How nucleotide excision repair protects against cancer.

Eukaryotic cells can repair many types of DNA damage. Among the known DNA repair processes in humans, one type--nucleotide excision repair (NER)--specifically protects against mutations caused indirectly by environmental carcinogens. Humans with a hereditary defect in NER suffer from xeroderma pigmentosum and have a marked predisposition to skin cancer caused by sunlight exposure. How does NER protect against skin cancer and possibly other types of environmentally induced cancer in humans?

A demonstration of several deoxyribonuclease activities in mammalian cell mitochondria.

Extracts of purified mitochondria from adult rabbit liver and kidney have been prepared by lysis with Triton X-100. Such extracts contain deoxyribonuclease activity demonstrable at alkaline pH. Studies utilizing the effects of substrate variation, differing ionic strength, nucleoside di- and triphosphates, and SH-group inhibitors reveal the existence of at least five distinguishable deoxyribonuclease activities in these extracts. Assay of lysosomal and mitochondrial enzyme markers indicates no significant lysosomal contamination of the mitochondrial extracts. Further studies also suggest that the alkaline deoxyribonuclease activity is specifically located in or in association with mitochondria.

Specific cleavage of model recombination and repair intermediates by the yeast Rad1-Rad10 DNA endonuclease.

The RAD1 and RAD10 genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are required for both nucleotide excision repair and certain mitotic recombination events. Here, model recombination and repair intermediates were used to show that Rad1-Rad10-mediated cleavage occurs at duplex-single-strand junctions. Moreover, cleavage occurs only on the strand containing the 3' single-stranded tail. Thus, both biochemical and genetic evidence indicate a role for the Rad1-Rad10 complex in the cleavage of specific recombination intermediates. Furthermore, these data suggest that Rad1-Rad10 endonuclease incises DNA 5' to damaged bases during nucleotide excision repair.

DNA repair and transcription.

The transcription factor TFIIH continues to be a subject of interest. In addition to its function as a repair and transcription factor, TFIIH includes a cyclin-dependent kinase and a cyclin, which raises the possibility that nucleotide excision repair (NER), RNA polymerase II transcription and cell cycle control are connected. Progress in mechanistic studies of NER include the identification of dual incision activities operating on either side of base damage and the isolation of a repairosome supercomplex in yeast. Additionally, NER has been demonstrated in reconstituted human and yeast systems, both of which include TFIIH.

Synergistic interactions between XPC and p53 mutations in double-mutant mice: neural tube abnormalities and accelerated UV radiation-induced skin cancer.

The significance of DNA repair to human health has been well documented by studies on xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patients, who suffer a dramatically increased risk of cancer in sun-exposed areas of their skin [1,2]. This autosomal recessive disorder has been directly associated with a defect in nucleotide excision-repair (NER) [1,2]. Like human XP individuals, mice carrying homozygous mutations in XP genes manifest a predisposition to skin carcinogenesis following exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation [3-5]. Recent studies have suggested that, in addition to roles in apoptosis [6] and cell-cycle checkpoint control [7] in response to DNA damage, p53 protein may modulate NER [8]. Mutations in the p53 gene have been observed in 50% of all human tumors [9] and have been implicated in both the early [10] and late [11] stages of skin cancer. To examine the consequences of a combined deficiency of the XPC and the p53 proteins in mice, we generated double-mutant animals. We document a spectrum of neural tube defects in XPC p53 mutant embryos. Additionally, we show that, following exposure to UV-B radiation, XPC p53 mutant mice have more severe solar keratosis and suffer accelerated skin cancer compared with XPC mutant mice that are wild-type with respect to p53.

Analysis of the essential and excision repair functions of the RAD3 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by mutagenesis.

The RAD3 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is involved in excision repair of DNA and is essential for cell viability, was mutagenized by site-specific and random mutagenesis. Site-specific mutagenesis was targeted to two regions near the 5' and 3' ends of the coding region, selected on the basis of amino acid sequence homology with known nucleotide binding and with known specific DNA-binding proteins, respectively. Two mutations in the putative nucleotide-binding region and one in the putative DNA-binding region inactivate the excision repair function of the gene, but not the essential function. A gene encoding two tandem mutations in the putative DNA-binding region is defective in both excision repair and essential functions of RAD3. Seven plasmids were isolated following random mutagenesis with hydroxylamine. Mutations in six of these plasmids were identified by gap repair of mutant plasmids from the chromosome of strains with previously mapped rad3 mutations, followed by DNA sequencing. Three of these contain missense mutations which inactivate only the excision repair function. The other three carry nonsense mutations which inactivate both the excision repair and essential functions. Collectively our results indicate that the RAD3 excision repair function is more sensitive to inactivation than is the essential function. Overexpression of wild-type Rad3 protein and a number of rad3 mutant proteins did not affect the UV resistance of wild-type yeast cells. However, overexpression of Rad3-2 protein rendered wild-type cells partially UV sensitive, indicating that excess Rad3-2 protein is dominant to the wild-type form. These and other results suggest that Rad3-2 protein retains its affinity for damaged DNA or other substrates, but is not catalytically active in excision repair.

Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD1 gene.

We have screened a yeast genomic library for complementation of the UV sensitivity of mutants defective in the RAD1 gene and isolated a plasmid designated pNF1000 with an 8.9-kilobase insert. This multicopy plasmid quantitatively complemented the UV sensitivity of two rad1 mutants tested but did not affect the UV resistance of other rad mutants. The location of the UV resistance function in pNF1000 was determined by deletion analysis, and an internal fragment of the putative RAD1 gene was integrated into the genome of a RAD1 strain. Genetic analysis of several integrants showed that integration occurred at the chromosomal RAD1 site, demonstrating that the internal fragment was derived from the RAD1 gene. A 3.88-kilobase region of pNF1000 was sequenced and showed the presence of a small open reading frame 243 nucleotides long that is apparently unrelated to RAD1, as well as a 2,916-nucleotide larger open reading frame presumed to encode RAD1 protein. Depending on which of two possible ATG codons initiates translation, the size of the RAD1 protein is calculated at 110 or 97 kilodaltons.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD2 gene: isolation, subcloning, and partial characterization.

A plasmid (pNF2000) containing a 9.7-kilobase pair DNA insert that complements the UV sensitivity of rad2-1, rad2-2, and rad2-4 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been isolated from a yeast genomic library. Genetic analysis of strains derived by transformation of rad2 mutants with an integrating plasmid containing a 9.3-kilobase pair fragment from pNF2000 shows that the fragment integrates exclusively at the chromosomal rad2 gene. We therefore conclude that this plasmid contains the RAD2 gene. The 9.3-kilobase pair fragment was partially digested with Sau3A and cloned into a multicopy yeast vector designed for easy retrieval of Sau3A inserts. The smallest subclone that retains the RAD2 gene is 4.5 kilobase pairs. This fragment was partially digested with Sau3A and cloned into an integrating plasmid. These plasmids were isolated and integrated into a heterozygous rad2/RAD2 strain. Plasmids containing internal fragments of the RAD2 gene were identified because they yielded UV-sensitive transformants due to disruption of the RAD2 gene. Sporulation of diploids transformed with integrating plasmids containing internal fragments of RAD2 gave rise to four viable haploids per tetrad, indicating that unlike the RAD3 gene of S. cerevisiae, the RAD2 gene is not essential for the viability of haploid cells under normal growth conditions. Measurements of the RNA transcript by RNA-DNA hybridization with the internal fragment as the probe indicate a size of approximately 3.2 kilobases.

DNA repair synthesis during base excision repair in vitro is catalyzed by DNA polymerase epsilon and is influenced by DNA polymerases alpha and delta in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Base excision repair is an important mechanism for correcting DNA damage produced by many physical and chemical agents. We have examined the effects of the REV3 gene and the DNA polymerase genes POL1, POL2, and POL3 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on DNA repair synthesis is nuclear extracts. Deletional inactivation of REV3 did not affect repair synthesis in the base excision repair pathway. Repair synthesis in nuclear extracts of pol1, pol2, and pol3 temperature-sensitive mutants was normal at permissive temperatures. However, repair synthesis in pol2 nuclear extracts was defective at the restrictive temperature of 37 degrees C and could be complemented by the addition of purified yeast DNA polymerase epsilon. Repair synthesis in pol1 nuclear extracts was proficient at the restrictive temperature unless DNA polymerase alpha was inactivated prior to the initiation of DNA repair. Thermal inactivation of DNA polymerase delta in pol3 nuclear extracts enhanced DNA repair synthesis approximately 2-fold, an effect which could be specifically reversed by the addition of purified yeast DNA polymerase delta to the extract. These results demonstrate that DNA repair synthesis in the yeast base excision repair pathway is catalyzed by DNA polymerase epsilon but is apparently modulated by the presence of DNA polymerases alpha and delta.

RAD3 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: nucleotide sequence of wild-type and mutant alleles, transcript mapping, and aspects of gene regulation.

We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the RAD3 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The coding region of the gene contained 2,334 base pairs that could encode a protein with a calculated molecular weight of 89,796. Analysis of RAD3 mRNA by Northern blots and by S1 nuclease mapping indicated that the transcript was approximately 2.5 kilobases and did not contain intervening sequences. Fusions between the RAD3 gene and the lac'Z gene of Escherichia coli were constructed and used to demonstrate that the RAD3 gene was not inducible by DNA damage caused by UV radiation or 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide. Two UV-sensitive chromosomal mutant alleles of RAD3, rad3-1 and rad3-2, were rescued by gap repair of a centromeric plasmid, and their sequences were determined. The rad3-1 mutation changed a glutamic acid to lysine, and the rad3-2 mutation changed a glycine to arginine. Previous studies have shown that disruption of the RAD3 gene results in loss of an essential function and is associated with inviability of haploid cells. In the present experiments, plasmids carrying the rad3-1 and rad3-2 mutations were introduced into haploid cells containing a disrupted RAD3 gene. These plasmids expressed the essential function of RAD3 but not its DNA repair function. A 74-base-pair deletion at the 3' end of the RAD3 coding region or a fusion of this deletion to the E. coli lac'Z gene did not affect either function of RAD3.

Stable and specific association between the yeast recombination and DNA repair proteins RAD1 and RAD10 in vitro.

The RAD1 and RAD10 genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are two of at least seven genes which are known to be required for damage-specific recognition and/or damage-specific incision of DNA during nucleotide excision repair. RAD1 and RAD10 are also involved in a specialized mitotic recombination pathway. We have previously reported the purification of the RAD10 protein to homogeneity (L. Bardwell, H. Burtscher, W. A. Weiss, C. M. Nicolet, and E. C. Friedberg, Biochemistry 29:3119-3126, 1990). In the present studies we show that the RAD1 protein, produced by in vitro transcription and translation of the cloned gene, specifically coimmunoprecipitates with the RAD10 protein translated in vitro or purified from yeast. Conversely, in vitro-translated RAD10 protein specifically coimmunoprecipitates with the RAD1 protein. The sites of this stable and specific interaction have been mapped to the C-terminal regions of both polypeptides. This portion of RAD10 protein is evolutionarily conserved. These results are the first biochemical evidence of a specific association between any eukaryotic proteins genetically identified as belonging to a recombination or DNA repair pathway and suggest that the RAD1 and RAD10 proteins act at the same or consecutive biochemical steps in both nucleotide excision repair and mitotic recombination.

Yeast RNA polymerase II transcription in vitro is inhibited in the presence of nucleotide excision repair: complementation of inhibition by Holo-TFIIH and requirement for RAD26.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcription factor IIH (TFIIH) is essential both for transcription by RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) and for nucleotide excision repair (NER) of damaged DNA. We have established cell extracts which support RNAP II transcription from the yeast CYC1 promoter or NER of transcriptionally silent damaged DNA on independent plasmid templates and substrates. When plasmid templates and substrates for both processes are simultaneously incubated with these extracts, transcription is significantly inhibited. This inhibition is strictly dependent on active NER and can be complemented with purified holo-TFIIH. These results suggest that in the presence of active NER, TFIIH is preferentially mobilized from the basal transcription machinery for use in NER. Inhibition of transcription in the presence of active NER requires the RAD26 gene, the yeast homolog of the human Cockayne syndrome group B gene (CSB).

RAD4 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: molecular cloning and partial characterization of a gene that is inactivated in Escherichia coli.

In contrast to other Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD genes involved in nucleotide excision repair of DNA, the RAD4 gene could not be isolated by screening a yeast genomic library for recombinant plasmids which complement the UV sensitivity of rad4 mutants (Pure et al., J. Mol. Biol. 183:31-42, 1985). We therefore attempted to walk to RAD4 from the neighboring SPT2 gene and obtained an integrating derivative of a plasmid isolated by Roeder et al. (Mol. Cell. Biol. 5:1543-1553, 1985) which contains a 4-kilobase fragment of yeast DNA including a mutant allele of SPT2. When integrated into several different rad4 mutant strains, this plasmid (pR169) complements UV sensitivity at a frequency of approximately 10%. However, a centromeric plasmid containing rescued sequences which include flanking yeast DNA no longer complements the phenotype of rad4 mutants. Complementing activity was restored by in vivo repair of a defined gap in the centromeric plasmid. The repaired plasmid fully complements the UV sensitivity of all rad4 mutants tested when isolated directly from yeast cells, but when this plasmid is propagated in Escherichia coli complementing activity is lost. We have mapped the physical location of the RAD4 gene by insertional mutagenesis and by transcript mapping. The gene is approximately 2.3 kilobases in size and is located immediately upstream of the SPT2 gene. Both genes are transcribed in the same direction. RAD4 is not an essential gene, and no increased transcription of this gene is observed in cells exposed to the DNA-damaging agent 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide. The site of inactivation of RAD4 in a particular plasmid propagated in E. coli was localized to a 100-base-pair region by gene disruption and gap repair experiments. In addition, we have identified the approximate locations of the chromosomal rad4-2, rad4-3, and rad4-4 mutations.

The RAD7, RAD16, and RAD23 genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: requirement for transcription-independent nucleotide excision repair in vitro and interactions between the gene products.

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a biochemical process required for the repair of many different types of DNA lesions. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the RAD7, RAD16, and RAD23 genes have been specifically implicated in NER of certain transcriptionally repressed loci and in the nontranscribed strand of transcriptionally active genes. We have used a cell-free system to study the roles of the Rad7, Rad16, and Rad23 proteins in NER. Transcription-independent NER of a plasmid substrate was defective in rad7, rad16, and rad23 mutant extracts. Complementation studies with a previously purified NER protein complex (nucleotide excision repairosome) indicate that Rad23 is a component of the repairosome, whereas Rad7 and Rad16 proteins were not found in this complex. Complementation studies with rad4, rad7, rad16, and rad23 mutant extracts suggest physical interactions among these proteins. This conclusion was confirmed by experiments using the yeast two-hybrid assay, which demonstrated the following pairwise interactions: Rad4 with Rad23, Rad4 with Rad7, and Rad7 with Rad16. Additionally, interaction between the Rad7 and Rad16 proteins was demonstrated in vitro. Our results show that Rad7, Rad16, and Rad23 are required for transcription-independent NER in vitro. This process may involve a unique protein complex which is distinct from the repairosome and which contains at least the Rad4, Rad7, and Rad16 proteins.

The yeast TFB1 and SSL1 genes, which encode subunits of transcription factor IIH, are required for nucleotide excision repair and RNA polymerase II transcription.

The essential TFB1 and SSL1 genes of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae encode two subunits of the RNA polymerase II transcription factor TFIIH (factor b). Here we show that extracts of temperature-sensitive mutants carrying mutations in both genes (tfb1-101 and ssl1-1) are defective in nucleotide excision repair (NER) and RNA polymerase II transcription but are proficient for base excision repair. RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription at the CYC1 promoter was normal at permissive temperatures but defective in extracts preincubated at a restrictive temperature. In contrast, defective NER was observed at temperatures that are permissive for growth. Additionally, both mutants manifested increased sensitivity to UV radiation at permissive temperatures. The extent of this sensitivity was not increased in a tfb1-101 strain and was only slightly increased in a ssl1-1 strain at temperatures that are semipermissive for growth. Purified factor TFIIH complemented defective NER in both tfb1-101 and ssl1-1 mutant extracts. These results define TFB1 and SSL1 as bona fide NER genes and indicate that, as is the case with the yeast Rad3 and Ss12 (Rad25) proteins, Tfb1 and Ssl1 are required for both RNA polymerase II basal transcription and NER. Our results also suggest that the repair and transcription functions of Tfb1 and Ssl1 are separable.

Yeast nucleotide excision repair proteins Rad2 and Rad4 interact with RNA polymerase II basal transcription factor b (TFIIH).

The Rad2, Rad3, Rad4, and Ss12 proteins are required for nucleotide excision repair in yeast cells and are homologs of four human proteins which are involved in a group of hereditary repair-defective diseases. We have previously shown that Rad3 protein is one of the five subunits of purified RNA polymerase II basal transcription initiation factor b (TFIIH) and that Ss12 protein physically associates with factor b (W.J. Feaver, J.Q. Svejstrup, L. Bardwell, A.J. Bardwell, S. Buratowski, K.D. Gulyas, T.F. Donahue, E.C. Friedberg, and R.D. Kornberg, Cell 75:1379-1387, 1993). Here we show that the Rad2 and Rad4 proteins interact with purified factor b in vitro. Rad2 (a single-stranded DNA endonuclease) specifically interacts with the Tfb1 subunit of factor b, and we have mapped a limited region of the Rad2 polypeptide which is sufficient for this interaction. Rad2 also interacts directly with Ss12 protein (a putative DNA helicase). The binding of Rad2 and Rad4 proteins to factor b may define intermediates in the assembly of the nucleotide excision repair repairosome. Furthermore, the loading of factor b (or such intermediates) onto promoters during transcription initiation provides a mechanism for the preferential targeting of repair proteins to actively transcribing genes.

3,4-Epoxy-1-butene, a reactive metabolite of 1,3-butadiene, induces somatic mutations in Xpc-null mice.

Xpc-null (Xpc-/-) mice, deficient in the global genome repair subpathway of nucleotide excision repair (NER-GGR), were exposed by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection to a 300 mg/kg mutagenic dose of 3,4-epoxy-1-butene (EB), to investigate NER's potential role in repairing butadiene (BD) epoxide DNA lesions. Mutagenic sensitivity was assessed using the Hprt assay. Xpc-/- mice were significantly more sensitive to EB exposure, exhibiting an average 2.8-fold increase in Hprt mutant frequency (MF) relative to those of exposed Xpc+/+ (wild-type) mice. As a positive control for NER-GGR, additional mice were exposed by i.p. injection to a 150 mg/kg mutagenic dose of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). The Xpc-/- mice had MFs 2.9-fold higher than those of exposed Xpc+/+ mice. These results suggest that NER-GGR plays a role in recognizing and repairing some of the DNA adducts formed following in vivo exposure to EB. Additional research is needed to examine the response of Xpc-/- mice, as well as other NER-deficient strains, to inhaled BD. Furthermore, it is likely that alternative DNA repair pathways also are involved in restoring genomic integrity compromised by BD-epoxide DNA damage. Collaborative studies are currently underway to address these critical issues.

Cloning the human and mouse MMS19 genes and functional complementation of a yeast mms19 deletion mutant.

The MMS19 gene of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a polypeptide of unknown function which is required for both nucleotide excision repair (NER) and RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) transcription. Here we report the molecular cloning of human and mouse orthologs of the yeast MMS19 gene. Both human and Drosophila MMS19 cDNAs correct thermosensitive growth and sensitivity to killing by UV radiation in a yeast mutant deleted for the MMS19 gene, indicating functional conservation between the yeast and mammalian gene products. Alignment of the translated sequences of MMS19 from multiple eukaryotes, including mouse and human, revealed the presence of several conserved regions, including a HEAT repeat domain near the C-terminus. The presence of HEAT repeats, coupled with functional complementation of yeast mutant phenotypes by the orthologous protein from higher eukaryotes, suggests a role of Mms19 protein in the assembly of a multiprotein complex(es) required for NER and RNAP II transcription. Both the mouse and human genes are ubiquitously expressed as multiple transcripts, some of which appear to derive from alternative splicing. The ratio of different transcripts varies in several different tissue types.

Non-histone chromosomal proteins of chemically transformed neoplastic cells in tissue culture.

Chromatin proteins from control and dimethylnitrosamine-transformed baby hamster kidney cells were comparbd by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Our results indicate that non-histone chromosomal proteins from transformed cells contained protein components of low and intermediate electrophoretic mobility, which were deficient in normal cells. Comparison of the relative amount of incorporation of labeled amino acids into non-histone chromosomal proteins showed that protein components with a molecular weight of about 60,000 M.W. had a markedly increased labeling activity in the chemically transformed cells. These results suggest that changes in non-histone chromosomal proteins are associated with neoplastic transformation by chemical carcinogens.