Association of ATM activation and DNA repair with induced radioresistance after low-dose irradiation.

Mammalian cells often exhibit a hyper-radiosensitivity (HRS) to radiation doses <20 cGy, followed by increased radioresistance (IRR) at slightly higher doses (∼20-30 cGy). Here, the influence of DNA double-strand break repair (DSBR) on IRR was examined. The failure of Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) cells to undergo IRR reported by others was confirmed. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that normal cells fail to show a measurable increase in serine 1981 phosphorylated AT-mutated (ATM) protein after 10 cGy up to 4 h post irradiation, but a two- to fourfold increase after 25 cGy. Similarly, more proficient reduction of phosphorylated histone H2AX was observed 24 h after 25 cGy than after 10 cGy, suggesting that DSBR is more efficient during IRR than HRS. A direct examination of the consequences of inefficient DNA repair per se (as opposed to ATM-mediated signal transduction/cell cycle responses), by determining the clonogenic survival of cells lacking the DNA repair enzyme polynucleotide kinase/phosphatase, indicated that these cells have a response similar to AT cells, i.e. HRS but no IRR, strongly linking IRR to DSBR.

Mechanism of DNA substrate recognition by the mammalian DNA repair enzyme, Polynucleotide Kinase.

Mammalian polynucleotide kinase (mPNK) is a critical DNA repair enzyme whose 5'-kinase and 3'-phoshatase activities function with poorly understood but striking specificity to restore 5'-phosphate/3'-hydroxyl termini at sites of DNA damage. Here we integrated site-directed mutagenesis and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) combined with advanced computational approaches to characterize the conformational variability and DNA-binding properties of mPNK. The flexible attachment of the FHA domain to the catalytic segment, elucidated by SAXS, enables the interactions of mPNK with diverse DNA substrates and protein partners required for effective orchestration of DNA end repair. Point mutations surrounding the kinase active site identified two substrate recognition surfaces positioned to contact distinct regions on either side of the phosphorylated 5'-hydroxyl. DNA substrates bind across the kinase active site cleft to position the double-stranded portion upstream of the 5'-hydroxyl on one side, and the 3'-overhang on the opposite side. The bipartite DNA-binding surface of the mPNK kinase domain explains its preference for recessed 5'-termini, structures that would be encountered in the course of DNA strand break repair.

Polynucleotide kinase as a potential target for enhancing cytotoxicity by ionizing radiation and topoisomerase I inhibitors.

The cytotoxicity of many antineoplastic agents is due to their capacity to damage DNA and there is evidence indicating that DNA repair contributes to the cellular resistance to such agents. DNA strand breaks constitute a significant proportion of the lesions generated by a broad range of genotoxic agents, either directly, or during the course of DNA repair. Strand breaks that are caused by many agents including ionizing radiation, topoisomerase I inhibitors, and DNA repair glycosylases such as NEIL1 and NEIL2, often contain 5'-hydroxyl and/or 3'-phosphate termini. These ends must be converted to 5'-phosphate and 3'-hydroxyl termini in order to allow DNA polymerases and ligases to catalyze repair synthesis and strand rejoining. A key enzyme involved in this end-processing is polynucleotide kinase (PNK), which possesses two enzyme activities, a DNA 5'-kinase activity and a 3'-phosphatase activity. PNK participates in the single-strand break repair pathway and the non-homologous end joining pathway for double-strand break repair. RNAi-mediated down-regulation of PNK renders cells more sensitive to ionizing radiation and camptothecin, a topoisomerase I inhibitor. Structural analysis of PNK revealed the protein is composed of three domains, the kinase domain at the C-terminus, the phosphatase domain in the centre and a forkhead associated (FHA) domain at the N-terminus. The FHA domain plays a critical role in the binding of PNK to other DNA repair proteins. Thus each PNK domain may be a suitable target for small molecule inhibition to effectively reduce resistance to ionizing radiation and topoisomerase I inhibitors.

Cytotoxicity, apoptosis and DNA damage induced by Alpinia galanga rhizome extract.

Alpinia galanga, or galangal, has been a popular condiment used in Thai and Asian cuisine for many years. However, relatively little is known of the potential beneficial or adverse health effects of this spice. This study was conducted to analyze the capacity of galangal extract to induce cytotoxicity and DNA damage in six different human cell lines including normal and p53-inactive fibroblasts, normal epithelial and tumour mammary cells and a lung adenocarcinoma cell line. We deliberately focused on treatment with the crude aqueous extract of galangal rhizomes, rather than compounds extracted into an organic solvent, to more closely reflect the mode of dietary consumption of galangal. The cell lines displayed a broad range of cytotoxicity. There was no evidence for preferential cytotoxicity of tumour cells, but there was an indication that p53-active cell lines may be more sensitive than their p53-inactive counterparts. The contribution of apoptosis to total cell killing was only appreciable after exposure to 300 microg/mL of extract. Apoptosis appeared to be independent of p53 expression. Exposure to as little as 100 microg/mL galangal extract generated a significant level of DNA single-strand breaks as judged by the single-cell gel electrophoresis technique (comet assay). The three major UV-absorbing compounds in the aqueous extract were identified by mass spectrometry as 1'-acetoxychavicol acetate and its deacetylated derivatives. However, when tested in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells, these compounds were not responsible for the cytotoxicity induced by the complete aqueous extract.

Role of apoptosis in low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity.

Little is known about the mode of cell killing associated with low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity, the radiation response that describes the enhanced sensitivity of cells to small doses of ionizing radiation. Using a technique that measures the activation of caspase 3, we have established a relationship between apoptosis detected 24 h after low-dose radiation exposure and low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity in four mammalian cell lines (T98G, U373, MR4 and 3.7 cells) and two normal human lymphoblastoid cell lines. The existence of low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity in clonogenic survival experiments was found to be associated with an elevated level of apoptosis after low-dose exposures, corroborating earlier observations (Enns et al., Mol. Cancer Res. 2, 557-566, 2004). We also show that enriching populations of MR4 and V79 cells with G(1)-phase cells, to minimize the numbers of G(2)-phase cells, abolished the enhanced low-dose apoptosis. These cell-cycle enrichment experiments strengthen the reported association between low-dose hyper-sensitivity and the radioresponse of G(2)-phase cells. These data are consistent with our current hypothesis to explain low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity, namely that the enhanced sensitivity of cells to low doses of ionizing radiation reflects the failure of ATM-dependent repair processes to fully arrest the progression of damaged G(2)-phase cells harboring unrepaired DNA breaks entering mitosis.

Synthesis, characterization, and applications of a fluorescent probe of DNA damage.

We have designed and generated a 90-mer oligonucleotide that contains a single adduct of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE) and that is fluorescently labeled. The known amount of BPDE adduct in a given length of DNA makes this probe a useful standard for DNA damage assay. The BPDE-90-mer was fluorescently labeled with tetramethylrhodamine to allow for high sensitivity detection with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). The binding of both double-stranded and single-stranded BPDE-90-mer with three anti-BPDE antibodies was studied using affinity capillary electrophoresis (CE). Formation of antibody complex with BPDE-90-mer results in a shift in migration time from that of the unbound BPDE-90-mer. Affinity CE/LIF studies suggest that antibody 8E11 has high-affinity suitable for immunoassay of BPDE-DNA adducts. A competitive immunoassay using the fluorescent probe and CE/LIF is demonstrated for the analysis of BPDE-DNA adducts in A549 human lung carcinoma cells incubated with 2.5, 5, and 10 microM BPDE for 2 h. The design of the 90-mer probe is flexible to substitute different DNA damage types with relative ease. The fluorescent 90-mer is composed of six shorter oligonucleotides. The sequence of the two center oligonucleotides may be changed depending on the desired DNA lesion measurement. By inserting different damaged oligonucleotides, a variety of DNA damage systems can be investigated using the same CE/LIF approach.

Physical properties of human polynucleotide kinase: hydrodynamic and spectroscopic studies.

Human polynucleotide kinase (hPNK) is a putative DNA repair enzyme in the base excision repair pathway required for processing and rejoining strand-break termini. This study represents the first systematic examination of the physical properties of this enzyme. The protein was produced in Escherichia coli as a His-tagged protein, and the purified recombinant protein exhibited both the kinase and the phosphatase activities. The predicted relative molecular mass (M(r)) of the 521 amino acid polypeptide encoded by the sequenced cDNA for PNK and the additional 21 amino acids of the His tag is 59,538. The M(r) determined by low-speed sedimentation equilibrium under nondenaturing conditions was 59,600 +/- 1000, indicating that the protein exists as a monomer, in contrast to T4 phage PNK, which exists as a homotetramer. The size and shape of hPNK in solution were determined by analytical ultracentrifugation studies. The protein was found to have an intrinsic sedimentation coefficient, s(0)(20,w), of 3.54 S and a Stokes radius, R(s), of 37.5 A. These hydrodynamic data, together with the M(r) of 59 600, suggest that hPNK is a moderately asymmetric protein with an axial ratio of 5.51. Analysis of the secondary structure of hPNK on the basis of circular dichroism spectra, which revealed the presence of two negative dichroic bands located at 218 and 209 nm, with ellipticity values of -7200 +/- 300 and -7800 +/- 300 deg x cm(2) x d(mol(-1), respectively, indicated the presence of approximately 50% beta-structure and 25% alpha-helix. Binding of ATP to the protein induced an increase in beta-structure and perturbed tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine signals observed by aromatic CD and UV difference spectroscopy.

Characterization and mapping of DNA damage induced by reactive metabolites of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) at nucleotide resolution in human genomic DNA.

The nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is an important tobacco-specific carcinogen associated with lung cancer. Its complex enzymatic activation, leading to methyl and pyridyloxobutyl (POB)-modified DNA, makes DNA damage difficult to characterize and quantify. Therefore, we use the NNK analogue 4-[(acetoxymethyl)nitrosamino]-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNKOAc) to induce damage in genomic DNA, and to map the sites and frequency of adducts at nucleotide resolution using ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction and terminal transferase-dependent polymerase chain reactions (LMPCR and TDPCR). NNKOAc induced single-strand breaks in a concentration-dependent manner. Post-alkylation treatments, including hot piperidine or digestion with the enzymes Escherichia coli 3-methyladenine-DNA glycosylase II, formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase, Escherichia coli endonuclease III, or phage T4 UV endonuclease V did not increase the level of DNA breaks in NNKOAc-treated DNA. Detection of DNA damage using LMPCR was possible only when POB-DNA was 5'-phosphorylated prior to the LMPCR procedure. NNKOAc generated damage at all four bases with the decreasing order guanine>adenine>cytosine>thymine. In contrast to NNKOAc damage distribution patterns, those induced by N-nitroso(acetoxymethyl)methylamine, a methylating NNK analog, induced damage principally at G positions detectable by enzymatic means that did not require phosphorylation. Analysis of damage distribution patterns, reveals a high frequency of damage in the p53 gene in codons 241 and 245 and a lower frequency of damage in codon 248. We analyzed the 3' termini of the NNKOAc induced single-strand breaks using a (32)P-post-labeling assay or a nucleotide exchange reaction at the 3'-termini catalyzed by T4 DNA polymerase combined with endonuclease IV treatment. Both methods indicate that the 3' termini of the single-strand breaks are not hydroxyl groups and are blocked by an unknown chemical structure that is not recognized by endonuclease IV. These data are consistent with POB-phosphotriester hydrolysis leading to strand breaks in DNA. The POB-damage could be mutagenic because NNKOAc produces single-strand breaks with the products being a 5'-hydroxyl group and a 3'-blocking group and strand breaks. These results represent the first step in determining if NNK pyridyloxobutylates DNA with sequence specificity similar to those observed with other model compounds.

Response of base excision repair enzymes to complex DNA lesions.

There is now increasing evidence that ionizing radiation generates complex DNA damage, i.e. two or more lesions--single-strand breaks or modified nucleosides--located within one to two helical turns on the same strand or on opposite strands. Double-strand breaks are the most readily recognizable clustered lesions, but they may constitute a relatively minor fraction of the total. It is anticipated that clustered lesions may play a significant role in cellular response to ionizing radiation since they may present a major challenge to the DNA repair machinery. The degree of lesion complexity increases with increasing LET. This has potential implications for space travel because of exposure to high-LET cosmic radiation. It is therefore critical that we begin to understand the consequences of such damaged sites, including their influence on DNA repair enzymes. This paper presents a short review of our current knowledge of the action of purified DNA repair enzymes belonging to the base excision repair pathway, including DNA glycosylases and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonucleases, on model complex lesions.

Production, characterization, and epitope mapping of monoclonal antibodies against human polydeoxyribonucleotide kinase.

Polydeoxyribonucleotide kinase (PNK) is a mammalian DNA repair enzyme that has the capacity to phosphorylate 5' DNA termini and dephosphorylate 3' DNA termini. A series of murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) was raised against the full-length recombinant human PNK. Seven of these antibodies were selected and characterized by enzyme immunoassay, Western blot analysis, and their capacity to immunoprecipitate PNK. The epitope location was defined by cyanogen bromide digestion and by using a truncated PNK for Western blot analysis. All of the MAbs recognize a single 60-kDa protein in human cell extracts. PNKs from calf, monkey, and Chinese hamster cell and tissue extracts were also detected by some or all of the MAbs. These antibodies can be successfully used for the cellular, biochemical, and functional analysis of PNK in different mammalian cell lines.

Factors influencing the removal of thymine glycol from DNA in gamma-irradiated human cells.

The toxic and mutagenic effects of ionizing radiation are believed to be caused by damage to cellular DNA. We have made use of a novel immunoassay for thymine glycol to examine the removal of this lesion from the DNA of irradiated human cells. Because of the sensitivity of the assay, we have been able to keep the radiation doses at or below the standard clinical dose of 2 Gy. Our initial observations indicated that although removal of thymine glycol is > 80% complete by 4 h post-irradiation with 2 Gy, there is a lag of 30-60 min before repair commences. However, if cells are irradiated with 0.25 Gy 4 h prior to the 2-Gy dose, removal of the thymine glycols commences immediately after the second irradiation, suggesting that repair of thymine glycol is inducible. Our current studies are directed at two aspects of the repair process, (1) factors involved in the repair process leading up to and including glycosylase-mediated removal of thymine glycol and (2) the control of the inducible response. We have observed that mutation of the XPG gene drastically reduced the level and rate of global removal of thymine glycol (induced by 2-Gy irradiation), and there was no evidence for an inducible response. Similar results were seen with a Cockayne syndrome B (CSB) cell line. We have also examined repair in quiescent and phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human lymphocytes. Both show similar kinetics for the rate of removal of thymine glycol under induced and noninduced conditions.

Detection of DNA adducts of benzo[a]pyrene using immunoelectrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence. Analysis of A549 cells.

Detection of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE)-damaged DNA in a human lung carcinoma cell line (A549) has been performed using free zone affinity capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). Using BPDE as a model carcinogenic compound, the speed, sensitivity and specificity of this technique was demonstrated. Under free zone conditions, an antibody bound adduct was baseline-resolved from an unbound adduct in less than 2 min. The efficiencies of separation were in excess of 6 x 10(5) and 1 x 10(6) plates per meter for the antibody-bound and unbound adducts, respectively. Separation using a low ionic strength buffer permitted the use of a high electric field (830 V/cm) without the loss of resolving power. Using LIF detection, a concentration detection limit of roughly 3 x 10(-10) M was achieved for a 90-mer oligonuleotide containing a single BDPE. The use of formamide in the incubation buffer to enhance denaturing of DNA did not affect the stability of the complex between the antibody and the adducts. Using a fluorescently labeled BPDE-modified DNA adduct probe, a competitive assay was established to determine the levels of BPDE-DNA adducts in A549 cells.

Do children cope better than adults with potentially traumatic stress? A 40-year follow-up of Holocaust survivors.

Anecdotal reports suggest that child survivors of the Nazi persecution are functioning well as adults. Ratings of their parents by a randomly selected community sample of young adult Ashkenazi Jews on a scale that measured Schizoid, Paranoid, Depressive/Masochistic and Type A/Normal Aggressive symptoms permitted verification of these reports. Among the parents were groups who were children, adolescents, or young adults in 1945, at the end of World War II. Child-survivor parents did not differ from native-born parents on these measures 40 years later, whereas, consistent with the empirical findings of others, survivors who were adolescents or young adults at the end of the war manifested more paranoid and depressive/masochistic symptoms than native-born parents. To explain this possible greater long-term resilience among those who were child survivors, reference is made to later caretakers, endowment, cognitive and social development, and psychodynamics.

Gel microdrop flow cytometry assay for low-dose studies of chemical and radiation cytotoxicity.

Low-level cytotoxicity may affect low-dose dose-response relations for cancer and other endpoints. Conventional colony-forming assays are rarely sensitive enough to examine small changes in cell survival and growth. Automated image-analysis techniques are limited to ca. 10(4) cells/plate. An alternative method involves encapsulation of single proliferating cells into ca. 35-75-microm-diameter agarose gel microdrops (GMDs) that are randomly grouped, differential exposure of these groups, culture at 37 degrees C for 3-5 days, and finally GMD analysis by flow cytometry (FC) to determine the ratio of GMDs containing multiple versus single cells as a measure of clonogenic survival. This GMD/FC assay was used to examine low-dose cell killing induced by a cooked-meat mutagen/rodent-carcinogen (MeIQx) in DNA-repair-deficient/metabolically-sensitive CHO cells. Results of conventional colony-forming assays using up to 30 replicate plates indicate a shouldered, threshold-like dose-response; in contrast, those obtained using the GMD/FC assay suggest "hypersensitivity"-like nonlinearity in dose-response. The GMD/FC assay was also applied to human A549 lung cells after GMD-encapsulation and gamma radiation followed by culture for a total of 4 days, to examine survival after exposure to > or =100 cGy delivered at a relatively low dose rate (0.18 cGy/min). Dose-response for clonogenic growth was again observed to be reduced with apparent nonlinear suggesting hypersensitivity between 0 and 50 cGy, insofar as doses of 5 and 10 cGy appear to be ca. fivefold more effective per unit dose than the 50- or 100-cGy doses used. The GMD/FC assay may thus reveal low-dose dose-response relations for chemical and radiation effects on cell proliferation/killing with implications for low-dose risk assessment.

XRCC1 stimulates human polynucleotide kinase activity at damaged DNA termini and accelerates DNA single-strand break repair.

XRCC1 protein is required for DNA single-strand break repair and genetic stability but its biochemical role is unknown. Here, we report that XRCC1 interacts with human polynucleotide kinase in addition to its established interactions with DNA polymerase-beta and DNA ligase III. Moreover, these four proteins are coassociated in multiprotein complexes in human cell extract and together they repair single-strand breaks typical of those induced by reactive oxygen species and ionizing radiation. Strikingly, XRCC1 stimulates the DNA kinase and DNA phosphatase activities of polynucleotide kinase at damaged DNA termini and thereby accelerates the overall repair reaction. These data identify a novel pathway for mammalian single-strand break repair and demonstrate a concerted role for XRCC1 and PNK in the initial step of processing damaged DNA ends.

Measuring DNA damage using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection.

Damage to cellular DNA is implicated in the early stages of carcinogenesis and in the cytotoxicity of many anticancer agents, including ionizing radiation. Sensitive techniques are required for measuring cellular levels of DNA damage. We describe in detail a novel immunoassay that makes use of the resolving power of capillary electrophoresis and the sensitivity of laser-induced fluorescence detection. An example is given of the detection of thymine glycol in DNA produced by irradiation of human cells with a clinical dose of 2 Gy. A detection limit of approximately 10(-21) mol allowed us to monitor the repair of the lesion and to suggest that the cellular repair response may be inducible.

Early outcome of initiating amiodarone for atrial fibrillation in advanced heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Little information exists about the early outcomes of initiating amiodarone for atrial fibrillation in patients with advanced heart failure. This study assessed the initial rate of success and complications of amiodarone therapy initiated for patients with atrial fibrillation during hospitalization for heart failure. METHODS: We reviewed medical records for 37 consecutive patients with left ventricular ejection fractions