The enhancement of cytotoxicity of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea and of gamma-radiation by inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase

Possible participation of Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent endonuclease in liver DNA fragmentation after N-methyl-N-nitrosourea treatment

We examined the fragmentation of DNA treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea under conditions in which Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent endonuclease is active. The molecular mass of DNA found in mouse liver slices treated with methylnitrosurea in the presence of Ca2+ plus Mg2+ was 4 X 10(5) Da. Similar results were obtained with a reconstituted system containing partially purified Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent endonuclease and methylnitrosurea-treated DNA. The enzyme extensively cleaved methylnitrosurea-treated DNA, compared with non-treated DNA. The methylnitrosurea-treated nuclear proteins obtained from mouse liver nuclei had no effect on the DNA fragmentation by the enzyme. Using closed-circular DNA treated with methylnitrosurea, the enzyme produced single-strand cuts in the DNA, as was seen in non-treated, closed-circular DNA, however, the rate of hydrolysis was increased. Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent endonuclease thus warrants further investigation, with regard to the precise mechanism of extensive degradation of DNA in cells treated with carcinogenic alkylating agents.

Inhibitors of poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) synthesis: effect on other metabolic processes

3-Aminobenzamide and benzamide, purported to be specific inhibitors of the synthesis of poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose), were used to elucidate possible functions of this biopolymer. These compounds, at frequently used experimental concentrations, not only inhibited the action of poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) synthetase but also affected cell viability, glucose metabolism, and DNA synthesis. Thus, the usefulness of 3-aminobenzamide and benzamide may be severely restricted by the difficulty of finding a dose small enough to inhibit the synthetase without producing additional metabolic effects.

The participation of elevated levels of cyclic GMP in the recovery from radiation-induced mitotic delay

The levels of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP have been measured in Physarum plasmodia before and after treatment with gamma-radiation, 2 mM caffeine, or combinations of the two agents and compared to the length of the radiation-induced mitotic delay. Caffeine alone produces a rapid transient elevation of cyclic AMP and a slower delayed elevation of cyclic GMP. Irradiation elicits an immediate transient increase in cyclic AMP and a later cyclic GMP increase which accompanies or precedes the delayed mitosis. A composite pattern is produced by combinations of radiation and caffeine, a distinctive feature of which is an elevated level of cyclic GMP near the time of the radiation-delayed and caffeine-promoted mitosis. With pretreatment by caffeine, the least radiation-induced mitotic delay occurs when plasmodia are irradiated during the caffeine-elicited increase in cyclic GMP. The plasmodium becomes refractory to the reduction of mitotic delay by caffeine at approximately the time it becomes refractory to the further elevation of cyclic GMP by caffeine. The data support a role for cyclic AMP in the onset of and for cyclic GMP in the recovery from mitotic delay induced by ionizing radiation.

Unscheduled DNA synthesis induced by N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene is not sensitive to regulation by ADP-ribosyl transferase

We have directly compared in resting human mononuclear leukocytes the DNA repair effects caused by ADP-ribosyl transferase (ADPRT) activity following DNA damage induction by gamma radiation, UV radiation, ethylene oxide (EO) and N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (NA-AAF). The presence of inhibitors of ADPRT during the quantitation of unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) resulted in about a 2-fold increase of UDS when induced by gamma radiation, UV radiation or EO. The stimulation of UDS by EO, UV- or gamma-radiation in the presence of an ADPRT inhibitor was equally strong whether 1 mM or 10 mM hydroxyurea was used to suppress scheduled DNA synthesis. The level of NA-AAF induced UDS was not affected by inhibitors of ADPRT. In addition, direct estimation of ADPRT activity revealed that at doses giving maximal UDS, NA-AAF damage did not induce a measurable enzymatic activity whereas gamma-radiation, UV radiation and EO all showed a significant dose response increase. We have interpreted our data to mean that NA-AAF induced UDS estimates DNA repair relating mainly to DNA lesions that are recognized with difficulty, and hence, the rate of endonuclease-induced DNA strand break accumulation is not sufficient to allow a stimulation of ADPRT and affect the quantitation of UDS.

Inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase enhance the cytotoxicity of 42 degrees C and 45 degrees C hyperthermia in cultured Chinese hamster cells

Two inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase, 5-methylnicotinamide and m-methoxybenzamide, enhanced the cytotoxicity of 42 degrees C and 45 degrees C hyperthermia in cultured Chinese hamster V79 cells. The inhibitors showed minimal toxicity for cells treated at 37 degrees C, and did not appreciably alter cellular ATP levels under any of the experimental conditions used. Enhanced cell killing occurred when the inhibitors were added after an acute (5-10 min) 45 degrees C heat shock, and after 50 and 100 min exposures to 42 degrees C. When present during heating at 42 degrees C, the inhibitors reduced the shoulder of the 42 degrees C survival curves but did not appreciably affect the slopes. The results suggest a possible role for poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase in the survival response of V79 cells to hyperthermia.

ADP-ribosyl transferase, rearrangement of DNA, and cell differentiation

Cell differentiation is the process by which genetic information is selectively expressed to produce cells with various morphologies and functions. The integrated changes necessary for this fundamentally important process have recently been the subject of intense study. This review will summarize data from several laboratories correlating differentiation with the activity of the enzyme ADP-ribosyl transferase and with changes in single-strand DNA breaks in various diverse eukaryotic systems. We will then discuss the implications of these observations for differentiation in general, including the possibility that rearrangement of genetic material is a widespread mechanism for controlling gene expression.

Mode of inhibition of DNA replication in neocarzinostatin-treated HeLa cells

The effect of antitumor antibiotic neocarzinostatin on DNA replication in HeLa cells was studied by pulse-labeling of DNA with [3H]thymidine and sedimentation analysis of the DNA with alkaline sucrose gradients. The drug, which produced DNA damage, primarily inhibited the replicon initiation in the cells at low doses (less than or equal to 0.1 microgram/ml), and at high doses (greater than or equal to 0.5 microgram/ml) inhibited the DNA chain elongation. An analysis of the number of single-strand breaks of parental DNA, induced by neocarzinostatin, indicated that inhibition of the initiation occurred with introduction of single-strand breaks of less than 1.5 . 10(4)/cell, while inhibition of the elongation occurred with introduction of single-strand breaks of more than 7.5 . 10(4)/cell. Assuming that the relative molecular mass of DNA/HeLa cell was about 10(13) Da, the target size of DNA for inhibition of replicon initiation was calculated to be about 10(9) Da, such being close to an average size of loop DNA in the cell and for inhibition of chain elongation, 1-2 . 10(8) Da which was of the same order of magnitude as the size of replicons. Recovery of inhibited DNA replication by neocarzinostatin occurred during post-incubation of the cells and seemed to correlate with the degree of rejoining of the single-strand breaks of parental DNA. Caffeine and theophylline enhanced the recovery of the inhibited replicon initiation, but did not aid in the repair of the breaks in parental DNA.

Direct radioactive labelling of poly(ADP-ribose) in developing Xenopus laevis embryos

It has not previously been possible to label the nuclear protein modification poly(ADP-ribose) directly from NAD because of the impermeability of the cell membrane. We have overcome this important problem by micro-injection of radioactively labelled NAD into Xenopus laevis early embryos. The polymer was identified and then quantified by its insensitivity to DNAase, RNAase, and spleen phosphodiesterase and by the chromatographic mobility of the products of digestion with snake-venom phosphodiesterase. The quantity of poly(ADP-ribose) present after 25 h of development (129 ng/mg DNA) is lower than that found in fully differentiated tissue.

Ca2+, Mg2+ and (adenosine diphosphate ribose)n in cellular response to irradiation

A model of cellular response to irradiation involving adenosine diphosphate ribosylation (ADP-ribosylation) is proposed. Its main assumptions are (a) control of accessibility of sites for ADP-ribosylation in chromatin by free Ca2+/Mg2+ ratio; and (b) regulation of the Ca2+/Mg2+ ratio by factors affecting intracellular free Ca2+ concentration; the regulation would be mediated by mitochondria. The model seeks to explain the mechanism of action of radiomodifiers such as caffeine, local anaesthetics, polyamines and 2,4-dinitrophenol.

NAD turnover during early development of Xenopus laevis

The NAD pools of Xenopus laevis oocytes and early embryos can be radioactively labelled by microinjection of [adenine-3H]NAD. This technique is used to study the metabolism of NAD in oocytes and during early development. The rate at which NAD is degraded in vivo has been monitored by determining the rate of transfer of adenine residues from the NAD pool into other nucleotides and polynucleotides. In oocytes, NAD turnover is extremely slow, with a half-life of about 400 h. NAD turnover increases dramatically after fertilisation, and the half-life of the compound decreases to 37 h in 5-h-old embryos and to 10 h in 40-h-old embryos. 2 mM 3-aminobenzamide, a specific inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, reduces the NAD turnover rate by about 20%, whereas 5 mM isonicotinic acid hydrazide, a specific inhibitor of NAD glycohydrolase, produces no significant inhibition. This indicates that a significant fraction of the considerable NAD turnover observed involves poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Our results indicate that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase is active during early development and suggest that this activity may be involved in one or more aspects of the nuclear metabolism of the embryo.

Ataxia-telangiectasia cells are not uniformly deficient in poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis following X-irradiation

The synthesis of poly(adenosine diphosphoribose) [poly(ADR-R)] follows the DNA strand breakage produced by a number of physical and chemical agents, including X-radiation, and may be important for repair of several types of DNA damage. The reduction or abolition of its synthesis following X-irradiation might explain the enhanced sensitivity of ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) cells to X-ray. We have examined 8 lines of human fibroblasts (including 4 A-T lines) for stimulation of the synthesis of poly(ADP-R) by X-irradiation. Similar amounts of X-ray-stimulated synthesis of poly(ADP-R) were detected in 4 lines of A-T fibroblasts, and in fibroblasts from a xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patient, a Fanconi's anemia (FA) patient and 2 normal patients. 6 lines of human lymphoblastoid lines were also examined for X-ray-stimulated poly(ADP-R) synthesis. 4 A-T lines displayed an unusually high synthesis of poly(ADP-R) in unirradiated cells compared with 2 normal lines. Despite this complication, some but not all, of the A-T lymphoblastoid lines did synthesize poly(ADP-R) following X-irradiation similarly to the normal lines. Thus, deficient poly(ADP-R) synthesis following X-irradiation is not likely to explain the enhanced sensitivity of all A-T cells to this DNA-breaking agent.

ADP-ribosyltransferase in Plasmodium (malaria parasites)

The nuclei of Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis contain an enzyme, ADP-ribosyltransferase, that will incorporate the ADP-ribose moiety of NAD+ into acid-insoluble product. The time, pH and temperature optima of this incorporation are 30 min, 8.5 and 25 degrees C respectively. Maximum stimulation of the enzyme activity is obtained with 1.0 mM-dithiothreitol or 2.0 mM-2-mercaptoethanol. Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions at optimum concentrations of 5 mM and 10 mM respectively stimulated the activity of the enzyme by 21% and 91%. The enzyme activity is, however, inhibited by 24% in the presence of 10 mM-MnSO4. The substrate, NAD+, exhibits an apparent Km of 500 microM, and the activity of the enzyme is inhibited by four chemical classes of inhibitors: nicotinamides, methylxanthines, thymidine and aromatic amides. The inhibitors are effective in the following increasing order: nicotinamide less than 3-aminobenzamide less than thymidine less than 5-methylnicotinamide less than theophylline less than m-methoxybenzamide less than theobromine. The enzyme activity is also inhibited by some DNA-binding anti-malarial drugs.

Independent induction of sister-chromatid exchanges by 3-aminobenzamide and ultraviolet radiation in HeLa cells

The effect of 3-aminobenzamide in HeLa cells was examined in several aspects. 10(-3) M 3-aminobenzamide inhibited poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity to more than 95% in disrupted nuclei of HeLa cells. The mode of inhibition of the enzyme was competitive inhibition with NAD at a Ki value of 2.5 microM 3-aminobenzamide. The combined treatment of HeLa cells with 3-aminobenzamide and ultraviolet radiation revealed the independent induction of SCEs by these 2 agents.

Inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase enhance DNA strand breaks, excision repair, and sister chromatid exchanges induced by alkylating agents

Benzamide and 3-aminobenzamide, inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, synergistically enhanced the frequencies of unscheduled DNA synthesis and sister chromatid exchanges in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells treated with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). These inhibitors also increased methyl methanesulfonate (MMS)- or MNNG-induced DNA strand breaks and significantly retarded the rejoining of strand breaks in CHO and HeLa S3 cells. These results suggest that poly(ADP-ribose) is important in the repair of DNA damage after exposure to alkylating agents and exercises a regulatory role in stabilizing chromatin structure whenever strand breaks occur in DNA.

Acceptors of poly(ADP-ribosylation) in differentiation inducer-treated and untreated Friend erythroleukemia cells

Acceptors of poly(ADP-ribosylation) were identified and compared between inducer-treated and untreated Friend erythroleukemia cells. When permeabilized Friend cells were pulse labeled with 0.6 microM [32P]NAD for 1 min and labeled proteins analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, nucleosome core histones were found to be the primary acceptors, with an additional minor radioactive peak at a position corresponding to Mr = 170 000. Friend cells induced to differentiate by DMSO treatment showed a similar distribution of radioactivity, but with a 60% reduction in the overall level of poly(ADP-ribosylation) under identical labeling conditions. When isolated nuclei were pulse labeled with 0.6 microM [32P]NAD, radioactive peaks were not restricted mainly at the positions of core histones but widely dispersed in the area from 10 to 50 kDa with another peak at 170 kDa. Increase of NAD concentration resulted in the overall shift of peaks to higher molecular weight positions. When pulse-labeled nuclei or permeable cells were chased with 1 mM NAD, radioactive peaks migrated to positions of very high molecular weight (greater than Mr = 180 000). Remarkable suppression of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis was observed when DMSO, hexamethylene bisacetamide, butyric acid, or hemin were used as the inducers.

3-Aminobenzamide synergistically increases sister-chromatid exchanges in cells exposed to methyl methanesulfonate but not to ultraviolet light

3-Aminobenzamide, an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis, increased baseline sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) frequencies and acted synergistically with the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate to induce exchanges in Chinese hamster ovary and SV40-transformed human (GM637) cells. In contrast, 3-aminobenzamide did not affect the frequency of ultraviolet light-induced SCEs. Our data suggest that, in these 2 cell types, synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) is more important in damage and repair after exposure to an alkylating agent than after exposure to ultraviolet light.

Potentiation of cell killing by inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in four rodent cell lines exposed to N-methyl-N-nitrosourea or UV light

The sensitivities (Do-values) of the cytotoxic effect of MNU on four rodent cell lines were: mouse L1210, 0.07 mM; rat Yoshida sarcoma, 0.52 mM; Chinese hamster V79A, 0.70 mM and the UV sensitive, X-ray sensitive V79/79, 0.35 mM. The abilities of maximum non-toxic doses of the poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, 5-methyl nicotinamide (5MeN), 3-methoxybenzamide (3MBA) and caffeine to potentiate this cytotoxicity and that of UV light in V79A and V79/79 was measured. The degree of potentiation (ratio Do without inhibitor/Do with inhibitor) was both agent and cell line dependent. In general the lymphoid cell lines L1210 and YS showed greater potentiation, up to 4-fold, than did the fibroblast lines V79A and V79/79. The use of inhibitors in pairs suggested that 5MeN and 3MBA affect one process whereas caffeine affects additional processes. The data provide further support for a role for poly(ADP-ribose) in DNA repair, but indicate that metabolic factors may modify the effectiveness of individual inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in different cell lines.

The effect of inhibition of (ADP-ribose)n biosynthesis on DNA repair assayed by the nucleoid technique

DNA damage and repair was assayed by the loss and restoration of DNA supercoiling in nucleoids. This technique was used to assess the effects of inhibition of (ADP-ribose)n biosynthesis by 3-aminobenzamide on the capacity to repair DNA of mouse leukaemia L1210 cells following damage by gamma-irradiation and by the monofunctional alkylating agent, dimethyl sulphate. 3-Aminobenzamide partially inhibits restoration of supercoiling following gamma-irradiation and dimethyl sulphate treatment, but inhibits neither the enzymic incision events leading to breaks in the DNA nor the repair synthesis. This inhibition of repair can be observed at very low doses of damaging agents. These observations confirm and extend the evidence that (ADP-ribose)n biosynthesis is required for efficient cellular recovery from DNA damage. In particular, the nucleoid technique permits the demonstration that 3-aminobenzamide inhibits DNA repair after gamma-radiation; it is not possible to draw this unequivocal conclusion with the data from alkaline sucrose gradients because this technique is too insensitive. 1-beta-D-Arabinofuranosylcytosine, which inhibits semiconservative DNA replication, also retards repair, and this effect can be reversed by the addition of deoxycytidine. The inhibitors of DNA excision repair, arabinosylcytosine, hydroxyurea or 3-aminobenzoamide increase the steady-state number of DNA breaks. Thus, they can be used to enhance even further the sensitivity of the nucleoid assay of repair.

Unscheduled synthesis of DNA and poly(ADP-ribose) in human fibroblasts following DNA damage

Unscheduled DNA synthesis has been measured in human fibroblasts under conditions of reduced rates of conversion of NAD to poly)ADP-ribose). Cells heterozygous for the xeroderma pigmentosum genotype showed normal rates of UV induced unscheduled DNA synthesis under conditions in which the rate of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis was one-half the rate of normal cells. The addition of theophylline, a potent inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, to the culture medium of normal cells blocked over 90% of the conversion of NAD to poly(ADP-ribose) following treatment with UV or N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitro-soguanidine but did not affect the rate of unscheduled DNA synthesis.