Free-radical formation in gamma-irradiated oriented DNA containing electron-affinic radiosensitizers.

Electron paramagnetic resonance (e.p.r.) was used to study the free radicals induced by gamma-irradiation at 77 K in oriented DNA with incorporated electronaffinic radiosensitizing compounds (4-nitroacetophenone, metronidazole, and Ro-07-0582). The observed e.p.r. spectra were compared with those obtained from pure oriented DNA, which had previously been analysed in detail and found to consist mainly of two components, arising from anion redicals on thymine, and cation radicals on guanine. The major spectral changes caused by the radiosensitizers could be explained as a considerable increase in the formation of cationic free radicals on guanine. There were also indications of the formation of anion radicals on the radiosensitizer molecules. No hydrogen-addition free radicals on thymine were observed when the radiosensitized samples were annealed, in contrast to the pure DNA samples.     

Electron-Affinic Sensitization VII. A Correlation between Structures, One-Electron Reduction Potentials, and Efficiencies of Nitroimidazoles as Hypoxic Cell Radiosensitizers

Radiosensitization efficiencies for seven different 2-nitroimidazoles including Ro-07-0582 and its urinary metabolite, Ro-05-9963, and two 5-nitroimidazoles including metronidazole, have been determined in hypoxic Chinese Hamster cells, line V79-379A, X-irradiated in vitro. All the compounds were active hypoxic cell sensitizers with the enhancement ratios increasing with drug concentration. The 2-nitroimidazoles were all more efficient than the 5-nitroimidazoles. Overall, the efficiencies, defined as the concentration required to give a particular enhancement ratio, varied by a factor of about 200. Electron-affinities of the sensitizers were determined by pulse radiolysis as the one-electron reduction potentials and these correlate well with the sensitization efficiencies of the compounds. The correlation extends beyond the nitroimidazole series as is shown by data for p-nitroacetophenone, nifuroxime (a nitrofuran) and oxygen itself. The nitroimidazoles varied by a factor of 70 in their octanol/water partition coefficients, but the effect of this parameter on sensitizing efficiency is small compared with the influence of electron affinity.     

Effect of misonidazole on formation of thymine damage by gamma rays

The effect of the radiosensitizer misonidazole (Ro-07-0582) on the formation of thymine base damage of the 5,6-dihydroxydihydrothymine-type by gamma rays was measured under aerobic and hypoxic conditions. HeLa cells, prelabeled with [methyl-3H]thymidine, were suspended in phosphate-buffered saline in the presence and absence of misonidazole. Concentrations of misonidazole up to 15 mM were used. The cell suspensions were irradiated at ice temperature with 60Co gamma rays. Dose-response curves under aerobic and hypoxic conditions showed a much depressed base damage formation under hypoxia, which was created by blowing a stream of nitrogen across the cell suspensions for 30 min on ice. The presence of misonidazole had little or no detectable effect under hypoxia. It is concluded that an effect on the level of formation of thymine base damage is not primarily responsible for the radiosensitization by misonidazole under hypoxic conditions.     

Semi-conservative synthesis of DNA in UV-sensitive mutant cells of Chinese hamster after UV-irradiation

A study was made of the rate of semi-conservative DNA synthesis in asynchronous UV-resistant (clone V79) and UV-sensitive clones (VII and XII) of Chinese hamster cells after UV-irradiation. In all 3 clones studied, UV-irradiation (5-30 J/m2) induced a decrease in the rate of DNA synthesis during the subsequent 1-2 h. In the resistant clone (V79) recovery of DNA synthesis rate started after the first 2 h post-irradiation (5 J/m2) and by the 3rd hour reached its maximum value, which constituted 70% of that observed in control, non-irradiated cells. The UV-sensitive mutant clones VII and XII showed no recovery in the rate of DNA synthesis during 6-7 h post-irradiation. The results obtained show that the survival of cells is correlated with the ability of DNA synthesis to recover after UV-irradiation in 3 clones studied. The observed recovery of UV-inhibited DNA synthesis in mutant clones may be due to certain defects in DNA repair.     

HeLa cell single-stranded DNA-binding protein increases the accuracy of DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase alpha in vitro.

To determine whether cellular replication factors can influence the fidelity of DNA replication, the effect of HeLa cell single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) on the accuracy of DNA replication by HeLa cell DNA polymerase alpha has been examined. An in vitro gap-filling assay, in which the single-stranded gap contains the supF target gene, was used to measure mutagenesis. Addition of SSB to the in vitro DNA synthesis reaction increased the accuracy of DNA polymerase alpha by 2- to 8-fold. Analysis of the products of DNA synthesis indicated that SSB reduces pausing by the polymerase at specific sites in the single-stranded supF template. Sequence analysis of the types of errors resulting from synthesis in the absence or presence of SSB reveals that, while the errors are primarily base substitutions under both conditions, SSB reduces the number of errors found at 3 hotspots in the supF gene. Thus, a cellular replication factor (SSB) can influence the fidelity of a mammalian DNA polymerase in vitro, suggesting that the high accuracy of cellular DNA replication may be determined in part by the interaction between replication factors, DNA polymerase and the DNA template in the replication complex.     

Mechanism of stimulation of T7 DNA polymerase by Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB)

Single-stranded DNA binding protein is a key component in growth of bacteriophage T7. In addition, DNA synthesis by the purified in vitro replication system is markedly stimulated when the DNA template is coated with Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB). In an attempt to understand the mechanism for this stimulation, we have studied the effect of E. coli SSB on DNA synthesis by the T7 DNA polymerase using a primed single-stranded M13 DNA template which serves as a model for T7 lagging strand DNA synthesis. Polyacrylamide gel analysis of the DNA product synthesized on this template in the absence of SSB indicated that the T7 DNA polymerase pauses at many specific sites, some stronger than others. By comparing the position of pausing with the DNA sequence of this region and by using a DNA template that contains an extremely stable hairpin structure, it was found that many, but not all, of these pause positions correspond to regions of potential secondary structure. The presence of SSB during synthesis resulted in a large reduction in the frequency of hesitations at many sites that correspond to these secondary structures. However, the facts that a large percentage of the pause sites remain unaffected even at saturating levels of SSB and that SSB stimulates synthesis on a singly primed poly(dA) template suggested that other mechanisms also contribute to the stimulation of DNA synthesis caused by SSB. Using a sucrose gradient analysis, we found that SSB increases the affinity of the polymerase for single-stranded DNA that this increased binding is only noticed when the polymerase concentration is limiting. The effect of this difference in polymerase affinity was clearly observed by a polyacrylamide gel analysis of the product DNA synthesized during a limited DNA synthesis reaction using conditions where only two nucleotides are added to the primer. Under these circumstances, where the presence of hairpin structures should not contribute to the stimulatory effect of SSB, we found that the extension of the primer is stimulated 4-fold if the DNA template is coated with SSB. Furthermore, SSB had no effect on this synthesis at large polymerase to template ratios.     

Radiosensitization of hypoxic cells by a nitrofuran; dose-modifying and shoulder effects.

The radiosensitizer nifurpipone dihydrochloride (5-nitro-2-furaldehyde N-methyl piperazino acetyl hydrazone dihydrochloride) sensitizes hypoxic V79 mammalian cells by at least two mechanisms. Sensitization is by a reduction of ? in addition to an increase in slope. Both these affects are absent under oxygenated conditions. When hypoxic V79 cells are irradiated in the presence of nifurpipone dihydrochloride combined with Ro-07-0582, sensitization greater than that due to air alone is observed; this effect is due to a reduction in ? and an increased slope. Again this effect is absent under oxygenated conditions. Rapid-mix studies using Serratia marcescens show that full senitization occurs with a pre-irradiation contact time of 4 msec; this contrasts with data for V79 cells where a pre-irradiation contact time of 40 msec is insufficient for any sensitization to occur. This sensitizer also exerts a differential toxic effect, being more toxic to hypoxic cells than to oxygenated ones. It is concluded from these results that nifurpipone dihydrochloride sensitizes by at least two mechanisms, one of which resembles that of the electron-affinic type.     

Repair of DNA single-strand breaks in X-irradiated yeast. II. Kinetics of repair as measured by the DNA-unwinding method

The kinetics of disappearance of single-strand breaks (SSB) from the DNA of X-irradiated stationary yeast cells under liquid-holding conditions was found to proceed in a dose-independent manner up to a dose of at least 2400 Gy, and was found to be complete after incubation of cells for 1 h. This was deduced from data for a yeast wild-type (WT) haploid and diploid strain as well as for rad52 haploid cells defective in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. In all cases an initial fast repair component assumed to correspond to SSB repair was observed whereby about 80% of the induced 'unwinding points' disappeared from the DNA with a time constant of about 3 min. Following this fast component, a slower component of removal of 'unwinding points' occurred with a time constant estimated to be 20 min. The molecular nature of these two components of repair is not known. We could find no evidence for the induction of secondary (enzymatic) breaks in the DNA during post-irradiation incubation. Incubation of cells in growth medium after irradiation resulted in similar kinetics as those under liquid-holding conditions. In the absence of an energy source in the medium (i.e. when cells were incubated in buffer or distilled water after irradiation) only 60-80% of the SSB were removed from yeast DNA. Residual SSB disappeared from the DNA only when cells were transferred to a medium containing glucose. The relative mass of DNA unwound per induced strand break (i.e. represented by the slope of the dose-effect curve immediately after irradiation) was found to change slowly with the age of the cell culture under liquid-holding conditions. This effect had to be corrected for in the measurements of strand break repair under these conditions.     

亚硒酸钠诱发的晶状体上皮细胞DNA损伤及修复

观察了亚硒酸钠（Ｎａ２ＳｅＯ３）在体外作用于大鼠晶状体上皮细胞（ＲＬＥｃｅｌｌｓ）而造成的ＤＮＡ单链断裂（ｓｉｎｇｌｅｓｔｒａｎｄｂｒｅａｋｓ,ＳＳＢ）,并对其ＤＮＡ损伤、修复动力学做了初步研究．发现ＳＳＢ严重程度与亚硒酸钠的浓度呈线性相关,其ＳＳＢ重接修复约在３０～６０ｍｉｎ内完成．还作了有关非程序ＤＮＡ合成（ＵＤＳ）的检测,发现与ＳＳＢ相比,ＵＤＳ发生迟且持续时间更长,提示Ｎａ２ＳｅＯ３可能在体外对大鼠晶状体上皮细胞除造成ＳＳＢ以外,还可能造成其它种类的ＤＮＡ损伤．     

A complex of single-strand binding protein and M13 DNA as hybridization probe.

Single-stranded DNA was complexed to the single-strand binding protein (SSB) of Escherichia coli in a mass ratio of 30:1. The protein moiety of this complex can be labelled by a number of methods of which we have chosen radio-iodination and biotinylation as examples. The SSB-M13 DNA complexes, labelled to high specific activities, were used as probes in hybridization experiments in which 1.6 X 10(-18) moles of immobilized target DNA were detected. The stability of the hybrids was not severely decreased by the binding of SSB. Analysis of hybrids by electron microscopy showed that complexing of DNA with SSB could be used to allow its subsequent identification in the hybrids.     

Causes of DNA single-strand breaks during reduction of chromate by glutathione in vitro and in cells

Carcinogenic chromates induce DNA single-strand breaks (SSB) that are detectable by conventional alkali-based assays. However, the extent of direct breakage has been uncertain because excision repair and hydrolysis of Cr-DNA adducts at alkaline pH also generate SSB. We examined mechanisms of SSB production during chromate reduction by glutathione (GSH) and assessed the significance of these lesions in cells using genetic approaches. Cr(VI) reduction was biphasic and the formation of SSB occurred exclusively during the slow reaction phase. Catalase or iron chelators completely blocked DNA breakage, as did the use of GSH purified by a modified Chelex procedure. Thus, the direct intermediates of GSH-chromate reactions were unable to cause SSB unless activated by H2O2. SSB repair-deficient XRCC1(-/-) and proficient XRCC1+ EM9 cells had identical survival at doses causing up to 60% clonogenic death and accumulation of 1 mM Cr(VI). However, XRCC1(-/-) cells displayed higher lethality in the more toxic range and the depletion of GSH made them hypersensitive even to moderate doses. Elevation of cellular catalase or GSH levels eliminated survival differences between XRCC1(-/-) and XRCC1+ cells. In summary, formation of toxic SSB in cells occurs at relatively high chromate doses, requires H2O2, and is suppressed by high GSH concentrations.     

Active nucleoprotein filaments of single-stranded binding protein and recA protein on single-stranded DNA have a regular repeating structure.

When E. coli single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) coats single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in the presence of 1 mM MgCl2 it inhibits the subsequent binding of recA protein, whereas SSB binding to ssDNA in 12 mM MgCl2 promotes the binding of recA protein. These two conditions correspond respectively to those which produce 'smooth' and 'beaded' forms of ssDNA-SSB filaments. By gel filtration and immunoprecipitation we observed active nucleoprotein filaments of recA protein and SSB on ssDNA that contained on average 1 monomer of recA protein per 4 nucleotides and 1 monomer of SSB per 20-22 nucleotides. Filaments in such a mixture, when digested with micrococcal nuclease produced a regular repeating pattern, approximately every 70-80 nucleotides, that differed from the pattern observed when only recA protein was bound to the ssDNA. We conclude that the beaded ssDNA-SSB nucleoprotein filament readily binds recA protein and forms an intermediate that is active in the formation of joint molecules and can retain substantially all of the SSB that was originally bound.     

Effect of gamma irradiation on liver metallothionein synthesis and lipid peroxidation in rats.

Several studies have recently shown that metallothionein (MT), a protein characterized by a high thiol content and that binds Zn2+ and Cu+, might be involved in the protection against oxidative stress and can act as a free radical scavenger. Oxidative stresses, such as irradiation, increase lipid peroxidation (LP) and subsequent tissue damage through free radical production. The induction of hepatic MT synthesis by gamma-irradiation (20 Gy) at 8, 24, 30 and 48 hrs. post-irradiation in two different age groups of Sprague-Dawley rats (39-40 and 48-49 days old) was studied. LP measured by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay and Cu and Zn levels in liver have also been determined. In the younger group, the gamma-irradiation induced hepatic MT synthesis and increased LP that peaked 24 hrs. after irradiation. During the first 30 hrs. post-irradiation, a positive and statistically significant correlation between hepatic MT content and LP level in liver was found. In the older group, liver MT synthesis was only increased 1.7-fold and LP levels were not altered at 24 hrs. post-irradiation compared with sham-irradiated rats.Therefore it appears that LP is not necessary for induction of MT synthesis by gamma-irradiation.     

Toxicity, radiation sensitivity modification, and metabolic effects of dehydroascorbate and ascorbate in mammalian cells.

Dehydroascorbate, an electron affinic metabolite of vitamin C, sensitized Ehrlich ascites tumor cells, in vivo, to radiation and was selectively toxic to V79 Chinese hamster lung cells under hypoxic conditions (without radiation). The radiosensitization may involve both the electron affinic nature of dehydroascorbate as well as its ability to oxidize the intracellular NAD(P)H and non-protein sulfhydryl. Dehydroascorbate's oxidation of NAD(P)H required higher concentrations than other sulfhydryl oxidants such as N-ethylmaleimide and diamide. The oxidation of NAD(P)H by dehydroascorbate could be reversed by glucose. Hypoxic cell radiosensitization of V79 cells in tissue culture by dehydroascorbate could not be easily demonstrated because of the rapid breakdown and appreciable cytotoxicity of the drug at high concentration. The cytotoxicity was found to occur with both high and low densities of V79 cells. With low cell densities small amounts of oxygen did not reduce the cytotoxicity of dehydroascorbate, but virtually eliminated the cytotoxicity of nitroaromatic electron affinic compounds (metronidazole and Ro-07-0582). The cytotoxicity to dense cell suspensions was found to depend upon the type of buffer included in the reaction medium. The maximum cytotoxicity was obtained in buffer free saline. The reduced form of dehydroascorbate, vitamin C, was found to be toxic only under aerobic conditions. The aerobic cytotoxicity could be prevented by the addition of catalase to the growth medium or by an increase in cell density, suggesting it was caused entirely by the production of H2O2 from the oxidation of vitamin C.     

Single-stranded DNA-binding protein recruits DNA polymerase V to primer termini on RecA-coated DNA

Translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) by DNA polymerase V (polV) in Escherichia coli involves accessory proteins, including RecA and single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB). To elucidate the role of SSB in TLS we used an in vitro exonuclease protection assay and found that SSB increases the accessibility of 3' primer termini located at abasic sites in RecA-coated gapped DNA. The mutant SSB-113 protein, which is defective in protein-protein interactions, but not in DNA binding, was as effective as wild-type SSB in increasing primer termini accessibility, but deficient in supporting polV-catalyzed TLS. Consistently, the heterologous SSB proteins gp32, encoded by phage T4, and ICP8, encoded by herpes simplex virus 1, could replace E. coli SSB in the TLS reaction, albeit with lower efficiency. Immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that polV directly interacts with SSB and that this interaction is disrupted by the SSB-113 mutation. Taken together our results suggest that SSB functions to recruit polV to primer termini on RecA-coated DNA, operating by two mechanisms: 1) increasing the accessibility of 3' primer termini caused by binding of SSB to DNA and 2) a direct SSB-polV interaction mediated by the C terminus of SSB.     

Contrasting effects of Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA binding protein on synthesis by T7 DNA polymerase and Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (large fragment). Evidence that binding protein inhibits trans-lesion synthesis by polymerase I

The effect of Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) on DNA synthesis by T7 DNA polymerase and E. coli DNA polymerase I (large fragment) using native or aminofluorene-modified M13 templates was evaluated by in vitro DNA synthesis assays and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. The two polymerase enzymes displayed differential responses to the addition of SSB. T7 DNA polymerase, a enzyme required for the replication of the T7 chromosome, was stimulated by the addition of SSB whether native or modified templates were used. On the other hand, E. coli DNA polymerase I was slightly stimulated by the addition of SSB to the native template but substantially inhibited on modified templates. This result suggests that DNA polymerase I may be able to synthesize past an aminofluorene adduct but that the presence of SSB inhibited this trans-lesion synthesis. Polyacrylamide gels of the products of DNA synthesis by polymerase I supported this inference since SSB caused a substantial increase in the accumulation of shorter DNA chains induced by blockage at the aminofluorene adduct sites.     

ET-1 stimulates ERK signaling pathway through sequential activation of PKC and Src in rat myometrial cells

In this study, we analyzed in ratmyometrial cells the signaling pathways involved in the endothelin(ET)-1-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activationrequired for the induction of DNA synthesis. We found that inhibitionof protein kinase C (PKC) by Ro-31-8220 abolished ERK activation.Inhibition of phospholipase C (PLC) by U-73122 or of phosphoinositide(PI) 3-kinase by wortmannin partially reduced ERK activation. A similarpartial inhibition was observed after treatment with pertussis toxin orPKC downregulation by phorbol ester treatment. The effect of wortmanninwas additive with that produced by PKC downregulation but not with thatdue to pertussis toxin. These results suggest that bothdiacylglycerol-sensitive PKC, activated by PLC products, anddiacylglycerol-insensitive PKC, possibly activated by aG_i-PI 3-kinase-dependent process, are involved inET-1-induced ERK activation. These two pathways were found to beactivated mainly through the ET_A receptor subtype. ET-1 andphorbol ester stimulated Src activity in a PKC-dependent manner, bothresponses being abolished in the presence of Ro-31-8220. Inhibition of Src kinases by PP1 abrogated phorbol ester- and ET-1-induced ERK activation. Finally, ET-1 activated Ras in a PP1-and Ro-31-8220-sensitive manner. Altogether, our results indicatethat ET-1 induces ERK activation in rat myometrial cells through thesequential stimulation of PKC, Src, and Ras.

     

The role of human single-stranded DNA binding protein and its individual subunits in simian virus 40 DNA replication

Human single-stranded DNA binding protein (human SSB) is a multisubunit protein containing polypeptides of 70, 34, and 11 kDa that is required for SV40 DNA replication in vitro. In this report we identify the functions of the SSB and its individual subunits in SV40 DNA replication. The 70 kDa subunit was found to bind to single-stranded DNA, whereas the other subunits did not. Four monoclonal antibodies against human SSB were isolated which inhibited SV40 DNA replication in vitro. The antibodies have been designated alpha SSB70A, alpha SSB70B, alpha SSB70C, and alpha SSB34A to indicate which subunits are recognized. Immunolocalization experiments indicated that human SSB is a nuclear protein. Human SSB is required for the SV40 large tumor antigen-catalyzed unwinding of SV40 DNA and stimulates DNA polymerases (pol) alpha and delta. The DNA unwinding reaction and stimulation of pol delta were blocked by alpha SSB70C, whereas the stimulation of pol alpha by human SSB was unaffected by this antibody. Conversely, alpha SSB70A, -70B, and -34A inhibited the stimulation of pol alpha, but they had no effect on DNA unwinding and pol delta stimulation. None of the antibodies inhibited the binding of SSB to single-stranded DNA. These results suggest that DNA unwinding and stimulation of pol alpha and pol delta are required functions of human SSB in SV40 DNA replication. The human SSB 70-kDa subunit appears to be required for DNA unwinding and pol delta stimulation, whereas both the 70- and 34-kDa subunits may be involved in the stimulation of pol alpha.