-emergence of smallpox. Therefore, it is mandatory to improve the current capability to prevent or treat such infections. The DNA repair protein uracil-DNA glycosylase (UNG) is one of the viral enzymes important for poxvirus pathogenesis. Consequently, the inhibition of UNG could be a rational strategy for the treatment of infections with poxviruses. In order to develop inhibitor assays for UNG, as a first step, we have characterised the recombinant vaccinia virus UNG (vUNG) and compared it with the human nuclear form (hUNG2) and catalytic fragment (hUNG) UNG. In contrast to hUNG2, vUNG is strongly inhibited in the presence of 7.5 mM MgCl(2). We have shown that highly purified vUNG is not inhibited by a specific uracil-DNA glycosylase inhibitor. Interestingly, both viral and human enzymes preferentially excise uracil when it is opposite to cytosine. The present study provides the basis for the design of specific inhibitors for vUNG.

Enzymology of the repair of free radicals-induced DNA damage.

A number of intrinsic and extrinsic mutagens induce structural damage in cellular DNA. These DNA damages are cytotoxic, miscoding or both and are believed to be at the origin of cell lethality, tissue degeneration, ageing and cancer. In order to counteract immediately the deleterious effects of such lesions, leading to genomic instability, cells have evolved a number of DNA repair mechanisms including the direct reversal of the lesion, sanitation of the dNTPs pools, mismatch repair and several DNA excision pathways including the base excision repair (BER) nucleotide excision repair (NER) and the nucleotide incision repair (NIR). These repair pathways are universally present in living cells and extremely well conserved. This review is focused on the repair of lesions induced by free radicals and ionising radiation. The BER pathway removes most of these DNA lesions, although recently it was shown that other pathways would also be efficient in the removal of oxidised bases. In the BER pathway the process is initiated by a DNA glycosylase excising the modified and mismatched base by hydrolysis of the glycosidic bond between the base and the deoxyribose of the DNA, generating a free base and an abasic site (AP-site) which in turn is repaired since it is cytotoxic and mutagenic.

Base excision repair of adenine/8-oxoguanine mispairs by an aphidicolin-sensitive DNA polymerase in human cell extracts.

Replication of DNA containing 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8oxoG) can generate 8oxoG/A base pairs which, if uncorrected, lead to G-->T transversions. It is generally accepted that the repair of these promutagenic base pairs in human cells is initiated by the MutY DNA glycosylase homolog (hMYH). Here we provide biochemical evidence that human cell extracts perform base excision repair (BER) on both DNA strands of an 8oxoG/A mismatch. At early repair times the specificity of nucleotide incorporation indicates a preferential insertion of C opposite 8oxoG leading to the formation of 8oxoG/C pairs. This is followed by repair synthesis on the opposite DNA strand that is consistent with hOGG1-mediated correction of 8oxoG/C to G/C. Repair synthesis on either strand is completely inhibited by aphidicolin suggesting that a replicative DNA polymerase is involved in the gap filling. This is the first demonstration that repair of 8oxoG/A base pairs is by two BER events likely mediated by Poldelta/epsilon. We suggest that the Poldelta/epsilon-mediated BER is the general mode of repair when BER lesions are formed at replication forks.

Role of mismatch-specific uracil-DNA glycosylase in repair of 3,N4-ethenocytosine in vivo.

The 3,N(4)-ethenocytosine (epsilon C) residue might have biological role in vivo since it is recognized and efficiently excised in vitro by the E. coli mismatch-specific uracil-DNA glycosylase (MUG) and the human thymine-DNA glycosylase (hTDG). In the present work we have generated mug defective mutant of E. coli by insertion of a kanamycin cassette to assess the role of MUG in vivo. We show that human TDG complements the enzymatic activity of MUG when expressed in a mug mutant. The epsilon C-DNA glycosylase defective strain did not exhibit spontaneous mutator phenotype and did not show unusual sensitivity to any of the following DNA damaging treatments: methylmethanesulfonate, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, ultraviolet light, H(2)O(2), paraquat. However, plasmid DNA damaged by 2-chloroacetaldehyde treatment in vitro was inactivated at a greater rate in a mug mutant than in wild-type host, suggesting that MUG is required for the in vivo processing of the ethenobases. In addition, 2-chloroacetaldehyde treatment induces preferentially G.C --> C.G and A.T --> T.A transversions in mug mutant. Comparison of the mutation frequencies induced by the site-specifically incorporated epsilon C residue in E. coli wild-type versus mug indicates that MUG repairs more than 80% of epsilon C residues in vivo. Furthermore, the results show that nucleotide excision repair and recombination are not involved in the processing of epsilon C in E. coli. Based on the mutagenesis data we suggest that epsilon C may be less toxic and less mutagenic than expected. The increased spontaneous mutation rate for G.C --> A.T transition in the ung mug double mutant as compared to the single ung mutant suggest that MUG may be a back-up repair enzyme to the classic uracil-DNA glycosylase.

Inhibition of DNA repair glycosylases by base analogs and tryptophan pyrolysate, Trp-P-1.

DNA base analogs, 2,4,5,6-substituted pyrimidines and 2,6-substituted purines were tested as potential inhibitors of E. coli Fpg protein (formamidopyrimidine -DNA glycosylase). Three of the seventeen compounds tested revealed inhibitory properties. 2-Thioxanthine was the most efficient, inhibiting 50% of 2,6-diamino-4-hydroxy-5N-methyl-formamidopyrimidine (Fapy-7MeG) excision activity at 17.1 microM concentration. The measured K(i) was 4.44 +/- 0.15 microM. Inhibition was observed only when the Fpg protein was first challenged to its substrate followed by the addition of the base analog, suggesting uncompetitive (catalytic) inhibition. For two other compounds, 2-thio- or 2-oxo-4,5,6-substituted pyrimidines, IC(50) was only 343.3 +/- 58.6 and 350 +/- 24.4 microM, respectively. No change of the Fpg glycosylase activity was detected in the presence of Fapy-7MeG, up to 5 microM. We also investigated the effect of DNA structure modified by tryptophan pyrolysate (Trp-P-1) on the activity of base excision repair enzymes: Escherichia coli and human DNA glycosylases of oxidized (Fpg, Nth) and alkylated bases (TagA, AlkA, and ANPG), and for bacterial AP endonuclease (Xth protein). Trp-P-1, which changes the secondary DNA structure into non-B, non-Z most efficiently inhibited excision of alkylated bases by the AlkA glycosylase (IC(50) = 1 microM). The ANPG, TagA, and Fpg proteins were also inhibited although to a lesser extent (IC(50) = 76.5 microM, 96 microM, and 187.5 microM, respectively). Trp-P-1 also inhibited incision of DNA at abasic sites by the beta-lyase activity of the Fpg and Nth proteins, and to a lesser extent by the Xth AP endonuclease. Thus, DNA conformation is critical for excision of damaged bases and incision of abasic sites by DNA repair enzymes.

Low levels of endogenous oxidative damage cluster levels in unirradiated viral and human DNAs.

Ionizing radiation induces bistranded DNA damage clusters-two or more oxidized bases, abasic, sites or strand breaks on opposing strands within a few helical turns-but it is not known if clusters are also formed in unirradiated DNA in solution or in unirradiated cultured human cells. The frequencies of endogenous oxidized purine clusters (recognized by Escherichia coli Fpg protein), oxidized pyrimidine clusters (recognized by Nth protein), and abasic clusters (cleavage by Nfo protein) were determined using quantitative gel electrophoresis, electronic imaging, and number average length analysis. Methods of DNA isolation and storage were found to affect cluster levels significantly. In bacteriophage T7 DNA prepared using stringent conditions, the frequencies of these clusters were <1/Mbp. In DNA from unirradiated human 28SC monocytes, the levels of such clusters were, at most, a few per gigabase pair.

Inhibition of poly(ADP-RIBOSE) polymerase (PARP) by nitric oxide and reactive nitrogen oxide species.

The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) family of nuclear enzymes is involved in the detection and signaling of single strand breaks induced either directly by ionizing radiation or indirectly by the sequential action of various DNA repair proteins. Therefore, PARP plays an important role in maintaining genome stability. Because PARP proteins contain two zinc finger motifs, these enzymes can be targets for reactive nitrogen oxide intermediates (RNOS) generated as a result of nitric oxide (NO) biosynthesis in an aerobic environment. The effects of RNOS on the activity of purified PARP were examined using donor compounds. Both NO and nitroxyl (HNO) donors were found to be inhibitory in a similar time and concentration manner, indicating that PARP activity can be modified under both nitrosative and oxidative conditions. Moreover, these RNOS donors elicited comparable PARP inhibition in Sf21 insect cell extract and intact human MCF-7 cancer cells. The concentrations of donor required for 90% inhibition of PARP activity produce RNOS at a similar magnitude to those generated in the cellular microenvironment of activated leukocytes, suggesting that cellular scavenging of RNOS may not be protective against PARP modification and that inhibition of PARP may be significant under inflammatory conditions.

Are endogenous clustered DNA damages induced in human cells?

Although clustered DNA damages are induced in cells by ionizing radiation and can be induced artifactually during DNA isolation, it was not known if they are formed in unirradiated cells by normal oxidative metabolism. Using high-sensitivity methods of quantitative gel electrophoresis, electronic imaging, and number average length analysis, we found that two radiosensitive human cell lines (TK6 and WI-L2-NS) accumulated Fpg-oxidized purine clusters and Nth-oxidized pyrimidine clusters but not Nfo-abasic clusters. However, four repair-proficient human lines (MOLT 4, HL-60, WTK1, and 28SC) did not contain significant levels (<5/Gbp) of any cluster type. Cluster levels were independent of p53 status. Measurement of glycosylase levels in 28SC, TK6, and WI-L2-NS cells suggested that depressed hOGG1 and hNth activities in TK6 and WI-L2-NS could be related to oxybase cluster accumulation. Thus, individuals with DNA repair enzyme deficiencies could accumulate potentially cytotoxic and mutagenic clustered DNA damages. The absence of Nfo-detected endogenous clusters in any cells examined suggests that abasic clusters could be a signature of cellular ionizing radiation exposure.

Use of crosslinking for revealing the DNA phosphate groups forming specific contacts with the E. coli Fpg protein.

Specific contacts between DNA phosphate groups and positively charged nucleophilic amino acids from the Escherichia coli Fpg protein play a significant role in DNA-Fpg protein interaction. In order to identify these phosphate groups the chemical crosslinking procedure was carried out. The probing of the Fpg protein active center was performed using a series of reactive DNA duplexes containing both a single 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanosine (oxoG) residue and O-alkyl-substituted pyrophosphate internucleotide groups at the same time. Reactive internucleotide groups were introduced in dsDNA immediately 5' or 3' to the oxidative lesion and one or two nucleotides 5' or 3' away from it. We showed that the Fpg protein specifically binds to the modified DNA duplexes. The binding efficiency varied with the position of the reactive group and was higher for the duplexes containing substituted pyrophosphate groups at the ends of pentanucleotide with the oxoG in the center. The nicking efficiency of the DNA duplexes containing the reactive groups one or two nucleotides 5' away from the lesion was higher as compared to non-modified DNA duplex bearing only the oxidative damage. We found two novel non-hydrolizable substrate analogs for the Fpg protein containing pyrophosphate and substituted pyrophosphate groups 3' adjacent to the oxoG. Using crosslinking, we revealed the phosphate groups, 3' and 5' adjacent to the lesion, which have specific contacts with nucleophilic amino acids from the E. coli Fpg protein active center. The crosslinking efficiency achieved 30%. The approaches developed can be employed in the studies of pro- and eucaryotic homologs of the E. coli Fpg protein as well as other repair enzymes.

Clustered DNA damages induced by x rays in human cells.

Although DNA DSBs are known to be important in producing the damaging effects of ionizing radiation in cells, bistranded clustered DNA damages-two or more oxidized bases, abasic sites or strand breaks on opposing DNA strands within a few helical turns-are postulated to be difficult to repair and thus to be critical radiation-induced lesions. Gamma rays can induce clustered damages in DNA in solution, and high-energy iron ions produce DSBs and oxidized pyrimidine clusters in human cells, but it was not known whether sparsely ionizing radiation can produce clustered damages in mammalian cells. We show here that X rays induce abasic clusters, oxidized pyrimidine clusters, and oxidized purine clusters in DNA in human cells. Non-DSB clustered damages comprise about 70% of the complex lesions produced in cells. The relative levels of specific cluster classes depend on the environment of the DNA.

Repair of oxidized purines and damaged pyrimidines by E. coli Fpg protein: different roles of proline 2 and lysine 57 residues.

The Escherichia coli Fpg protein is involved in the repair of oxidized purines, including the highly mutagenic 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG). The Fpg protein also excises various oxidized pyrimidines with high efficiency. We examined, by targeted mutagenesis, the role of two highly conserved amino acid residues, proline 2 (P2) and lysine 57 (K57), on the catalytic activities of the Fpg protein toward a ring-fragmentation product of thymine (alpha RT) and 5,6-dihydrothymine (dHT). The following E. coli mutant Fpg proteins were investigated: lysine 57 --> glycine (FpgK57G), proline 2 --> glycine (FpgP2G), and proline 2 --> glutamic acid (FpgP2E). The FpgK57G protein had barely detectable alpha RT and dHT-DNA glycosylase activities and produced minute amounts of a Schiff-base complex upon reaction with alpha RT containing DNA. In contrast, the activity of an FpgP2G mutant toward alpha RT was comparable to the wild type activity and produced a Schiff-base complex with this substrate. FpgP2E was completely inactive in all the assays, in contrast, to the other mutants. The crystal structure of a homologous Fpg protein from an extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus HB8, reveals that it is composed of two distinct domains connected by a flexible hinge (Sugahara et al. [2000]: EMBO J 19:3857-3869). The N-terminal proline, one primary residue for enzymatic catalysis, is positioned at the bottom of a cleft in close proximity to lysine 52 (analogous to K57 of the E. coli Fpg). Based on the biochemical assays, together with the crystal structure of T. thermophilus HB8 Fpg protein, we propose a two-nucleophile model for the enzymatic catalysis.

Quantifying clustered DNA damage induction and repair by gel electrophoresis, electronic imaging and number average length analysis.

Assessing DNA damage induction, repair and consequences of such damages requires measurement of specific DNA lesions by methods that are independent of biological responses to such lesions. Lesions affecting one DNA strand (altered bases, abasic sites, single strand breaks (SSB)) as well as damages affecting both strands (clustered damages, double strand breaks) can be quantified by direct measurement of DNA using gel electrophoresis, gel imaging and number average length analysis. Damage frequencies as low as a few sites per gigabase pair (10(9)bp) can be quantified by this approach in about 50ng of non-radioactive DNA, and single molecule methods may allow such measurements in DNA from single cells. This review presents the theoretical basis, biochemical requirements and practical aspects of this approach, and shows examples of their applications in identification and quantitation of complex clustered damages.

Clustered DNA damages induced in human hematopoietic cells by low doses of ionizing radiation.

Ionizing radiation induces clusters of DNA damages--oxidized bases, abasic sites and strand breaks--on opposing strands within a few helical turns. Such damages have been postulated to be difficult to repair, as are double strand breaks (one type of cluster). We have shown that low doses of low and high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation induce such damage clusters in human cells. In human cells, DSB are about 30% of the total of complex damages, and the levels of DSBs and oxidized pyrimidine clusters are similar. The dose responses for cluster induction in cells can be described by a linear relationship, implying that even low doses of ionizing radiation can produce clustered damages. Studies are in progress to determine whether clusters can be produced by mechanisms other than ionizing radiation, as well as the levels of various cluster types formed by low and high LET radiation.

Direct DNA Lesion Reversal and Excision Repair in Escherichia coli.

Cellular DNA is constantly challenged by various endogenous and exogenous genotoxic factors that inevitably lead to DNA damage: structural and chemical modifications of primary DNA sequence. These DNA lesions are either cytotoxic, because they block DNA replication and transcription, or mutagenic due to the miscoding nature of the DNA modifications, or both, and are believed to contribute to cell lethality and mutagenesis. Studies on DNA repair in Escherichia coli spearheaded formulation of principal strategies to counteract DNA damage and mutagenesis, such as: direct lesion reversal, DNA excision repair, mismatch and recombinational repair and genotoxic stress signalling pathways. These DNA repair pathways are universal among cellular organisms. Mechanistic principles used for each repair strategies are fundamentally different. Direct lesion reversal removes DNA damage without need for excision and de novo DNA synthesis, whereas DNA excision repair that includes pathways such as base excision, nucleotide excision, alternative excision and mismatch repair, proceeds through phosphodiester bond breakage, de novo DNA synthesis and ligation. Cell signalling systems, such as adaptive and oxidative stress responses, although not DNA repair pathways per se, are nevertheless essential to counteract DNA damage and mutagenesis. The present review focuses on the nature of DNA damage, direct lesion reversal, DNA excision repair pathways and adaptive and oxidative stress responses in E. coli.

Genetic and biochemical characterization of human AP endonuclease 1 mutants deficient in nucleotide incision repair activity.

BACKGROUND: Human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) is a key DNA repair enzyme involved in both base excision repair (BER) and nucleotide incision repair (NIR) pathways. In the BER pathway, APE1 cleaves DNA at AP sites and 3'-blocking moieties generated by DNA glycosylases. In the NIR pathway, APE1 incises DNA 5' to a number of oxidatively damaged bases. At present, physiological relevance of the NIR pathway is fairly well established in E. coli, but has yet to be elucidated in human cells. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING: We identified amino acid residues in the APE1 protein that affect its function in either the BER or NIR pathway. Biochemical characterization of APE1 carrying single K98A, R185A, D308A and double K98A/R185A amino acid substitutions revealed that all mutants exhibited greatly reduced NIR and 3'-->5' exonuclease activities, but were capable of performing BER functions to some extent. Expression of the APE1 mutants deficient in the NIR and exonuclease activities reduced the sensitivity of AP endonuclease-deficient E. coli xth nfo strain to an alkylating agent, methylmethanesulfonate, suggesting that our APE1 mutants are able to repair AP sites. Finally, the human NIR pathway was fully reconstituted in vitro using the purified APE1, human flap endonuclease 1, DNA polymerase beta and DNA ligase I proteins, thus establishing the minimal set of proteins required for a functional NIR pathway in human cells. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Taken together, these data further substantiate the role of NIR as a distinct and separable function of APE1 that is essential for processing of potentially lethal oxidative DNA lesions.