Mutator phenotype in a mutant of S49 mouse T-lymphoma cells with abnormal sensitivity to thymidine

Purine deoxynucleoside metabolism in human melanoma cells with a high spontaneous mutation rate

A human melanoma cell line (MM96L) had a spontaneous mutation rate at the HGPRT locus of approx. 7 times normal. The cells had elevated dATP and dGTP pools, lacked purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) and were sensitive to killing by deoxyadenosine, deoxyinosine and related purines but not to inosine or hypoxanthine. Four other melanoma cell lines exhibited a range of nucleoside sensitivities and dNTP pool sizes. Failure of intact MM96L cells to degrade exogenous deoxyadenosine and deoxyinosine to hypoxanthine was confirmed by NMR of culture medium. Normal melanocytes were PNP+ and were insensitive to deoxyinosine. Comparison of the metabolites of [14C]deoxyinosine from MM96L and a PNP+ cell line of similar doubling time (HeLa) showed that both cell types produced 14C-labelled guanine and adenine nucleotides, with [14C]dATP and [14C]dADP being found in MM96L. This indicates that human sAMP synthetase or a similar enzyme catalyses the conversion of dIMP to dAMP, the resultant elevation of dATP causing base misincorporation and a mutator phenotype.

The molecular basis of mutations induced by deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate pool imbalances in mammalian cells

Alterations of the balanced supply of the precursors of DNA synthesis, the deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, have dramatic genetic consequences for mammalian cells including the induction of mutations, the sensitization to DNA damaging agents, and the production of gross chromosomal abnormalities. The use of recombinant DNA techniques has allowed the analysis of some of these effects and has revealed further mechanisms by which mammalian cells control the accuracy of DNA replication.

Mutagenesis and deoxyribonucleotide pool imbalance

Numerous studies have demonstrated that DNA-precursor pool imbalances are mutagenic and can modulate the lethality and mutagenicity of DNA-damaging agents. In addition, physical and chemical mutagens can induce alterations in DNA-precursor levels. Such findings suggest that regulation of intracellular concentrations of DNA precursors may be an important factor in environmental mutagenesis. In this article, results linking mutation and disturbances in DNA-precursor pools are reviewed.

Aphidicolin-resistant mutator strains of mouse teratocarcinoma

From among a series of stable, aphidicolin-resistant mutant strains of mouse teratocarcinoma, derived from a multipotent parental line (PSA-1-80), three were selected for further study on the basis of their comparatively high degrees of resistance and elevated frequencies of spontaneous forward mutation to 6-thioguanine and ouabain resistance. Fluctuation tests confirmed that they were mutator strains. Since each of the three mutants was isolated after multiple rounds of selection, and since a variety of biochemical abnormalities were observed, it is likely that a number of mechanisms, probably consisting of overlapping subsets, determine the phenotypes. Abnormalities in the metabolism of the nucleotide substrates for polymerization are likely to be of major importance in mutants designated Aph-2 and Aph-3, as there were marked alterations in the dCTP and dATP pool sizes. The specific activity of DNA polymerase alpha was also increased. For the case of Aph-3, which exhibited the greatest (400-fold) increase in resistance to aphidicolin, a mutation in the structural gene for DNA polymerase alpha may be an additional important component, since in vitro assays revealed that the isolated enzyme was resistant to aphidicolin. For the case of Aph-1 however, only minor alterations in dNTP pools were observed, and there was no increase in the specific activity of DNA polymerase alpha or in the aphidicolin resistance of the isolated DNA polymerase alpha, suggesting yet another mechanism(s) underlying the aphidicolin resistance/mutator phenotype. All three mutants formed subcutaneous tumors in syngeneic mice; both Aph-1 and Aph-2 were multipotent; whereas Aph-3 was nullipotent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Unresolved issues in the study of mammalian ribonucleotide reductase

Although research on mammalian ribonucleotide reductase and its role in cell replication has been intensified in recent years, there remain several areas in which there is not uniform agreement with respect to several of its important properties. The major issues include: 1) whether there is one enzyme which catalyzes the reduction of all four substrates or several enzymes for the four substrates; 2) whether the two subunits are coordinately regulated as the cells pass from G1 to S during the cell cycle; if not which subunit represents the limiting component and what are the respective half-lives of the individual subunits; 3) whether the allosteric regulation which has been demonstrated in the test tube is the actual mechanism in the intact cells; and 4) is mammalian ribonucleotide reductase part of an enzyme complex which channels ribonucleoside diphosphates into DNA. The data which have appeared in the literature are discussed in the context of these unresolved questions.

Ribonucleotide reductase activity during the senescence of normal human diploid fibroblasts in culture

Changes in ribonucleotide reductase occur during the senescence of normal human diploid fibroblasts in culture. Enzyme activity is significantly lower in cells and extracts at high mean population doublings (MPD) as compared to fibroblasts at low MPD. Although many of the kinetic properties of the enzyme remain unaltered in cells at high MPD, changes in the extent and kinetic mechanism of inhibition of CDP and ADP reductase activity by dATP, the overall negative effector of ribonucleotide reductase, were observed. These results and a previous observation that the four deoxyribonucleotide pools are markedly altered during in vitro senescence of human diploid fibroblasts, provide evidence for a link between ribonucleotide reduction, deoxyribonucleotide pools, and the establishment of the non-proliferative or senescent state.