Cisplatin-mediated DNA double-strand breaks in replicating but not in quiescent cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A Systematic Review on Quiescent State Research Approaches in S. cerevisiae

Quiescence, the temporary and reversible arrest of cell growth, is a fundamental biological process. However, the lack of standardization in terms of reporting the experimental details of quiescent cells and populations can cause confusion and hinder knowledge transfer. We employ the systematic review methodology to comprehensively analyze the diversity of approaches used to study the quiescent state, focusing on all published research addressing the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We group research articles into those that consider all cells comprising the stationary-phase (SP) population as quiescent and those that recognize heterogeneity within the SP by distinguishing phenotypically distinct subpopulations. Furthermore, we investigate the chronological age of the quiescent populations under study and the methods used to induce the quiescent state, such as gradual starvation or abrupt environmental change. We also assess whether the strains used in research are prototrophic or auxotrophic. By combining the above features, we identify 48 possible experimental setups that can be used to study quiescence, which can be misleading when drawing general conclusions. We therefore summarize our review by proposing guidelines and recommendations pertaining to the information included in research articles. We believe that more rigorous reporting on the features of quiescent populations will facilitate knowledge transfer within and between disciplines, thereby stimulating valuable scientific discussion.

The roles of nuclear myosin in the DNA damage response

Myosin within the nucleus has often been overlooked due to their importance in cytoplasmic processes and a lack of investigation. However, more recently, it has been shown that their nuclear roles are just as fundamental to cell function and survival with roles in transcription, DNA damage and viral replication. Myosins can act as molecular transporters and anchors that rely on their actin binding and ATPase capabilities. Their roles within the DNA damage response can varies from a transcriptional response, moving chromatin and stabilizing chromosome contacts. This review aims to highlight their key roles in the DNA damage response and how they impact nuclear organization and transcription.

Targeting RNF8 effectively reverses cisplatin and doxorubicin resistance in endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most frequent gynecological malignancy worldwide. However, resistance to chemotherapy remains one of the major difficulties in the treatment of EC. Thus, there is an urgent requirement to understand mechanisms of chemoresistance and identify novel regimens for patients with EC. We found that protein and mRNA expression levels of RNF8 were significantly increased in both cisplatin and doxorubicin resistant EC cells. Cell survival assay showed that RNF deficiency significantly enhanced the sensitivity of resistant EC cells to cisplatin and doxorubicin (P < 0.01). In addition, chemoresistant EC cells exhibited increased NHEJ efficiency. Knockout of RNF8 in chemoresistant EC cells significantly reduced NHEJ efficiency and prolonged Ku80 retention on DSB. Moreover, cisplatin resistant AN3CA xenograft showed that RNF8 deficiency overcame cisplatin resistance. Our in vitro and in vivo assays provide evidence for RNF8, which is a NHEJ factor, serving as a promising, novel target in EC chemotherapy.

DNA damage alters nuclear mechanics through chromatin reorganization

DNA double-strand breaks drive genomic instability. However, it remains unknown how these processes may affect the biomechanical properties of the nucleus and what role nuclear mechanics play in DNA damage and repair efficiency. Here, we have used Atomic Force Microscopy to investigate nuclear mechanical changes, arising from externally induced DNA damage. We found that nuclear stiffness is significantly reduced after cisplatin treatment, as a consequence of DNA damage signalling. This softening was linked to global chromatin decondensation, which improves molecular diffusion within the organelle. We propose that this can increase recruitment for repair factors. Interestingly, we also found that reduction of nuclear tension, through cytoskeletal relaxation, has a protective role to the cell and reduces accumulation of DNA damage. Overall, these changes protect against further genomic instability and promote DNA repair. We propose that these processes may underpin the development of drug resistance.

Cisplatin-induced DNA double-strand breaks promote meiotic chromosome synapsis in PRDM9-controlled mouse hybrid sterility

PR domain containing 9 (Prdm9) is specifying hotspots of meiotic recombination but in hybrids between two mouse subspecies Prdm9 controls failure of meiotic chromosome synapsis and hybrid male sterility. We have previously reported that Prdm9-controlled asynapsis and meiotic arrest are conditioned by the inter-subspecific heterozygosity of the hybrid genome and we presumed that the insufficient number of properly repaired PRDM9-dependent DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) causes asynapsis of chromosomes and meiotic arrest (Gregorova et al., 2018). We now extend the evidence for the lack of properly processed DSBs by improving meiotic chromosome synapsis with exogenous DSBs. A single injection of chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin increased frequency of RPA and DMC1 foci at the zygotene stage of sterile hybrids, enhanced homolog recognition and increased the proportion of spermatocytes with fully synapsed homologs at pachytene. The results bring a new evidence for a DSB-dependent mechanism of synapsis failure and infertility of intersubspecific hybrids.

Regulation of DNA damage repair and lipid uptake by CX3CR1 in epithelial ovarian carcinoma

Failure of currently used cytotoxic chemotherapy is one of the main reasons behind high mortality from metastatic high grade serous ovarian carcinoma. We found that high expression of a receptor for fractalkine (CX₃CR1) significantly correlated with shorter survival of patients with serous ovarian carcinoma treated with cytotoxic DNA damage chemotherapies, and reduction of CX₃CR1 expression resulted in sensitization to several DNA damaging modalities, including x-ray radiation and cisplatin. Here, we show that CX₃CR1 plays a role in double-strand DNA break response and repair by regulating expression of RAD50 by a MYC-dependent mechanism. We demonstrate that downregulation of CX₃CR1 alone and in a combination with irradiation affects peritoneal metastasis in an organ-specific manner; we show that CX₃CR1 regulates lipid uptake which could control omental metastasis. This study identifies CX₃CR1 as a novel potential target for sensitization of ovarian carcinoma to DNA damage therapies and reduction of peritoneal carcinomatosis.

miR-671-5p inhibits epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by downregulating FOXM1 expression in breast cancer

MicroRNA (miRNA) dysfunction is associated with a variety of human diseases, including cancer. Our previous study showed that miR-671-5p was deregulated throughout breast cancer progression. Here, we report for the first time that miR-671-5p is a tumor-suppressor miRNA in breast tumorigenesis. We found that expression of miR-671-5p was decreased significantly in invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) compared to normal in microdissected formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. Forkhead Box M1 (FOXM1), an oncogenic transcription factor, was predicted as one of the direct targets of miR-671-5p, which was subsequently confirmed by luciferase assays. Forced expression of miR-671-5p in breast cancer cell lines downregulated FOXM1 expression, and attenuated the proliferation and invasion in breast cancer cell lines. Notably, overexpression of miR-671-5p resulted in a shift from epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) phenotypes in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and induced S-phase arrest. Moreover, miR-671-5p sensitized breast cancer cells to cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and epirubicin exposure. Host cell reactivation (HCR) assays showed that miR-671-5p reduces DNA repair capability in post-drug exposed breast cancer cells. cDNA microarray data revealed that differentially expressed genes when miR-671-5p was transfected are associated with cell proliferation, invasion, cell cycle, and EMT. These data indicate that miR-671-5p functions as a tumor suppressor miRNA in breast cancer by directly targeting FOXM1. Hence, miR-671-5p may serve as a novel therapeutic target for breast cancer management.

Chromosome territory relocation during DNA repair requires nuclear myosin 1 recruitment to chromatin mediated by ϒ-H2AX signaling

During DNA damage response (DDR), certain gene rich chromosome territories (CTs) relocate to newer positions within interphase nuclei and revert to their native locations following repair. Such dynamic relocation of CTs has been observed under various cellular conditions, however, the underlying mechanistic basis of the same has remained largely elusive. In this study, we aim to understand the temporal and molecular details of such crosstalk between DDR signaling and CT relocation dynamics. We demonstrate that signaling at DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) by the phosphorylated histone variant (ϒ-H2AX) is a pre-requisite for damage induced CT relocation, as cells deficient in ϒ-H2AX signaling fail to exhibit such a response. Inhibition of Rad51 or DNA Ligase IV mediated late steps of double strand break repair does not seem to abrogate CT relocation completely. Upon DNA damage, an increase in the levels of chromatin bound motor protein nuclear myosin 1 (NM1) ensues, which appears to be functionally linked to ϒ-H2AX signaling. Importantly, the motor function of NM1 is essential for its recruitment to chromatin and CT relocation following damage. Taking these observations together, we propose that early DDR sensing and signaling result in NM1 recruitment to chromosomes which in turn guides DNA damage induced CT relocation.

SUMOylation is developmentally regulated and required for cell pairing during conjugation in Tetrahymena thermophila

The covalent attachment of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) to target proteins regulates numerous nuclear events in eukaryotes, including transcription, mitosis and meiosis, and DNA repair. Despite extensive interest in nuclear pathways within the field of ciliate molecular biology, there have been no investigations of the SUMO pathway in Tetrahymena. The developmental program of sexual reproduction of this organism includes cell pairing, micronuclear meiosis, and the formation of a new somatic macronucleus. We identified the Tetrahymena thermophila SMT3 (SUMO) and UBA2 (SUMO-activating enzyme) genes and demonstrated that the corresponding green fluorescent protein (GFP) tagged gene products are found predominantly in the somatic macronucleus during vegetative growth. Use of an anti-Smt3p antibody to perform immunoblot assays with whole-cell lysates during conjugation revealed a large increase in SUMOylation that peaked during formation of the new macronucleus. Immunofluorescence using the same antibody showed that the increase was localized primarily within the new macronucleus. To initiate functional analysis of the SUMO pathway, we created germ line knockout cell lines for both the SMT3 and UBA2 genes and found both are essential for cell viability. Conditional Smt3p and Uba2p cell lines were constructed by incorporation of the cadmium-inducible metallothionein promoter. Withdrawal of cadmium resulted in reduced cell growth and increased sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. Interestingly, Smt3p and Uba2p conditional cell lines were unable to pair during sexual reproduction in the absence of cadmium, consistent with a function early in conjugation. Our studies are consistent with multiple roles for SUMOylation in Tetrahymena, including a dynamic regulation associated with the sexual life cycle.

RhoB promotes γH2AX dephosphorylation and DNA double-strand break repair

Unlike other Rho GTPases, RhoB is rapidly induced by DNA damage, and its expression level decreases during cancer progression. Because inefficient repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) can lead to cancer, we investigated whether camptothecin, an anticancer drug that produces DSBs, induces RhoB expression and examined its role in the camptothecin-induced DNA damage response. We show that in camptothecin-treated cells, DSBs induce RhoB expression by a mechanism that depends notably on Chk2 and its substrate HuR, which binds to RhoB mRNA and protects it against degradation. RhoB-deficient cells fail to dephosphorylate γH2AX following camptothecin removal and show reduced efficiency of DSB repair by homologous recombination. These cells also show decreased activity of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), a phosphatase for γH2AX and other DNA damage and repair proteins. Thus, we propose that DSBs activate a Chk2-HuR-RhoB pathway that promotes PP2A-mediated dephosphorylation of γH2AX and DSB repair. Finally, we show that RhoB-deficient cells accumulate endogenous γH2AX and chromosomal abnormalities, suggesting that RhoB loss increases DSB-mediated genomic instability and tumor progression.

EGFR-activating mutations correlate with a Fanconi anemia-like cellular phenotype that includes PARP inhibitor sensitivity

In patients with lung cancer whose tumors harbor activating mutations in the EGF receptor (EGFR), increased responses to platinum-based chemotherapies are seen compared with wild-type cancers. However, the mechanisms underlying this association have remained elusive. Here, we describe a cellular phenotype of cross-linker sensitivity in a subset of EGFR-mutant lung cancer cell lines that is reminiscent of the defects seen in cells impaired in the Fanconi anemia pathway, including a pronounced G2-M cell-cycle arrest and chromosomal radial formation. We identified a defect downstream of FANCD2 at the level of recruitment of FAN1 nuclease and DNA interstrand cross-link (ICL) unhooking. The effect of EGFR mutation was epistatic with FANCD2. Consistent with the known role of FANCD2 in promoting RAD51 foci formation and homologous recombination repair (HRR), EGFR-mutant cells also exhibited an impaired RAD51 foci response to ICLs, but not to DNA double-strand breaks. EGFR kinase inhibition affected RAD51 foci formation neither in EGFR-mutant nor wild-type cells. In contrast, EGFR depletion or overexpression of mutant EGFR in wild-type cells suppressed RAD51 foci, suggesting an EGFR kinase-independent regulation of DNA repair. Interestingly, EGFR-mutant cells treated with the PARP inhibitor olaparib also displayed decreased FAN1 foci induction, coupled with a putative block in a late HRR step. As a result, EGFR-mutant lung cancer cells exhibited olaparib sensitivity in vitro and in vivo. Our findings provide insight into the mechanisms of cisplatin and PARP inhibitor sensitivity of EGFR-mutant cells, yielding potential therapeutic opportunities for further treatment individualization in this genetically defined subset of lung cancer.

Induction and repair of DNA double-strand breaks using constant-field gel electrophoresis and apoptosis as predictive markers for sensitivity of cancer cells to cisplatin

This study was designed to evaluate some parameters that may play a role in the prediction of cancer cells sensitivity to cisplatin (CIS). Sensitivity, induction and repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB), cell cycle regulation and induction of apoptosis were measured in four cancer cell lines with different sensitivities to CIS. Using a sulphorhodamine-B assay, the cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa) were found to be the most sensitive to CIS followed by breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7) and liver carcinoma cells (HepG2). Colon carcinoma HCT116 cells were the most resistant. As measured by constant-field gel electrophoresis (CFGE), DSB induction, but not residual DSB exhibited a significant correlation with the sensitivity of cells to CIS. Flow cytometric DNA ploidy analysis revealed that 67% of HeLa cells and 10% of MCF-7 cells shift to sub-G1 phase after incubation with CIS. Additionally, CIS induced the arrest of MCF-7 cells in S-phase and the arrest of HepG2 and HCT116 cells in both S phase and G2/M phase. Determination of the Fas-L level and Caspase-9 activity indicated that CIS-induced apoptosis results from the mitochondrial (intrinsic) pathway. These results, if confirmed using clinical samples, indicate that the induction of DNA DSB as measured by CFGE and the induction of apoptosis should be considered, along with other predictive markers, in future clinical trials to develop predictive assays for platinum -based therapy.

Electron transfer-based combination therapy of cisplatin with tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine for ovarian, cervical, and lung cancers

The platinum-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for several types of cancer. However, cancer cells often become refractory with time and most patients with serious cancers die of drug resistance. Recently, we have discovered a unique dissociative electron-transfer mechanism of action of cisplatin, the first and most widely used platinum-based anticancer drug. Here, we show that the combination of cisplatin with an exemplary biological electron donor, N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD), may overcome the resistance of cancer cells to cisplatin. Our steady-state absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic measurements confirm the effective dissociative electron-transfer reaction between TMPD and cisplatin. More significantly, we found that the combination of 100 μM TMPD with cisplatin enhances double-strand breaks of plasmid DNA by a factor of approximately 3.5 and dramatically reduces the viability of cisplatin-sensitive human cervical (HeLa) cancer cells and highly cisplatin-resistant human ovarian (NIH:OVCAR-3) and lung (A549) cancer cells. Furthermore, this combination enhances apoptosis and DNA fragmentation by factors of 2-5 compared with cisplatin alone. These results demonstrate that this combination treatment not only results in a strong synergetic effect, but also makes resistant cancer cells sensitive to cisplatin. Because cisplatin is the cornerstone agent for the treatment of a variety of human cancers (including testicular, ovarian, cervical, bladder, head/neck, and lung cancers), our results show both the potential to improve platinum-based chemotherapy of various human cancers and the promise of femtomedicine as an emerging frontier in advancing cancer therapy.

Hsp90 inhibitors and drug resistance in cancer: the potential benefits of combination therapies of Hsp90 inhibitors and other anti-cancer drugs

Hsp90 is a chaperone protein that interacts with client proteins that are known to be in the cell cycle, signaling and chromatin-remodeling pathways. Hsp90 inhibitors act additively or synergistically with many other drugs in the treatment of both solid tumors and leukemias in murine tumor models and humans. Hsp90 inhibitors potentiate the actions of anti-cancer drugs that target Hsp90 client proteins, including trastuzumab (Herceptin™) which targets Her2/Erb2B, as Hsp90 inhibition elicits the drug effects in cancer cell lines that are otherwise resistant to the drug. A phase II study of the Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG and trastuzumab showed that this combination therapy has anticancer activity in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer progressing on trastuzumab. In this review, we discuss the results of Hsp90 inhibitors in combination with trastuzumab and other cancer drugs. We also discuss recent results from yeast focused on the genetics of drug resistance when Hsp90 is inhibited and the implications that this might have in understanding the effects of genetic variation in treating cancer in humans.

Inhibition of ERβ induces resistance to cisplatin by enhancing Rad51-mediated DNA repair in human medulloblastoma cell lines

Cisplatin is one of the most widely used and effective anticancer drugs against solid tumors including cerebellar tumor of the childhood, Medulloblastoma. However, cancer cells often develop resistance to cisplatin, which limits therapeutic effectiveness of this otherwise effective genotoxic drug. In this study, we demonstrate that human medulloblastoma cell lines develop acute resistance to cisplatin in the presence of estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist, ICI182,780. This unexpected finding involves a switch from the G2/M to G1 checkpoint accompanied by decrease in ATM/Chk2 and increase in ATR/Chk1 phosphorylation. We have previously reported that ERβ, which is highly expressed in medulloblastomas, translocates insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) to the nucleus, and that nuclear IRS-1 binds to Rad51 and attenuates homologous recombination directed DNA repair (HRR). Here, we demonstrate that in the presence of ICI182,780, cisplatin-treated medulloblastoma cells show recruitment of Rad51 to the sites of damaged DNA and increase in HRR activity. This enhanced DNA repair during the S phase preserved also clonogenic potential of medulloblastoma cells treated with cisplatin. In conclusion, inhibition of ERβ considered as a supplemental anticancer therapy, has been found to interfere with cisplatin–induced cytotoxicity in human medulloblastoma cell lines.

CK2 inhibitor CX-4945 suppresses DNA repair response triggered by DNA-targeted anticancer drugs and augments efficacy: mechanistic rationale for drug combination therapy

Drug combination therapies are commonly used for the treatment of cancers to increase therapeutic efficacy, reduce toxicity, and decrease the incidence of drug resistance. Although drug combination therapies were originally devised primarily by empirical methods, the increased understanding of drug mechanisms and the pathways they modulate provides a unique opportunity to design combinations that are based on mechanistic rationale. We have identified protein kinase CK2 as a promising therapeutic target for combination therapy, because CK2 regulates not just one but many oncogenic pathways and processes that play important roles in drug resistance, including DNA repair, epidermal growth factor receptor signaling, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, Hsp90 machinery activity, hypoxia, and interleukin-6 expression. In this article, we show that CX-4945, a clinical stage selective small molecule inhibitor of CK2, blocks the DNA repair response induced by gemcitabine and cisplatin and synergizes with these agents in models of ovarian cancer. Mechanistic studies show that the enhanced activity is a result of inactivation of XRCC1 and MDC1, two mediator/adaptor proteins that are essential for DNA repair and that require phosphorylation by CK2 for their function. These data position CK2 as a valid pharmacologic target for intelligent drug combinations and support the evaluation of CX-4945 in combination with gemcitabine and platinum-based chemotherapeutics in the clinical setting.

DNA interstrand crosslink repair and cancer

Interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) are highly toxic DNA lesions that prevent transcription and replication by inhibiting DNA strand separation. Agents that induce ICLs were one of the earliest, and are still the most widely used, forms of chemotherapeutic drug. Only recently, however, have we begun to understand how cells repair these lesions. Important insights have come from studies of individuals with Fanconi anaemia (FA), a rare genetic disorder that leads to ICL sensitivity. Understanding how the FA pathway links nucleases, helicases and other DNA-processing enzymes should lead to more targeted uses of ICL-inducing agents in cancer treatment and could provide novel insights into drug resistance.

TRAIL treatment provokes mutations in surviving cells

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy commonly damage DNA and trigger p53-dependent apoptosis through intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Two unfortunate consequences of this mechanism are resistance due to blockade of p53 or intrinsic apoptosis pathways, and mutagenesis of non-malignant surviving cells which can impair cellular function or provoke second malignancies. Death ligand-based drugs, such as tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), stimulate extrinsic apoptotic signaling, and may overcome resistance to treatments that induce intrinsic apoptosis. As death receptor ligation does not damage DNA as a primary mechanism of pro-apoptotic action, we hypothesized that surviving cells would remain genetically unscathed, suggesting that death ligand-based therapies may avoid some of the adverse effects associated with traditional cancer treatments. Surprisingly, however, treatment with sub-lethal concentrations of TRAIL or FasL was mutagenic. Mutations arose in viable cells that contained active caspases, and overexpression of the caspase-8 inhibitor crmA or silencing of caspase-8 abolished TRAIL-mediated mutagenesis. Downregulation of the apoptotic nuclease caspase-activated DNAse (CAD)/DNA fragmentation factor 40 (DFF40) prevented the DNA damage associated with TRAIL treatment. Although death ligands do not need to damage DNA in order to induce apoptosis, surviving cells nevertheless incur DNA damage after treatment with these agents.

Role of homologous recombination in DNA interstrand crosslink repair

Homologous recombination repair (HRR) encompasses mechanisms that employ homologous DNA sequences as templates for repair or tolerance of a wide range of DNA lesions that inhibit DNA replication in S phase. Arguably the most imposing of these DNA lesions is that of the interstrand crosslink (ICL), consisting of a covalently attached chemical bridge between opposing DNA strands. ICL repair requires the coordinated activities of HRR and a number of proteins from other DNA repair and damage response systems, including nucleotide excision repair, base excision repair, mismatch repair, and translesion DNA synthesis (TLS). Interestingly, different organisms favor alternative methods of HRR in the ICL repair process. E. coli perform ICL repair using a homology-driven damage bypass mechanism analogous to daughter strand gap repair. Eukaryotes from yeast to humans initiate ICL repair primarily during DNA replication, relying on HRR activity to restart broken replication forks associated with double-strand break intermediates induced by nucleolytic activities of other excision repair factors. Higher eukaryotes also employ several additional factors, including members of the Fanconi anemia damage-response network, which further promote replication-associated ICL repair through the activation and coordination of various DNA excision repair, TLS, and HRR proteins. This review focuses on the proteins and general mechanisms of HRR associated with ICL repair in different model organisms.

DNA replication factor C1 mediates genomic stability and transcriptional gene silencing in Arabidopsis

Genetic screening identified a suppressor of ros1-1, a mutant of REPRESSOR OF SILENCING1 (ROS1; encoding a DNA demethylation protein). The suppressor is a mutation in the gene encoding the largest subunit of replication factor C (RFC1). This mutation of RFC1 reactivates the unlinked 35S-NPTII transgene, which is silenced in ros1 and also increases expression of the pericentromeric Athila retrotransposons named transcriptional silent information in a DNA methylation-independent manner. rfc1 is more sensitive than the wild type to the DNA-damaging agent methylmethane sulphonate and to the DNA inter- and intra- cross-linking agent cisplatin. The rfc1 mutant constitutively expresses the G2/M-specific cyclin CycB1;1 and other DNA repair-related genes. Treatment with DNA-damaging agents mimics the rfc1 mutation in releasing the silenced 35S-NPTII, suggesting that spontaneously induced genomic instability caused by the rfc1 mutation might partially contribute to the released transcriptional gene silencing (TGS). The frequency of somatic homologous recombination is significantly increased in the rfc1 mutant. Interestingly, ros1 mutants show increased telomere length, but rfc1 mutants show decreased telomere length and reduced expression of telomerase. Our results suggest that RFC1 helps mediate genomic stability and TGS in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Combining radiation with oxaliplatin: a review of experimental results

Oxaliplatin is integrated in treatment strategies against a variety of cancers including chemoradiation protocols against gastrointestinal, especially rectal cancers. Solid biological data with respect to radiosensitizing activity of oxaliplatin are still rare. This review is based on in vitro and experimental in vivo data concerning the combination of oxaliplatin and radiation published until July 2007. Taking either cell viability or clonogenic survival as an endpoint all reported on oxaliplatin-induced radiosensitization, and enhancement ratios ranged from 1.1 to 2.2. In vivo, enhanced tumor growth delay after combined oxaliplatin and radiation treatment was also reported. Therefore, oxaliplatin should be considered a potent radiosensitizer, although the mechanisms causing radiosensitizing properties of oxaliplatin have not been studied in detail. Herein, they are discussed with respect to apoptosis induction, p53-related signalling, cell cycle control, and DNA-repair.

Novobiocin and additional inhibitors of the Hsp90 C-terminal nucleotide-binding pocket

The 90 kDa heat shock proteins (Hsp90), which are integrally involved in cell signaling, proliferation, and survival, are ubiquitously expressed in cells. Many proteins in tumor cells are dependent upon the Hsp90 protein folding machinery for their stability, refolding, and maturation. Inhibition of Hsp90 uniquely targets client proteins associated with all six hallmarks of cancer. Thus, Hsp90 has emerged as a promising target for the treatment of cancer. Hsp90 exists as a homodimer, which contains three domains. The N-terminal domain contains an ATP-binding site that binds the natural products geldanamycin and radicicol. The middle domain is highly charged and has high affinity for co-chaperones and client proteins. Initial studies by Csermely and co-workers suggested a second ATP-binding site in the C-terminus of Hsp90. This C-terminal nucleotide binding pocket has been shown to not only bind ATP, but cisplatin, novobiocin, epilgallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and taxol. The coumarin antibiotics novobiocin, clorobiocin, and coumermycin A1 were isolated from several streptomyces strains and exhibit potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria. These compounds bind type II topoisomerases, including DNA gyrase, and inhibit the enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of ATP. As a result, novobiocin analogues have garnered the attention of numerous researchers as an attractive agent for the treatment of bacterial infection. Novobiocin was reported to bind weakly to the newly discovered Hsp90 C-terminal ATP binding site ( approximately 700 M in SkBr3 cells) and induce degradation of Hsp90 client proteins. Structural modification of this compound has led to an increase of 1000-fold in activity in anti-proliferative assays. Recent studies of structure-activity relationship (SAR) by Renoir and co-workers highlighted the crucial role of the C-4 and/or C-7 positions of the coumarin and removal of the noviose moiety, which appeared to be essential for degradation of Hsp90 client proteins. Unlike the N-terminal ATP binding site, there is no reported co-crystal structure of Hsp90 C-terminus bound to any inhibitor. The Hsp90 C-terminal domain, however, is known to contain a conserved pentapeptide sequence (MEEVD) which is recognized by co-chaperones. Cisplatin is a platinum-containing chemotherapeutic used to treat various types of cancers, including testicular, ovarian, bladder, and small cell lung cancer. Most notably, cisplatin coordinates to DNA bases, resulting in cross-linked DNA, which prohibits rapidly dividing cells from duplicating DNA for mitosis. Itoh and co-workers reported that cisplatin decreases the chaperone activity of Hsp90. This group applied bovine brain cytosol to a cisplatin affinity column, eluted with cisplatin and detected Hsp90 in the eluent. Subsequent experiments indicated that cisplatin exhibits high affinity for Hsp90. Moreover Csermely and co-workers determined that the cisplatin binding site is located proximal to the C-terminal ATP binding site. EGCG is one of the active ingredients found in green tea. EGCG is known to inhibit the activity of many Hsp90-dependent client proteins, including telomerase, several kinases, and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Recently Gasiewicz and co-workers reported that EGCG manifests its antagonistic activity against AhR through binding Hsp90. Similar to novobiocin, EGCG was shown to bind the C-terminus of Hsp90. Unlike previously identified N-terminal Hsp90 inhibitors, EGCG does not appear to prevent Hsp90 from forming multiprotein complexes. Studies are currently underway to determine whether EGCG competes with novobiocin or cisplatin binding. Taxol, a well-known drug for the treatment of cancer, is responsible for the stabilization of microtubules and the inhibition of mitosis. Previous studies have shown that taxol induces the activation of kinases and transcription factors, and mimics the effect of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an attribute unrelated to its tubulin-binding properties. Rosen and co-workers prepared a biotinylated taxol derivative and performed affinity chromatography experiments with lysates from both mouse brain and macrophage cell lines. These studies led to identification of two chaperones, Hsp70 and Hsp90, by mass spectrometry. In contrast to typical Hsp90-binding drugs, taxol exhibits a stimulatory response. Recently it was reported that the geldanamycin derivative 17-AAG behaves synergistically with taxol-induced apoptosis. This review describes the different C-terminal inhibitors of Hsp90, with specific emphasis on structure-activity relationship studies of novobiocin and their effects on anti-proliferative activity.

Genotoxicity (mitotic recombination) of the cancer chemotherapeutic agents cisplatin and cytosine arabinoside in Aspergillus nidulans

Cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum, cis-DDP) and cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) are anticancer drugs used in the treatment of human cancer. The two chemotherapeutic drugs were tested in current research for their recombinogenic potential in diploid cells of Aspergillus nidulans. Non-cytotoxic concentrations of ara-C (0.4 and 0.8 microM) and cis-DDP (1.5, 3.0 and 6.0 microM) were strong recombinagens in A. nidulans UT448//A757 diploid strain, which induced homozygosis of recessive genetic markers, previously present in heterozygous condition. Drugs significantly increased homozygosity index (HI) values for five nutritional genetic markers when compared with those determined in the absence of anticancer drugs. Since mitotic recombination is a mechanism leading to malignant growth through loss of heterozygosity at tumor-suppressor loci, ara-C and cis-DDP may be characterized as secondary promoters of malignant neoplasia in diagnosed cancer patients, after chemotherapy treatment.

DNA interstrand cross-link repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DNA interstrand cross-links (ICL) present a formidable challenge to the cellular DNA repair apparatus. For Escherichia coli, a pathway which combines nucleotide excision repair (NER) and homologous recombination repair (HRR) to eliminate ICL has been characterized in detail, both genetically and biochemically. Mechanisms of ICL repair in eukaryotes have proved more difficult to define, primarily as a result of the fact that several pathways appear compete for ICL repair intermediates, and also because these competing activities are regulated in the cell cycle. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has proven a powerful tool for dissecting ICL repair. Important roles for NER, HRR and postreplication/translesion synthesis pathways have all been identified. Here we review, with reference to similarities and differences in higher eukaryotes, what has been discovered to date concerning ICL repair in this simple eukaryote.

Molecular mechanisms of resistance and toxicity associated with platinating agents

Platinating agents, including cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin, have been used clinically for nearly 30years as part of the treatment of many types of cancers, including head and neck, testicular, ovarian, cervical, lung, colorectal and relapsed lymphoma. The cytotoxic lesion of platinating agents is thought to be the platinum intrastrand crosslink that forms on DNA, although treatment activates a number of signal transduction pathways. Treatment with these agents is characterized by resistance, both acquired and intrinsic. This resistance can be caused by a number of cellular adaptations, including reduced uptake, inactivation by glutathione and other anti-oxidants, and increased levels of DNA repair or DNA tolerance. Here we investigate the pathways that treatment with platinating agents activate, the mechanisms of resistance, potential candidate genes involved in the development of resistance, and associated clinical toxicities. Although the purpose of this review is to provide an overview of cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin, we have focused primarily on preclinical data that has clinical relevance generated over the past five years.

Bacillus subtilis SbcC protein plays an important role in DNA inter-strand cross-link repair

BACKGROUND

Several distinct pathways for the repair of damaged DNA exist in all cells. DNA modifications are repaired by base excision or nucleotide excision repair, while DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) can be repaired through direct joining of broken ends (non homologous end joining, NHEJ) or through recombination with the non broken sister chromosome (homologous recombination, HR). Rad50 protein plays an important role in repair of DNA damage in eukaryotic cells, and forms a complex with the Mre11 nuclease. The prokaryotic ortholog of Rad50, SbcC, also forms a complex with a nuclease, SbcD, in Escherichia coli, and has been implicated in the removal of hairpin structures that can arise during DNA replication. Ku protein is a component of the NHEJ pathway in pro- and eukaryotic cells.

RESULTS

A deletion of the sbcC gene rendered Bacillus subtilis cells sensitive to DNA damage caused by Mitomycin C (MMC) or by gamma irradiation. The deletion of the sbcC gene in a recN mutant background increased the sensitivity of the single recN mutant strain. SbcC was also non-epistatic with AddAB (analog of Escherichia coli RecBCD), but epistatic with RecA. A deletion of the ykoV gene encoding the B. subtilis Ku protein in a sbcC mutant strain did not resulted in an increase in sensitivity towards MMC and gamma irradiation, but exacerbated the phenotype of a recN or a recA mutant strain. In exponentially growing cells, SbcC-GFP was present throughout the cells, or as a central focus in rare cases. Upon induction of DNA damage, SbcC formed 1, rarely 2, foci on the nucleoids. Different to RecN protein, which forms repair centers at any location on the nucleoids, SbcC foci mostly co-localized with the DNA polymerase complex. In contrast to this, AddA-GFP or AddB-GFP did not form detectable foci upon addition of MMC.

CONCLUSION

Our experiments show that SbcC plays an important role in the repair of DNA inter-strand cross-links (induced by MMC), most likely through HR, and suggest that NHEJ via Ku serves as a backup DNA repair system. The cell biological experiments show that SbcC functions in close proximity to the replication machinery, suggesting that SbcC may act on stalled or collapsed replication forks. Our results show that different patterns of localization exist for DNA repair proteins, and that the B. subtilis SMC proteins RecN and SbcC play distinct roles in the repair of DNA damage.

Some insights into the mode of action of butadiene by examining the genotoxicity of its metabolites

1,3-Butadiene (BTD) is an important commodity chemical and air pollutant that has been shown to be a potent carcinogen in mice, and to a lesser extent, a carcinogen in rats. To better assess butadiene's carcinogenic risk to humans, it is important to understand its mode of action and how this relates to differences in responses among species. In a series of in vitro experiments, lymphocytes from rats, mice, and humans were exposed to 3,4-epoxy-1-butene (EB) or 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB) for 1h at the G(0) stage of the cell cycle, stimulated to divide, and cultured to assess the ability of these metabolites to induce sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and chromosome aberrations (CAs). EB induced no increases in SCEs or CAs in the cells from the three species. DEB was a potent SCE- and CA-inducer, with the results being similar in each rodent species. The response for SCEs seen in the human cells was more complex, with genetic polymorphism for glutathione-S-transferases (GST) possibly modulating the response. The single cell gel electrophoresis assay was used on genetically engineered V79 cell lines to investigate a possible influence of GST status. Experiments were also conducted to investigate the reason for EB's failure to induce SCEs or CAs in G(0) cells. The results indicate that EB-induced DNA damage was repaired before DNA synthesis in unstimulated lymphocytes, but EB caused a large increase in SCEs if actively cycling cells were treated. Thus, the results indicate that DEB damage is persistent in G(0) cells, and DEB is a much more potent genotoxicant than EB. The carcinogenic effect of butadiene will most likely depend on the degree to which DEB is produced and reaches target tissues, and to a lesser extent on the ability of EB to reach actively dividing or repair deficient cells.

UVA-visible photo-excitation of guanine radical cations produces sugar radicals in DNA and model structures

This work presents evidence that photo-excitation of guanine radical cations results in high yields of deoxyribose sugar radicals in DNA, guanine deoxyribonucleosides and deoxyribonucleotides. In dsDNA at low temperatures, formation of C1′• is observed from photo-excitation of G•⁺ in the 310–480 nm range with no C1′• formation observed ≥520 nm. Illumination of guanine radical cations in 2′dG, 3′-dGMP and 5′-dGMP in aqueous LiCl glasses at 143 K is found to result in remarkably high yields (∼85–95%) of sugar radicals, namely C1′•, C3′• and C5′•. The amount of each of the sugar radicals formed varies dramatically with compound structure and temperature of illumination. Radical assignments were confirmed using selective deuteration at C5′ or C3′ in 2′-dG and at C8 in all the guanine nucleosides/tides. Studies of the effect of temperature, pH, and wavelength of excitation provide important information about the mechanism of formation of these sugar radicals. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations verify that specific excited states in G•⁺ show considerable hole delocalization into the sugar structure, in accord with our proposed mechanism of action, namely deprotonation from the sugar moiety of the excited molecular radical cation.