Oxidized guanine lesions and hOgg1 activity in lung cancer

CRISPR/Cas12a trans-cleavage triggered by cleavage ligation of dumbbell DNA for specific detection of human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase activity

Human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (hOGG1) is an essential enzyme that recognizes and removes 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), a common DNA oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species, to maintain genomic integrity of living organisms. Abnormal expression of hOGG1 has been proved to be associated with different diseases such as cancer and neurogenerative disorders, making it a potential biomarker and therapeutic target. In this study, we report the development of  a novel strategy for detecting hOGG1 activity based on CRISPR/Cas12a trans-cleavage triggered by cleavage ligation of a dumbbell DNA probe (DBP) designed with a 3' overhang and an 8-oxoG modification. When hOGG1 is present, it cleaves the DBP at the 8-oxoG site, forming a 5' phosphate termini and exposing a single-strand region allowing complementary to the 3' overhang. After hybridization, the 3' and 5' termini in the juxtaposition are ligated by T4 DNA ligase, leading to a closed DBP for CRISPR/Cas12a-crRNA to recognize and initiate the trans-cleavage of the surrounding ssDNAs with fluorophore and quencher. The method achieves a limit of detection (LOD) with 370 μU/mL and high selectivity. Furthermore, it demonstrates a good compatibility for detecting hOGG1 activity in cell lysates, suggesting a good performance for further application in disease diagnosis and scientific research.

Comprehensive analysis of an immune infiltrate-related competitive endogenous RNA network reveals potential prognostic biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancer

Globally, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common malignancy and its prognosis remains poor because of the lack of reliable early diagnostic biomarkers. The competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network plays an important role in the tumorigenesis and prognosis of NSCLC. Tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is valuable for predicting the response to immunotherapy and determining the prognosis of NSCLC patients. To understand the TIME-related ceRNA network, the RNA profiling datasets from the Genotype-Tissue Expression and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases were analyzed to identify the mRNAs, microRNAs, and lncRNAs associated with the differentially expressed genes. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis revealed that the brown module of mRNAs and the turquoise module of lncRNAs were the most important. Interactions among microRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs were prognosticated using miRcode, miRDB, TargetScan, miRTarBase, and starBase databases. A prognostic model consisting of 13 mRNAs was established using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses and validated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The 22 immune infiltrating cell types were analyzed using the CIBERSORT algorithm, and results showed that the high-risk score of this model was related to poor prognosis and an immunosuppressive TIME. A lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network that included 69 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) was constructed based on the five mRNAs obtained from the prognostic model. ROC survival analysis further showed that the seven DElncRNAs had a substantial prognostic value for the overall survival (OS) in NSCLC patients; the area under the curve was 0.65. In addition, the high-risk group showed drug resistance to several chemotherapeutic and targeted drugs including cisplatin, paclitaxel, docetaxel, gemcitabine, and gefitinib. The differential expression of five mRNAs and seven lncRNAs in the ceRNA network was supported by the results of the HPA database and RT-qPCR analyses. This comprehensive analysis of a ceRNA network identified a set of biomarkers for prognosis and TIME prediction in NSCLC.

Deregulation of mitochondrial sirtuins and OGG1-2a acts as a prognostic and diagnostic biomarker in leukemia

Purpose: The present study was planned to explore the expression variations of mitochondrial sirtuins and the mitochondrial DNA repair enzyme OGG1-2a in leukemia patients. Oxidative stress and deacetylation levels of leukemia patients were measured in the present study. Methods: A total of 200 leukemia patients along with 200 healthy controls were evaluated using quantitative PCR, 8OXOG assay and deacetylation assay. Results: Significant deregulation of SIRT3 (p < 0.0001), SIRT4 (p < 0.0001), SIRT5 (p < 0.0001), Ki-67 (p < 0.0001) and OGG1-2a (p < 0.0001) was detected in patients versus controls. Survival analysis showed that deregulation of said genes was associated with decreased survival of leukemia patients (SIRT3: p < 0.004; SIRT4: p < 0.0009; SIRT5: p < 0.0001; OGG1-2a: p < 0.03). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis confirmed the diagnostic values of selected genes in leukemia patients. Levels of 8OXOG adducts were measured, and significantly increased 8OXOG adduct levels were observed in patients versus controls. Conclusion: These data suggest that deregulation of SIRT3, SIRT4, SIRT5 and OGG1-2a acts as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in leukemia.

Chromatin and other obstacles to base excision repair: potential roles in carcinogenesis

DNA is comprised of chemically reactive nucleobases that exist under a constant barrage from damaging agents. Failure to repair chemical modifications to these nucleobases can result in mutations that can cause various diseases, including cancer. Fortunately, the base excision repair (BER) pathway can repair modified nucleobases and prevent these deleterious mutations. However, this pathway can be hindered through several mechanisms. For instance, mutations to the enzymes in the BER pathway have been identified in cancers. Biochemical characterisation of these mutants has elucidated various mechanisms that inhibit their activity. Furthermore, the packaging of DNA into chromatin poses another obstacle to the ability of BER enzymes to function properly. Investigations of BER in the base unit of chromatin, the nucleosome core particle (NCP), have revealed that the NCP acts as a complex substrate for BER enzymes. The constituent proteins of the NCP, the histones, also have variants that can further impact the structure of the NCP and may modulate access of enzymes to the packaged DNA. These histone variants have also displayed significant clinical effects both in carcinogenesis and patient prognosis. This review focuses on the underlying molecular mechanisms that present obstacles to BER and the relationship of these obstacles to cancer. In addition, several chemotherapeutics induce DNA damage that can be repaired by the BER pathway and understanding obstacles to BER can inform how resistance and/or sensitivity to these therapies may occur. With the understanding of these molecular mechanisms, current chemotherapeutic treatment regiments may be improved, and future therapies developed.

DNA damage and telomere length shortening in the peripheral blood leukocytes of 20 years SM-exposed veterans

Sulfur mustard (SM) is a vesicant chemical warfare agent, and a very potent alkylating agent. SM exerts its cytotoxicity via direct alkylation of biomacromolecules, and overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Previous studies have shown that SM-induced oxidative stress has adverse effects on antioxidant defense system, and damages lipids and proteins. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of SM-induced oxidative stress on DNA damage, and cellular senescence in SM-exposed victims. For this purpose, MDA levels as a measure of oxidative stress in the serum, 8-oxo-dG content of the genomic DNA, and OGG1 expression as two biomarkers of oxidative DNA damage, as well as, telomere length, and p16^INK4a expression as two biomarkers of cellular senescence were measured in the peripheral blood leukocytes of 215 males who were exposed to SM 20 to 25 years ago, and 53 unexposed healthy males as the control group. Our results indicated that the levels of 8-oxo-dG, and OGG1 mRNA expression were significantly higher in SM-exposed individuals. Furthermore, a significant increase in the expression of p16^INK4a was observed in SM-exposed patients, and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) was also significantly shorter in severe/very severe cases of SM-exposed patients when compared with unexposed controls. In conclusion, our data indicate that oxidative DNA damage is higher in SM-exposed patients, and their immune system has subjected to cellular senescence.

MTH1 deficiency selectively increases non-cytotoxic oxidative DNA damage in lung cancer cells: more bad news than good?

Background

Targeted therapies are based on exploiting cancer-cell-specific genetic features or phenotypic traits to selectively kill cancer cells while leaving normal cells unaffected. Oxidative stress is a cancer hallmark phenotype. Given that free nucleotide pools are particularly vulnerable to oxidation, the nucleotide pool sanitising enzyme, MTH1, is potentially conditionally essential in cancer cells. However, findings from previous MTH1 studies have been contradictory, meaning the relevance of MTH1 in cancer is still to be determined. Here we ascertained the role of MTH1 specifically in lung cancer cell maintenance, and the potential of MTH1 inhibition as a targeted therapy strategy to improve lung cancer treatments.

Methods

Using siRNA-mediated knockdown or small-molecule inhibition, we tested the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of MTH1 deficiency on H23 (p53-mutated), H522 (p53-mutated) and A549 (wildtype p53) non-small cell lung cancer cell lines relative to normal MRC-5 lung fibroblasts. We also assessed if MTH1 inhibition augments current therapies.

Results

MTH1 knockdown increased levels of oxidatively damaged DNA and DNA damage signaling alterations in all lung cancer cell lines but not normal fibroblasts, despite no detectable differences in reactive oxygen species levels between any cell lines. Furthermore, MTH1 knockdown reduced H23 cell proliferation. However, unexpectedly, it did not induce apoptosis in any cell line or enhance the effects of gemcitabine, cisplatin or radiation in combination treatments. Contrastingly, TH287 and TH588 MTH1 inhibitors induced apoptosis in H23 and H522 cells, but only increased oxidative DNA damage levels in H23, indicating that they kill cells independently of DNA oxidation and seemingly via MTH1-distinct mechanisms.

Conclusions

MTH1 has a NSCLC-specific p53-independent role for suppressing DNA oxidation and genomic instability, though surprisingly the basis of this may not be reactive-oxygen-species-associated oxidative stress. Despite this, overall our cell viability data indicates that targeting MTH1 will likely not be an across-the-board effective NSCLC therapeutic strategy; rather it induces non-cytotoxic DNA damage that could promote cancer heterogeneity and evolution.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4332-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase gene polymorphism (Ser326Cys) and cancer risk: updated meta-analysis

Genetic polymorphism of human 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) has been reported to have a relationship with the risk of the development of various cancers. Many studies have described the influence of Ser326Cys polymorphism of the hOGG1 gene on cancer susceptibility. However, the results have remained inconclusive and controversial. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to more precisely determine the relationship between the hOGG1 polymorphism and the development of cancer.Electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and the Korean Studies Information Service System (KISS) were searched. The odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI), and p value were calculated to assess the strength of the association with the risk of cancer using Comprehensive Meta-analysis software (Corporation, NJ, USA). The 127 studies including 38,757 cancer patients and 50,177 control subjects were analyzed for the meta-analysis.Our meta-analysis revealed that G allele of Ser326Cys polymorphism of the hOGG1 gene statistically increased the susceptibility of cancer (all population, OR = 1.092, 95% CI = 1.051-1.134, p < 0.001; in Asian, OR = 1.095, 95% CI = 1.048-1.145, p < 0.001; in Caucasian, OR = 1.097, 95% CI = 1.033-1.179, p = 0.002). Also, other genotype models showed significant association with cancer (p < 0.05, respectively).The present meta-analysis concluded that the G allele was associated with an increased risk of cancer. It suggested that the hOGG1 polymorphism may be a candidate marker of cancer.

Quantification of DNA damage products by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in lung cell lines and prevention effect of thyme antioxidants on oxidative induced DNA damage

Lung cancer has a high treatment cost and poor prognosis in comparison to other types of cancers. This work was involved in studying oxidative DNA base damage inhibition. Accordingly, standard carvacrol, thymol, thymoquinone with water and water-methanol extract of thyme (Origanum vulgare L. subsp. hirtum (link.) Ietswaart), thyme oil and thyme water were prepared and investigated for their efficacy to inhibit DNA oxidative damage formed by H₂O₂ in malignant lung cells (A549). The antioxidant capacity by ABTS assay was 271.73 ± 11.45 mg trolox equivalent/mL for thyme oil. HPLC analysis was carried out to determine the contents of different thyme extracts, results showing the presence of carvacrol, thymol, protocatechuic acid, caffeic acid, epicatechin and rosmarinic acid in water and water-methanol extracts while only carvacrol and thymol were found in thyme oil and thyme water. After DNA isolation from the cultured cells, the formed oxidative induced DNA damage products were analysed using GC-MS/MS. It was proven that the antioxidants in the cell culture media have succeeded to inhibit oxidative DNA base damage. Thymoquinone was shown to be the best protectant antioxidant among other antioxidants against the formation of oxidative DNA damage, whereas water-methanol extract of thyme was the best among the plant-sourced samples. Thymoquinone and thyme water-methanol extract were investigated for their efficacy on cultured healthy lung cells (BEAS-2B), and it was proven that they are efficient in protection against the oxidation of DNA of healthy lung cells too.

Investigation of antioxidant ability of grape seeds extract to prevent oxidatively induced DNA damage by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Phenolic compounds have been studied elaborately for their efficacy to improve health and to protect against a wide variety of diseases. Herein this study, different analysis methods were implemented to evaluate the antioxidant properties of catechin and cyanidin using their standard substances and as they found in the grape seeds extracts. Total phenol contents were 107.39±8.94mg GAE/g dw of grape seeds for grape seed extract (GSE) and 218.32±10.66mg GAE/g dw of grape seeds for acid-hydrolyzed grape seed extract (AcGSE). The extracts were analyzed by HPLC-DAD system and the results showed the presence of catechin, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid and ellagic acid in the processed methanolic extract and cyanidin, gallic acid and ellagic acid in the processed acidified methanolic extract. The protective abilities of catechin and cyanidin were tested against the oxidation of DNA. The results showed that cyanidin has better protection of DNA against oxidation than catechin. GSE and AcGSE were revealed to inhibit the oxidatively induced DNA damage. GSE decreased about 57% of damage caused by the Fenton control sample. This study could show new aspects of the antioxidant profiles of cyanidin and catechin.

Mitochondrial determinants of cancer health disparities

Mitochondria, which are multi-functional, have been implicated in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis due to metabolic alterations in transformed cells. Mitochondria are involved in the generation of energy, cell growth and differentiation, cellular signaling, cell cycle control, and cell death. To date, the mitochondrial basis of cancer disparities is unknown. The goal of this review is to provide an understanding and a framework of mitochondrial determinants that may contribute to cancer disparities in racially different populations. Due to maternal inheritance and ethnic-based diversity, the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) contributes to inherited racial disparities. In people of African ancestry, several germline, population-specific haplotype variants in mtDNA as well as depletion of mtDNA have been linked to cancer predisposition and cancer disparities. Indeed, depletion of mtDNA and mutations in mtDNA or nuclear genome (nDNA)-encoded mitochondrial proteins lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and promote resistance to apoptosis, the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and metastatic disease, all of which can contribute to cancer disparity and tumor aggressiveness related to racial disparities. Ethnic differences at the level of expression or genetic variations in nDNA encoding the mitochondrial proteome, including mitochondria-localized mtDNA replication and repair proteins, miRNA, transcription factors, kinases and phosphatases, and tumor suppressors and oncogenes may underlie susceptibility to high-risk and aggressive cancers found in African population and other ethnicities. The mitochondrial retrograde signaling that alters the expression profile of nuclear genes in response to dysfunctional mitochondria is a mechanism for tumorigenesis. In ethnic populations, differences in mitochondrial function may alter the cross talk between mitochondria and the nucleus at epigenetic and genetic levels, which can also contribute to cancer health disparities. Targeting mitochondrial determinants and mitochondrial retrograde signaling could provide a promising strategy for the development of selective anticancer therapy for dealing with cancer disparities. Further, agents that restore mitochondrial function to optimal levels should permit sensitivity to anticancer agents for the treatment of aggressive tumors that occur in racially diverse populations and hence help in reducing racial disparities.

Methylated +322-327 CpG site decreases hOGG1 mRNA expression in non-small cell lung cancer

hOGG1 plays a role in several disease pathways, including various cancers. Despite such functional importance, how hOGG1 is regulated at the transcriptional level in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unknown, particularly via DNA methylation changes. We obtained NSCLC tissues and adjacent non-cancerous tissues and examined hOGG1 mRNA expression levels. NSCLC cells were treated with 5-Aza to test whether DNA methylation can influence the expression of hOGG1. The MassARRAY EpiTYPER and luciferase reporter gene assays were used to define the functional region of the hOGG1 gene (including CpG sites). Finally, ChIP assay was utilized to verify transcription factor binding to the hOGG1 5'-UTR region. Our previous studies supported the idea that the methylation of the hOGG1 gene promoter region occurs frequently in NSCLC. Treatment with 5-Aza, a demethylating agent, led to a significant restoration of hOGG1 expression in NSCLC cell lines. Quantitative PCR and MassARRAY EpiTYPER assays demonstrated that methylation of the +322-327 CpG site in the 5'-UTR region of hOGG1 was higher in NSCLC tissues compared with adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Notably, the methylation level of +322-327 site (T/N) was inversely correlated with that of hOGG1 mRNA level (T/N) in 25 NSCLC tissues. ChIP assay and in silico prediction showed an association between the +322-327 CpG site and Sp1, which has been reported to be an activator of transcription. Importantly, luciferase reporter gene and ChIP assays showed that +322-327 CpG site methylation particularly reduced the recruitment of Sp1 to the 5'-UTR sequence in hOGG1 and reduced transcriptional activity ~50%. In summary, we have demonstrated that hOGG1 mRNA is downregulated in NSCLC tissues. Moreover, we identified that the methylated +322-327 CpG site in the hOGG1 5'-UTR is associated with reduced expression of hOGG1 by decreasing the recruitment of Sp1 to the 5'-UTR of hOGG1.

MTH1 as a Chemotherapeutic Target: The Elephant in the Room

Many tumors sustain elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which drive oncogenic signaling. However, ROS can also trigger anti-tumor responses, such as cell death or senescence, through induction of oxidative stress and concomitant DNA damage. To circumvent the adverse consequences of elevated ROS levels, many tumors develop adaptive responses, such as enhanced redox-protective or oxidatively-generated damage repair pathways. Targeting these enhanced oxidative stress-protective mechanisms is likely to be both therapeutically effective and highly specific to cancer, as normal cells are less reliant on such mechanisms. In this review, we discuss one such stress-protective protein human MutT Homolog1 (MTH1), an enzyme that eliminates 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyguanosine triphosphate (8-oxodGTP) through its pyrophosphatase activity, and is found to be elevated in many cancers. Our studies, and subsequently those of others, identified MTH1 inhibition as an effective tumor-suppressive strategy. However, recent studies with the first wave of MTH1 inhibitors have produced conflicting results regarding their cytotoxicity in cancer cells and have led to questions regarding the validity of MTH1 as a chemotherapeutic target. To address the proverbial "elephant in the room" as to whether MTH1 is a bona fide chemotherapeutic target, we provide an overview of MTH1 function in the context of tumor biology, summarize the current literature on MTH1 inhibitors, and discuss the molecular contexts likely required for its efficacy as a therapeutic target.

Repair of oxidatively induced DNA damage by DNA glycosylases: Mechanisms of action, substrate specificities and excision kinetics

Endogenous and exogenous reactive species cause oxidatively induced DNA damage in living organisms by a variety of mechanisms. As a result, a plethora of mutagenic and/or cytotoxic products are formed in cellular DNA. This type of DNA damage is repaired by base excision repair, although nucleotide excision repair also plays a limited role. DNA glycosylases remove modified DNA bases from DNA by hydrolyzing the glycosidic bond leaving behind an apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) site. Some of them also possess an accompanying AP-lyase activity that cleaves the sugar-phosphate chain of DNA. Since the first discovery of a DNA glycosylase, many studies have elucidated the mechanisms of action, substrate specificities and excision kinetics of these enzymes present in all living organisms. For this purpose, most studies used single- or double-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides with a single DNA lesion embedded at a defined position. High-molecular weight DNA with multiple base lesions has been used in other studies with the advantage of the simultaneous investigation of many DNA base lesions as substrates. Differences between the substrate specificities and excision kinetics of DNA glycosylases have been found when these two different substrates were used. Some DNA glycosylases possess varying substrate specificities for either purine-derived lesions or pyrimidine-derived lesions, whereas others exhibit cross-activity for both types of lesions. Laboratory animals with knockouts of the genes of DNA glycosylases have also been used to provide unequivocal evidence for the substrates, which had previously been found in in vitro studies, to be the actual substrates in vivo as well. On the basis of the knowledge gained from the past studies, efforts are being made to discover small molecule inhibitors of DNA glycosylases that may be used as potential drugs in cancer therapy.

Suppression of human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1) augments ultrasound-induced apoptosis in cervical cancer cells

PURPOSE

Human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1) is a major base excision repair enzyme, and it was reported to suppress the activation of intrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway in response to oxidative stress. In this study, our aim was to investigate the effects of OGG1 downregulation on ultrasound-induced apoptosis in cervical cancer cells.

METHODS

OGG1 expression was silenced by shRNA in the cervical cancer SW756 and CaSki cells. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay after OGG1 knockdown following ultrasound treatment. Ultrasound-induced apoptosis was measured by Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and Ca(2+) concentration were detected using a fluorescent probe, 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) and a green fluorescent dye fluo-4AM, respectively. Western blotting was used to analyze the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65).

RESULTS

The results indicated that OGG1 knockdown did not suppress cell proliferation, but significantly augmented ultrasound-induced inhibitory effects on the cell viability, and increased ultrasound-induced early apoptosis and late apoptosis and necrosis in the SW756 and CaSki cells when exposure to ultrasound (1MHz) at 1.5W/cm(2) for 30 and 60s. OGG1 knockdown significantly increased intracellular ROS production and Ca(2+) concentration after incubation of 6, 24, and 48h post-ultrasound treatment. The downregulation of Bcl-2 protein and the upregulation of Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and NF-κB p65 protein levels were observed in the shRNA-OGG1 cells and mock-shRNA cells, but no significant change of these protein levels was found between of them.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that downregulation of OGG1 expression can augment ultrasound-induced apoptosis in cervical cancer cells, which suggests that OGG1 suppression might provide a new insight for ultrasound-induced therapeutic effects on cervical cancer treatment.

Loss of Mitochondrial Tumor Suppressor Genes Expression Is Associated with Unfavorable Clinical Outcome in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Data from Retrospective Study

Mitochondrial genes play important roles in cellular energy metabolism, free radical generation, and apoptosis. Dysregulation of these genes have long been suspected to contribute to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), increased proliferation and progression of cancer. A family of orthologues of yeast silent information regulator 3 (SIRT3), 4 (SIRT4) and mitochondrial tumor suppressor 1 (MTUS1) are important mitochondrial tumor suppressor genes which play an important role in the progression of multiple cancers. However, their role in the development of oxidative stress, enhanced proliferation and progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has not yet been studied. In this study we aimed to test the association between reduced mitochondrial tumor suppressor genes' activities and enhancement in tissue oxidative stress and cell proliferation in HNSCC cases. The expression of mitochondrial tumor suppressor genes (SIRT3, SIRT4 and MTUS1), mitochondrial DNA repair gene (OGG1-2a) and a proliferation marker (Ki-67) was studied in a study cohort of 120 HNSCC patients and controls with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time PCR (qPCR) in order to determine the potential prognostic significance of these genes. A statistically significant downregulation of SIRT3 (p<0.001), SIRT4 (p<0.0001), MTUS1 (p<0.002) and OGG1 (p<0.0001) was observed in HNSCC compared to control samples. Ki-67 was also overexpressed (p<0.0001) in HNSCC versus control samples. Additionally, to explore gene-gene relationship, we observed a positive spearmen correlation between SIRT3 versus SIRT4 (r = 0.523***, p<0.0001), SIRT3 versus MTUS1 (r = 0.273***, p<0.001), SIRT3 versus OGG1-2a (r = 0.213*, p<0.03), SIRT4 versus OGG1 (r = 0.338***, p<0.0001) and MTUS1 versus OGG1-2a (r = 0.215*, p<0.03) in HNSCC cases. A negative spearman correlation was observed between OGG1 versus Ki-67 (r = -0.224**, p<0.01) and OGG1-2a versus Ki-67 (r = -0.224**, p<0.01) in HNSCC cases. Here we report that the deregulation of mitochondrial tumor suppressor genes (SIRT3, SIRT4 and MTUS1) in relation to decreased expression of mitochondrial DNA repair gene OGG1-2a and increased proliferation (measured by proliferation marker Ki-67) may be considered important factors in the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The relationship between COPD and lung cancer

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COPD is a risk factor for lung cancer beyond their shared aetiology.

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Both are driven by oxidative stress.

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Both are linked to cellular aging, senescence and telomere shortening.

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Both have been linked to genetic predisposition.

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Both show altered epigenetic regulation of gene expression.

Both COPD and lung cancer are major worldwide health concerns owing to cigarette smoking, and represent a huge, worldwide, preventable disease burden. Whilst the majority of smokers will not develop either COPD or lung cancer, they are closely related diseases, occurring as co-morbidities at a higher rate than if they were independently triggered by smoking.

Lung cancer and COPD may be different aspects of the same disease, with the same underlying predispositions, whether this is an underlying genetic predisposition, telomere shortening, mitochondrial dysfunction or premature aging. In the majority of smokers, the burden of smoking may be dealt with by the body’s defense mechanisms: anti-oxidants such as superoxide dismutases, anti-proteases and DNA repair mechanisms. However, in the case of both diseases these fail, leading to cancer if mutations occur or COPD if damage to the cell and proteins becomes too great.

Alternatively COPD could be a driving factor in lung cancer, by increasing oxidative stress and the resulting DNA damage, chronic exposure to pro-inflammatory cytokines, repression of the DNA repair mechanisms and increased cellular proliferation. Understanding the mechanisms that drive these processes in primary cells from patients with these diseases along with better disease models is essential for the development of new treatments.

Measurement of oxidatively induced DNA damage and its repair, by mass spectrometric techniques

Oxidatively induced damage caused by free radicals and other DNA-damaging agents generate a plethora of products in the DNA of living organisms. There is mounting evidence for the involvement of this type of damage in the etiology of numerous diseases including carcinogenesis. For a thorough understanding of the mechanisms, cellular repair, and biological consequences of DNA damage, accurate measurement of resulting products must be achieved. There are various analytical techniques, with their own advantages and drawbacks, which can be used for this purpose. Mass spectrometric techniques with isotope dilution, which include gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC), provide structural elucidation of products and ascertain accurate quantification, which are absolutely necessary for reliable measurement. Both gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), in single or tandem versions, have been used for the measurement of numerous DNA products such as sugar and base lesions, 8,5'-cyclopurine-2'-deoxynucleosides, base-base tandem lesions, and DNA-protein crosslinks, in vitro and in vivo. This article reviews these techniques and their applications in the measurement of oxidatively induced DNA damage and its repair.

Oxidatively induced DNA damage and its repair in cancer

Oxidatively induced DNA damage is caused in living organisms by endogenous and exogenous reactive species. DNA lesions resulting from this type of damage are mutagenic and cytotoxic and, if not repaired, can cause genetic instability that may lead to disease processes including carcinogenesis. Living organisms possess DNA repair mechanisms that include a variety of pathways to repair multiple DNA lesions. Mutations and polymorphisms also occur in DNA repair genes adversely affecting DNA repair systems. Cancer tissues overexpress DNA repair proteins and thus develop greater DNA repair capacity than normal tissues. Increased DNA repair in tumors that removes DNA lesions before they become toxic is a major mechanism for development of resistance to therapy, affecting patient survival. Accumulated evidence suggests that DNA repair capacity may be a predictive biomarker for patient response to therapy. Thus, knowledge of DNA protein expressions in normal and cancerous tissues may help predict and guide development of treatments and yield the best therapeutic response. DNA repair proteins constitute targets for inhibitors to overcome the resistance of tumors to therapy. Inhibitors of DNA repair for combination therapy or as single agents for monotherapy may help selectively kill tumors, potentially leading to personalized therapy. Numerous inhibitors have been developed and are being tested in clinical trials. The efficacy of some inhibitors in therapy has been demonstrated in patients. Further development of inhibitors of DNA repair proteins is globally underway to help eradicate cancer.

Formation and repair of oxidative damage in the mitochondrial DNA

The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes for only 13 polypeptides, components of 4 of the 5 oxidative phosphorylation complexes. But despite this apparently small numeric contribution, all 13 subunits are essential for the proper functioning of the oxidative phosphorylation circuit. Thus, accumulation of lesions, mutations and deletions/insertions in the mtDNA could have severe functional consequences, including mitochondrial diseases, aging and age-related diseases. The DNA is a chemically unstable molecule, which can be easily oxidized, alkylated, deaminated and suffer other types of chemical modifications, throughout evolution the organisms that survived were those who developed efficient DNA repair processes. In the last two decades, it has become clear that mitochondria have DNA repair pathways, which operate, at least for some types of lesions, as efficiently as the nuclear DNA repair pathways. The mtDNA is localized in a particularly oxidizing environment, making it prone to accumulate oxidatively generated DNA modifications (ODMs). In this article, we: i) review the major types of ODMs formed in mtDNA and the known repair pathways that remove them; ii) discuss the possible involvement of other repair pathways, just recently characterized in mitochondria, in the repair of these modifications; and iii) address the role of DNA repair in mitochondrial function and a possible cross-talk with other pathways that may potentially participate in mitochondrial genomic stability, such as mitochondrial dynamics and nuclear-mitochondrial signaling. Oxidative stress and ODMs have been increasingly implicated in disease and aging, and thus we discuss how variations in DNA repair efficiency may contribute to the etiology of such conditions or even modulate their clinical outcomes.

Deregulation of base excision repair gene expression and enhanced proliferation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Defects in the DNA damage repair pathway contribute to cancer. The major pathway for oxidative DNA damage repair is base excision repair (BER). Although BER pathway genes (OGG1, APEX1 and XRCC1) have been investigated in a number of cancers, our knowledge on the prognostic significance of these genes and their role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is limited. Protein levels of OGG1, APEX1 and XRCC1 and a proliferation marker, Ki-67, were examined by immunohistochemical analysis, in a cohort of 50 HNSCC patients. Significant downregulation of OGG1 (p<0.04) and XRCC1 (p<0.05) was observed in poorly differentiated HNSCC compared to mod-well-differentiated cases. Significant upregulation of APEX1 (p<0.05) and Ki-67 (p<0.05) was observed in poorly differentiated HNSCC compared to mod-well-differentiated cases. Significant correlation was observed between XRCC1 and OGG1 (r=0.33, p<0.02). Inverse correlations were observed between OGG1 and Ki-67 (r=-0.377, p<0.005), between APEX1 and XRCC1 (r=-0.435, p<0.002) and between OGG1 and APEX1 (r=-0.34, p<0.02) in HNSCC. To confirm our observations, we examined BER pathway genes and a proliferation marker, Ki-67, expression at the mRNA level on 50 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and 50 normal control samples by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Significant downregulation was observed in case of OGG1 (p<0.04) and XRCC1 (p<0.02), while significant upregulation was observed in case of APEX1 (p<0.01) and Ki-67 (p<0.03) in HNSCC tissue samples compared to controls. Our data suggested that deregulation of base excision repair pathway genes, such as OGG1, APEX1 and XRCC1, combined with overexpression of Ki-67, a marker for excessive proliferation, may contribute to progression of HNSCC in Pakistani population.

Mitochondria-targeted Ogg1 and aconitase-2 prevent oxidant-induced mitochondrial DNA damage in alveolar epithelial cells

Mitochondria-targeted human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (mt-hOgg1) and aconitase-2 (Aco-2) each reduce oxidant-induced alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) apoptosis, but it is unclear whether protection occurs by preventing AEC mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage. Using quantitative PCR-based measurements of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA damage, mtDNA damage was preferentially noted in AEC after exposure to oxidative stress (e.g. amosite asbestos (5-25 μg/cm(2)) or H2O2 (100-250 μM)) for 24 h. Overexpression of wild-type mt-hOgg1 or mt-long α/β 317-323 hOgg1 mutant incapable of DNA repair (mt-hOgg1-Mut) each blocked A549 cell oxidant-induced mtDNA damage, mitochondrial p53 translocation, and intrinsic apoptosis as assessed by DNA fragmentation and cleaved caspase-9. In contrast, compared with controls, knockdown of Ogg1 (using Ogg1 shRNA in A549 cells or primary alveolar type 2 cells from ogg1(-/-) mice) augmented mtDNA lesions and intrinsic apoptosis at base line, and these effects were increased further after exposure to oxidative stress. Notably, overexpression of Aco-2 reduced oxidant-induced mtDNA lesions, mitochondrial p53 translocation, and apoptosis, whereas siRNA for Aco-2 (siAco-2) enhanced mtDNA damage, mitochondrial p53 translocation, and apoptosis. Finally, siAco-2 attenuated the protective effects of mt-hOgg1-Mut but not wild-type mt-hOgg1 against oxidant-induced mtDNA damage and apoptosis. Collectively, these data demonstrate a novel role for mt-hOgg1 and Aco-2 in preserving AEC mtDNA integrity, thereby preventing oxidant-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, p53 mitochondrial translocation, and intrinsic apoptosis. Furthermore, mt-hOgg1 chaperoning of Aco-2 in preventing oxidant-mediated mtDNA damage and apoptosis may afford an innovative target for the molecular events underlying oxidant-induced toxicity.

Polymorphisms of DNA repair genes and lung cancer in chromium exposure

Chromium is a well known carcinogen involved in the lung cancer development. Polymorphism of some of the DNA repair genes may be associated with elevated risk of cancerous transformation. In the present study, we investigated the polymorphisms of the following selected members of the base and nucleotide excision repair genes: XPC (Lys939Gln), XPD (Lys751Gln), XRCC1(Arg399Gln), and hOGG1(Ser326Ser), and the risk they present toward the development of lung cancer, with emphasis on the effect of chromium exposure. We analyzed 119 individuals; 50 patients exposed to chromium with diagnosed lung cancer and 69 healthy controls. Genotypes were determined by a PCR-RFLP method. We found a significantly increased risk of lung cancer development in XPD genotype Lys/Gln (OR=1.94; 95% CI=1.10-3.43; p=0.015) and in the gene combinations: XPD Lys/Gln+XPC Lys/Gln (OR=6.5; 95% CI=1.53-27.49; p=0.009) and XPD Lys/Gln+XPC Gln/Gln(OR=5.2; 95% CI=1.07-25.32; p=0.04). In conclusion, gene polymorphisms in the DNA repair genes may underscore the risk of lung cancer development in the chromium-exposed individuals.

mtDNA Mutations and Their Role in Aging, Diseases and Forensic Sciences

Mitochondria are independent organelles with their own DNA. As a primary function, mitochondria produce the energy for the cell through Oxidative Phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in the Electron Transport Chain (ETC). One of the toxic products of this process is Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which can induce oxidative damage in macromolecules like lipids, proteins and DNA. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is less protected and has fewer reparation mechanisms than nuclear DNA (nDNA), and as such is more exposed to oxidative, mutation-inducing damage. This review analyzes the causes and consequences of mtDNA mutations and their relationship with the aging process. Neurodegenerative diseases, related with the aging, are consequences of mtDNA mutations resulting in a decrease in mitochondrial function. Also described are "mitochondrial diseases", pathologies produced by mtDNA mutations and whose symptoms are related with mitochondrial dysfunction. Finally, mtDNA haplogroups are defined in this review; these groups are important for determination of geographical origin of an individual. Additionally, different haplogroups exhibit variably longevity and risk of certain diseases. mtDNA mutations in aging and haplogroups are of special interest to forensic science research. Therefore this review will help to clarify the key role of mtDNA mutations in these processes and support further research in this area.

DNA repair genes polymorphism and lung cancer risk with the emphasis to sex differences

Polymorphisms in nucleotide and base excision repair genes are associated with the variability in the risk of developing lung cancer. In the present study, we investigated the polymorphisms of following selected DNA repair genes: XPC (Lys939Gln), XPD (Lys751Gln), hOGG1 (Ser326Cys) and XRCC1 (Arg399Gln), and the risks they present towards the development of lung cancer with the emphasis to gender differences within the Slovak population. We analyzed 761 individuals comprising 382 patients with diagnosed lung cancer and 379 healthy controls. Genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism method. We found out statistically significant increased risk for lung cancer development between genders. Female carrying XPC Gln/Gln, XPC Lys/Gln+Gln/Gln and XRCC1 Arg/Gln, XRCC1 Arg/Gln+Gln/Gln genotypes had significantly increased risk of lung cancer corresponding to OR = 2.06; p = 0.04, OR = 1.66; p = 0.04 and OR = 1.62; p = 0.04, OR = 1.69; p = 0.02 respectively. In total, significantly increased risk of developing lung cancer was found in the following combinations of genotypes: XPD Lys/Gln+XPC Lys/Lys (OR = 1.62; p = 0.04), XRCC1 Gln/Gln+hOGG1 Ser/Ser (OR = 2.14; p = 0.02). After stratification for genders, the following combinations of genotype were found to be significant in male: XPD Lys/Gln+XPC Lys/Lys (OR = 1.87; p = 0.03), XRCC1 Arg/Gln+XPC Lys/Lys (OR = 4.52; p = 0.0007), XRCC1 Arg/Gln+XPC Lys/Gln (OR = 5.44; p < 0.0001). In female, different combinations of the following genotypes were found to be significant: XRCC1 Arg/Gln+hOGG1 Ser/Ser (OR = 1.98; p = 0.04), XRCC1 Gln/Gln+hOGG1 Ser/Ser (OR = 3.75; p = 0.02), XRCC1 Arg/Gln+XPC Lys/Gln (OR = 2.40; p = 0.04), XRCC1 Arg/Gln+XPC Gln/Gln (OR = 3.03; p = 0.04). We found out decreased cancer risk in genotype combinations between female patients and healthy controls: XPD Lys/Lys+XPC Lys/Gln (OR = 0.45; p = 0.02), XPD Lys/Gln+XPC Lys/Lys (OR = 0.32; p = 0.005), XPD Lys/Gln+XPC Lys/Gln (OR = 0.48; p = 0.02). Our results did not show any difference between pooled smokers and non-smokers in observed gene polymorphisms in the association to the lung cancer risk. However, gender stratification indicated the possible effect of heterozygous constitution of hOGG1 gene (Ser/Cys) on lung cancer risk in female non-smokers (OR = 0.20; p = 0.01) and heterozygous constitution of XPC gene (Lys/Gln) in male smokers (OR = 2.70; p = 0.01).

Evaluation of immunohistochemical markers to detect the genotoxic mode of action of fine and ultrafine dusts in rat lungs

Data on local genotoxicity after particle exposure are crucial to resolve mechanistic aspects such as the impact of chronic inflammation, types of DNA damage, and their role in lung carcinogenesis. We established immunohistochemical methods to quantify the DNA damage markers poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR), phosphorylated H2AX (γ-H2AX), 8-hydroxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), and 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1) in paraffin-embedded tissue from particle-exposed rats. The study was based on lungs from a subchronic study that was part of an already published carcinogenicity study where rats had been intratracheally instilled with saline, quartz DQ12, amorphous silica (Aerosil(®) 150), or carbon black (Printex(®) 90) at monthly intervals for 3 months. Lung sections were stained immunohistochemically and markers were quantified in alveolar lining cells. Local genotoxicity was then correlated with already defined endpoints, i.e. mean inflammation score, bronchoalveolar lavage parameters, and carcinogenicity. Genotoxicity was most pronounced in quartz DQ12-treated rats, where all genotoxicity markers gave statistically significant positive results, indicating considerable genotoxic stress such as occurrence of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB), and oxidative damage with subsequent repair activity. Genotoxicity was less pronounced for Printex(®) 90, but significant increases in γ-H2AX- and 8-OH-dG-positive nuclei and OGG1-positive cytoplasm were nevertheless detected. In contrast, Aerosil(®) 150 significantly enhanced only 8-OH-dG-positive nuclei and oxidative damage-related repair activity (OGG1) in cytoplasm. In the present study, γ-H2AX was the most sensitive genotoxicity marker, differentiating best between the three types of particles. The mean number of 8-OH-dG-positive nuclei, however, correlated best with the mean inflammation score at the same time point. This methodological approach enables integration of local genotoxicity testing in subchronic inhalation studies and makes immunohistochemical detection, in particular of γ-H2AX and 8-hydroxyguanine, a very promising approach for local genotoxicity testing in lungs, with prognostic value for the long-term outcome of particle exposure.

Human 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase-1 is downregulated in human basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer and is a major public health problem in many Western countries. It usually occurs as a consequence of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV) with sunlight. The DNA photolesion 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxo-dG) is caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in response to UVA, UVB, and oxidative metabolism. If this damaged DNA is not repaired prior to cell division, then gene mutations may persist in daughter cells. Human 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) is the main enzyme that excises 8-oxo-dG from damaged DNA via the base-excision repair pathway. However, the role of hOGG1 in human skin cancer is unknown. In this study, using immunohistochemical staining, we found low hOGG1 protein expression in human BCC compared to overlying epidermis or normal epidermis. We also found higher levels of 8-oxo-dG within the BCC compared to the basal layers of epidermis overlying the BCC lesions (E-BCC). The results suggest that low expression of hOGG1 within BCC results in accumulation of ROS generated 8-oxo-dG due to low levels of DNA repair, thereby implicating hOGG1 in human BCC carcinogenesis. These ROS are likely to be produced by the cancer cells during metabolism, as the BCC nests are too deep for UV to reach. Our data suggests that procedures that increase expression of hOGG1 within BCC, or protect from ROS may be beneficial for reducing progression of BCC.

The association between OGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism and lung cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis of 27 studies

Background

Numerous studies have investigated association of OGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism with lung cancer susceptibility; however, the findings are inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis based on 27 publications encompass 9663 cases and 11348 controls to comprehensively evaluate such associations.

Methods

We searched publications from MEDLINE and EMBASE which were assessing the associations between OGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism and lung cancer risk. We calculated pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) by using either fixed-effects or random-effects model. We used genotype based mRNA expression data from HapMap for SNP rs1052133 in normal cell lines among 270 subjects with four different ethnicities.

Results

The results showed that individuals carrying the Cys/Cys genotype did not have significantly increased risk for lung cancer (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 0.98–1.36) when compared with the Ser/Ser genotype; similarly, no significant association was found in recessive, dominant or heterozygous co-dominant model (Ser/Cys vs. Cys/Cys). However, markedly increased risks were found in relatively large sample size (Ser/Ser vs. Cys/Cys: OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.13–1.48, and recessive model: OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.07–1.32). As to histological types, we found the Cys/Cys was associated with adenocarcinoma risk (Ser/Ser vs. Cys/Cys: OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.12–1.56; Ser/Cys vs. Cys/Cys: OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.04–1.37, and recessive model OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.08–1.40). No significant difference of OGG1 mRNA expression was found among genotypes between different ethnicities.

Conclusions

Despite some limitations, this meta-analysis established solid statistical evidence for an association between the OGG1 Cys/Cys genotype and lung cancer risk, particularly for studies with large sample size and adenocarcinoma, but this association warrants additional validation in larger and well designed studies.

Oxidatively induced DNA damage: mechanisms, repair and disease

Endogenous and exogenous sources cause oxidatively induced DNA damage in living organisms by a variety of mechanisms. The resulting DNA lesions are mutagenic and, unless repaired, lead to a variety of mutations and consequently to genetic instability, which is a hallmark of cancer. Oxidatively induced DNA damage is repaired in living cells by different pathways that involve a large number of proteins. Unrepaired and accumulated DNA lesions may lead to disease processes including carcinogenesis. Mutations also occur in DNA repair genes, destabilizing the DNA repair system. A majority of cancer cell lines have somatic mutations in their DNA repair genes. In addition, polymorphisms in these genes constitute a risk factor for cancer. In general, defects in DNA repair are associated with cancer. Numerous DNA repair enzymes exist that possess different, but sometimes overlapping substrate specificities for removal of oxidatively induced DNA lesions. In addition to the role of DNA repair in carcinogenesis, recent evidence suggests that some types of tumors possess increased DNA repair capacity that may lead to therapy resistance. DNA repair pathways are drug targets to develop DNA repair inhibitors to increase the efficacy of cancer therapy. Oxidatively induced DNA lesions and DNA repair proteins may serve as potential biomarkers for early detection, cancer risk assessment, prognosis and for monitoring therapy. Taken together, a large body of accumulated evidence suggests that oxidatively induced DNA damage and its repair are important factors in the development of human cancers. Thus this field deserves more research to contribute to the development of cancer biomarkers, DNA repair inhibitors and treatment approaches to better understand and fight cancer.

Evidence for upregulated repair of oxidatively induced DNA damage in human colorectal cancer

Carcinogenesis may involve overproduction of oxygen-derived species including free radicals, which are capable of damaging DNA and other biomolecules in vivo. Increased DNA damage contributes to genetic instability and promote the development of malignancy. We hypothesized that the repair of oxidatively induced DNA base damage may be modulated in colorectal malignant tumors, resulting in lower levels of DNA base lesions than in surrounding pathologically normal tissues. To test this hypothesis, we investigated oxidatively induced DNA damage in cancerous tissues and their surrounding normal tissues of patients with colorectal cancer. The levels of oxidatively induced DNA lesions such as 4,6-diamino-5-formamidopyrimidine, 2,6-diamino-4-hydroxy-5-formamidopyrimidine, 8-hydroxyguanine and (5'S)-8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyadenosine were measured by gas chromatography/isotope-dilution mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/isotope-dilution tandem mass spectrometry. We found that the levels of these DNA lesions were significantly lower in cancerous colorectal tissues than those in surrounding non-cancerous tissues. In addition, the level of DNA lesions varied between colon and rectum tissues, being lower in the former than in the latter. The results strongly suggest upregulation of DNA repair in malignant colorectal tumors that may contribute to the resistance to therapeutic agents affecting the disease outcome and patient survival. The type of DNA base lesions identified in this work suggests the upregulation of both base excision and nucleotide excision pathways. Development of DNA repair inhibitors targeting both repair pathways may be considered for selective killing of malignant tumors in colorectal cancer.

Evaluating chromosomal damage in workers exposed to hexavalent chromium and the modulating role of polymorphisms of DNA repair genes

PURPOSE

Welders have been chronically exposed to hexavalent chromium with potential consequences on chromosomal integrity. Our study is focused on the extent of any such chromosomal aberrations with respect to chromium levels in the blood of welders as well as on the tentative modulating role of polymorphisms in DNA repair genes XPD Lys751Gln, XPG Asn114His, XPC Lys939Gln, hOGG1 Ser326Cys and XRCC1 Arg399Gln on chromosomal damage.

METHODS

The study was conducted on 144 individuals consisting of 73 welders exposed to chromium for 10.2 ± 1.67 years and 71 control individuals without known exposures. Chromosomal aberrations, their chromatid-type and chromosome-type aberrations were detected by conventional cytogenetic analysis. XPD, XPG, XPC, hOGG1 and XRCC1 gene polymorphisms were assayed for by Taqman SNP genotyping assay ("Assay-by-Demand") using Real-Time allelic discrimination on AB 7500 equipment. Chromium concentration in the blood was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

RESULTS

The level of chromium in the blood of welders ranged between 0.032 and 0.182 μmol l(-1) and was significantly higher than that in controls (0.07 ± 0.04 μmol l(-1) vs. 0.03 ± 0.007 μmol l(-1)). Parameters of chromosomal damage were similar in both the exposed and the control individuals (1.89% vs. 1.70% for total chromosomal aberrations, 0.97% vs. 0.88% for chromosome-type and 0.92% vs. 0.80% for chromatid-type, respectively). Chromatid-type of aberrations positively correlated with the level of chromium in the blood (r = 0.28; P = 0.02). Significantly higher total chromosomal aberrations were detected in individuals with homozygous variant polymorphism in XRCC1 Arg399Gln gene as compared to those with heterozygous and homozygous wild-type genotypes (2.20, 1.89 and 1.48%, respectively; P = 0.01). A similar tendency was found for chromatid-type aberrations (1.30% for homozygous variant genotype bearers, 0.94% for those with heterozygous genotype and 0.75% for carriers of homozygous wild-type genotype, respectively; P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Although no apparent increase in chromosomal damage was recorded in chromium-exposed welders in comparison with controls, genetic make-up in DNA repair genes may increase susceptibility toward adverse effect of chromium.

[Mutational analysis of hOGG1 gene promoter in patients with non-small cell lung cancer]

背景与目的

8-羟基鸟嘌呤DNA糖苷酶（8-hydroxygumine DNA glycosylase 1, OGG1）是一种DNA修复酶，可以从DNA切除修复8-羟基鸟嘌呤（8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine, 8-OH-G）。人类OGG1基因（hOGG1）的多态性可能会改变酶的活性而影响个体修复损伤DNA的能力，促进癌变。然而，hOGG1基因启动子区域的突变与非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC）的关系尚不明晰。我们拟探讨hOGG1基因启动子区域的突变与NSCLC发生发展的潜在关系。

方法

选取苏州大学附属第一医院2003年1月-2005年12月新鲜手术切除的40例NSCLC组织标本，采用PCR-SSCP和直接测序的方法检测NSCLC及其对应的癌旁组织中hOGG1基因启动子区域的突变。

结果

在40例NSCLC患者中未发现hOGG1基因启动子区域的异常突变，但发现单核苷酸多态位点rs159153与TNM分期明显相关（P=0.008）；同时发现吸烟者中淋巴结转移率明显较低（P=0.034）。

结论

单核苷酸多态位点rs159153和吸烟史可能对NSCLC的侵袭和转移潜在性提供预测。

Mitochondrial subversion in cancer

Mitochondria control essential cellular activities including generation of ATP via oxidative phosphorylation. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in the regulatory D-loop region and somatic mtDNA mutations are common in primary human cancers. The biological impact of a given mutation may vary, depending on the nature of the mutation and the proportion of mutant mtDNAs carried by the cell. Identification of mtDNA mutations in precancerous lesions supports their early contribution to cell transformation and cancer progression. Introduction of mtDNA mutations in transformed cells has been associated with increased ROS production and tumor growth. Studies reveal that increased and altered mtDNA plays a role in the development of cancer but further work is required to establish the functional significance of specific mitochondrial mutations in cancer and disease progression. This review offers some insight into the extent of mtDNA mutations, their functional consequences in tumorigenesis, mitochondrial therapeutics, and future clinical application.

Oxidation in the nucleotide pool, the DNA damage response and cellular senescence: Defective bricks build a defective house

Activation of persistent DNA damage response (DDR) signaling is associated with the induction of a permanent proliferative arrest known as cellular senescence, a phenomenon intrinsically linked to both tissue aging as well as tumor suppression. The DNA damage observed in senescent cells has been attributed to elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), failing DNA damage repair processes, and/or oncogenic activation. It is not clear how labile molecules such as ROS are able to damage chromatin-bound DNA to a sufficient extent to invoke persistent DNA damage and DDR signaling. Recent evidence suggests that the nucleotide pool is a significant target for oxidants and that oxidized nucleotides, once incorporated into genomic DNA, can lead to the induction of a DNA strand break-associated DDR that triggers senescence in normal cells and in cells sustaining oncogene activation. Evasion of this DDR and resulting senescence is a key step in tumor progression. This review will explore the role of oxidation in the nucleotide pool as a major effector of oxidative stress-induced genotoxic damage and DDR in the context of cellular senescence and tumorigenic transformation.

Role of mitochondrial hOGG1 and aconitase in oxidant-induced lung epithelial cell apoptosis

8-Oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (Ogg1) repairs 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroxyguanine (8-oxoG), one of the most abundant DNA adducts caused by oxidative stress. In the mitochondria, Ogg1 is thought to prevent activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway in response to oxidative stress by augmenting DNA repair. However, the predominance of the beta-Ogg1 isoform, which lacks 8-oxoG DNA glycosylase activity, suggests that mitochondrial Ogg1 functions in a role independent of DNA repair. We report here that overexpression of mitochondria-targeted human alpha-hOgg1 (mt-hOgg1) in human lung adenocarcinoma cells with some alveolar epithelial cell characteristics (A549 cells) prevents oxidant-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis by preserving mitochondrial aconitase. Importantly, mitochondrial alpha-hOgg1 mutants lacking 8-oxoG DNA repair activity were as effective as wild-type mt-hOgg1 in preventing oxidant-induced caspase-9 activation, reductions in mitochondrial aconitase, and apoptosis, suggesting that the protective effects of mt-hOgg1 occur independent of DNA repair. Notably, wild-type and mutant mt-hOgg1 coprecipitate with mitochondrial aconitase. Furthermore, overexpression of mitochondrial aconitase abolishes oxidant-induced apoptosis whereas hOgg1 silencing using shRNA reduces mitochondrial aconitase and augments apoptosis. These findings suggest a novel mechanism that mt-hOgg1 acts as a mitochondrial aconitase chaperone protein to prevent oxidant-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis that might be important in the molecular events underlying oxidant-induced toxicity.

Quercetin inhibits hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage and enhances DNA repair in Caco-2 cells

Flavonoids are known to have antioxidant activity that may limit DNA damage and help prevent degenerative diseases, including cancer. However, our knowledge of flavonoids' role in DNA protection/repair mechanism(s) is limited. This study investigated the effects of quercetin on DNA oxidation and DNA repair in Caco-2 cells with or without oxidant (H2O2) challenge. Quercetin (1, 100 microM) significantly reduced oxidative DNA damage, as measured by the number of single-strand breaks identified by single cell gel electrophoresis. Quercetin treatment also caused a measurable increase in the mRNA expression of human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (hOGG1) at 0 and 4h after H2O2 treatment (measured using RT-PCR). In addition, the highest level of quercetin tested (100 microM) maintained hOGG1 expression at basal levels or higher for up to 12h after H2O2 treatment, while oxidant treatment alone resulted in significant reduction of hOGG1 at 8h. Our study indicates that quercetin could protect DNA both by reducing oxidative DNA damage and by enhancing DNA repair through modulation of DNA repair enzyme expression.

Repeated inhalations of diesel exhaust particles and oxidatively damaged DNA in young oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1) deficient mice

DNA repair may prevent increased levels of oxidatively damaged DNA from prolonged oxidative stress induced by, e.g. exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEP). We studied oxidative damage to DNA in broncho-alveolar lavage cells, lungs, and liver after 4 x 1.5 h inhalations of DEP (20 mg/m3) in Ogg1-/- and wild type (WT) mice with similar extent of inflammation. DEP exposure increased lung levels of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) in Ogg1-/- mice, whereas no effect on 8-oxodG or oxidized purines in terms of formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (FPG) sites was observed in WT mice. In both unexposed and exposed Ogg1-/- mice the level of FPG sites in the lungs was 3-fold higher than in WT mice. The high basal level of FPG sites in Ogg1-/- mice probably saturated the assay and prevented detection of DEP-generated damage. In conclusion, Ogg1-/- mice have elevated pulmonary levels of FPG sites and accumulate genomic 8-oxodG after repeated inhalations of DEP.

The effects of HBx gene on the expression of DNA repair enzymes hOGG1 and hMYHalpha mRNA in HepG2 cells

To observe the alteration in the expression of DNA repair enzymes hOGG1 and hMYHalpha and the change in 8-OHdG levels in the HBx gene-transfected cells HepG2/HBx and to explore the mechanisms of the HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma, the gene-transfected cells HepG2/HBx which stably expressed HBx was established, and the effect of HBx on the cell cycle and proliferation of HepG2 was examined. By using the beta-actin as the interior control, real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-time qPCR) was employed to quantitatively detect the expression of DNA repair enzymes hOGG1 and hMYHalpha in the HepG2/HBx, the control cells HepG2 and HepG2 transfected with pcDNA3.1 vector (HepG2/pDNA3.1). The 8-OHdG levels were determined by HPLC/ECD in the established gene-transfected cells HepG2/HBx and the control cells HepG2 and HepG2/pcDNA3.1. Our results showed that the expression of DNA repair enzyme hMYHalpha in the HepG2/HBx (0.021+/-0.007) was significantly lower than that of HepG2 (0.099+/-0.041) (P<0.05) and HepG2/pDNA3.1 (0.121+/-0.005) (P<0.05). However, the no significant differences existed in the expression of DNA repair enzyme hOGG1 among the three cell strains (P>0.05). The 8-OHdG level in the HepG2/HBx was significantly higher than that in HepG2 and HepG2/pcDNA3.1 (P<0.05). It is concluded that HBx gene may inhibit the expression of DNA repair enzyme hMYHalpha mRNA to impair the ability to repair the intracellular DNA oxidative damage, to increase the oxidative DNA-adduct 8-OHdG and to affect the nucleotide excision repair function, thus participate in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Deficient repair of 8-hydroxyguanine in the BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer cell line

Elevated levels of oxidatively induced DNA lesions have been reported in malignant pancreatic tissues relative to normal pancreatic tissues. However, the ability of the pancreatic cancer cells to remove these lesions has not previously been addressed. This study analyzed the effectiveness of the pancreatic cancer cell line, BxPC-3 to repair 8-hydroxyguanine (8-OH-Gua) relative to a nonmalignant cell line. We show that BxPC-3 cells repair 8-OH-Gua less effectively than the nonmalignant cells. This repair deficiency correlated with significant downregulation of the hOGG1 protein and the corresponding mRNA (30-fold lower than GAPDH) in BxPC-3 cell line. The repair defect was complemented in vivo by transient transfection of the hOGG1 gene and in vivo by recombinant hOGG1. These results are the first to show a deficiency of 8-OH-Gua repair in BxPC-3 cells, implicating this defect in the risk factor of pancreatic cancer.

Combustion products of 1,3-butadiene inhibit catalase activity and induce expression of oxidative DNA damage repair enzymes in human bronchial epithelial cells

1,3-Butadiene, an important petrochemical, is commonly burned off when excess amounts need to be destroyed. This combustion process produces butadiene soot (BDS), which is composed of a complex mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in particulates ranging in size from <1 microm to 1 mm. An organic extract of BDS is both cytotoxic and genotoxic to normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells. Based on the oxidizing potential of BDS, we hypothesized that an organic extract of this particulate matter would (1) cause enzyme inactivation due to protein amino acid oxidation and (2) induce oxidative DNA damage in NHBE cells. Thus, our aims were to determine the effect of butadiene soot ethanol extract (BSEE) on both enzyme activity and the expression of proteins involved in the repair of oxidative DNA damage. Catalase was found to be sensitive to BDS as catalase activity was potently diminished in the presence of BSEE. Using Western analysis, both the alpha isoform of human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (alpha-hOGG1) and human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APE-1) were shown to be significantly overexpressed as compared to untreated controls after exposure of NHBE cells to BSEE. Our results indicate that BSEE is capable of effectively inactivating the antioxidant enzyme catalase, presumably via oxidation of protein amino acids. The presence of oxidized biomolecules may partially explain the extranuclear fluorescence that is detected when NHBE cells are treated with an organic extract of BDS. Overexpression of both alpha-hOGG1 and APE-1 proteins following treatment of NHBE cells with BSEE suggests that this mixture causes oxidative DNA damage.

Oxidative stress in ulcerative colitis-associated carcinogenesis

Oxidative stress is defined as an imbalance between generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased antioxidant defense systems. Oxidative stress develops particularly in inflammatory reactions because the inflammatory cells, neutrophils, and macrophages produce large amounts of ROS. It has been known for a long time that oxidative stress in inflamed tissue can pave the way for malignant tumors, and that it is a major pathogenetic factor for the well-established correlation between inflammatory diseases and cancer. Oxidative stress has long been associated with the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-related colorectal cancer. This article provides an overview of the pathology of ROS and presents recent advances concerning the role of ROS in IBD-related colorectal carcinogenesis (Fig. 1).

Effect of oxidatively damaged DNA on the active site preorganization during nucleotide incorporation in a high fidelity polymerase from Bacillus stearothermophilus

We study the effect of the oxidative lesion 8-oxoguanine (8oxoG) on the preorganization of the active site for DNA replication in the closed (active) state of the Bacillus fragment (BF), a Klenow analog from Bacillus stearothermophilus. Our molecular dynamics and free energy simulations of explicitly solvated model ternary complexes of BF bound to correct dCTP/incorrect dATP opposite guanine (G) and 8oxoG bases in DNA suggest that the lesion introduces structural and energetic changes at the catalytic site to favor dATP insertion. Despite the formation of a stable Watson-Crick pairing in the 8oxoG:dCTP system, the catalytic geometry is severely distorted to possibly slow down catalysis. Indeed, our calculated free energy landscapes associated with active site preorganization suggest additional barriers to assemble an efficient catalytic site, which need to be overcome during dCTP incorporation opposite 8oxoG relative to that opposite undamaged G. In contrast, the catalytic geometry for the Hoogsteen pairing in the 8oxoG:dATP system is highly organized and poised for efficient nucleotide incorporation via the "two-metal-ion" catalyzed phosphoryl transfer mechanism. However, the free energy calculations suggest that the catalytic geometry during dATP incorporation opposite 8oxoG is considerably less plastic than that during dCTP incorporation opposite G despite a very similar, well organized catalytic site for both systems. A correlation analysis of the dynamics trajectories suggests the presence of significant coupling between motions of the polymerase fingers and the primary distance for nucleophilic attack (i.e., between the terminal primer O3' and the dNTP P(alpha.) atoms) during correct dCTP incorporation opposite undamaged G. This coupling is shown to be disrupted during nucleotide incorporation by the polymerase with oxidatively damaged DNA/dNTP substrates. We also suggest that the lesion affects DNA interactions with key polymerase residues, thereby affecting the enzymes ability to discriminate against non-complementary DNA/dNTP substrates. Taken together, our results provide a unified structural, energetic, and dynamic platform to rationalize experimentally observed relative nucleotide incorporation rates for correct dCTP/incorrect dATP insertion opposite an undamaged/oxidatively damaged template G by BF.

Mitochondrial DNA repair in aging and disease

Mitochondria are organelles which, according to the endosymbiosis theory, evolved from purpurbacteria approximately 1.5 billion years ago. One of the unique features of mitochondria is that they have their own genome. Mitochondria replicate and transcribe their DNA semiautonomously. Like nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is constantly exposed to DNA damaging agents. Regarding the repair of mtDNA, the prevailing concept for many years was that mtDNA molecules suffering an excess of damage would simply be degraded to be replaced by newly generated successors copied from undamaged genomes. However, evidence now clearly shows that mitochondria contain the machinery to repair the damage to their genomes caused by certain endogenous or exogenous damaging agents. The link between mtDNA damage and repair to aging, neurodegeneration, and carcinogenesis-associated processes is the subject of this review.

OGG1 is degraded by calpain following oxidative stress and cisplatin exposure

Deficient repair activity for 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanine (8-oxoguanine), a premutagenic oxidative DNA damage, has been observed in affected tissues in neurodegenerative diseases of aging, such as Alzheimer's disease, and in ischemia/reperfusion injury, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cancer. These conditions have in common the accumulation of oxidative DNA damage, which is believed to play a role in disease progression, and loss of intracellular calcium regulation. These observations suggest that oxidative DNA damage repair capacity may be influenced by fluctuations in cellular calcium. We have identified human 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1), the major 8-oxoguanine repair activity, as a specific target of the Ca(2+)-dependent protease Calpain I. Protein sequencing of a truncated partially calpain-digested OGG1 revealed that calpain recognizes OGG1 for degradation at a putative PEST (proline, glutamic acid, serine, threonine) sequence in the C-terminus of the enzyme. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments showed that OGG1 and Calpain I are associated in human cells. Exposure of HeLa cells to hydrogen peroxide or cisplatin resulted in the degradation of OGG1. Pretreatment of cells with the calpain inhibitor calpeptin resulted in inhibition of OGG1 proteolysis and suggests that OGG1 is a target for calpain-mediated degradation in vivo during oxidative stress- and cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Polymorphic OGG1 S326C was comparatively resistant to calpain digestion in vitro, yet was also degraded by a calpain-dependent pathway in vivo following DNA damaging agent exposure. The degradation of OGG1 by calpain may contribute to decreased 8-oxoguanine repair activity and elevated levels of 8-oxoguanine reported in tissues undergoing chronic oxidative stress, ischemia/reperfusion, and other cellular stressors known to produce perturbations of intracellular calcium homeostasis which activate calpain.