Immunological alteration of the Bloom's syndrome uracil DNA glycosylase in Epstein-Barr virus-transformed human lymphoblastoid cells

A wild-type mu s C-terminal gene is expressed in Bloom's syndrome cells

Selective IgM deficiency is found commonly in patients with Bloom's syndrome (BS). Serum IgM concentrations were low though serum IgG and IgA concentrations were normal in both patients with BS included in the study. In a previous study the authors showed that selective IgM deficiency in BS is due to an abnormality in the maturation of surface IgM-bearing cells into IgM-secreting cells and a failure of secreted mu (mu s) mRNA synthesis. The membrane-bound mu (mu m) and mu s mRNA are produced from transcripts of a single immunoglobulin mu gene by alternative RNA processing pathways. The control of mu s mRNA synthesis depends on the addition of poly(A) to mu s C-terminal segment. The study described here demonstrated that there was no mutation or deletion in the sequence including mu s C-terminal coding sequence, the RNA splice site (GG/TAAAC) at the 5' end of mu s C-terminal segment, and the AATAAA poly(A) signal sequence, and second GT-rich element immediately down-stream of the cleavage site in both patients.

Preferential damage to IgM production by ultraviolet B in the cells of patients with Bloom's syndrome

In most patients with Bloom's syndrome (BS), selective IgM deficiency is commonly found. We examined proliferative responses by incorporation of [3H]-thymidine and the production of immunoglobulin after ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation in the cells of two patients with BS. With regard to the proliferative responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultured with pokeweed mitogen (PWM), the patients' PBMC were more sensitive to UVB irradiation than controls. Although the effect of UVB irradiation in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL) after 0 days of culture showed no difference between one patient and controls, the patient's LCL were more sensitive to UVB than the controls after 3 and 7 days of culture. These results suggest that the proliferative responses of the patient's LCL recovered later than those of controls. IgM production was the most sensitive to UVB in the patients' PBMC and LCL. IgG and IgA production in the patients' PBMC and LCL showed the same sensitivity as controls. From our results, it is suspected that the preferential damage to IgM production by UVB is connected with the selective IgM deficiency of BS.

Purification and properties of the uracil DNA glycosylase from Bloom's syndrome

Bloom's syndrome uracil DNA glycosylase was highly purified from two non-transformed cell strains derived from individuals from different ethnic groups. Their properties were then compared to two different highly purified normal human uracil DNA glycosylases. A molecular mass of 37 kDa was observed for each of the four human enzymes as defined by gel-filtration column chromatography and by SDS-PAGE. Each of the 37 kDa proteins was identified as a uracil DNA glycosylase by electroelution from the SDS polyacrylamide gel, determination of glycosylase activity by in vitro biochemical assay and identification of the reaction product as free uracil by co-chromatography with authentic uracil. Bloom's syndrome enzymes differed substantially in their isoelectric point and were thermolabile as compared to the normal human enzymes. Bloom's syndrome enzymes displayed a different Km, Vmax and were strikingly insensitive to 5-fluorouracil and 5-bromouracil, pyrimidine analogues which drastically decreased the activity of the normal human enzymes. In particular, each Bloom's syndrome enzyme required 10-100-fold higher concentrations of each analogue to achieve comparable inhibition of enzyme activity. Potential mechanisms are considered through which an altered uracil DNA glycosylase characterizing this cancer-prone human genetic disorder may arise.

Proliferation-dependent regulation of DNA glycosylases in progeroid cells

The regulation of the base excision repair enzymes uracil DNA glycosylase and hypoxanthine DNA glycosylase was examined in 2 different progeroid cell strains. The immunoreactivity of the uracil DNA glycosylase in progeroid cells was examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by immunoblot analysis. The enzyme was recognized in a quantitative manner by 2 different anti-human uracil DNA glycosylase monoclonal antibodies in the ELISA. Western blot analysis identified a glycosylase protein of Mr = 37,000. In randomly proliferating progeroid cells, the uracil DNA glycosylase was enhanced 3-fold during cell growth. In synchronous cells, uracil DNA glycosylase and hypoxanthine DNA glycosylase were induced with an extent of induction (5-6-fold) comparable to that observed for normal human cells. Further, the activity of each base excision repair enzyme was enhanced with a comparable temporal sequence prior to the induction of DNA synthesis and DNA polymerase activity. These results indicate a normal cell cycle regulation of base excision repair in progeroid cells.