Kinds of mutations formed when a shuttle vector containing adducts of benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide replicates in COS7 cells.

We have investigated the kinds of mutations induced when a shuttle vector containing covalently bound residues of the (+/-)-7 beta,8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha,10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE) replicates in the monkey kidney cell line COS7. The target for detecting mutations was the 200-base pair gene for a tyrosine suppressor tRNA (supF), inserted at the EcoRI site in shuttle vector p3AC (Sarkar et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 4:2227-2230, 1984). When introduced by transformation, a functioning supF gene in progeny plasmid recovered from COS7 cells allows suppression of a lacZ amber mutation in the indicator Escherichia coli host. Treatment of p3AC with BPDE caused a linear increase in the number of BPDE residues bound per plasmid. Untreated plasmids and plasmids containing 6.6 BPDE residues were transfected into COS7 cells, and the progeny were assayed for mutations in the supF gene. The frequency of mutants generated during replication of the BPDE-treated plasmids was not higher than that from untreated plasmids, but the two populations differed markedly in the kinds of mutations they contained. Gel electrophoresis analysis of the size alterations of 77 mutant plasmids obtained with untreated DNA and 45 obtained with BPDE-treated DNA showed that the majority of the mutant progeny of untreated plasmids exhibited gross alterations, principally large deletions. In contrast, the majority of the mutants generated during replication of the BPDE-treated plasmids contained only minor alterations, principally point mutations. Sequence analysis of progeny of untreated plasmids containing putative point mutations showed insertions and deletions of bases and a broad spectrum of base substitutions; in those from BPDE-treated plasmids, all base substitutions involved guanosine . cystosine pairs.     

Benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide causes caspase-mediated apoptosis in H460 human lung cancer cell line

We have shown previously that wild-type p53 renders H460 human lung cancer cells more sensitive to apoptosis induction by environmental carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE), but the mechanism of cell death is not fully understood. The present study provides insights into the mechanism by which BPDE causes apoptosis in H460 cells. Exposure of H460 cells to BPDE resulted in a concentration-dependent apoptotic cell death characterized by cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, DNA condensation, and apoptotic histone-associated DNA fragments released into the cytosol. The BPDE-mediated release of apoptotic histone-associated DNA fragments into the cytosol was also observed in a normal bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B. The BPDE-induced apoptosis in H460 cells correlated with up-regulation of pro-apoptotic protein Bak, down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to the cytosol without a change in mitochondrial membrane potential or mitochondrial morphology (electron microscopy), and cleavage of caspase-8, -9, and -3. Ectopic expression of Bcl-2 failed to confer significant protection against BPDE-induced apoptosis in H460 cells. The SV40 immortalized mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from Bak and Bax double knockout mice, but not Bid knockout mice, were significantly more resistant to BPDE-induced apoptosis compared with the MEFs derived from wild-type mice. The BPDE-induced apoptosis was partially but statistically significantly attenuated in the presence of specific inhibitors of caspase-9 (z-LEHDfmk) and caspase-8 (z-IETDfmk). In conclusion, the present study reveals that BPDE-induced apoptosis in H460 cells is associated with Bak induction and caspase activation but independent of Bcl-2.     

Efficiency and accuracy of SOS-induced DNA polymerases replicating benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol 9,10-epoxide A and G adducts.

Nucleotide incorporation fidelity, mismatch extension, and translesion DNA synthesis efficiencies were determined using SOS-induced Escherichia coli DNA polymerases (pol) II, IV, and V to copy 10R and 10S isomers of trans-opened benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol 9,10-epoxide (BaP DE) A and G adducts. A-BaP DE adducts were bypassed by pol V with moderate accuracy and considerably higher efficiency than by pol II or IV. Error-prone pol V copied G-BaP DE-adducted DNA poorly, forming A*G-BaP DE-S and -R mismatches over C*G-BaP DE-S and -R correct matches by factors of approximately 350- and 130-fold, respectively, even favoring G*G-BaP DE mismatches over correct matches by factors of 2-4-fold. In contrast, pol IV bypassed G-BaP DE adducts with the highest efficiency and fidelity, making misincorporations with a frequency of 10(-2) to 10(-4) depending on sequence context. G-BaP DE-S-adducted M13 DNA yielded 4-fold fewer plaques when transfected into SOS-induced DeltadinB (pol IV-deficient) mutant cells compared with the isogenic wild-type E. coli strain, consistent with the in vitro data showing that pol IV was most effective by far at copying the G-BaP DE-S adduct. SOS polymerases are adept at copying a variety of lesions, but the relative contribution of each SOS polymerase to copying damaged DNA appears to be determined by the lesion's identity.     

p53 Regulates Cellular Responses to Environmental Carcinogen Benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide in Human Lung Cancer Cells

The p53 tumor suppressor is a mutational target of environmental carcinogen anti-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE). We now demonstrate that p53 plays an important role in regulation of cellular responses to BPDE. Exposure of p53-null H1299 human lung cancer cells to BPDE resulted in S and G2 phase cell cycle arrest, but not mitotic block, which correlated with induction of cyclin B1 protein expression, down-modulation of cell division cycle 25C (Cdc25C) and Cdc25B protein levels, and hyperphosphorylation of Cdc25C (S216), cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1; Y15), checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1; S317 and S345) and Chk2 (T68). The BPDE-induced S phase block, but not the G2/M phase arrest, was significantly attenuated by knockdown of Chk1 protein level. The BPDE-mediated accumulation of sub-diploid fraction (apoptotic cells) was significantly decreased in H1299 cells transiently transfected with both Chk1 and Chk2 specific siRNAs. The H460 human lung cancer cell line (wild-type p53) was relatively more sensitive to BPDE-mediated growth inhibition and enrichment of sub-diploid apoptotic fraction compared with H1299 cells. The BPDE exposure failed to activate either S or G2 phase checkpoint in H460 cells. Instead, the BPDE-treated H460 cells exhibited a nearly 8-fold increase in sub-diploid apoptotic cells that was accompanied by phosphorylation of p53 at multiple sites. Knockdown of p53 protein level in H460 cells attenuated BPDE-induced apoptosis but enforced activation of S and G2 phase checkpoints. In conclusion, the present study points towards an important role of p53 in regulation of cellular responses to BPDE in human lung cancer cells.     

Lipoxygenase-catalyzed epoxidation of benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol

Metabolism of resolved radioactive stereoisomer, [14C](+)-benzo-(a)pyrene-trans-7,8-dihydrodiol by highly purified soybean lipoxygenase plus linoleic acid was investigated. Trans-anti-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrotetrol, the product of hydrolytic breakdown of ultimate mutagenic benzo(a)pyrene-anti-7,8-dihydrodiol,9,10-epoxide, was detected as a major metabolite. The epoxidation, depended on the enzyme concentration and was inhibited by nordihydroguaiaretic acid. This study provides evidence on the ability of lipoxygenase to catalyze the epoxidation of benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol.     

Effects of pH and salt concentration on the hydrolysis of a benzo[alpha]pyrene 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide catalyzed by DNA and polyadenylic acid

The time-dependent absorbance change that occurs when benzo[alpha]pyrene 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide is added to solutions of calf thymus DNA has been shown, by an unequivocal chromatographic method, to correspond to DNA-catalyzed hydrolysis of the diol-epoxide. At 25 degrees C and mu = 0.10, the kinetics of the reaction of the diol-epoxide with polyadenylic acid or DNA are consistent with preequilibrium formation of a non-covalent complex between the diol-epoxide and the polynucleotide or DNA, followed by hydrolysis of the bound epoxide by a process that is first-order in hydronium ions. Cacodylic acid also catalyzes the hydrolysis of the epoxide bound to polyadenylic acid. The rate of the DNA-catalyzed hydrolysis exhibits little or no enantiomeric selectivity for the diol-epoxide. DNA catalyzed hydrolysis of the diol-epoxide is extraordinarily sensitive to the salt concentration in the reaction medium: the rate of hydrolysis of the bound epoxide at pH 7 is retarded by a factor of approximately 45 in the presence of 0.1 M sodium chloride compared to a 1 mM buffer containing no added salt. Thus, studies of the interactions of DNA with carcinogenic diol-epoxides must take into account the ionic environment of DNA within the cell.     

In vitro replication by prokaryotic and eukaryotic polymerases on DNA templates containing site-specific and stereospecific benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide adducts.

DNA adducts of the environmental carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) interact stereospecifically with prokaryotic and eukaryotic polymerases in vitro. Toward understanding the capacity to replicate past different diastereomers of BPDE at specific sites in DNA, six deoxyoligonucleotides, each 33 bases long, were constructed with stereochemically defined BPDE adducts on adenine N6 at position two of the human N-ras codon 61. Four polymerases that were studied under single encounters with the template-primer complex terminated synthesis one base 3' to the lesion with all the adducted templates. When multiple encounters between polymerase and substrate were permitted, each of the polymerases analyzed revealed a unique pattern for a given adducted template. The general replication pattern was encompassed under two categories, reflecting the significance of the R and S configurations of C10 of the pyrenyl ring attached to the single-stranded DNA template. Furthermore, within each of these categories, every polymerase demonstrated distinct quantitative differences in product accumulation at a given site, for the various adducted templates. Among the polymerases utilized in this study, exonuclease-deficient Klenow fragment of polymerase I (exo- KF) exhibited the most efficient translesion synthesis resulting in approximately 16% full-length products with the modified templates bearing adducts with C10-S configuration. In contrast, chain elongation with bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase bearing an active 3'-->5' exonucleolytic activity was most strongly inhibited by all six BPDE-adducted templates. Misincorporation of A opposite the adduct occurred in all the templates when polymerized with Sequenase, whereas exo- KF preferentially incorporated C opposite the C10-R BPDE adducts and A opposite the C10-S BPDE adducts.     

The role of the Ah receptor and p38 in benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol and benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide-induced apoptosis

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous contaminants in the environment. Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a prototypical member of this class of chemicals, affects cellular signal transduction pathways and induces apoptosis. In this study, the proximate carcinogen of B[a]P metabolism, trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol) and the ultimate carcinogen, B[a]P-r-7,t-8-dihydrodiol-t-9,10-epoxide(+/-) (BPDE-2) were found to induce apoptosis in human HepG2 cells. Apoptosis initiated by B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol was linked to activation of the Ah receptor and induction of CYP1A1, an event that can lead to the formation of BPDE-2. With both B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol and BPDE-2 treatment, changes in anti- and pro-apoptotic events in the Bcl-2 family of proteins correlated with the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c and caspase activation. The onset of apoptosis as monitored by caspase activation was linked to mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. Utilizing mouse hepa1c1c7 cells and the Arnt-deficient BPRc1 cells, activation of MAP kinase p38 by B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol was shown to be Ah receptor-dependent, indicating that metabolic activation by CYP1A1 was required. This was in contrast to p38 activation by BPDE-2, an event that was independent of Ah receptor function. Confirmation that MAP kinases play a critical role in BPDE-2-induced apoptosis was shown by inhibiting caspase activation of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP-1) by chemical inhibitors of p38 and ERK1/2. Furthermore, mouse embryo p38-/- fibroblasts were shown to be resistant to the actions of BPDE-2-induced apoptosis as determined by annexin V analysis, cytochrome c release, and cleavage of PARP-1. These results confirm that the Ah receptor plays a critical role in B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol-induced apoptosis while p38 MAP kinase links the actions of an electrophilic metabolite like BPDE-2 to the regulation of programmed cell death.     

A comparison of mutational specificity of mutations induced by S9-activated B[a]P and benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide at the endogenous aprt gene in CHO cells

We have determined the mutational specificity of S9-activated benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) at the endogenous aprt locus in a hemizygous Chinese hamster ovary cell line. The aprt gene of recovered mutants was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and directly sequenced. This spectrum was then compared to mutations recovered following treatment with the B[a]P metabolite, benzo[a]pyrene diol-epoxide (BPDE). No significant difference between the two spectra in the types of mutations produced, or their distribution was observed. This observation supports the hypothesis that BPDE is the reactive metabolite of B[a]P, responsible for the significant biological effects caused by this ubiquitous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. The major mutation recovered was the G:C-->T:A transversion, and mutations were primarily localized within runs of guanines. We also confirmed our previous finding that mutation by B[a]P is non-random, targeting events in runs of guanines flanked by adenine residues. This same target hotspot region is found in codon 61 of the human c-Ha-ras1 proto-oncogene. This may help explain the selective activation of this codon by BPDE.     

Facilitation of the conversion from B to Z conformation in poly(dG-dC) modified by anti-benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide

The transition from B to Z conformation has been studied in poly(dG-dC) covalently modified with racemic anti- or syn-benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE), a strong and a weak carcinogen, respectively. Circular dichroism was used to study the kinetics of the transition after a sudden increase of the ionic strength to 2.7 M NaCl. The results show that the rate of the B to Z transition of poly(dG-dC) in high NaCl concentration is considerably enhanced by bound anti-BPDE and diminished by bound syn-BPDE. The results may be interpreted such that at the binding site of anti-BPDE the base stacking is distorted and made looser, which facilitates the B to Z transition. The partly intercalative nature of the syn-BPDE complexes apparently is effective in reducing the rate of the transition. These properties of the two BPDEs may be relevant to explain their different carcinogenic potencies.     

Structural basis for catalytic differences between alpha class human glutathione transferases hGSTA1-1 and hGSTA2-2 for glutathione conjugation of environmental carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide

The ultimate diol epoxide carcinogens derived from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzo[a]pyrene (BP), are metabolized primarily by glutathione (GSH) conjugation reaction catalyzed by GSH transferases (GSTs). In human liver and probably lung, the alpha class GSTs are likely to be responsible for the majority of this reaction because of their high abundance. The catalytic efficiency for GSH conjugation of the carcinogenic (+)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide [(+)-anti-BPDE] is more than 5-fold higher for hGSTA1-1 than for hGSTA2-2. Here, we demonstrate that mutation of isoleucine-11 of hGSTA2-2, a residue located in the hydrophobic substrate-binding site (H-site) of the enzyme, to alanine (which is present in the same position in hGSTA1-1) results in about a 7-fold increase in catalytic efficiency for (+)-anti-BPDE-GSH conjugation. Thus, a single amino acid substitution is sufficient to convert hGSTA2-2 to a protein that matches hGSTA1-1 in its catalytic efficiency. The increased catalytic efficiency of hGSTA2/I11A is accompanied by greater enantioselectivity for the carcinogenic (+)-anti-BPDE over (-)-anti-BPDE. Further remodeling of the H-site of hGSTA2-2 to resemble that of hGSTA1-1 (S9F, I11A, F110V, and S215A mutations, SIFS mutant) results in an enzyme whose catalytic efficiency is approximately 13.5-fold higher than that of the wild-type hGSTA2-2, and about 2.5-fold higher than that of the wild-type hGSTA1-1. The increased activity upon mutations can be rationalized by the interactions of the amino acid side chains with the substrate and the orientation of the substrate in the active site, as visualized by molecular modeling. Interestingly, the catalytic efficiency of hGSTA2-2 toward (-)-anti-BPDE was increased to a level close to that of hGSTA1-1 upon F110V, not I11A, mutation. Similar to (+)-anti-BPDE, however, the SIFS mutant was the most efficient enzyme for GSH conjugation of (-)-anti-BPDE.     

Glutathione transferase catalyzed conjugation of benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-diol 9,10-epoxide with glutathione in human skin

Glutathione transferase (GST) activity towards racemic as well as the resolved enantiomers of 7 beta,8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha,10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a] pyrene (anti-BPDE) and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) was measured in post-microsomal supernatants (PMS) obtained from eight human skin samples. All preparations showed significant activity towards anti-BPDE and an almost exclusive preference for the more tumourigenic (+)-enantiomer. The specific activity towards (+)-anti-BPDE varied about five-fold between different PMS (range 147-781 pmol/min per mg protein) whereas the variation in specific activities towards CDNB was about two-fold (range 30-71 nmol/min per mg protein). The activities obtained with PMS at saturating concentrations of racemic anti-BPDE were about half of the activity towards the (+)-enantiomer indicating that (-)-anti-BPDE competitively inhibits conjugation of the (+)-form. No correlation was evident between the activities towards (+)-anti-BPDE and CDNB implying that different classes of GST isoenzymes participated in the two different reactions. Immunoblot analysis revealed the presence of Class Alpha and Pi isoenzymes whereas Class Mu isoenzymes seemed to be absent in the human skin samples analyzed. Quantitatively, the Class Pi isoenzyme(s) predominated in all skin samples and the amount of enzyme was about 1-3 micrograms GST Pi/mg PMS protein. The almost exclusive conjugation of (+)-anti-BPDE by PMS and previous results with GST Pi enzymes from human placenta suggested that this type of enzymes catalysed the conjugation reaction. The five-fold variation in specific activity towards (+)-anti-BPDE observed among the different PMS may be explained by individual differences in GST Pi content or by the presence of endogenous modifiers of GST activity towards the diol-epoxide.     

Kinetics of hydrolysis to tetraols and binding of benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-oxide and its tetraol derivatives to DNA. Conformation of adducts

When the major reactive metabolite of benzo(a)pyrene, $\text{trans}$ -7,8-dihydroxy - $\text{anti}$-9,10-epoxy -7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene ($\text{anti}$-BPDE) is incubated with DNA in aqueous solution at 25°C, both covalent binding and hydrolysis of $\text{anti}$-BPDE to its tetraols occur. Using fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy it is shown that hydrolysis of $\text{anti}$-BPDE is markedly accelerated by DNA. In the presence of 5A₂₆₀ units of DNA per ml in cacodylate buffer solution, at an initial concentration of DNA phosphate/$\text{anti}$-BPDE ratio of 100, both the extent of covalent binding to DNA ( < 7% of the total $\text{anti}$-BPDE initially present) and hydrolysis of $\text{anti}$-BPDE reach their maximum levels within less than five minutes after mixing. Absorption and electric linear dichroism spectra indicate that the tetraols bind non-covalently to DNA by an intercalation mechanism, whereas the covalent product displays the characteristics of an externally bound complex.     

Preferential misincorporation of purine nucleotides by human DNA polymerase eta opposite benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-diol 9,10-epoxide deoxyguanosine adducts

Human DNA polymerase eta was used to copy four stereoisomeric deoxyguanosine (dG) adducts derived from benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-diol 9,10-epoxide (diastereomer with the 7-hydroxyl group and epoxide oxygen trans (BaP DE-2)). The adducts, formed by either cis or trans epoxide ring opening of each enantiomer of BaP DE-2 by N(2) of dG, were placed at the fourth nucleotide from the 5'-end in two 16-mer sequence contexts, 5' approximately CG*A approximately and 5' approximately GG*T. poleta was remarkably error prone at all four diol epoxide adducts, preferring to misincorporate G and A at frequencies 3- to more than 50-fold greater than the frequencies for T or the correct C, although the highest rates were 60-fold below the rate of incorporation of C opposite a non-adducted G. Anti to syn rotation of the adducted base, consistent with previous NMR data for a BaP DE-2 dG adduct placed just beyond a primer terminus, provides a rationale for preferring purine misincorporation. Extension of purine misincorporations occurred preferentially, but extension beyond the adduct site was weak with V(max)/K(m) values generally 10-fold less than for misincorporation. Mostly A was incorporated opposite (+)-BaP DE-2 dG adducts, which correlates with published observations that G --> T is the most common type of mutation that (+)-BaP DE-2 induces in mammalian cells.     

Conformation of dinucleoside monophosphates modified with benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol 9,10-oxide as measured by circular dichroism

The conformational properties of GpU modified with the reactive derivative of benzo[a]pyrene, (+/-)-7beta,8alpha-dihydroxy-9alpha,10alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene, has been investigated utilizing circular dichroism spectroscopy. Binding of this carcinogen to the N2 of G residues in GpU resulted in the formation of four compounds (I to IV) representing two pairs of diastereoisomers. The molar ellipticity values of the modified dimers were approximately twofold higher than those of the modified guanosine monomers. These values were decreased appreciably when the spectra of the dimers were obtained at 80 degrees C or in methanol rather than at 25 degrees C in water, suggesting that under the latter conditions there is a stacking interaction between the carcinogen and the neighboring uridine residue. Based on these results, a conformation is proposed for modified GpU. It includes insertion of the benzo[a]pyrene moiety, by rotation of the modified guanine residue about its glycoside bond, coplanar to the neighboring uridine and perpendicular to the phosphodiester backbone.