In situ analysis of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine oxidation reveals sequence- and agent-specific damage spectra

Effects of the 2-Substituted Adenosine-1,3-diazaphenoxazine 5'-Triphosphate Derivatives on the Single Nucleotide Primer Extension Reaction by DNA Polymerase

The adenosine triphosphate derivatives of 2-oxo-1,3-diazaphenoxazine (dAdapTP) showed a significant discrimination ability for the template strand including that between 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG) by the single nucleotide primer extension reaction using the Klenow Fragment. In this study, we synthesized new dAdapTP derivatives, i.e., 2-amino-dAdapTP, 2-chloro-dAdapTP and 2-iodo-dAdapTP, to investigate the effect on the selectivity and efficiency of incorporation for the primer extension reaction using a variety of DNA polymerases. In contrast to the previously tested dAdapTP, the selectivity and efficiency of the 2-halo-dAdapTP incorporation were dramatically decreased using the Klenow Fragment. Moreover, the efficiency of the 2-amino-dAdapTP incorporation into the T-containing template was almost the same with that of dAdapTP. In the case of the Bsu DNA polymerase, the efficiency of all the dAdapTP derivatives decreased compared to that using the Klenow Fragment. However, the incorporation selectivity of dAdapTP had improved against the oxodG-containing template for all the template sequences including the T-containing template. Moreover, 2-amino-dAdapTP showed a better efficiency than dAdapTP using the Bsu DNA polymerase. The 2-amino group of the adenosine unit may interact with syn-oxodG at the active site of the Bsu DNA polymerase during the single primer extension reaction.

Development of Novel Functional Molecules Targeting DNA and RNA

Nucleic acid therapeutics such as antisense and small interfering RNA (siRNA) have attracted increasing attention as innovative medicines that interfere with and/or modify gene expression systems. We have developed new functional oligonucleotides that can target DNA and RNA with high efficiency and selectivity. This review summarizes our achievements, including (1) the formation of non-natural triplex DNA for sequence-specific inhibition of transcription; (2) artificial receptor molecules for 8-oxidized-guanosine nucleosides; and (3) reactive oligonucleotides with a cross-linking agent or a functionality-transfer nucleoside for RNA pinpoint modification.

Oxidation Chemistry of DNA and p53 Tumor Suppressor Gene

The chemistry of DNA and its repair selectivity control the influence of genomic oxidative stress on the development of serious disorders such as cancer and heart diseases. DNA is oxidized by endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo or in vitro as a result of high energy radiation, non-radiative metabolic processes, and other consequences of oxidative stress. Some oxidations of DNA and tumor suppressor gene p53 are thought to be mutagenic when not repaired. For example, site-specific oxidations of p53 tumor suppressor gene may lead to cancer-related mutations at the oxidation site codon. This review summarizes the research on the primary products of the most easily oxidized nucleobase guanine (G) when different oxidation methods are used. Guanine is by far the most oxidized DNA base. The primary initial oxidation product of guanine for most, but not all, pathways is 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG). With an oxidation potential much lower than G, 8-oxoG is readily susceptible to further oxidation, and the products often depend on the oxidants. Specific products may control the types of subsequent mutations, but mediated by gene repair success. Site-specific oxidations of p53 tumor suppressor gene have been reported at known mutation hot spots, and the codon sites also depend on the type of oxidants. Modern methodologies using LC-MS/MS for codon specific detection and identification of oxidation sites are summarized. Future work aimed at understanding DNA oxidation in nucleosomes and interactions between DNA damage and repair is needed to provide a better picture of how cancer-related mutations arise.

Direct LC-MS/MS Detection of Guanine Oxidations in Exon 7 of the p53 Tumor Suppressor Gene

Oxidation of DNA by reactive oxygen species (ROS) yields 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxodG) as primary oxidation product, which can lead to downstream G to T transversion mutations. DNA mutations are nonrandom, and mutations at specific codons are associated with specific cancers, as widely documented for the p53 tumor suppressor gene. Here, we present the first direct LC-MS/MS study (without isotopic labeling or hydrolysis) of primary oxidation sites of p53 exon 7. We oxidized a 32 base pair (bp) double-stranded (ds) oligonucleotide representing exon 7 of the p53 gene. Oxidized oligonucleotides were cut by a restriction endonuclease to provide small strands and enable positions and amounts of 8-oxodG to be determined directly by LC-MS/MS. Oxidation sites on the oligonucleotide generated by two oxidants, catechol/Cu2+/NADPH and Fenton's reagent, were located and compared. Guanines in codons 243, 244, 245, and 248 were most frequently oxidized by catechol/Cu2+/NADPH with relative oxidation of 5.6, 7.2, 2.6, and 10.7%, respectively. Fenton's reagent oxidations were more specific for guanines in codons 243 (20.3%) and 248 (10.4%). Modeling of docking of oxidizing species on the ds-oligonucleotide were consistent with the experimental codon oxidation sites. Significantly, codons 244 and 248 are mutational "hotspots" in nonsmall cell and small cell lung cancers, supporting a possible role of oxidation in p53 mutations leading to lung cancer.

Formation and processing of DNA damage substrates for the hNEIL enzymes

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are harnessed by the cell for signaling at the same time as being detrimental to cellular components such as DNA. The genome and transcriptome contain instructions that can alter cellular processes when oxidized. The guanine (G) heterocycle in the nucleotide pool, DNA, or RNA is the base most prone to oxidation. The oxidatively-derived products of G consistently observed in high yields from hydroxyl radical, carbonate radical, or singlet oxygen oxidations under conditions modeling the cellular reducing environment are discussed. The major G base oxidation products are 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (OG), 5-carboxamido-5-formamido-2-iminohydantoin (2Ih), spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp), and 5-guanidinohydantoin (Gh). The yields of these products show dependency on the oxidant and the reaction context that includes nucleoside, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), and G-quadruplex DNA (G4-DNA) structures. Upon formation of these products in cells, they are recognized by the DNA glycosylases in the base excision repair (BER) pathway. This review focuses on initiation of BER by the mammalian Nei-like1-3 (NEIL1-3) glycosylases for removal of 2Ih, Sp, and Gh. The unique ability of the human NEILs to initiate removal of the hydantoins in ssDNA, bulge-DNA, bubble-DNA, dsDNA, and G4-DNA is outlined. Additionally, when Gh exists in a G4 DNA found in a gene promoter, NEIL-mediated repair is modulated by the plasticity of the G4-DNA structure provided by additional G-runs flanking the sequence. On the basis of these observations and cellular studies from the literature, the interplay between DNA oxidation and BER to alter gene expression is discussed.

5-Carboxamido-5-formamido-2-iminohydantoin, in Addition to 8-oxo-7,8-Dihydroguanine, Is the Major Product of the Iron-Fenton or X-ray Radiation-Induced Oxidation of Guanine under Aerobic Reducing Conditions in Nucleoside and DNA Contexts

Exogenously and endogenously produced reactive oxygen species attack the base and sugar moieties of DNA showing a preference for reaction at 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG) sites. In the present work, dG was oxidized by HO(•) via the Fe(II)-Fenton reaction or by X-ray radiolysis of water. The oxidized lesions observed include the 2'-deoxynucleosides of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (dOG), spiroiminodihydantoin (dSp), 5-guanidinohydantoin (dGh), oxazolone (dZ), 5-carboxamido-5-formamido-2-iminohydantoin (d2Ih), 5',8-cyclo-2'-deoxyguanosine (cyclo-dG), and the free base guanine (Gua). Reactions conducted with ascorbate or N-acetylcysteine as a reductant under aerobic conditions identified d2Ih as the major lesion formed. Studies were conducted to identify the role of O2 and the reductant in product formation. From these studies, mechanisms are proposed to support d2Ih as a major oxidation product detected under aerobic conditions in the presence of the reductant. These nucleoside observations were then validated in oxidations of oligodeoxynucleotide and λ-DNA contexts that demonstrated high yields of d2Ih in tandem with dOG, dSp, and dGh. These results identify dG oxidation to d2Ih to occur in high yields leading to a hypothesis that d2Ih could be found from in cells stressed with HO(•). Further, the distorted ring structure of d2Ih likely causes this lesion to be highly mutagenic.

Rates of chemical cleavage of DNA and RNA oligomers containing guanine oxidation products

The nucleobase guanine in DNA (dG) and RNA (rG) has the lowest standard reduction potential of the bases, rendering it a major site of oxidative damage in these polymers. Mapping the sites at which oxidation occurs in an oligomer via chemical reagents utilizes hot piperidine for cleaving oxidized DNA and aniline (pH 4.5) for cleaving oxidized RNA. In the present studies, a series of time-dependent cleavages of DNA and RNA strands containing various guanine lesions were examined to determine the strand scission rate constants. The guanine base lesions 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (OG), spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp), 5-guanidinohydantoin (Gh), 2,2,4-triamino-2H-oxazol-5-one (Z), and 5-carboxamido-5-formamido-2-iminohydantoin (2Ih) were evaluated in piperidine-treated DNA and aniline-treated RNA. These data identified wide variability in the chemical lability of the lesions studied in both DNA and RNA. Further, the rate constants for cleaving lesions in RNA were generally found to be significantly smaller than for lesions in DNA. The OG nucleotides were poorly cleaved in DNA and RNA; Sp nucleotides were slowly cleaved in DNA and did not cleave significantly in RNA; Gh and Z nucleotides cleaved in both DNA and RNA at intermediate rates; and 2Ih oligonucleotides cleaved relatively quickly in both DNA and RNA. The data are compared and contrasted with respect to future experimental design.

Discrimination between 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine and 2'-deoxyguanosine in DNA by the single nucleotide primer extension reaction with adap triphosphate

The adenosine derivative of 2-oxo-1,3-diazaphenoxazine (Adap) exhibits a superb ability to recognize and form base pairs with 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) in duplex DNA. In this study, the triphosphate of Adap (dAdapTP) was synthesized and tested for single nucleotide incorporation into primer strands using the Klenow Fragment. The efficiency of dAdapTP incorporation into 8-oxo-dG-containing templates was more than 36-fold higher than with dG-containing templates, and provides better discrimination than does the incorporation of natural 2'-deoxyadenosine triphosphate (dATP). The selective incorporation of dAdapTP into 8-oxo-dG templates was therefore applied to the detection of 8-oxo-dG in human telomeric DNA sequences extracted from H2 O2 -treated HeLa cells. The enzymatic incorporation of dAdapTP into 8-oxo-dG-containing templates may provide a novel basis for sequencing oxidative DNA damage in the genome.

Effects of atmospheric pressure plasmas on isolated and cellular DNA-a review

Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (APP) is being used widely in a variety of biomedical applications. Extensive research in the field of plasma medicine has shown the induction of DNA damage by APP in a dose-dependent manner in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. Recent evidence suggests that APP-induced DNA damage shows potential benefits in many applications, such as sterilization and cancer therapy. However, in several other applications, such as wound healing and dentistry, DNA damage can be detrimental. This review reports on the extensive investigations devoted to APP interactions with DNA, with an emphasis on the critical role of reactive species in plasma-induced damage to DNA. The review consists of three main sections dedicated to fundamental knowledge of the interactions of reactive oxygen species (ROS)/reactive nitrogen species (RNS) with DNA and its components, as well as the effects of APP on isolated and cellular DNA in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Mapping structurally defined guanine oxidation products along DNA duplexes: influence of local sequence context and endogenous cytosine methylation

DNA oxidation by reactive oxygen species is nonrandom, potentially leading to accumulation of nucleobase damage and mutations at specific sites within the genome. We now present the first quantitative data for sequence-dependent formation of structurally defined oxidative nucleobase adducts along p53 gene-derived DNA duplexes using a novel isotope labeling-based approach. Our results reveal that local nucleobase sequence context differentially alters the yields of 2,2,4-triamino-2H-oxal-5-one (Z) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (OG) in double stranded DNA. While both lesions are overproduced within endogenously methylated (Me)CG dinucleotides and at 5' Gs in runs of several guanines, the formation of Z (but not OG) is strongly preferred at solvent-exposed guanine nucleobases at duplex ends. Targeted oxidation of (Me)CG sequences may be caused by a lowered ionization potential of guanine bases paired with (Me)C and the preferential intercalation of riboflavin photosensitizer adjacent to (Me)C:G base pairs. Importantly, some of the most frequently oxidized positions coincide with the known p53 lung cancer mutational "hotspots" at codons 245 (GGC), 248 (CGG), and 158 (CGC) respectively, supporting a possible role of oxidative degradation of DNA in the initiation of lung cancer.

Mechanisms of base substitution mutagenesis in cancer genomes

Cancer genome sequence data provide an invaluable resource for inferring the key mechanisms by which mutations arise in cancer cells, favoring their survival, proliferation and invasiveness. Here we examine recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for the predominant type of genetic alteration found in cancer cells, somatic single base substitutions (SBSs). Cytosine methylation, demethylation and deamination, charge transfer reactions in DNA, DNA replication timing, chromatin status and altered DNA proofreading activities are all now known to contribute to the mechanisms leading to base substitution mutagenesis. We review current hypotheses as to the major processes that give rise to SBSs and evaluate their relative relevance in the light of knowledge acquired from cancer genome sequencing projects and the study of base modifications, DNA repair and lesion bypass. Although gene expression data on APOBEC3B enzymes provide support for a role in cancer mutagenesis through U:G mismatch intermediates, the enzyme preference for single-stranded DNA may limit its activity genome-wide. For SBSs at both CG:CG and YC:GR sites, we outline evidence for a prominent role of damage by charge transfer reactions that follow interactions of the DNA with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other endogenous or exogenous electron-abstracting molecules.

Voltammetric microwell array for oxidized guanosine in intact ds-DNA

Oxidative stress in humans causes damage to biomolecules by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). DNA can be oxidatively damaged by ROS, which may lead to carcinogenesis. Here we report a microfluidic electrochemical array designed to rapidly detect oxidation in intact DNA in replicate measurements. Sensor arrays were fabricated by wet-chemistry patterning of gold compact discs. The eight-sensor array is incorporated into a 60 μL microfluidic channel connected to a pump and sample valve. The array features 7 nm thick osmium bipyridyl poly(vinylpyridine) chloride [Os(bpy)2(PVP)10Cl](+) films assembled layer-by-layer with polyions onto the gold sensors. 8-Hydroxy-7,8-hydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) is selectively oxidized by [Os(bpy)2(PVP)10Cl](+) in intact ds-DNA to provide catalytic square wave voltammograms (SWV). The device is easy-to-use, fast, inexpensive, reusable, and can detect one 8-oxodG per 6600 nucleobases. The mass detection limit is 150-fold lower than a previously reported dip-and-read voltammetric sensor for oxidized DNA. Fast assays (<1 min) and moderate sample consumption (15 pmol DNA) suggest potential for research and clinical applications. Practical use is illustrated by detecting DNA oxidation from cigarette smoke and ash extracts in dispersions with NADPH and Cu(2+).

G-quadruplex folds of the human telomere sequence alter the site reactivity and reaction pathway of guanine oxidation compared to duplex DNA

Telomere shortening occurs during oxidative and inflammatory stress with guanine (G) as the major site of damage. In this work, a comprehensive profile of the sites of oxidation and structures of products observed from G-quadruplex and duplex structures of the human telomere sequence was studied in the G-quadruplex folds (hybrid (K(+)), basket (Na(+)), and propeller (K(+) + 50% CH3CN)) resulting from the sequence 5'-(TAGGGT)4T-3' and in an appropriate duplex containing one telomere repeat. Oxidations with four oxidant systems consisting of riboflavin photosensitization, carbonate radical generation, singlet oxygen, and the copper Fenton-like reaction were analyzed under conditions of low product conversion to determine relative reactivity. The one-electron oxidants damaged the 5'-G in G-quadruplexes leading to spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp) and 2,2,4-triamino-2H-oxazol-5-one (Z) as major products as well as 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (OG) and 5-guanidinohydantoin (Gh) in low relative yields, while oxidation in the duplex context produced damage at the 5'- and middle-Gs of GGG sequences and resulted in Gh being the major product. Addition of the reductant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to the reaction did not alter the riboflavin-mediated damage sites but decreased Z by 2-fold and increased OG by 5-fold, while not altering the hydantoin ratio. However, NAC completely quenched the CO3(•-) reactions. Singlet oxygen oxidations of the G-quadruplex showed reactivity at all Gs on the exterior faces of G-quartets and furnished the product Sp, while no oxidation was observed in the duplex context under these conditions, and addition of NAC had no effect. Because a long telomere sequence would have higher-order structures of G-quadruplexes, studies were also conducted with 5'-(TAGGGT)8-T-3', and it provided oxidation profiles similar to those of the single G-quadruplex. Lastly, Cu(II)/H2O2-mediated oxidations were found to be indiscriminate in the damage patterns, and 5-carboxamido-5-formamido-2-iminohydantoin (2Ih) was found to be a major duplex product, while nearly equal yields of 2Ih and Sp were observed in G-quadruplex contexts. These findings indicate that the nature of the secondary structure of folded DNA greatly alters both the reactivity of G toward oxidative stress as well as the product outcome and suggest that recognition of damage in telomeric sequences by repair enzymes may be profoundly different from that of B-form duplex DNA.