Recovery from potentially lethal damage of irradiated L5178Y-R and L5178Y-S cells: the effect of temperature and benzamide

Mouse lymphoma L5178 Y-S and Y-R cells differing in radiosensitivity by 1.5 times were treated with benzamide, an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribosylation), for 24 h before and 18 h after X-irradiation, and incubated after irradiation at 25 degrees C and 37 degrees C. Clonogenic capacity of LY-S cells incubated at 25 degrees C exceeded that of the same cells incubated at 37 degrees C; the clonogenic capacity of LY-R cells did not vary with the postirradiation incubation temperature. Benzamide increased equally the radiosensitivity of LY-R cells incubated at both temperatures, whereas that of LY-S cells was only increased at 37 degrees C. Repair of potentially lethal damages to LY-S cells incubated at 25 degrees C was independent of the effectiveness of poly(ADP-ribosylation).     

Effect of UVC and araC on L5178Y-R and L5178Y-S cells. Nucleoid sedimentation

The effects of UVC radiation (lambda = 254 nm, 85 J/m2) and/or 1-beta-D-arabino-furanosylcytosine (araC, 2 x 10(-3) M, 2 h) on two mouse lymphoma cell lines, UVC-sensitive and X-ray resistant L5178Y-R and UVC-resistant and X-ray sensitive L5178Y-S, were investigated. AraC treatment inhibited the semiconservative DNA replication to 1.4% and 3.8% in L5178Y-R and L5178Y-S cells, respectively, and decreased the sedimentation distance of nucleoids from the cells of both lines. The shortening of sedimentation distances induced by UVC and araC treatment was 8.1 mm for L5178Y-R cells and 11.8 mm for L5178Y-S, and indicated a higher number of DNA breaks in L5178Y-S cells. Assuming that such breaks are the result of the inhibition of DNA repair replication by araC, we conclude that L5178Y-S cells have a greater number of repaired sites than L5178Y-R cells.     

The repair of double-strand DNA breaks correlates with radiosensitivity of L5178Y-S and L5178Y-R cells

To better understand the basis for the difference in radiosensitivity between the variant murine leukemic lymphoblast cell lines L5178Y-R (resistant) and L5178Y-S (sensitive), the production and repair of DNA damage after X irradiation were measured by the DNA alkaline and neutral elution techniques. The initial yield of single-strand DNA breaks and the rates of their repair were found to be the same in both cell lines by the DNA alkaline elution technique. Using the technique of neutral DNA elution, L5178Y-S cells exhibited slightly increased double-strand breakage immediately after irradiation, most significantly at lower doses (i.e., less than 10 Gy). Nevertheless, even at doses that yielded equal initial double-strand breakage of both cell lines, the survival of L5178Y-S cells was significantly less than that of L5178Y-R cells. When the technique of neutral DNA elution was employed to measure the kinetics of DNA double-strand break repair, both cell lines exhibited biphasic fast and slow components of repair. However, the double-strand repair rate was much lower in the radiosensitive L5178Y-S cells than in the L5178Y-R cells (T1/2 of 60 vs 16 min). This difference was more pronounced in the fast-repair component. These results suggest that the repair of double-strand DNA breaks is an important factor determining the radiosensitivity of L5178Y cells.     

Damage at two levels of DNA folding measured by fluorescent halo technique inX-irradiated L5178Y-R and L5178Y-S cells

Summary We examined, by the fluorescent halo assay, alterations in the nucleoid structure (structure formed from cells under mild lysis conditions: in non-ionic detergent TritonX-100, 0.0005% and 1.5 mol/1 NaCl) of L5178Y (LY) cell sublines which had been untreated, treated with reducing/chelating agents (ß-mercaptoethanol or sodium diethyl dithiocarbamate (DDTC(Na))) or X-irradiated. These sublines differ in radiation sensitivity: LY-R is more resistant (D ₀ = 1.1 Gy) and LY-S more sensitive (D ₀ = 0.5 Gy). Halo diameters were measured after cell lysis in the presence of propidium iodide (PI)(0.5 to 50 µg/ml) at pH 6.9 or 9. The maximal DNA unwinding in PI was obtained at 7.5 µg/ml PI, at both pH 6.9 and 9 in both sublines; the maximal halo diameter was larger in LY-S than in LY-R cells. In nucleoids from both sublines DNA could be rewound at higher (10–50 µ/ml) PI concentrations both at pH 6.9 and 9. This ability was impaired by mercaptoethanol or DDTC(Na) (at pH 9) or by X-irradiation, indicating damage and/or alteration in the DNA superhelical structure. The susceptibility to reducing/chelating agents was greater in LY-S than in LY-R nucleoids, pointing to differences in chromatin structure between these sublines. The amount of X-ray-inflicted damage was higher, when measured at pH 9 than at pH 6.9 and was about twice larger in LY-S than in LY-R nucleoids, when the cells were irradiated with the same X-ray dose.From analogies between the behaviour of nucleoids under the above-described conditions and nucleoid type I and II sedimentation, as examined by Lebkowski and Laemmli (1982) we conclude that damage at two levels of DNA folding is measured at pH 6.9 and 9.     

Ion content and the response of L5178Y-R and L5178Y-S cells to X rays and ionophore A23178

Summary We examined the response of L5178Y-S (radiosensitive, LY-S) and L517SY-R (radioresistant, LY-R) lymphoblasts to X-irradiation with concomittant treatment with divalent cation ionophore, A23187 (3 h or 5 h, 5 µg/ml). Cells treated with A23187 alone progressed through the cell cycle more slowly than the untreated cells and their cloning efficiency was reduced. In both cell strains the ionophore prolonged duration of the postirradiation mitotic delay. Radiation-induced inhibition of DNA synthesis was reversed by A23187 in LY-S but not in LY-R cells.Cells subjected to the ionophore treatment survived X-irradiation in almost the same way as untreated cells, as if the effect of A23187 treatment were reversed by irradiation. There was also a reversion in the ion content: A23187 caused a marked increase in Na⁺ content and a decrease in K⁺ content, irradiation itself did not change the ion content, whereas in the A23187-treated cells it restored almost the same pattern as that found in the control cells. We found less Mg²⁺ ions in LY-S cells after treatment with A23187 and A23187 + X than in LY-R cells, in relation to untreated (control) cells. These observations point to the possible importance of ion transport for recovery from radiation damage.     

Damage at two levels of DNA folding measured by fluorescent halo technique in X-irradiated L5178Y-R and L5178Y-S cells. II. Repair

In the preceding paper we described the properties of nucleoids analyzed with the fluorescent halo assay at pH 6.9 and 9, as well as in the presence of reducing and chelating agents and after X-irradiation. We found analogies between the properties of type I and II nucleoids, as examined by Lebkowski and Laemmli (1982), and nucleoids analyzed with the fluorescent halo assay. We concluded that radiation-inflicted damage at two levels of DNA folding is measured at pH 6.9 and 9. In this paper we examined repair of damage to the nucleoid structure as assayed by the fluorescent halo method in X-irradiated L5178Y (LY) sublines; R (radiation resistant,D ₀=1.4 Gy) and S (radiation sensitive,D ₀=0.5 Gy). Halo diameters were measured after cell lysis in the presence of propidium iodide (PI; 0.5 to 50 µg/ml) at pH 6.9 and 9. The ability of DNA to be rewound at 10–50 µg/ml of PI was impaired by X-irradiation and partly restored during 90-min post-irradiation incubation, indicating damage to the superhelical structure and its partial restoration. The exponential time constants for repair were 10.1 min (LY-S, 6 Gy), 11.2 min (LY-R, 12 Gy), and 20.3 min (LY-s, 12 Gy) when measured at pH 9. In X-irradiated (12 Gy) LY-S cells, slower restoration of DNA supercoiling was observed at pH 9 than at pH 6.9. The presence of labile lesions at pH 9 did not prevent restoration of the higher-order DNA structure, as estimated from DNA rewinding at pH 6.9 in LY-S cells.Work performed at SUNY-Health Science Center at Brooklyn     

Heat-induced inhibition of DNA synthesis in L5178Y-S cells is reversed by caffeine

Heating L5178Y cells for 15 min at 43 degrees C caused a decrease in [3H]thymidine incorporation, which could be reversed by post-treatment with 0.75 mM caffeine in an L5178Y-S (radiation-sensitive, heat-resistant) but not in an L5178Y-R (radiation-resistant, heat-sensitive) strain. The reversal was accompanied by a sparing effect of the treatment: survival of L5178Y-S cells increased by a factor of 1.5. The effect of combined (heat + caffeine) treatment of L5178Y-R cells was cumulative.     

DNA supercoiling changes in nucleoids from irradiated L5178Y-S and -R cells

DNA supercoiling ability was assayed following irradiation in two cell lines of differing radiosensitivity, L5178Y-S (LY-S) and L5178Y-R (LY-R). Cells treated with NaCl and Triton X-100 were exposed to increasing concentrations of the fluorescent, DNA-intercalating dye, propidium iodide (PI), and the diameter of the resulting fluorescent halo of DNA was measured. As the PI concentration was increased from 0.5 to 5 micrograms/ml, halo diameter increased from 20-25 to 45-55 microns due to the unwinding of the DNA supercoils. This process was similar for both cell lines under all conditions studied. As the PI concentration was increased to 50 micrograms/ml, the halo rewound to a diameter of 25-30 microns in unirradiated cells from both lines. However, following exposure to 3-12 Gy of 137Cs gamma rays, the ability of the DNA to be rewound was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. Rewinding inhibition was greater in LY-S cells than in LY-R cells. Since the induction of DNA damage (e.g., single-strand DNA breaks) appears to be the same for both cell lines, this result implies that a similar extent of damage results in a greater loss of topological constraints on the DNA loops in LY-S. Such a change might be related to the protein composition of the nucleoid cores. One-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that nucleoids from LY-S cells were missing a 55-kDa protein present in LY-R.     

Caffeine-inhibitable control of the radiation-induced G2 arrest in L5178Y-S cells deficient in non-homologous end-joining

The two L5178Y (LY) sublines bear a heterozygous Tp53 mutation that affects its transactivation function. LY-S (radiation-sensitive) cells are deficient in double strand break (DSB) repair by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) and do not express p21^WAF1 (Cdkna1) either constitutively or after x-irradiation, in contrast to their radiation-resistant counterpart LY-R cells, which express p21^WAF1 constitutively. Radiation-induced G2 arrest in LY-S cells is very long (11 h/Gy) but 2 mM caffeine treatment shortens it, decreases the fraction of G2 cells and increases the fraction of apoptotic cells. The treatment also increases the DNA damage that is estimated with the comet assay 18 h after irradiation with 5 Gy (ca. 23% of the initial value for x-rays and ca. 47% for x-rays plus caffeine). This indicates that either the repair has not been completed or the apoptotic DNA fragmentation has been initiated (or both). The same treatment applied to x-irradiated (5 Gy) LY-R cells (G2 arrest, 4 h/Gy) has no radiosensitising effect, induces no apoptosis and does not alter the amount of DNA damage left unrepaired (ca. 28%). The results are compatible with the assumption that inhibition of the Atm-dependent homologous recombination repair by caffeine, brings differential effects in LY sublines because of the defect of the alternative DNA repair system (NHEJ) in LY-S cells. Received: 23 June 2000 / Accepted: 5 January 2001     

Nonhomologous end-joining deficiency of L5178Y-S cells is not associated with mutation in the ABCDE autophosphorylation cluster

Cells with mutated autophosphorylation sites in the ABCDE cluster of DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) are defective in the repair of ionising radiation-induced DSB, but show in an in vitro test the same DNA-PK activity as the cells possessing wild type enzyme. Nevertheless, the mutated DNA-PK is able to undergo ATP-dependent autophosphorylation and inactivation. This characteristics correspond well with the phenotypic features of the L5178Y-S (LY-S) cell line that is defective in DSB repair, shows a pronounced G1 phase radiosensitivity, but in which the level of DNA-PK activity present in total cell extracts is similar to that of its radioresistant counterpart L5178Y-R (LY-R) cell line. The purpose of this work was to examine the possible alterations in the sequence encoding the cluster of autophosphorylation sites in the DNA-dependent protein kinase in LY-S cells. Despite the presence of phenotypic features indicating the possibility of such alterations, no differences were found between the sequences coding for the autophosphorylation sites in L5178Y-R and L5178Y-S cells. In conclusion, the repair defect in LY-S cells is not related to the structure of the DNA-PK autophosphorylation sites (ABCDE casette).     

The effect of hypothermic treatment on the repair or expression of X-ray damage measured in split dose experiments on L5178Y-S cells

Summary The nature of the post-irradiation lesions and processes leading to cellular reproductive death or survival were investigated in mouse lymphoblastic leukemia L5178Y-S (LY-S) cells. Post-(x-)irradiation incubation at 25° C protects LY-S cells against the fixation of biologically expressed damage which takes place at 37° C. An optimal condition for the repair of damage, assayed in split-dose experiments as split-dose recovery (SDR), is 1 h at 37° C followed by 4 h holding at 25° C prior to the second half of a split dose, or 5 h holding at 25° C without a 37° C incubation during the interval between doses. Longer incubations at 37° C resulted in progressively decreased survivals. Postirradiation inhibition of DNA synthesis at 37° C was observed only during the first 30 min; thereafter,³H-dThdR incorporation washigher than in unirradiated controls. Theexcess synthesis effect was removed by shifting irradiated cells to 25° C holding. The inhibition observed at 25° C was reversed by shifting to 37° C. Thus the degree of postirradiation DNA synthesis is inversely related to SDR. DNA filter elution shows complete strand break repair by 20 min at 37° C, and by 3 h at 25° C; DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair plateaus at 80% (37° C) and 60% (25° C) after 90 min. An inverse correlation was found between total strand break repair rate, as assayed by filter elution methods, and cell survival. This work was supported by a grant from The Mathers Charitable Foundation.A preliminary report of this work was presented at the 35th Annual Meeting of the Radiation Research Society, Atlanta, GA 1987, USA     

Slow clones,reduced clonogenicity,and intraclonal recovery in X-irradiated L5178Y-S cell cultures

Profound, long-lasting growth disturbances and reduced viability and clonogenicity were observed in suspension cultures of L5178Y-S (LY-S) murine leukemic lymphoblasts exposed to 0.25–6 Gy of X rays. In most cases, uncloned cultures grew at a reduced rate for periods corresponding to at least 100 cell generations, even when viability of such cultures returned to the normal level. These disturbances were analyzed in clones isolated using agar-supplemented medium. A slow phenotype was much more frequent among surviving clones isolated from LY-S cell cultures irradiated with 3 Gy of X rays than among clones isolated from nonirradiated controls. Growth of individual LY-S clones was affected to different extents, regardless of the clone's viability. The slowest clones had doubling time twice as long (22 h) as that of the control (10–12 h). More than 100 slow clones isolated from irradiated and nonirradiated cultures were followed for prolonged times, and some of them were further subcloned. The slow clones showed a high degree of heterogeneity, and selection for the slowest clone produced clones with increasing proliferative impairment and decreasing cloning efficiency. These results showed that progeny of X-irradiated LY-S cells contained many slowly growing cells, and that their presence affected the growth rate for scores of cell generations. The prolonged impairment of growth rate, viability, and clonogenicity appeared to depend on heritable lesions that were overcome as a result of intraclonal recovery. All slow clones were capable of such recovery, which for clones derived from irradiated cultures typically required periods corresponding to several scores of, but in some cases > 200, cell generations. Intraclonal recovery was much more rapid in slow clones isolated from nonirradiated cultures. This finding indicated that either slow phenotype depended on different cellular changes in the two groups of clones or mechanisms of intraclonal recovery were affected by radiation.     

Differential induction of apoptosis in x-irradiated L5178Y sublines bearing p53 mutation

We examined apoptosis and expression of p53, E2F-1, bax, bclx_L and bcl2 proteins in two L5178Y (LY) murine lymphoma sublines, LY-R and LY-S, which differ in radiosensitivity and double-strand break (DSB) repair. Both sublines are heterozygous for a p53 mutation in codon 170 that precludes the transactivation function. Accordingly, there is no G1/S arrest after irradiation.We found that there is no change in expression of E2F-1, bax, bclx_L or bcl2 proteins in both LY sublines after x-irradiation. LY-R cells do not constitutively express bcl2, whereas both sublines show high bax content. Radiation induces delayed apoptosis to a greater extent in LY-S than in LY-R cells. The apoptosis can be seen 24 h after irradiation (2 Gy) of LY-S cells, with a maximum at 48 h. LY-R cells need 5 Gy and 72 h post-irradiation incubation to show marked apoptosis (identified by the TUNEL method). The reported observations support the assumption that differential radiosensitivity of LY sublines is associated with the induction of apoptosis that is not related to transactivation by p53 and is primarily related to differential DNA repair ability. Received: 19 August 1999 / Accepted in revised form: 30 November 1999     

Structure-activity relationship of polyamine derivatives of 1,3-dichloroacetone-thiosemicarbazone: induction of metastases and increase in sialylation of murine lymphoma L5178Y-R cells

A number of polyamine (PA) derivatives of thiosemicarbazone of 1,3-dichloroacetone (TDA) have been prepared and their effect on growth in vivo of tumorigenic but not metastatic cell strain (LY-R) of mouse lymphoma L5178Y has been investigated. Polyamine derivatives of TDA (PDT) were injected i.p. every third day (4 times, 10 or 25 mg/kg per injection) into DBA/2 mice inoculated i.p. or s.c. with LY-R cells. It has been found that disubstituted putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) derivatives TDA exhibit a prometastatic activity as indicated by the appearance of solid tumor foci in subcutaneous tissues, liver and spleen. This activity depends mainly on the structure of the PA fragment and the presence of TDA. An increase in lipid bound sialic acid content after treating LY-R cells in vitro and in vivo with a Spm derivative has been found. These findings suggest that disubstituted PA derivatives of TDA and LY-R cells may be a useful model for investigation of the final steps in formation of metastases by lymphoma cells.     

Mutagenic effect on L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells by growth in ethylene oxide-sterilized polycarbonate flasks

Summary The mutation frequency of L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells to resistance to 5′-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine increased 6-to 14-fold after growth in ethylene oxide-sterilized polycarbonate culture flasks compared to growth in glass flasks. No comparable increase was observed when L5178Y cells were growth in identical polycarbonate culture flasks sterilized by autoclaving.     

Amino acid content of L5178Y and L5178Y/L-ASE cells after L-asparaginase treatment

The amino acid contents of tumor cells that are either sensitive or resistant to treatment with L-asparaginase were measured. These amino acid concentrations were measured as a function of incubation time with L-asparaginase or as a function of the L-asparaginase dose. The cell types compared were the mouse leukemia lines L5178Y (sensitive to L-asparaginase treatment) and L5178Y/L-ASE (resistant to L-asparaginase treatment). Upon L-asparaginase treatment both cell lines lost most of their cellular asparagine but, whereas the resistant cells exhibited the ability to rebound to about 50% of initial values, the sensitive cells did not. While previous work had suggested that asparagine-dependent glycine synthesis was essential for sensitive cells (but not in resistant cells), we found no difference in the glycine content of either of the two cell lines as a function of either time or dose that would support this hypothesis. Major differences between the two cell lines were seen in the content of the essential amino acids before treatment with L-asparaginase. After incubation without L-asparaginase the contents of the two cell lines became similar. These results are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms of L-asparaginase sensitivity and resistance.     

Mutagenic effect on L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells by growth in ethylene oxide-sterilized polycarbonate flasks.

The mutation frequency of L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells to resistance to 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine increased 6- to 14-fold after growth in ethylene oxide-sterilized polycarbonate culture flasks compared to growth in glass flasks. No comparable increase was observed when L5178Y cells were grown in identical polycarbonate culture flasks sterilized by autoclaving.