Effects of ionizing radiation on mammalian cells

Selective excision of gamma ray damaged thymine from the DNA of cultured mammalian cells

Three mammalian cell lines (WI-38, SV40-transformed WI-38 and Chinese hamster ovary) were exposed to high doses of 137-Cs gamma rays and their DNA analysed, following various periods of postirradiation incubation, for products of the 5,6-dihydroxy-dihydrothymine type. Within fifteen minutes of incubation at 37 degrees C 70 to 90 percent of these radiation products were removed from acid-precipitable material in all three cell lines. The amount of DNA degradation induced by radiation varied from approximately one percent in WI-38 cells to 15 percent in SV40-transformed WI-38 cells. Comparison of DNA degradation with the amount of thymine radiation product removed indicates that a selective gamma ray-induced excision repair capability exists in mammalian cells. Because of its more rapid kinetics, gamma ray excision repair is probably a distinct process as compared with ultraviolet-induced pyrimidine dimer excision.

Gamma-ray-induced thymine damage in the DNA in coliphage phi chi 174 and in E. coli

The radiation chemical reactivity of thymine residues has been compared for single-stranded phi chi 174 DNA free in solution and in the intact bacteriophage, as well as for native E. coli DNA in solution and inside the cell. The gamma-ray-induced release of [3H]H2O from thymine-methyl[3H] was measured to assess the reactivity of the thymine methyl group. Formation of ring-saturated products of the 5,6-dihydroxy-dihydrothymine type (see article) was determined by an alkali-acid degradation assay. It was observed that the formation of that the formation of [3H]H2O was suppressed by a factor of 9 in intact phi chi 174 bacteriophage compared to phi chi 174 DNA, whereas the formation of (see article) was only slightly suppressed in the phage. For E. coli cells the formation of [3H]H29 was reduced 790-fold compared with free E. coli DNA, and (see article) formation was reduced 140-fold. The extents of survival after gamma-irradiation of phi chi 174 phage plaque-forming ability and E. coli colony-forming ability were also determined. Under the conditions used in these experiments, a linear relationship was observed between the loss of biological activity and the formation of thymine damage for both phi chi 174 phage and E. coli cells.

A major component of the radiation effect: interference with endocellular control of cell proliferation and differentiation

Cytological investigations with diploid and autotetraploid plant materials reveal that cytoplasmic growth, including the propagation of autoreduplicating cytoplasmic units such as mitochondria and proplastids, continues during the radiation-induced mitotic delay, thus increasing the ratio of cytoplasmic amount: nuclear ploidy. In accordance with a control mechanism, detected in the plant endosperm, this increase causes mitotic inhibition due to any early induction of otherwise normal differentiation processes. Although mutations are not a prerequisite, they can act in an auxiliary manner by quantitative action. The contribution of 'early differentiation' to non-survival varies according to irradiation conditions and can outweigh the direct effects of irreversible genetic damage. Therefore, a higher level of ploidy cannot improve survival significantly, if mitotically-active tissues are irradiated under the usual conditions. Corresponding observations are known from animals. The results suggest that the control mechanism of the endosperm is (a) general to multicellular organisms, and (b) can be modulated by extracellular agents.

Excision-repair of gamma-ray-damaged thymine in bacterial and and mammalian systems

The selective excision of products of the 5,6-dihydroxy-dihydrothymine type (t') from gamma-irradiated or OSO4-oxidized DNA or synthetic poly[d(A-T)] was observed with crude extracts of Escherichia coli and isolated nuclei from human carcinoma HeLa S-3 and Chinese hamster ovary cells. The results with E. coli extracts allow the following conclusion: (1) The uvrA-gene product is not required for t' excision. (2) Radiation-induced strand breakage is not required for product excision. (3) Experiments with extracts of E. coli polAexl showed that the 5' in equilibrium 3' exonuclease associated with polymerase I is responsible for the removal of t'. (4) Experiments with extracts of E. coli endo I lig 4 and the ligase inhibitor nicotinamide mononucleotide showed that polynucleotide ligase accomplishes the last strand resealing step in the excision-repair of t'. Isolated nuclei from HeLa and Chinese hamster ovary cells possess the necessary enzymes for the selective excision of t' from gamma-irradiated or osmium tetroxide oxidized DNA. Approximately 25 to 35% of the products were removed from DNA within 60 min. Unspecific DNA degradation was very low. Radiation-induced strand breakage is not required for product removal.

Excision of damaged thymine residues from gamma-irradiated poly(dA-dT) by crude extracts of Escherichia coli

Crude extracts of E. coli endo I(-) and E. coli endo I(-)uvrA6(-) possess the ability to remove thymine products of the 5,6-dihydroxy-dihydrothymine type from gamma-irradiated or osmium tetroxide-oxidized poly(dA-dT). It is shown that the uvrA-gene product, which is responsible for incision close to photodimers in prereplication ultraviolet repair in E. coli, is not required for, but may aid in, the excision of gamma-ray products of the 5,6-dihydroxy-dihydrothymine type. Ring-damaged thymine products are also removed by E. coli extracts from osmium tetroxide-oxidized poly(dA-dT), which contains only 5,6-dihydroxy-dihydrothymine but no strand breakage, indicating that product excision occurs in the absence of radiation-induced breaks. On the average, 8 to 16 nucleotides are removed from the polymer per ring-damaged thymine residue excised by extracts from both strains and for gamma-irradiated and osmium tetroxide-oxidized polymer.