5-Chloro-2'-deoxycytidine Induces a Distinctive High-Resolution Mutational Spectrum of Transition Mutations In Vivo.

The biomarker 5-chlorocytosine (5ClC) appears in the DNA of inflamed tissues. Replication of a site-specific 5ClC in a viral DNA genome results in C → T mutations, which is consistent with 5ClC acting as a thymine mimic in vivo. Direct damage of nucleic acids by immune-cell-derived hypochlorous acid is one mechanism by which 5ClC could appear in the genome. A second, nonmutually exclusive mechanism involves damage of cytosine nucleosides or nucleotides in the DNA precursor pool, with subsequent utilization of the 5ClC deoxynucleotide triphosphate as a precursor for DNA synthesis. The present work characterized the mutagenic properties of 5ClC in the nucleotide pool by exposing cells to the nucleoside 5-chloro-2'-deoxycytidine (5CldC). In both Escherichia coli and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), 5CldC in the growth media was potently mutagenic, indicating that 5CldC enters cells and likely is erroneously incorporated into the genome from the nucleotide pool. High-resolution sequencing of DNA from MEFs derived from the gptΔ C57BL/6J mouse allowed qualitative and quantitative characterization of 5CldC-induced mutations; CG → TA transitions in 5'-GC(Y)-3' contexts (Y = a pyrimidine) were dominant, while TA → CG transitions appeared at a much lower frequency. The high-resolution mutational spectrum of 5CldC revealed a notable similarity to the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer mutational signatures SBS84 and SBS42, which appear in human lymphoid tumors and in occupationally induced cholangiocarcinomas, respectively. SBS84 is associated with the expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), a cytosine deaminase associated with inflammation, as well as immunoglobulin gene diversification during antibody maturation. The similarity between the spectra of AID activation and 5CldC could be coincidental; however, the administration of 5CldC did induce some AID expression in MEFs, which have no inherent expression of its gene. In summary, this work shows that 5CldC induces a distinct pattern of mutations in cells. Moreover, that pattern resembles human mutational signatures induced by inflammatory processes, such as those triggered in certain malignancies.

A synthetic agent ameliorates polycystic kidney disease by promoting apoptosis of cystic cells through increased oxidative stress.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common monogenic cause of chronic kidney disease and the fourth leading cause of end-stage kidney disease, accounting for over 50% of prevalent cases requiring renal replacement therapy. There is a pressing need for improved therapy for ADPKD. Recent insights into the pathophysiology of ADPKD revealed that cyst cells undergo metabolic changes that up-regulate aerobic glycolysis in lieu of mitochondrial respiration for energy production, a process that ostensibly fuels their increased proliferation. The present work leverages this metabolic disruption as a way to selectively target cyst cells for apoptosis. This small-molecule therapeutic strategy utilizes 11beta-dichloro, a repurposed DNA-damaging anti-tumor agent that induces apoptosis by exacerbating mitochondrial oxidative stress. Here, we demonstrate that 11beta-dichloro is effective in delaying cyst growth and its associated inflammatory and fibrotic events, thus preserving kidney function in perinatal and adult mouse models of ADPKD. In both models, the cyst cells with homozygous inactivation of Pkd1 show enhanced oxidative stress following treatment with 11beta-dichloro and undergo apoptosis. Co-administration of the antioxidant vitamin E negated the therapeutic benefit of 11beta-dichloro in vivo, supporting the conclusion that oxidative stress is a key component of the mechanism of action. As a preclinical development primer, we also synthesized and tested an 11beta-dichloro derivative that cannot directly alkylate DNA, while retaining pro-oxidant features. This derivative nonetheless maintains excellent anti-cystic properties in vivo and emerges as the lead candidate for development.

Molecular origins of mutational spectra produced by the environmental carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine and SN1 chemotherapeutic agents.

DNA-methylating environmental carcinogens such as N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and certain alkylators used in chemotherapy form O 6-methylguanine (m6G) as a functionally critical intermediate. NDMA is a multi-organ carcinogen found in contaminated water, polluted air, preserved foods, tobacco products, and many pharmaceuticals. Only ten weeks after exposure to NDMA, neonatally-treated mice experienced elevated mutation frequencies in liver, lung and kidney of ∼35-fold, 4-fold and 2-fold, respectively. High-resolution mutational spectra (HRMS) of liver and lung revealed distinctive patterns dominated by GC→AT mutations in 5'-Pu-G-3' contexts, very similar to human COSMIC mutational signature SBS11. Commonly associated with alkylation damage, SBS11 appears in cancers treated with the DNA alkylator temozolomide (TMZ). When cells derived from the mice were treated with TMZ, N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, and streptozotocin (two other therapeutic methylating agents), all displayed NDMA-like HRMS, indicating mechanistically convergent mutational processes. The role of m6G in shaping the mutational spectrum of NDMA was probed by removing MGMT, the main cellular defense against m6G. MGMT-deficient mice displayed a strikingly enhanced mutant frequency, but identical HRMS, indicating that the mutational properties of these alkylators is likely owed to sequence-specific DNA binding. In sum, the HRMS of m6G-forming agents constitute an early-onset biomarker of exposure to DNA methylating carcinogens and drugs.

Interaction of N-nitrosamines with binuclear copper complexes for luminescent detection.

Cu(I) from tetrakis(acetonitrile)copper(I) hexafluorophosphate ([Cu(MeCN)4]PF6) was complexed with five structurally related phosphines containing N-heterocycles. The interactions between the resulting complexes and some N-nitrosamines were studied using X-ray crystallography as well as emission spectroscopy. Upon complexation, three phosphine ligands bridge two Cu(I) centers to give paddlewheel type structures that displayed a range of emission wavelengths spanning the visible region. N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was shown to coordinate to one of the two copper centers in some of the paddlewheel complexes in the solid state and this interaction also quenches their emissions in solution. The influence of the weakly coordinating anion on crystal and spectroscopic properties of one of the paddlewheel complexes was also examined using tetrakis(acetonitrile)copper(I) perchlorate ([Cu(MeCN)4]ClO4) as an alternative Cu(I) source. Similarly, copper(II) perchlorate hexahydrate (Cu(ClO4)2·6H2O) was used for complexation to observe the impact of metal oxidation state on the two aforementioned properties. Lastly, the spectroscopic properties of the complex between Ph2P(1-Isoquinoline) and Cu(I) was shown to exhibit solvent dependence when the counterion is ClO4-. These Cu(I) complexes are bench stable solids and may be useful materials for developing a fluorescence based detection method for N-nitrosamines.

7,8-Dihydro-8-oxo-1,N6-ethenoadenine: an exclusively Hoogsteen-paired thymine mimic in DNA that induces A→T transversions in Escherichia coli.

This work investigated the structural and biological properties of DNA containing 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-1,N6-ethenoadenine (oxo-ϵA), a non-natural synthetic base that combines structural features of two naturally occurring DNA lesions (7,8-dihydro-8-oxoadenine and 1,N6-ethenoadenine). UV-, CD-, NMR spectroscopies and molecular modeling of DNA duplexes revealed that oxo-ϵA adopts the non-canonical syn conformation (χ = 65º) and fits very well among surrounding residues without inducing major distortions in local helical architecture. The adduct remarkably mimics the natural base thymine. When considered as an adenine-derived DNA lesion, oxo-ϵA was >99% mutagenic in living cells, causing predominantly A→T transversion mutations in Escherichia coli. The adduct in a single-stranded vector was not repaired by base excision repair enzymes (MutM and MutY glycosylases) or the AlkB dioxygenase and did not detectably affect the efficacy of DNA replication in vivo. When the biological and structural data are viewed together, it is likely that the nearly exclusive syn conformation and thymine mimicry of oxo-ϵA defines the selectivity of base pairing in vitro and in vivo, resulting in lesion pairing with A during replication. The base pairing properties of oxo-ϵA, its strong fluorescence and its invisibility to enzymatic repair systems in vivo are features that are sought in novel DNA-based probes and modulators of gene expression.

Metallocalix[4]arene Polymers for Gravimetric Detection of N-Nitrosodialkylamines.

N-Nitrosamines are found in food, drugs, air, water, and soil. They pose a significant risk to human health because of their carcinogenicity; consequently, materials that can be used to selectively and sensitively detect nitrosamines are needed. In this work, we designed and synthesized two polymers bearing calix[4]arene or 4-tert-butylcalix[4]arene tungsten-imido complexes (PCalixH and PCalixtBu) as N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) receptors. The interaction between metallocalix[4]arene monomers/polymers and NDMA was confirmed by 1H NMR and IR spectroscopy. Single-crystal X-ray analysis further revealed that the host-guest interaction is based on binding of the terminal oxygen of NDMA to tungsten within the calixarene cavity. Gravimetric detection of NDMA was performed on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) in air. Both polymers show responses to NDMA, with PCalixtBu exhibiting a low theoretical limit of detection of 5 ppb for NDMA. The sensor also shows high selectivity toward NDMA and moderate humidity tolerance. This work provides a sensitive sensor for detection of NDMA and also offers a class of new, selective, and efficient NDMA receptors for the future design of NDMA sensors and NDMA extraction materials.

Excision of mutagenic replication-blocking lesions suppresses cancer but promotes cytotoxicity and lethality in nitrosamine-exposed mice.

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a DNA-methylating agent that has been discovered to contaminate water, food, and drugs. The alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) removes methylated bases to initiate the base excision repair (BER) pathway. To understand how gene-environment interactions impact disease susceptibility, we study Aag-knockout (Aag-/-) and Aag-overexpressing mice that harbor increased levels of either replication-blocking lesions (3-methyladenine [3MeA]) or strand breaks (BER intermediates), respectively. Remarkably, the disease outcome switches from cancer to lethality simply by changing AAG levels. To understand the underlying basis for this observation, we integrate a suite of molecular, cellular, and physiological analyses. We find that unrepaired 3MeA is somewhat toxic, but highly mutagenic (promoting cancer), whereas excess strand breaks are poorly mutagenic and highly toxic (suppressing cancer and promoting lethality). We demonstrate that the levels of a single DNA repair protein tip the balance between blocks and breaks and thus dictate the disease consequences of DNA damage.

Modulation of N-Methyl-N-nitrosourea Mutagenesis in Mouse Embryo Fibroblasts Derived from the gpt Delta Mouse by an Inhibitor of the O6-Methylguanine Methyltransferase, MGMT.

DNA methylating agents are abundant in the environment and are sometimes used in cancer chemotherapy. They react with DNA to form methyl-DNA adducts and byproduct lesions that can be both toxic and mutagenic. Foremost among the mutagenic lesions is O6-methylguanine (m6G), which base pairs with thymine during replication to cause GC → AT mutations. The gpt delta C57BL/6J mouse strain of Nohmi et al. (Mol. Mutagen 1996, 28, 465-70) reliably produces mutational spectra of many DNA damaging agents. In this work, mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) were made from gpt delta C57BL/6J mice and evaluated as a screening tool to determine the qualitative and quantitative features of mutagenesis by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), a direct-acting DNA alkylator that serves as a model for environmental N-nitrosamines, such as N-nitrosodimethylamine and therapeutic agents such as Temozolomide. The DNA repair protein MGMT (O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase) protects against environmental mutagenesis by DNA methylating agents and, by removing m6G, limits the therapeutic potential of Temozolomide in cancer therapy. The gpt delta MEFs were treated with MNU to establish dose-dependent toxicity. In parallel, MNU mutagenicity was determined in the presence and absence of the MGMT inhibitor AA-CW236 (4-(2-(5-(chloromethyl)-4-(4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)ethyl)-3,5-dimethylisoxazole). With and without the inhibitor, the principal mutagenic event of MNU was GC → AT, but more mutations were observed when the inhibitor was present. Evidence that the mutagenic lesion was m6G was based on mass spectral data collected using O6-methyl-d3-guanine as an internal standard; m6G levels were higher in AA-CW236 treated MEFs by an amount proportional to the higher mutation frequency seen in the same cells. This work establishes gpt delta MEFs as a versatile tool for probing mutagenesis by environmental and therapeutic agents and as a cell culture model in which chemical genetics can be used to determine the impact of DNA repair on biological responses to DNA damaging agents.

Chemiresistive Carbon Nanotube Sensors for N-Nitrosodialkylamines.

N-Nitrosamines are environmental genotoxicants that are widely encountered in air, water, and food. Contamination of indoor and outdoor air with N-nitrosamines has been reported on many occasions. Conventional detection of airborne N-nitrosamines requires sophisticated instrumentation, field sampling, and laboratory analysis. Herein, we report ultrasensitive carbon nanotube based chemiresistive sensors utilizing a cobalt(III) tetraphenylporphyrin selector element for the detection of N-nitrosamines. Concentrations as low as 1 ppb N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine, and N-nitrosodibutylamine were detected. We also demonstrate the integration of these sensors with a field deployable sensing node wherein the sensor response can be read online remotely.

Editor's Highlight: Pregnancy Alters Aflatoxin B1 Metabolism and Increases DNA Damage in Mouse Liver.

Pregnancy is a complex physiological state, in which the metabolism of endogenous as well as exogenous agents is ostensibly altered. One exogenous agent of concern is the hepatocarcinogen aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a foodborne fungal toxin, that requires phase I metabolic oxidation for conversion to its toxic and carcinogenic form, the AFB1-8,9-exo-epoxide. The epoxide interacts with cellular targets causing toxicity and cell death; these targets include the covalent modification of DNA leading to mutations that can initiate malignant transformation. The main detoxification pathway of the AFB1-epoxide involves phase II metabolic enzymes including the glutathione-S-transferase (GST) family. Pregnancy can modulate both phase I and II metabolism and alter the biological potency of AFB1. The present work investigated the impact of pregnancy on AFB1 exposure in mice. A single IP dose of 6 mg/kg AFB1 was administered to pregnant C57BL/6 J mice at gestation day 14 and matched non-pregnant controls. Pregnant mice accumulated 2-fold higher AFB1-N7-guanine DNA adducts in the liver when compared with nonpregnant controls 6 h post-exposure. Enhanced DNA adduct formation in pregnant animals paralleled elevated hepatic protein expression of mouse CYP1A2 and mouse homologs of human CYP3A4, phase I enzymes capable of bioactivating AFB1. Although phase II enzymes GSTA1/2 showed decreased protein expression, GSTA3, the primary enzymatic protection against the AFB1-epoxide, was unaffected at the protein level. Taken together, our results reveal that pregnancy may constitute a critical window of susceptibility for maternal health, and provide insight into the biochemical factors that could explain the underlying risks.

Early detection of the aflatoxin B1 mutational fingerprint: A diagnostic tool for liver cancer.

Using duplex-consensus sequencing technology, we recently identified the characteristic high-resolution mutational spectrum of the liver carcinogen aflatoxin B1 in a mouse model, many months before aflatoxin-induced tumors are detectable. The diagnostic power of this spectrum is then demonstrated by accurately identifying, among the sequenced human liver tumors, the subset of cancers associated with aflatoxin B1 exposure.

NEIL1 protects against aflatoxin-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in mice.

Global distribution of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) is dominated by its incidence in developing countries, accounting for >700,000 estimated deaths per year, with dietary exposures to aflatoxin (AFB1) and subsequent DNA adduct formation being a significant driver. Genetic variants that increase individual susceptibility to AFB1-induced HCCs are poorly understood. Herein, it is shown that the DNA base excision repair (BER) enzyme, DNA glycosylase NEIL1, efficiently recognizes and excises the highly mutagenic imidazole ring-opened AFB1-deoxyguanosine adduct (AFB1-Fapy-dG). Consistent with this in vitro result, newborn mice injected with AFB1 show significant increases in the levels of AFB1-Fapy-dG in Neil1-/- vs. wild-type liver DNA. Further, Neil1-/- mice are highly susceptible to AFB1-induced HCCs relative to WT controls, with both the frequency and average size of hepatocellular carcinomas being elevated in Neil1-/- The magnitude of this effect in Neil1-/- mice is greater than that previously measured in Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A (XPA) mice that are deficient in nucleotide excision repair (NER). Given that several human polymorphic variants of NEIL1 are catalytically inactive for their DNA glycosylase activity, these deficiencies may increase susceptibility to AFB1-associated HCCs.

Mutational spectra of aflatoxin B1 in vivo establish biomarkers of exposure for human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and/or hepatitis B and C viruses are risk factors for human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Available evidence supports the interpretation that formation of AFB1-DNA adducts in hepatocytes seeds a population of mutations, mainly G:C→T:A, and viral processes synergize to accelerate tumorigenesis, perhaps via inflammation. Responding to a need for early-onset evidence predicting disease development, highly accurate duplex sequencing was used to monitor acquisition of high-resolution mutational spectra (HRMS) during the process of hepatocarcinogenesis. Four-day-old male mice were treated with AFB1 using a regimen that induced HCC within 72 wk. For analysis, livers were separated into tumor and adjacent cellular fractions. HRMS of cells surrounding the tumors revealed predominantly G:C→T:A mutations characteristic of AFB1 exposure. Importantly, 25% of all mutations were G→T in one trinucleotide context (CGC; the underlined G is the position of the mutation), which is also a hotspot mutation in human liver tumors whose incidence correlates with AFB1 exposure. The technology proved sufficiently sensitive that the same distinctive spectrum was detected as early as 10 wk after dosing, well before evidence of neoplasia. Additionally, analysis of tumor tissue revealed a more complex pattern than observed in surrounding hepatocytes; tumor HRMS were a composite of the 10-wk spectrum and a more heterogeneous set of mutations that emerged during tumor outgrowth. We propose that the 10-wk HRMS reflects a short-term mutational response to AFB1, and, as such, is an early detection metric for AFB1-induced liver cancer in this mouse model that will be a useful tool to reconstruct the molecular etiology of human hepatocarcinogenesis.

Prenatal exposure of mice to the human liver carcinogen aflatoxin B1 reveals a critical window of susceptibility to genetic change.

It has become axiomatic that critical windows of susceptibility to genotoxins exist and that genetic damage in utero may be a trigger for later life cancers. Data supporting this critical window hypothesis are remarkably few. This study provides a quantitative bridge between DNA damage by the liver carcinogen aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 ) during prenatal development and the risk of later life genetic disease. AFB1 was given to pregnant C57BL/6J mice, carrying F1 gestation day 14 (GD14) embryos of the B6C3F1 genotype. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) using aflatoxin-(15) N5 -guanine adduct standards afforded measurement of the AFB1 -N(7) -Gua and AFB1 -FAPY adducts 6-hr post dosing in liver DNA of mothers and embryos. A parallel cohort gave birth and the livers of the F1 were analyzed for mutations in the gpt gene at 3 and 10 weeks of age. The data revealed mutational spectra dominated by G:C to T:A mutations in both the mother and offspring that are characteristic of AFB1 and distinct from background. It was shown that adducts in GD14 embryos were 20-fold more potent inducers of mutagenesis than adducts in parallel-dosed adults. This sensitivity enhancement correlated with Ki67 staining of the liver, reflecting the proliferative potential of the tissue. Taken together, these data provide insight into the relative genetic risks of prenatal and adult exposures to AFB1 . Early life exposure, especially during the embryonic period, is strikingly more mutagenic than treatment later in life. Moreover the data provide a baseline against which risk prevention strategies can be evaluated.

Sulforaphane, a cancer chemopreventive agent, induces pathways associated with membrane biosynthesis in response to tissue damage by aflatoxin B1.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the major risk factors for liver cancer globally. A recent study showed that sulforaphane (SF), a potent inducer of phase II enzymes that occurs naturally in widely consumed vegetables, effectively induces hepatic glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and reduces levels of hepatic AFB1-DNA adducts in AFB1-exposed Sprague Dawley rats. The present study characterized the effects of SF pre-treatment on global gene expression in the livers of similarly treated male rats. Combined treatment with AFB1 and SF caused reprogramming of a network of genes involved in signal transduction and transcription. Changes in gene regulation were observable 4h after AFB1 administration in SF-pretreated animals and may reflect regeneration of cells in the wake of AFB1-induced hepatotoxicity. At 24h after AFB1 administration, significant induction of genes that play roles in cellular lipid metabolism and acetyl-CoA biosynthesis was detected in SF-pretreated AFB1-dosed rats. Induction of this group of genes may indicate a metabolic shift toward glycolysis and fatty acid synthesis to generate and maintain pools of intermediate molecules required for tissue repair, cell growth and compensatory hepatic cell proliferation. Collectively, gene expression data from this study provide insights into molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of SF against AFB1 hepatotoxicity and hepatocarcinogenicity, in addition to the chemopreventive activity of this compound as a GST inducer.

Molecular recognition using corona phase complexes made of synthetic polymers adsorbed on carbon nanotubes.

Understanding molecular recognition is of fundamental importance in applications such as therapeutics, chemical catalysis and sensor design. The most common recognition motifs involve biological macromolecules such as antibodies and aptamers. The key to biorecognition consists of a unique three-dimensional structure formed by a folded and constrained bioheteropolymer that creates a binding pocket, or an interface, able to recognize a specific molecule. Here, we show that synthetic heteropolymers, once constrained onto a single-walled carbon nanotube by chemical adsorption, also form a new corona phase that exhibits highly selective recognition for specific molecules. To prove the generality of this phenomenon, we report three examples of heteropolymer-nanotube recognition complexes for riboflavin, L-thyroxine and oestradiol. In each case, the recognition was predicted using a two-dimensional thermodynamic model of surface interactions in which the dissociation constants can be tuned by perturbing the chemical structure of the heteropolymer. Moreover, these complexes can be used as new types of spatiotemporal sensors based on modulation of the carbon nanotube photoemission in the near-infrared, as we show by tracking riboflavin diffusion in murine macrophages.

Convergent synthesis of a steroidal antiestrogen-mitomycin C hybrid using "click" chemistry.

A convergent synthesis of a novel estrogen receptor-targeted drug hybrid was developed based on structures of the potent anti-proliferative mitomycin C and the steroidal anti-estrogen RU 39411. The steroidal antiestrogen was prepared with an azido-triethylene glycoloxy linker while the mitomycin C derivative (porfirimycin) incorporated a complementary 7-N-terminal alkyne. The two components were ligated using the Huisgen [3 + 2] cycloaddition ("click") reaction. Preliminary biological assays demonstrated that the final hybrid compound retained both potent anti-estrogenic and anti-proliferative activities.

AFB(1) -induced mutagenesis of the gpt gene in AS52 cells.

Aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1) ) is a potent mutagen and an important risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in humans. Transgenic mouse strains and cells in culture have been used to detect different types of mutations caused by AFB(1) and investigate the molecular determinants of their location and frequency. The AFB(1) mutational spectrum in the gpt gene was markedly different in AS52 cells compared with the liver in gpt delta B6C3F1 transgenic mice. The results demonstrate the importance of metabolism, chromosomal location, transcription and selection conditions on mutational spectra.

A single neonatal exposure to aflatoxin b1 induces prolonged genetic damage in two loci of mouse liver.

Aflatoxin B (1) (AFB(1)) is a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma in humans. Infant, but not adult, mice are sensitive to AFB(1)-induced liver carcinogenesis; a single dose during the neonatal period leads to hepatocellular carcinoma in adulthood. Earlier work defined the mutational spectrum in the gpt gene of gpt delta B6C3F1 mice 3 weeks after exposure to aflatoxin. In the present study, we examined the gpt spectrum 10 weeks postdosing and expanded the study to examine, at 3 and 10 weeks, the spectrum at a second locus, the red/gam genes of the mouse λEG10 transgene. Whereas the gpt locus is typically used to define local base changes, the red/gam genes, via the Spi(-) assay, often are used to detect more global mutations such as large deletions and rearrangements. Three weeks after dosing with AFB(1), there was a 10-fold increase over the control in the Spi(-) mutant fraction (MF) in liver DNA; after 10 weeks, a further increase was observed. The MF in the gpt gene was also increased at 10 weeks compared with the MF at 3 weeks. No gender-specific differences were found in the Spi(-) or gpt MFs. Whereas Spi(-) mutations often signal large genetic changes, they did not in this specific case. The Spi(-) spectrum was dominated by GC to TA transversions, with one exceptionally strong hotspot at position 314. Using two genetic loci, the data show a strong preference for the induction of GC to TA mutations in mice, which is the dominant mutation seen in people exposed to aflatoxin.

Chemical genetics analysis of an aniline mustard anticancer agent reveals complex I of the electron transport chain as a target.

The antitumor agent 11ß (CAS 865070-37-7), consisting of a DNA-damaging aniline mustard linked to an androgen receptor (AR) ligand, is known to form covalent DNA adducts and to induce apoptosis potently in AR-positive prostate cancer cells in vitro; it also strongly prevents growth of LNCaP xenografts in mice. The present study describes the unexpectedly strong activity of 11ß against the AR-negative HeLa cells, both in cell culture and tumor xenografts, and uncovers a new mechanism of action that likely explains this activity. Cellular fractionation experiments indicated that mitochondria are the major intracellular sink for 11ß; flow cytometry studies showed that 11ß exposure rapidly induced oxidative stress, mitochondria being an important source of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, 11ß inhibited oxygen consumption both in intact HeLa cells and in isolated mitochondria. Specifically, 11ß blocked uncoupled oxygen consumption when mitochondria were incubated with complex I substrates, but it had no effect on oxygen consumption driven by substrates acting downstream of complex I in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Moreover, 11ß enhanced ROS generation in isolated mitochondria, suggesting that complex I inhibition is responsible for ROS production. At the cellular level, the presence of antioxidants (N-acetylcysteine or vitamin E) significantly reduced the toxicity of 11ß, implicating ROS production as an important contributor to cytotoxicity. Collectively, our findings establish complex I inhibition and ROS generation as a new mechanism of action for 11ß, which supplements conventional DNA adduct formation to promote cancer cell death.