DNA repair in cultured mouse cells of increasing population doubling level

Revisiting the rodent repairadox

Cultured rodent and human cells typically display similar clonal survival characteristics following exposure to ultraviolet light (UV). However, compared to human cells, cultured cells from mice, rats, and hamsters are generally deficient in excision repair of the most prominent DNA lesion produced by UV, the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer. In light of recent studies on the control of nucleotide excision repair, we are beginning to understand the basis for this so-called "repairadox." The resolution of this issue is important because rodents are so widely employed as surrogates for humans in genetic toxicology. This article will review the evolution in our understanding of rodent DNA repair and will also "revisit" my early association with my graduate mentor and esteemed colleague, Dick Setlow, in his honor upon the attainment of his 80th birthday.

Expression levels of the DNA repair enzyme HAP1 do not correlate with the radiosensitivities of human or HAP1-transfected rat cell lines

Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites in DNA are potentially lethal and mutagenic. They can arise spontaneously or following DNA damage from reactive oxygen species or alkylating agents, and they constitute a significant product of DNA damage following cellular exposure to ionizing radiation. The major AP endonuclease responsible for initiating the repair of these and other DNA lesions in human cells is HAP1, which also possesses a redox function. We have determined the cellular levels of this enzyme in 11 human tumour and fibroblast cell lines in relation to clonogenic survival following ionizing radiation. Cellular HAP1 levels and surviving fraction at 2 Gy (SF2) varied five- and tenfold respectively. However, no correlation was found between these two parameters following exposure to gamma-irradiation at low (1.1 cGy per min) or high (108 cGy per min) dose rates. To examine this further, wild-type and mutant versions of HAP1 were overexpressed, using an inducible HAP1 cDNA expression vector system, in the rat C6 glioma cell line which has low endogenous AP endonuclease activity. Induction of wild-type HAP1 expression caused a > fivefold increase in the capacity of cellular extracts to cleave an oligonucleotide substrate containing a single abasic site, but increased expression did not confer increased resistance to gamma-irradiation at high- or low-dose rates, or to the methylating agent methyl methanesulphonate (MMS). Expression in C6 cell lines of mutant forms of HAP1 deleted for either the redox activator or DNA repair functions displayed no apparent titrational or dominant negative effects. These studies suggest that the levels of endogenous AP endonuclease activities in the various cell lines examined are not limiting for efficient repair in cells following exposure to ionizing radiation or MMS. This contrasts with the correlation we have found between HAP1 levels and radiosensitivity in cervix carcinomas (Herring et al (1998) Br J Cancer 78: 1128-1133), indicating that HAP1 levels in this case assume a critical survival role and hence that established cell lines might not be a suitable model for such studies.

Levels of the DNA repair enzyme human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APE1, APEX, Ref-1) are associated with the intrinsic radiosensitivity of cervical cancers

A study was made of the relationship between the intrinsic radiosensitivity of human cervical tumours and the expression of the DNA repair enzyme human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (HAP1). The radiosensitivity of clonogenic cells in tumour biopsies was measured as surviving fraction at 2 Gy (SF2) using a soft agar assay. HAP1 expression levels were determined after staining of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumour sections with a rabbit antiserum raised against recombinant HAP1. Both measurements were obtained on pretreatment biopsy material. All 25 tumours examined showed positive staining for HAP1, but there was heterogeneity in the level of expression both within and between tumours. The average coefficients of variation for intra- and intertumour heterogeneity were 62% and 82% respectively. There was a moderate but significant positive correlation between the levels of HAP1 expression and SF2 (r = 0.60, P = 0.002). Hence, this study shows that there is some relationship between intrinsic radiosensitivity and expression of a DNA repair enzyme in cervical carcinomas. The results suggest that this type of approach may be useful in the development of rapid predictive tests of tumour radiosensitivity.

Reduced 5-hydroxymethyluracil-DNA glycosylase activity in Werner's syndrome cells

Werner's syndrome (WS) is an autosomal recessive disease marked by early symptoms of accelerated aging. There is evidence indicating accumulation of oxidized DNA bases to be a major factor in cellular aging. The first step of excision repair of such bases in human cells is their removal from DNA by glycosylases. 5-Hydroxymethyluracil (HMU)-DNA glycosylase excises HMU from DNA; another glycosylase removes many non-aromatic pyrimidine derivatives. Levels of glycosylases that excise oxidized pyrimidines from DNA were compared between confluent and proliferating populations of WS cells, age-matched controls, and young control cells. They were assayed by measurements of direct release of free bases from their respective DNA substrates. Specific activities of the glycosylase that releases various modified pyrimidines and of uracil-DNA glycosylase (which removes uracil from DNA) were essentially the same in all cell lines. Cell cycle variations of these enzymes also did not differ between WS and control cells. HMU-DNA glycosylase specific activity was reduced in WS cells. Reduction of HMU-DNA glycosylase has been described in senescent human WI-38 cells. Therefore, while neither WS nor senescent cells have overall deficiencies of DNA glycosylase activities, they both might have reduced excision of HMU from DNA. This indicates a possible role of HMU accumulation in the aging process.

Altered cellular responsiveness during ageing

The capacity of cells and organisms to respond to external stimuli and to maintain stability in order to survive decreases progressively during ageing. The mitogenic and stimulatory effects of growth factors, hormones and other agents are reduced significantly during cellular ageing. The sensitivity of ageing cells to toxic agents including antibiotics, phorbol esters, radiations and heat shock increases. This failure of homeostasis during cellular ageing does not appear to be due to any quantitative and qualitative defects in the receptor systems. Instead, metabolic defects in the pathways of macromolecular synthesis may be the basis of altered cellular responsiveness during ageing.

Homoeostatic imbalance during cellular ageing: altered responsiveness

The inability of normal cells to maintain themselves for ever is a reflection of homoeostatic imbalance and a progressive failure of maintenance. Ageing cells respond less to growth stimulants whereas they show increased sensitivity to toxic agents including antibiotics, phorbol esters, radiation and other physical stresses. No major quantitative and qualitative defects in the receptor systems have been detected that could explain the reasons for altered responsiveness during ageing. Random metabolic defects in the processes involved in maintaining homoeostasis may be critical for causing homoeostatic imbalance, cellular ageing and death.

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.

Glycosylases that excise modified DNA pyrimidines in young and senescent human WI-38 fibroblasts

Cellular DNA is continuously subject to damages by both endogenous and exogenous oxidizing agents. Excision repair in human cells is initiated by DNA glycosylases which remove oxidized bases from DNA. 5-Hydroxymethyluracil-DNA glycosylase excises 5-hydroxymethyluracil from DNA. A different enzyme has glycosylic activity against many ring-saturated DNA pyrimidines. Levels of these enzymes were examined in WI-38 fibroblasts of different culture ages. All glycosylases were assayed by measurements of direct release of modified free bases from their respective DNA substrates. Levels of 5-hydroxymethyluracil-DNA glycosylase were reduced in aging cells. Specific activities of the glycosylase that releases ring-saturated pyrimidines and of uracil-DNA glycosylase were not substantially altered in senescent cells. Therefore, although aging cells might have reduced excision of DNA 5-hydroxymethyluracil, there is no overall age-dependent decrease of DNA glycosylase activities.

The regulation of DNA repair during development

DNA repair is important in such phenomena as carcinogenesis and aging. While much is known about DNA repair in single-cell systems such as bacteria, yeast, and cultured mammalian cells, it is necessary to examine DNA repair in a developmental context in order to completely understand its processes in complex metazoa such as man. We present data to support the notion that proliferating cells from organ systems, tumors, and embryos have a greater DNA repair capacity than terminally differentiated, nonproliferating cells. Differential expression of repair genes and accessibility of chromatin to repair enzymes are considered as determinants in the developmental regulation of DNA repair.

A reduced rate of bulky DNA adduct removal is coincident with differentiation of human neuroblastoma cells induced by nerve growth factor

Human SY5Y neuroblastoma cells which were differentiated in culture by treatment with 7S murine nerve growth factor for 5 weeks and selection with aphidicolin (L. Jensen, Dev. Biol. 120:56-64, 1987) demonstrated a considerably slower rate of removal of DNA adducts of benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[a]pyrenediolepoxide, and N7-methylguanine than did undifferentiated mitotic cells. A dramatic decline in unscheduled DNA synthesis induced by UV radiation was similarly observed. DNA polymerase beta and uracil DNA glycosylase were unchanged after differentiation, DNA polymerase alpha and DNA methylase decreased roughly threefold, and total apurinic-apyrimidinic endonuclease activity increased roughly threefold after treatment.

A reduced rate of bulky DNA adduct removal is coincident with differentiation of human neuroblastoma cells induced by nerve growth factor

Human SY5Y neuroblastoma cells which were differentiated in culture by treatment with 7S murine nerve growth factor for 5 weeks and selection with aphidicolin (L. Jensen, Dev. Biol. 120:56-64, 1987) demonstrated a considerably slower rate of removal of DNA adducts of benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[a]pyrenediolepoxide, and N7-methylguanine than did undifferentiated mitotic cells. A dramatic decline in unscheduled DNA synthesis induced by UV radiation was similarly observed. DNA polymerase beta and uracil DNA glycosylase were unchanged after differentiation, DNA polymerase alpha and DNA methylase decreased roughly threefold, and total apurinic-apyrimidinic endonuclease activity increased roughly threefold after treatment.

Enzymatic elimination of O6-ethylguanine from the DNA of ethylnitrosourea-exposed normal and malignant rat brain cells grown under cell culture versus in vivo conditions

The developing rat brain exhibits a pronounced susceptibility to the tumorigenic effect of ethylnitrosourea (EtNU) and an extremely low repair activity for the DNA alkylation product O6-ethylguanine (O6-EtGuar-). We have recently found that a collection of malignant neural cell lines originating from prenatal BDIX-rat brain cells were all highly O6-EtGua repair-proficient (O6-EtGuar+). Subcloned lines showed considerable variability of the repair capacity, suggesting instability of the O6-EtGua repair phenotype. Using one of the subcloned lines (BT3Caf) as a model, we show here that BT3Caf cells grown in monolayer culture repair O6-EtGua much more rapidly than those grown in the form of s.c. tumors in BDIX-rats (whereas O4-ethylthymine is not repaired under either condition). Furthermore, normal prenatal BDIX-rat brain cells (O6-EtGuar- in vivo) gradually acquire an O6-EtGuar+ phenotype upon transfer to long-term monolayer culture. The cellular capacity for enzymatic DNA repair is of particular relevance in relation to both the malignant transformation of normal cells and the therapeutic inactivation of cancer cells by DNA-reactive drugs. Further analyses are thus required of the molecular mechanisms controlling the expression of DNA repair enzymes as a function of cell differentiation, in terms of the cellular response to altered microenvironmental conditions, and in search for possibilities to reduce the repair capacity of cancer cells.

Ultraviolet radiation-induced lethality and repair of pyrimidine dimers in fish embryos

Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow) embryos were used to show a correlation between induction of pyrimidine dimers in DNA and embryo death. Embryo killing was measured by a lack of heart-beat and blood circulation at 48 h post-ultraviolet radiation (UVR). When the embryos were exposed to various doses of UVR from a FS-40 sunlamp followed by exposure to photoreactivating light (PRL) (320-400 nm), the number of pyrimidine dimers decreased significantly. The photorepair of dimers was accompanied by a substantial increase in embryo survival. When embryo killing was examined as a function of the number of dimers present, dimers were identified as a major lesion involved in UVR-induced killing in these fish embryos. This in vivo study on photoreactivation treatment of fish embryos shows a direct association between UVR-induced pyrimidine dimers and embryo killing. In addition, when embryos were held in the dark for 9 h after UVR, 50% of the dimers were removed by excision repair.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease activities appear normal in the CHO-cell ethyl methanesulfonate-sensitive mutant, EM9

A study of the apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease activities of a mutant line of CHO cells, EM9, and its parental cell line, AA8, was undertaken to determine if the defective DNA repair exhibited by the mutant cell line after exposure to ethyl methanesulfonate was due to a defective AP endonuclease activity. Phosphocellulose chromatography of cell extracts resolved the AP endonuclease activities of both cell lines into two peaks as seen previously in mouse and human cells. No difference was found between the mutant and parental cell lines in the relative amount of AP endonuclease activity present in the two peaks.