Purification and DNA binding properties of the ataxia-telangiectasia gene product ATM

The human neurodegenerative and cancer predisposition condition ataxia-telangiectasia is characterized at the cellular level by radiosensitivity, chromosomal instability, and impaired induction of ionizing radiation-induced cell cycle checkpoint controls. Recent work has revealed that the gene defective in ataxia-telangiectasia, termed ATM, encodes an approximately 350-kDa polypeptide, ATM, that is a member of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase family. We show that ATM binds DNA and exploit this to purify ATM to near homogeneity. Atomic force microscopy reveals that ATM exists in two populations, with sizes consistent with monomeric and tetrameric states. Atomic force microscopy analyses also show that ATM binds preferentially to DNA ends. This property is similar to that displayed by the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase family member that functions in DNA damage detection in conjunction with the DNA end-binding protein Ku. Furthermore, purified ATM contains a kinase activity that phosphorylates serine-15 of p53 in a DNA-stimulated manner. These results provide a biochemical assay system for ATM, support genetic data indicating distinct roles for DNA-dependent protein kinase and ATM, and suggest how ATM may signal the presence of DNA damage to p53 and other downstream effectors.

Enhanced phosphorylation of p53 serine 18 following DNA damage in DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit-deficient cells

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) controls signal transduction following DNA damage. However, the molecular mechanism of the signal transduction has been elusive. A number of candidates for substrates of DNA-PK have been reported on the basis of the in vitro assay system. In particular, the Ser-15 amino acid residue in p53 was one of the first such in vitro substrates to be described, and it has drawn considerable attention due to its biological significance. Moreover, p53 Ser-15 is a site that has been shown to be phosphorylated in response to DNA damage. In addition, crucial evidence indicating that DNA-PK controls the transactivation of p53 following DNA damage was reported quite recently. To clarify these important issues, we conducted the experiments with dna-pkcs null mutant cells, including gene knockout cells. As a result, we detected enhanced phosphorylation of p53 Ser-18, which corresponds to Ser-15 of human p53, and significant expression of p21 and mdm2 following ionizing radiation. Furthermore, we identified a missense point mutation in the p53 DNA-binding motif region in SCGR11 cells, which were established from severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice and used for previous study on the role of DNA-PK in p53 transactivation. Our observation clearly indicates that DNA-PK catalytic subunit does not phosphorylate p53 Ser-18 in vivo or control the transactivation of p53 in response to DNA damage, and these results further emphasize the different pathways in which ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) and DNA-PK operate following radiation damage.

The XRCC2 and XRCC3 repair genes are required for chromosome stability in mammalian cells

The irs1 and irs1SF hamster cell lines are mutated for the XRCC2 and XRCC3 genes, respectively. Both show heightened sensitivity to ionizing radiation and particularly to the DNA cross-linking chemical mitomycin C (MMC). Frequencies of spontaneous chromosomal aberration have previously been reported to be higher in these two cell lines than in parental, wild-type cell lines. Microcell-mediated chromosome transfer was used to introduce complementing or non-complementing human chromosomes into each cell line. irs1 cells received human chromosome 7 (which contains the human XRCC2 gene) or, as a control, human chromosome 4. irs1SF cells received human chromosome 14 (which contains the XRCC3 gene) or human chromosome 7. For each set of hybrid cell lines, clones carrying the complementing human chromosome recovered MMC resistance to near-wild-type levels, while control clones carrying noncomplementing chromosomes remained sensitive to MMC. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with a human-specific probe revealed that the human chromosome in complemented clones remained intact in almost all cells even after extended passage. However, the human chromosome in noncomplemented clones frequently underwent chromosome rearrangements including breaks, deletions, and translocations. Chromosome aberrations accumulated slowly in the noncomplemented clones over subsequent passages, with some particular deletions and unbalanced translocations persistently transmitted throughout individual subclones. Our results indicate that the XRCC2 and XRCC3 genes, which are now considered members of the RAD51 gene family, play essential roles in maintaining chromosome stability during cell division. This may reflect roles in DNA repair, possibly via homologous recombination.

DNA-dependent protein kinase-independent activation of p53 in response to DNA damage

Phosphorylation at serine 15 of the human p53 tumor suppressor protein is induced by DNA damage and correlates with accumulation of p53 and its activation as a transcription factor. The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) can phosphorylate serine 15 of human p53 and the homologous serine 18 of murine p53 in vitro. Contradictory reports exist about the requirement for DNA-PK in vivo for p53 activation and cell cycle arrest in response to ionizing radiation. While primary SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency) cells, that have defective DNA-PK, show normal p53 activation and cell cycle arrest, a transcriptionally inert form of p53 is induced in the SCID cell line SCGR11. In order to unambiguously define the role of the DNA-PK catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) in p53 activation, we examined p53 phosphorylation in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from DNA-PKcs-null mice. We found a similar pattern of serine 18 phosphorylation and accumulation of p53 in response to irradiation in both control and DNA-PKcs-null MEFs. The induced p53 was capable of sequence-specific DNA binding even in the absence of DNA-PKcs. Transactivation of the cyclin-dependent-kinase inhibitor p21, a downstream target of p53, and the G1 cell cycle checkpoint were also found to be normal in the DNA-PKcs -/- MEFs. Our results demonstrate that DNA-PKcs, unlike the related ATM protein, is not essential for the activation of p53 and G1 cell cycle arrest in response to ionizing radiation.

The binding interface between an E2 (UBC9) and a ubiquitin homologue (UBL1)

Human UBC9 is a member of the E2 (ubiquitin conjugation enzyme) family of proteins. Instead of conjugating to ubiquitin, it conjugates with a ubiquitin homologue UBL1 (also known as SUMO-1, GMP1, SMTP3, PIC1, and sentrin). UBC9 has been shown to be involved in cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, and p53-dependent processes. The binding interfaces of the UBC9 and UBL1 complex have been determined by chemical shift perturbation using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The binding site of UBL1 resides on the ubiquitin domain, and the binding site of UBC9 is located on a structurally conserved region of E2. Because the UBC9-UBL1 system shares many similarities with the ubiquitin system in structures and in conjugation with each other and with target proteins, the observed binding interfaces may be conserved in E2-ubiquitin interactions in general.

Isolation of Ku70-binding proteins (KUBs)

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) plays a critical role in resealing DNA double-stand breaks by non-homologous end joining. Aside from DNA-PK, XRCC4 and DNA ligase IV, other proteins which play a role(s) in this repair pathway remain unknown; DNA-PK contains a catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and a DNA binding subunit (Ku70 and Ku80). We isolated Ku70-binding proteins (KUB1-KUB4) using yeast two-hybrid analyses. Sequence analyses revealed KUB1 to be apolipoprotein J (apoJ), also known as X-ray-inducible transcript 8 (XIP8), testosterone-repressed prostate message-2 (TRPM-2) and clusterin. KUB2 is Ku80. KUB3 and KUB4 are unknown, >10 kb trans-cripts. Interactions of apoJ/XIP8 or KUB3 with Ku70 were confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation analyses in MCF-7:WS8 breast cancer or IMR-90 normal lung fibroblast cells, respectively. The interaction of apoJ/XIP8 with Ku70 was confirmed by far-western analyses. Stable over-expression of full-length apoJ/XIP8 in MCF-7:WS8 caused decreased Ku70/Ku80 DNA end binding that was restored by apoJ/XIP8 monoclonal antibodies. The role of apoJ/XIP8 in ionizing radiation resistance/sensitivity is under investigation.

Requirement for the kinase activity of human DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit in DNA strand break rejoining

The catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) is an enormous, 470-kDa protein serine/threonine kinase that has homology with members of the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase superfamily. This protein contributes to the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by assembling broken ends of DNA molecules in combination with the DNA-binding factors Ku70 and Ku80. It may also serve as a molecular scaffold for recruiting DNA repair factors to DNA strand breaks. This study attempts to better define the role of protein kinase activity in the repair of DNA DSBs. We constructed a contiguous 14-kb human DNA-PKcs cDNA and demonstrated that it can complement the DNA DSB repair defects of two mutant cell lines known to be deficient in DNA-PKcs (M059J and V3). We then created deletion and site-directed mutations within the conserved PI 3-kinase domain of the DNA-PKcs gene to test the importance of protein kinase activity for DSB rejoining. These DNA-PKcs mutant constructs are able to express the protein but fail to complement the DNA DSB or V(D)J recombination defects of DNA-PKcs mutant cells. These results indicate that the protein kinase activity of DNA-PKcs is essential for the rejoining of DNA DSBs in mammalian cells. We have also determined a model structure for the DNA-PKcs kinase domain based on comparisons to the crystallographic structure of a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. This structure gives some insight into which amino acid residues are crucial for the kinase activity in DNA-PKcs.

The DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic activity regulates DNA end processing by means of Ku entry into DNA

The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is required for double-strand break repair in mammalian cells. DNA-PK contains the heterodimer Ku and a 460-kDa serine/threonine kinase catalytic subunit (p460). Ku binds in vitro to DNA termini or other discontinuities in the DNA helix and is able to enter the DNA molecule by an ATP-independent process. It is clear from in vitro experiments that Ku stimulates the recruitment to DNA of p460 and activates the kinase activity toward DNA-binding protein substrates in the vicinity. Here, we have examined in human nuclear cell extracts the influence of the kinase catalytic activity on Ku binding to DNA. We demonstrate that, although Ku can enter DNA from free ends in the absence of p460 subunit, the kinase activity is required for Ku translocation along the DNA helix when the whole Ku/p460 assembles on DNA termini. When the kinase activity is impaired, DNA-PK including Ku and p460 is blocked at DNA ends and prevents their processing by either DNA polymerization, degradation, or ligation. The control of Ku entry into DNA by DNA-PK catalytic activity potentially represents an important regulation of DNA transactions at DNA termini.

The solution structure of the DNA double-stranded break repair protein Ku and its complex with DNA: a neutron contrast variation study

Small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering with contrast variation has been used to study the structure of the DNA targeting component (Ku) of the DNA-dependent protein kinase and its complex with DNA. The Ku protein in solution has the approximate shape of a prolate ellipsoid with semi-axes of 24, 43, and 89 A. In the presence of a minimal-length DNA binding sequence (a 24-base-pair duplex DNA), a 1:1 Ku/DNA complex forms. This 1:1 stoichiometry is observed when either the Ku or the DNA is in excess. Analysis of the contrast variation data on Ku complexed with either the 24-mer duplex DNA or a slightly longer 30-mer duplex DNA shows that both the DNA and Ku structures have the same overall conformations within the 1:1 complex as the uncomplexed components. The separation of the centers-of-mass for the Ku/24-mer DNA complex is 46 A, while that for the Ku/30-mer DNA is 56 A. The DNA binds within what appears to be a preformed channel that penetrates deeply into the Ku protein such that the entire length of the 24-mer DNA spans the protein. The slightly longer 30-mer binds in a similar fashion, but with its extra length protruding from the protein envelop. The scattering data are consistent with the idea that the Ku "threads" onto the duplex DNA via a channel that can completely bury approximately 24 base pairs.

Catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase: impact on lymphocyte development and tumorigenesis

The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) consists of a heterodimer DNA-binding complex, Ku70 and Ku80, and a large catalytic subunit, DNA-PKcs. To examine the role of DNA-PKcs in lymphocyte development, radiation sensitivity, and tumorigenesis, we disrupted the mouse DNA-PKcs by homologous recombination. DNA-PKcs-null mice exhibit neither growth retardation nor a high frequency of T cell lymphoma development, but show severe immunodeficiency and radiation hypersensitivity. In contrast to the Ku70-/- and Ku80-/- phenotype, DNA-PKcs-null mice are blocked for V(D)J coding but not for signal-end joint formation. Furthermore, inactivation of DNA-PKcs leads to hyperplasia and dysplasia of the intestinal mucosa and production of aberrant crypt foci, suggesting a novel role of DNA-PKcs in tumor suppression.

Conformational flexibility of a ubiquitin conjugation enzyme (E2)

Ubiquitination plays important roles in a variety of biological processes, such as DNA repair, cell cycle regulation, and p53-dependent processes. Despite intensive studies in ubiquitination, the mechanism of substrate recognition is still not well understood. Each E2 has its own substrate specificity, yet substrate proteins recognized by each E2 are highly diverse. To better understand how E2 proteins confer both substrate specificity and diversity, we have studied conformational flexibility of an E2, UBC9, using nuclear magnetic resonance 15N relaxation and hydrogen-deuterium exchange measurements. Two regions in human UBC9 show higher mobility over a wide range of time scales. Combined with previous biochemical studies, both regions are likely to be important for protein-protein recognition in the ubiquitin pathway. The region near the N-terminus may be important for interactions with the E1-UBL1 conjugate. The region near the C-terminus, which undergoes conformational exchange may be important for substrate binding and catalytic activity. Since E2 enzymes share high homology in primary sequences and three-dimensional structures, the conformational flexibility of UBC9 may represent a general feature of E2 enzymes. This study provides a new perspective for further studies of protein-protein recognition in ubiquitination.

Cryo-EM imaging of the catalytic subunit of the DNA-dependent protein kinase

The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) plays an important role in mammalian DNA double-strand break repair and immunoglobulin gene rearrangement. The DNA-PK holoenzyme is activated by assembly at DNA ends and is comprised of DNA-PKcs, a 460 kDa protein kinase catalytic subunit, and Ku, a 70 kDa/80 kDa heterodimeric DNA-targeting component. We have solved the three-dimensional structure of DNA-PKcs to approximately 21 A resolution by analytically combining images of nearly 9500 individual particles extracted from cryo-electron micrographs. The DNA-PKcs protein has an open, pseudo 2-fold symmetric structure with a gap separating a crown-shaped top from a rounded base. Columns of density are observed to protrude into the gap from both the crown and the base. Measurements of the enclosed volume indicate that the interior of the protein is largely hollow. The structure of DNA-PKcs suggests that its association with DNA may involve the internalization of double-stranded ends.

Ku70/Ku80 protein complex inhibits the binding of nucleotide excision repair proteins on linear DNA in vitro

We have previously reported that the incision efficiency of the nucleotide excision repair (NER) reaction measured in vitro with cell-free human protein extracts was reduced by up to 80% on a linearized damaged plasmid DNA substrate when compared to supercoiled damaged DNA. The inhibition stemed from the presence of the DNA-end binding Ku70/Ku80 heterodimer which is the regulatory subunit of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). Here, the origin of the repair inhibition was assessed by a new in vitro assay in which circular or linear plasmid DNA, damaged or undamaged, was quantitatively adsorbed on sensitized microplate wells. The binding of two NER proteins, XPA and p62-TFIIH, indispensable for the incision step of the reaction, was quantified either directly in an ELISA-like reaction in the wells with specific antibodies or in Western blotting experiments on the DNA-bound fraction. We report a dramatic inhibition of XPA and p62-TFIIH association with UVC photoproducts on linear DNA. XPA and p62-TFIIH binding to DNA damage was regained when the reaction was performed with extracts lacking Ku activity (extracts from xrs6 rodent cells) whereas addition of purified human Ku complex to these extracts restored the inhibition. Despite the fact that DNA-PK was active during the NER reaction, the mechanism of inhibition relied on the sole Ku complex, since mutant protein extracts lacking the catalytic DNA-PK subunit (extracts from the human M059J glioma cells) exhibited a strong binding inhibition of XPA and p62-TFIIH proteins on linear damaged DNA, identical to the inhibition observed with the DNA-PK+ control extracts (from M059K cells).

A murine AP-endonuclease gene-targeted deficiency with post-implantation embryonic progression and ionizing radiation sensitivity

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (here designated APE/REF) carries out repair incision at abasic or single-strand break damages in mammals. This multifunctional protein also has putative role(s) as a cysteine 'reducing factor' (REF) in cell-stress transcriptional responses. To assess the significance of APE/REF for embryonic teratogenesis we constructed a more precisely targeted Ape/Ref-deficient genotype in mice. Ape/Ref gene replacement in ES cells eliminated the potential of APE/REF protein synthesis while retaining the Ape/Ref bi-directional promoter that avoided potential inactivation of an upstream gene. Chimeric animals crossed into Tac:N:NIHS-BC produced germline transmission. Homozygous null Ape/Ref-embryos exhibited successful implantation and nearly normal developmental progression until embryonic day 7.5 followed by morphogenetic failure and adsorption of embryos by day 9.5. We characterized the cellular events proceeding to embryonic lethality and examined ionizing radiation sensitivity of pre-implantation Ape/Ref-null embryos. After intermating of heterozygotes, Mendelian numbers of putative Ape/Ref-null progeny embryos at day 6.5 displayed a several-fold elevation of pycnotic, fragmenting cell nuclei within the embryo proper-the epiblast. Increased cell-nucleus degeneration occurred within epiblast cells while mitosis continued and before obvious morphogenetic disruption. Mitogenic response to epiblast cell death, if any, was ineffective for replacement of lost cells. Extra-embryonic yolk sac, a trophectoderm derived lineage retained normal appearance to day 9. Explanted homozygous Ape/Ref-null blastocysts displayed increased sensitivity to gamma-irradiation, most likely a manifestation of APE/REF incision defect. Our study establishes that this new Ape/Ref deficiency genotype is definitely capable of post-implantation developmental progression to the onset of gastrulation. Function(s) of APE/REF in base damage incision and also conceivably in mitogenic responses towards epiblast cell death are critical for transit through the gastrulation stage of embryonic growth and development.

Ku70: a candidate tumor suppressor gene for murine T cell lymphoma

We present evidence that inactivation of the Ku70 gene leads to a propensity for malignant transformation both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, Ku70-/- mouse fibroblasts displayed an increased rate of sister chromatid exchange and a high frequency of spontaneous neoplastic transformation. In vivo, Ku70-/- mice, known to be defective in B but not T lymphocyte maturation, developed thymic and disseminated T cell lymphomas at a mean age of 6 months with CD4+CD8+ tumor cells. These findings directly demonstrate that Ku70 deficiency facilitates neoplastic growth and suggest a novel role of the Ku70 locus in tumor suppression.

Stimulation of the DNA-dependent protein kinase by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase

The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a heterotrimeric enzyme that binds to double-stranded DNA and is required for the rejoining of double-stranded DNA breaks in mammalian cells. It has been proposed that DNA-PK functions in this DNA repair pathway by binding to the ends of broken DNA molecules and phosphorylating proteins that bind to the damaged DNA ends. Another enzyme that binds to DNA strand breaks and may also function in the cellular response to DNA damage is the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Here, we show that PARP can be phosphorylated by purified DNA-PK, and the catalytic subunit of DNA-PK is ADP-ribosylated by PARP. The protein kinase activity of DNA-PK can be stimulated by PARP in the presence of NAD+ in a reaction that is blocked by the PARP inhibitor 1, 5-dihydroxyisoquinoline. The stimulation of DNA-PK by PARP-mediated protein ADP-ribosylation occurs independent of the Ku70/80 complex. Taken together, these results show that PARP can modify the activity of DNA-PK in vitro and suggest that these enzymes may function coordinately in vivo in response to DNA damage.

XRCC2 and XRCC3, new human Rad51-family members, promote chromosome stability and protect against DNA cross-links and other damages

The phenotypically similar hamster mutants irs1 and irs1SF exhibit high spontaneous chromosome instability and broad-spectrum mutagen sensitivity, including extreme sensitivity to DNA cross-linking agents. The human XRCC2 and XRCC3 genes, which functionally complement irs1 and irs1SF, respectively, were previously mapped in somatic cell hybrids. Characterization of these genes and sequence alignments reveal that XRCC2 and XRCC3 are members of an emerging family of Rad51-related proteins that likely participate in homologous recombination to maintain chromosome stability and repair DNA damage. XRCC3 is shown to interact directly with HsRad51, and like Rad55 and Rad57 in yeast, may cooperate with HsRad51 during recombinational repair. Analysis of the XRCC2 mutation in irs1 implies that XRCC2's function is not essential for viability in cultured hamster cells.

A central region of Ku80 mediates interaction with Ku70 in vivo

Ku, the DNA binding component of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), is a heterodimer composed of 70 and 86 kDa subunits, known as Ku70 and Ku80 respectively . Defects in DNA-PK subunits have been shown to result in a reduced capacity to repair DNA double-strand breaks. Assembly of the Ku heterodimer is required to obtain DNA end binding activity and association of the DNA-PK catalytic subunit. The regions of the Ku subunits responsible for heterodimerization have not been clearly defined in vivo . A previous study has suggested that the C-terminus of Ku80 is required for interaction with Ku70. Here we examine Ku subunit interaction using N- and C-terminal Ku80 deletions in a GAL4-based two-hybrid system and an independent mammalian in vivo system. Our two-hybrid study suggests that the central region of Ku80, not its C-terminus, is capable of mediating interaction with Ku70. To determine if this region mediates interaction with Ku70 in mammalian cells we transfected xrs-6 cells, which lack endogenous Ku80, with epitope-tagged Ku80 deletions carrying a nuclear localization signal. Immunoprecipitation from transfected cell extracts revealed that the central domain identified by the GAL4 two-hybrid studies stabilizes and co-immunoprecipitates with endogenous xrs-6 Ku70. The central interaction domain maps to the internally deleted regions of Ku80 in the mutant cell lines XR-V9B and XR-V15B. These findings indicate that the internally deleted Ku80 mutations carried in these cell lines are incapable of heterodimerization with Ku70.

Comparison of the promoters of the mouse (APEX) and human (APE) apurinic endonuclease genes

We investigated the minimal promoter of APEX, which encodes mouse apurinic DNA repair endonuclease. A 1.85-kb fragment with APEX upstream sequences and approximately 290 bp of the transcribed region linked to a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene was assayed by transient transfection in NIH-3T3 cells. The minimal APEX promoter was comprised of approximately 190 bp of upstream and approximately 170 bp of transcribed DNA (exon 1 and most of intron 1). This approximately 360-bp region contains two CCAAT boxes and other consensus protein binding sites, but no TATA box. Deletion of the 5'-most CCAAT box decreased activity approximately 5-fold. The second CCAAT box (situated in exon 1) may play an independent role in APEX expression. Transcription start sites have been identified downstream of the second CCAAT box, and DNase I footprinting demonstrated NIH-3T3 nuclear proteins binding this region, including an Spl site located between the CCAAT boxes. Electrophoretic mobility-shift assays indicated binding by purified Sp1. Mouse proteins did not bind three myc-like (USF) sites in the APEX promoter, in contrast to the APE promoter. The APEX and APE promoter had similar activity in Hela cells, but in mouse cells, the murine promoter had approximately 5-fold higher activity than did the human promoter. Both the APEX and APE promoters exhibited bidirectional activity in their cognate cells.

Role of copper zinc superoxide dismutase in the short-term treatment of acetic acid-induced colitis in rats

The present study describe the role of copper zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) in the short-term treatment of experimental colitis induced with 8% acetic acid. The colonic mucosa damage index in the group of 10 rats treated intravenously with 30,000 U/kg CuZnSOD was significantly decreased when compared with the control group (10 rats) treated with normal saline (0.4 +/- 0.6 vs 1.5 +/- 0.5 p < 0.01). Assay of SOD in the control group was 0.3 +/- 0.08 and in the SOD treated group, SOD was significantly increased to 0.8 +/- 0.1, glutathione peroxidase was 44.8 +/- 6.3 in the control and 56.4 +/- 9.1 in the treated group (difference not significant). Both myeloperoxidase activity (14.0 +/- 2.5 vs 22.7 +/- 2.5) and lipid peroxidation products (13.8 +/- 2.9 vs 52.9 +/- 9.6) were significantly lower in the colonic mucosa of the SOD treated group in comparison with the control. These results indicate that the anti-inflammatory effects of CuZnSOD were mainly the removal of oxygen free radicals and indirectly the prevention of lipid peroxidation. This study suggests that CuZnSOD may be beneficial in the treatment of patients with ulcerative colitis. However, our experimental data suggest that this treatment will not have strong effects on the control of severe ulcerative colitis.

Ku80 gene expression is Sp1-dependent and sensitive to CpG methylation within a novel cis element

The Ku70/80 complex, known as Ku, constitutes the DNA end binding component of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). We have characterized the promoter region of the mouse and human Ku80 genes to delineate transcriptional elements necessary for basal gene expression and proliferation-dependent regulation. Consensus Sp1 recognition elements were identified in both promoters, and were determined to be essential for basal expression. We further identified a near-perfect palindrome of 21 base pairs located immediately 5' to one Sp1 element. This sequence was present once within the mouse Ku80 promoter and seven times, in a head-to-tail tandem array, within the human Ku80 promoter. This sequence possessed homology with a methylation-sensitive promoter element, Enh2, present in the LTR of mouse intractisternal A-particles. Promoter deletion studies and expression analysis of in-vitro methylated reporter gene constructs provided strong evidence that, in vivo, this repeat sequence regulates Ku80 gene expression in cis, through a mechanism involving CpG methylation. Evidence is also presented, suggesting that Ku is directly involved in this regulatory process.

Ku70 is required for DNA repair but not for T cell antigen receptor gene recombination In vivo

Ku is a complex of two proteins, Ku70 and Ku80, and functions as a heterodimer to bind DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) and activate DNA-dependent protein kinase. The role of the Ku70 subunit in DNA DSB repair, hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation, and V(D)J recombination was examined in mice that lack Ku70 (Ku70(-/-)). Like Ku80(-/-) mice, Ku70(-/-) mice showed a profound deficiency in DNA DSB repair and were proportional dwarfs. Surprisingly, in contrast to Ku80(-/-) mice in which both T and B lymphocyte development were arrested at an early stage, lack of Ku70 was compatible with T cell receptor gene recombination and the development of mature CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+ T cells. Our data shows, for the first time, that Ku70 plays an essential role in DNA DSB repair, but is not required for TCR V(D)J recombination. These results suggest that distinct but overlapping repair pathways may mediate DNA DSB repair and V(D)J recombination.

Cell cycle-dependent protein expression of mammalian homologs of yeast DNA double-strand break repair genes Rad51 and Rad52

Recently, human and rodent homologs of yeast repair genes Rad51 and Rad52 have been identified and proposed to play roles in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. In this study, cell cycle-dependent expression of human and rodent RAD51 and RAD52 proteins was monitored using two approaches. First, flow cytometric measurements of DNA content and immunofluorescence were used to determine the phase-specific levels of RAD51 and RAD52 protein expression in irradiated and control populations. The expression of both proteins was lowest in G0/G1, increased in S and reached a maximum in G2/M. No difference was found in the whole-cell level of RAD51 or RAD52 protein expression between gamma-irradiated and control cell populations. Second, cell cycle-dependent protein expression was confirmed by Western analysis of populations synchronized in G0, G1 and G2 phases. Analysis of V3, a hamster equivalent of SCID, indicates that the protein level increases of RAD51 and RAD52 from G0 to G1/S/G2 do not require DNA-PK.

Heat inactivation of Ku autoantigen: possible role in hyperthermic radiosensitization

Heat shock prior, during, or immediately after ionizing radiation synergistically increases cell killing, a phenomenon termed hyperthermic radiosensitization. Recently, we have shown a constitutive DNA-binding factor in rodent cells that is inactivated by heat shock to be identical to Ku autoantigen. Ku, consisting of an Mr 70,000 (Ku70) and an Mr 86,000 (Ku80) subunit, is a heterodimeric nuclear protein and is the DNA-binding regulatory component of the mammalian DNA-dependent protein kinase DNA-PK. Recent genetic and biochemical studies indicate the involvement of Ku and DNA-PK in DNA double-strand break repair and V(D)J recombination. On the basis of these findings, we propose that heat-induced loss of the DNA-binding activity of Ku may lead to hyperthermic radiosensitization. To test this hypothesis, we examined and compared the DNA-binding activity of Ku, the DNA-PK kinase activity, and hyperthermic radiosensitization in rodent cells immediately after heat shock and during post-heat shock recovery at 37 degrees C. Our results show that the heat-induced loss of Ku-DNA binding activity correlates well with an increased radiosensitivity of the heat-shocked cells, and furthermore, the loss of synergistic interaction between heat and radiation parallels the recovery of the DNA-binding activity of Ku. On the other hand, the heat-induced decrease of DNA-PK activity did not correlate with hyperthermic radiosensitization. Our data, for the first time, provide evidence for a role of Ku protein in modulating the cellular response to combined treatments of heat shock and ionizing radiation.