Hijacking of the human alkyl-N-purine-DNA glycosylase by 3,N4-ethenocytosine, a lipid peroxidation-induced DNA adduct

3,N4-Etheno-5-methylcytosine blocks TET1-3 oxidation but is repaired by ALKBH2, 3 and FTO

5-Methyldeoxycytidine (5mC) is a major epigenetic marker that regulates cellular functions in mammals. Endogenous lipid peroxidation can convert 5mC into 3,N4-etheno-5-methylcytosine (ϵ5mC). ϵ5mC is structurally similar to the mutagenic analog 3,N4-ethenocytosine (ϵC), which is repaired by AlkB family enzymes in the direct reversal repair (DRR) pathway and excised by DNA glycosylases in the base excision repair (BER) pathway. However, the repair of ϵ5mC has not been reported. Here, we examined the activities against ϵ5mC by DRR and BER enzymes and TET1-3, enzymes that modify the 5-methyl group in 5mC. We found that the etheno modification of 5mC blocks oxidation by TET1-3. Conversely, three human homologs in the AlkB family, ALKBH2, 3 and FTO were able to repair ϵ5mC to 5mC, which was subsequently modified by TET1 to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. We also demonstrated that ALKBH2 likely repairs ϵ5mC in MEF cells. Another homolog, ALKBH5, could not repair ϵ5mC. Also, ϵ5mC is not a substrate for BER glycosylases SMUG1, AAG, or TDG. These findings indicate DRR committed by ALKBH2, 3 and FTO could reduce the detrimental effects of ϵ5mC in genetics and epigenetics and may work together with TET enzymes to modulate epigenetic regulations.

Effects of antimony exposure on DNA damage and genome-wide variation in zebrafish (Danio rerio) liver

Antimony (Sb) is a potentially toxic and carcinogenic cumulative contaminant that poses a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems. To better clarify the genotoxicity of Sb and its mechanism of action. In this study, we investigated DNA damage and genome-wide variation in the liver of a model organism, zebrafish (Danio rerio), under subacute Sb exposure and explored its potential toxicological mechanisms. The results showed that medium and high concentrations of Sb significantly reduced the total antioxidant capacity and increased the content of reactive oxygen species in zebrafish liver, and further studies revealed that it increased oxidative DNA damage and DNA-DNA cross-link (DDC), but had little effect on DNA-protein cross-link (DPC). The result of resequencing showed that the mutation sites of the genes with high concentrations of Sb were higher than those with medium concentrations, and the mutation was mainly a single nucleotide. The pathways significantly enriched for nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion/deletion mutations (InDels) variant genes in the coding regions of both the medium and high Sb-treated groups were ECM-receptor interactions, and the high Sb-treated group also included lysine degradation, hematopoietic cell lineage, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions. This suggests that ECM-receptor interactions play an important role in the mechanism of antimony toxicity to the liver of zebrafish.

Analysis of mutations in tumor and normal adjacent tissue via fluorescence detection

Inflammation is a major risk factor for many types of cancer, including colorectal. There are two fundamentally different mechanisms by which inflammation can contribute to carcinogenesis. First, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) can damage DNA to cause mutations that initiate cancer. Second, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines promote proliferation, migration, and invasion. Although it is known that inflammation-associated RONS can be mutagenic, the extent to which they induce mutations in intestinal stem cells has been little explored. Furthermore, it is now widely accepted that cancer is caused by successive rounds of clonal expansion with associated de novo mutations that further promote tumor development. As such, we aimed to understand the extent to which inflammation promotes clonal expansion in normal and tumor tissue. Using an engineered mouse model that is prone to cancer and within which mutant cells fluoresce, here we have explored the impact of inflammation on de novo mutagenesis and clonal expansion in normal and tumor tissue. While inflammation is strongly associated with susceptibility to cancer and a concomitant increase in the overall proportion of mutant cells in the tissue, we did not observe an increase in mutations in normal adjacent tissue. These results are consistent with opportunities for de novo mutations and clonal expansion during tumor growth, and they suggest protective mechanisms that suppress the risk of inflammation-induced accumulation of mutant cells in normal tissue.

The complexity and regulation of repair of alkylation damage to nucleic acids

DNA damaging agents have been a cornerstone of cancer therapy for nearly a century. The discovery of many of these chemicals, particularly the alkylating agents, are deeply entwined with the development of poisonous materials originally intended for use in warfare. Over the last decades, their anti-proliferative effects have focused on the specific mechanisms by which they damage DNA, and the factors involved in the repair of such damage. Due to the variety of aberrant adducts created even for the simplest alkylating agents, numerous pathways of repair are engaged as a defense against this damage. More recent work has underscored the role of RNA damage in the cellular response to these agents, although the understanding of their role in relation to established DNA repair pathways is still in its infancy. In this review, we discuss the chemistry of alkylating agents, the numerous ways in which they damage nucleic acids, as well as the specific DNA and RNA repair pathways which are engaged to counter their effects.

Inflammation-induced DNA damage, mutations and cancer

The relationships between inflammation and cancer are varied and complex. An important connection linking inflammation to cancer development is DNA damage. During inflammation reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) are created to combat pathogens and to stimulate tissue repair and regeneration, but these chemicals can also damage DNA, which in turn can promote mutations that initiate and promote cancer. DNA repair pathways are essential for preventing DNA damage from causing mutations and cytotoxicity, but RONS can interfere with repair mechanisms, reducing their efficacy. Further, cellular responses to DNA damage, such as damage signaling and cytotoxicity, can promote inflammation, creating a positive feedback loop. Despite coordination of DNA repair and oxidative stress responses, there are nevertheless examples whereby inflammation has been shown to promote mutagenesis, tissue damage, and ultimately carcinogenesis. Here, we discuss the DNA damage-mediated associations between inflammation, mutagenesis and cancer.

RNA ligase-like domain in activating signal cointegrator 1 complex subunit 1 (ASCC1) regulates ASCC complex function during alkylation damage

Multiple DNA damage response (DDR) pathways have evolved to sense the presence of damage and recruit the proper repair factors. We recently reported a signaling pathway induced upon alkylation damage to recruit the AlkB homolog 3, α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (ALKBH3)-activating signal cointegrator 1 complex subunit 3 (ASCC3) dealkylase-helicase repair complex. As in other DDR pathways, the recruitment of these repair factors is mediated through a ubiquitin-dependent mechanism. However, the machinery that coordinates the proper assembly of this repair complex and controls its recruitment is still poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that the ASCC1 accessory subunit is important for the regulation of ASCC complex function. ASCC1 interacts with the ASCC complex through the ASCC3 helicase subunit. We find that ASCC1 is present at nuclear speckle foci prior to damage, but leaves the foci in response to alkylation. Strikingly, ASCC1 loss significantly increases ASCC3 foci formation during alkylation damage, yet most of these foci lack ASCC2. These results suggest that ASCC1 coordinates the proper recruitment of the ASCC complex during alkylation, a function that appears to depend on a putative RNA-binding motif near the ASCC1 C terminus. Consistent with its role in alkylation damage signaling and repair, ASCC1 knockout through a CRISPR/Cas9 approach results in alkylation damage sensitivity in a manner epistatic with ASCC3. Together, our results identify a critical regulator of the ALKBH3-ASCC alkylation damage signaling pathway and suggest a potential role for RNA-interacting domains in the alkylation damage response.

Regulation of DNA Alkylation Damage Repair: Lessons and Therapeutic Opportunities

Alkylation chemotherapy is one of the most widely used systemic therapies for cancer. While somewhat effective, clinical responses and toxicities of these agents are highly variable. A major contributing factor for this variability is the numerous distinct lesions that are created upon alkylation damage. These adducts activate multiple repair pathways. There is mounting evidence that the individual pathways function cooperatively, suggesting that coordinated regulation of alkylation repair is critical to prevent toxicity. Furthermore, some alkylating agents produce adducts that overlap with newly discovered methylation marks, making it difficult to distinguish between bona fide damaged bases and so-called 'epigenetic' adducts. Here, we discuss new efforts aimed at deciphering the mechanisms that regulate these repair pathways, emphasizing their implications for cancer chemotherapy.

Evaluating the Substrate Selectivity of Alkyladenine DNA Glycosylase: The Synergistic Interplay of Active Site Flexibility and Water Reorganization

Human alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) functions as part of the base excision repair (BER) pathway by cleaving the N-glycosidic bond that connects nucleobases to the sugar-phosphate backbone in DNA. AAG targets a range of structurally diverse purine lesions using nonspecific DNA-protein π-π interactions. Nevertheless, the enzyme discriminates against the natural purines and is inhibited by pyrimidine lesions. This study uses molecular dynamics simulations and seven different neutral or charged substrates, inhibitors, or canonical purines to probe how the bound nucleotide affects the conformation of the AAG active site, and the role of active site residues in dictating substrate selectivity. The neutral substrates form a common DNA-protein hydrogen bond, which results in a consistent active site conformation that maximizes π-π interactions between the aromatic residues and the nucleobase required for catalysis. Nevertheless, subtle differences in DNA-enzyme contacts for different neutral substrates explain observed differential catalytic efficiencies. In contrast, the exocyclic amino groups of the natural purines clash with active site residues, which leads to catalytically incompetent DNA-enzyme complexes due to significant reorganization of active site water. Specifically, water resides between the A nucleobase and the active site aromatic amino acids required for catalysis, while a shift in the position of the general base (E125) repositions (potentially nucleophilic) water away from G. Despite sharing common amino groups, the methyl substituents in cationic purine lesions (3MeA and 7MeG) exhibit repulsion with active site residues, which repositions the damaged bases in the active site in a manner that promotes their excision. Overall, we provide a structural explanation for the diverse yet discriminatory substrate selectivity of AAG and rationalize key kinetic data available for the enzyme. Specifically, our results highlight the complex interplay of many different DNA-protein interactions used by AAG to facilitate BER, as well as the crucial role of the general base and water (nucleophile) positioning. The insights gained from our work will aid the understanding of the function of other enzymes that use flexible active sites to exhibit diverse substrate specificity.

Enzymatic MPG DNA repair assays for two different oxidative DNA lesions reveal associations with increased lung cancer risk

DNA repair is a major mechanism for minimizing mutations and reducing cancer risk. Here, we present the development of reproducible and specific enzymatic assays for methylpurine DNA glycosylase (MPG) repairing the oxidative lesions 1,N6-ethenoadenine (εA) and hypoxanthine (Hx) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells protein extracts. Association of these DNA repair activities with lung cancer was determined using conditional logistic regression with specimens from a population-based case-control study with 96 lung cancer cases and 96 matched control subjects. The mean MPG-εA in case patients was 15.8 units/μg protein (95% CI 15.3-16.3), significantly higher than in control subjects-15.1 (14.6-15.5), *P = 0.011. The adjusted odds ratio for lung cancer associated with a one SD increase in MPG-εA activity (2.48 units) was significantly bigger than 1 (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.1-2.4; *P = 0.013). When activity of OGG1, a different DNA repair enzyme for oxidative damage, was included in the model, the estimated odds ratio/SD for a combined MPG-εA-OGG1 score was 2.6 (95% CI 1.6-4.2) *P = 0.0001, higher than the odds ratio for each single assay. The MPG enzyme activity assays described provide robust functional risk biomarkers, with increased MPG-εA activity being associated with increased lung cancer risk, similar to the behavior of MPG-Hx. This underscores the notion that imbalances in DNA repair, including high DNA repair, usually perceived as beneficial, can cause cancer risk. Such DNA repair risk biomarkers may be useful for risk assessment of lung cancer and perhaps other cancer types, and for early detection techniques such as low-dose CT.

Functional variants of human APE1 rescue the DNA repair defects of the yeast AP endonuclease/3'-diesterase-deficient strain

Human APE1 is an essential enzyme performing functions in DNA repair and transcription. It possesses four distinct repair activities acting on a variety of base and sugar derived DNA lesions. APE1 has seven cysteine residues and Cys65, and to a lesser extent Cys93 and Cys99, is uniquely involved in maintaining a subset of transcription factors in the reduced and active state. Four of the cysteines Cys93, 99, 208 and 310 of APE1 are located proximal to its active site residues Glu96, Asp210 and His309 involved in processing damaged DNA, raising the possibility that missense mutation of these cysteines could alter the enzyme DNA repair functions. An earlier report documented that serine substitution of the individual cysteine residues did not affect APE1 ability to cleave an abasic site oligonucleotide substrate in vitro, except for Cys99Ser, although any consequences of these variants in the repair of in vivo DNA lesions were not tested. Herein, we mutated all seven cysteines of APE1, either singly or in combination, to alanine and show that none of the resulting variants interfered with the enzyme DNA repair functions. Cross-specie complementation analysis reveals that these APE1 cysteine variants fully rescued the yeast DNA repair deficient strain YW778, lacking AP endonucleases and 3'-diesterases, from toxicities caused by DNA damaging agents. Moreover, the elevated spontaneous mutations arising in strain YW778 from the lack of the DNA repair activities were completely suppressed by the APE1 cysteine variants. These findings suggest that the cysteine residues of APE1 are unlikely to play a role in the DNA repair functions of the enzyme in vivo. We also examine other APE1 missense mutations and provide the first evidence that the variant Asp308Ala with normal AP endonuclease, but devoid of 3'→5' exonuclease, displays hypersensitivity to the anticancer drug bleomycin, and not to other agents, suggesting that it has a defect in processing unique DNA lesions. Molecular modeling reveals that Asp308Ala cannot make proper contact with Mg(2+) and may alter the enzyme ability to cleave or disassociate from specific DNA lesions.

Repair kinetics of acrolein- and (E)-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-derived DNA adducts in human colon cell extracts

ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play a role in the pathogenesis of colon cancer. Upon oxidation, PUFAs generate α,β-unsaturated aldehydes or enals, such as acrolein (Acr) and (E)-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), which can form cyclic adducts of deoxyguanosine (Acr-dG and HNE-dG, respectively) in DNA. Both Acr-dG and HNE-dG adducts have been detected in human and animal tissues and are potentially mutagenic and carcinogenic. In vivo levels of Acr-dG in DNA are at least two orders of magnitude higher than those of HNE-dG. In addition to the facile reaction with Acr, the higher levels of Acr-dG than HNE-dG in vivo may be due to a lower rate of repair. Previous studies have shown that HNE-dG adducts are repaired by the NER pathway (Choudhury et al. [42]). We hypothesize that Acr-dG adducts are repaired at a slower rate than HNE-dG and that HNE-dG in DNA may influence the repair of Acr-dG. In this study, using a DNA repair synthesis assay and a LC-MS/MS method, we showed that Acr-dG in a plasmid DNA is repaired by NER proteins, but it is repaired at a much slower rate than HNE-dG in human colon cell extracts, and the slow repair of Acr-dG is likely due to poor recognition/excision of the lesions in DNA. Furthermore, using a plasmid DNA containing both adducts we found the repair of Acr-dG is significantly inhibited by HNE-dG, however, the repair of HNE-dG is not much affected by Acr-dG. This study demonstrates that the NER repair efficiencies of the two major structurally-related in vivo cyclic DNA adducts from lipid oxidation vary greatly. More importantly, the repair of Acr-dG can be significantly retarded by the presence of HNE-dG in DNA. Therefore, this study provides a mechanistic explanation for the higher levels of Acr-dG than HNE-dG observed in tissue DNA.

Highly mutagenic exocyclic DNA adducts are substrates for the human nucleotide incision repair pathway

BACKGROUND

Oxygen free radicals induce lipid peroxidation (LPO) that damages and breaks polyunsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes. LPO-derived aldehydes and hydroxyalkenals react with DNA leading to the formation of etheno(ε)-bases including 1,N(6)-ethenoadenine (εA) and 3,N(4)-ethenocytosine (εC). The εA and εC residues are highly mutagenic in mammalian cells and eliminated in the base excision repair (BER) pathway and/or by AlkB family proteins in the direct damage reversal process. BER initiated by DNA glycosylases is thought to be the major pathway for the removal of non-bulky endogenous base damage. Alternatively, in the nucleotide incision repair (NIR) pathway, the apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonucleases can directly incise DNA duplex 5' to a damaged base in a DNA glycosylase-independent manner.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Here we have characterized the substrate specificity of human major AP endonuclease 1, APE1, towards εA, εC, thymine glycol (Tg) and 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8oxoG) residues when present in duplex DNA. APE1 cleaves oligonucleotide duplexes containing εA, εC and Tg, but not those containing 8oxoG. Activity depends strongly on sequence context. The apparent kinetic parameters of the reactions suggest that APE1 has a high affinity for DNA containing ε-bases but cleaves DNA duplexes at an extremely slow rate. Consistent with this observation, oligonucleotide duplexes containing an ε-base strongly inhibit AP site nicking activity of APE1 with IC(50) values in the range of 5-10 nM. MALDI-TOF MS analysis of the reaction products demonstrated that APE1-catalyzed cleavage of εA•T and εC•G duplexes generates, as expected, DNA fragments containing 5'-terminal ε-base residue.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

The fact that ε-bases and Tg in duplex DNA are recognized and cleaved by APE1 in vitro, suggests that NIR may act as a backup pathway to BER to remove a large variety of genotoxic base lesions in human cells.

N-methylpurine DNA glycosylase and OGG1 DNA repair activities: opposite associations with lung cancer risk

Only a minority of smokers develop lung cancer, possibly due to genetic predisposition, including DNA repair deficiencies. To examine whether inter-individual variations in DNA repair activity of N-methylpurine DNA glycosylase (MPG) are associated with lung cancer, we conducted a blinded, population-based, case–control study with 100 lung cancer case patients and 100 matched control subjects and analyzed the data with conditional logistic regression. All statistical tests were two-sided. MPG enzyme activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from case patients was higher than in control subjects, results opposite that of 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1) DNA repair enzyme activity. For lung cancer associated with one standard deviation increase in MPG activity, the adjusted odds ratio was 1.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2 to 2.6; P = .006). A combined MPG and OGG1 activities score was more strongly associated with lung cancer risk than either activity alone, with an odds ratio of 2.3 (95% CI = 1.4 to 3.6; P < .001). These results form a basis for a future panel of risk biomarkers for lung cancer risk assessment and prevention.

Recent advances in the structural mechanisms of DNA glycosylases

DNA glycosylases safeguard the genome by locating and excising a diverse array of aberrant nucleobases created from oxidation, alkylation, and deamination of DNA. Since the discovery 28years ago that these enzymes employ a base flipping mechanism to trap their substrates, six different protein architectures have been identified to perform the same basic task. Work over the past several years has unraveled details for how the various DNA glycosylases survey DNA, detect damage within the duplex, select for the correct modification, and catalyze base excision. Here, we provide a broad overview of these latest advances in glycosylase mechanisms gleaned from structural enzymology, highlighting features common to all glycosylases as well as key differences that define their particular substrate specificities.

DNA repair is indispensable for survival after acute inflammation

More than 15% of cancer deaths worldwide are associated with underlying infections or inflammatory conditions, therefore understanding how inflammation contributes to cancer etiology is important for both cancer prevention and treatment. Inflamed tissues are known to harbor elevated etheno-base (ε-base) DNA lesions induced by the lipid peroxidation that is stimulated by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) released from activated neutrophils and macrophages. Inflammation contributes to carcinogenesis in part via RONS-induced cytotoxic and mutagenic DNA lesions, including ε-base lesions. The mouse alkyl adenine DNA glycosylase (AAG, also known as MPG) recognizes such base lesions, thus protecting against inflammation-associated colon cancer. Two other DNA repair enzymes are known to repair ε-base lesions, namely ALKBH2 and ALKBH3; thus, we sought to determine whether these DNA dioxygenase enzymes could protect against chronic inflammation-mediated colon carcinogenesis. Using established chemically induced colitis and colon cancer models in mice, we show here that ALKBH2 and ALKBH3 provide cancer protection similar to that of the DNA glycosylase AAG. Moreover, Alkbh2 and Alkbh3 each display apparent epistasis with Aag. Surprisingly, deficiency in all 3 DNA repair enzymes confers a massively synergistic phenotype, such that animals lacking all 3 DNA repair enzymes cannot survive even a single bout of chemically induced colitis.

Oxidatively damaged DNA and its repair in colon carcinogenesis

Inflammation, high fat, high red meat and low fiber consumption have for long been known as the most important etiological factors of sporadic colorectal cancers (CRC). Colon cancer originates from neoplastic transformation in a single layer of epithelial cells occupying colonic crypts, in which migration and apoptosis program becomes disrupted. This results in the formation of polyps and metastatic cancers. Mutational program in sporadic cancers involves APC gene, in which mutations occur most abundantly in the early phase of the process. This is followed by mutations in RAS, TP53, and other genes. Progression of carcinogenic process in the colon is accompanied by augmentation of the oxidative stress, which manifests in the increased level of oxidatively damaged DNA both in the colon epithelium, and in blood leukocytes and urine, already at the earliest stages of disease development. Defence mechanisms are deregulated in CRC patients: (i) antioxidative vitamins level in blood plasma declines with the development of disease; (ii) mRNA level of base excision repair enzymes in blood leukocytes of CRC patients is significantly increased; however, excision rate is regulated separately, being increased for 8-oxoGua, while decreased for lipid peroxidation derived ethenoadducts, ɛAde and ɛCyt; (iii) excision rate of ɛAde and ɛCyt in colon tumors is significantly increased in comparison to asymptomatic colon margin, and ethenoadducts level is decreased. This review highlights mechanisms underlying such deregulation, which is the driving force to colon carcinogenesis.

Damage of DNA and proteins by major lipid peroxidation products in genome stability

Oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation (LPO) accompanying infections and chronic inflammation may induce several human cancers. LPO products are characterized by carbohydrate chains of different length, reactive aldehyde groups and double bonds, which make these molecules reactive to nucleic acids, proteins and cellular thiols. LPO-derived adducts to DNA bases form etheno-type and propano-type exocyclic rings, which have profound mutagenic potential, and are elevated in several cancer-prone diseases. Adducts of long chain LPO products to DNA bases inhibit transcription. Elimination from DNA of LPO-induced lesions is executed by several repair systems: base excision repair (BER), direct reversal by AlkB family proteins, nucleotide excision repair (NER) and recombination. Modifications of proteins with LPO products may regulate cellular processes like apoptosis, cell signalling and senescence. This review summarizes consequences of LPO products' presence in cell, particularly 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, in terms of genomic stability.

Searching for DNA lesions: structural evidence for lower- and higher-affinity DNA binding conformations of human alkyladenine DNA glycosylase

To efficiently repair DNA, human alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) must search the million-fold excess of unmodified DNA bases to find a handful of DNA lesions. Such a search can be facilitated by the ability of glycosylases, like AAG, to interact with DNA using two affinities: a lower-affinity interaction in a searching process and a higher-affinity interaction for catalytic repair. Here, we present crystal structures of AAG trapped in two DNA-bound states. The lower-affinity depiction allows us to investigate, for the first time, the conformation of this protein in the absence of a tightly bound DNA adduct. We find that active site residues of AAG involved in binding lesion bases are in a disordered state. Furthermore, two loops that contribute significantly to the positive electrostatic surface of AAG are disordered. Additionally, a higher-affinity state of AAG captured here provides a fortuitous snapshot of how this enzyme interacts with a DNA adduct that resembles a one-base loop.

Direct repair of 3,N(4)-ethenocytosine by the human ALKBH2 dioxygenase is blocked by the AAG/MPG glycosylase

Exocyclic ethenobases are highly mutagenic DNA lesions strongly implicated in inflammation and vinyl chloride-induced carcinogenesis. While the alkyladenine DNA glycosylase, AAG (or MPG), binds the etheno lesions 1,N(6)-ethenoadenine (ɛA) and 3,N(4)-ethenocytosine (ɛC) with high affinity, only ɛA can be excised to initiate base excision repair. Here, we discover that the human AlkB homolog 2 (ALKBH2) dioxygenase enzyme catalyzes direct reversal of ɛC lesions in both double- and single-stranded DNA with comparable efficiency to canonical ALKBH2 substrates. Notably, we find that in vitro, the non-enzymatic binding of AAG to ɛC specifically blocks ALKBH2-catalyzed repair of ɛC but not that of methylated ALKBH2 substrates. These results identify human ALKBH2 as a repair enzyme for mutagenic ɛC lesions and highlight potential consequences for substrate-binding overlap between the base excision and direct reversal DNA repair pathways.

Base excision repair and lesion-dependent subpathways for repair of oxidative DNA damage

Nuclear and mitochondrial genomes are under continuous assault by a combination of environmentally and endogenously derived reactive oxygen species, inducing the formation and accumulation of mutagenic, toxic, and/or genome-destabilizing DNA lesions. Failure to resolve these lesions through one or more DNA-repair processes is associated with genome instability, mitochondrial dysfunction, neurodegeneration, inflammation, aging, and cancer, emphasizing the importance of characterizing the pathways and proteins involved in the repair of oxidative DNA damage. This review focuses on the repair of oxidative damage-induced lesions in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA mediated by the base excision repair (BER) pathway in mammalian cells. We discuss the multiple BER subpathways that are initiated by one of 11 different DNA glycosylases of three subtypes: (a) bifunctional with an associated β-lyase activity; (b) monofunctional; and (c) bifunctional with an associated β,δ-lyase activity. These three subtypes of DNA glycosylases all initiate BER but yield different chemical intermediates and hence different BER complexes to complete repair. Additionally, we briefly summarize alternate repair events mediated by BER proteins and the role of BER in the repair of mitochondrial DNA damage induced by ROS. Finally, we discuss the relation of BER and oxidative DNA damage in the onset of human disease.

Structural basis for the inhibition of human alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) by 3,N4-ethenocytosine-containing DNA

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, generated by neutrophils and macrophages in chronically inflamed tissues, readily damage DNA, producing a variety of potentially genotoxic etheno base lesions; such inflammation-related DNA damage is now known to contribute to carcinogenesis. Although the human alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) can specifically bind DNA containing either 1,N(6)-ethenoadenine (εA) lesions or 3,N(4)-ethenocytosine (εC) lesions, it can only excise εA lesions. AAG binds very tightly to DNA containing εC lesions, forming an abortive protein-DNA complex; such binding not only shields εC from repair by other enzymes but also inhibits AAG from acting on other DNA lesions. To understand the structural basis for inhibition, we have characterized the binding of AAG to DNA containing εC lesions and have solved a crystal structure of AAG bound to a DNA duplex containing the εC lesion. This study provides the first structure of a DNA glycosylase in complex with an inhibitory base lesion that is induced endogenously and that is also induced upon exposure to environmental agents such as vinyl chloride. We identify the primary cause of inhibition as a failure to activate the nucleotide base as an efficient leaving group and demonstrate that the higher binding affinity of AAG for εC versus εA is achieved through formation of an additional hydrogen bond between Asn-169 in the active site pocket and the O(2) of εC. This structure provides the basis for the design of AAG inhibitors currently being sought as an adjuvant for cancer chemotherapy.

Lipid peroxidation and etheno DNA adducts in white blood cells of liver fluke-infected patients: protection by plasma alpha-tocopherol and praziquantel

Chronic infection by the liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini is a strong risk factor for cholangiocarcinoma. To clarify the involvement of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation-derived DNA damage, etheno (epsilon)-DNA adducts (epsilondA, epsilondC) in WBC and plasma alpha-tocopherol were measured in samples collected from O. viverrini-infected Thai patients (n = 50) and healthy noninfected volunteers (n = 20). epsilondA and epsilondC levels were three to five times higher (P < 0.001) in infected patients than in controls; O. viverrini infection also increased two to three times in the plasma inflammatory indicators, 8-isoprostane, malondialdehyde, and nitrate/nitrite. Mean plasma alpha-tocopherol levels were two times lower in patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.001). Two months after a single dose to infected patients of the antiparasitic drug praziquantel, epsilondA and epsilondC levels in WBC were decreased to control level (P < 0.03); plasma 8-isoprostane, malondialdehyde, nitrate/nitrite, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were concomitantly lowered. epsilondA and epsilondC levels in WBC were positively correlated with plasma 8-isoprostane, malondialdehyde, and nitrate/nitrite levels and ALP activity, whereas plasma alpha-tocopherol levels showed inverse correlations. We conclude that chronic O.viverrini infection induces an accumulation of lipid peroxidation-derived DNA damage through oxidative/nitrative stress, which is lowered by the plasma alpha-tocopherol and by antiparasitic drug therapy. Etheno adducts in WBC and urine should be explored as a risk marker for opisthorchiasis-related cholangiocarcinoma, and to assess the efficacy of preventive and therapeutic interventions.

Chloroacetaldehyde-induced mutagenesis in Escherichia coli: the role of AlkB protein in repair of 3,N(4)-ethenocytosine and 3,N(4)-alpha-hydroxyethanocytosine

Etheno (epsilon) adducts are formed in reaction of DNA bases with various environmental carcinogens and endogenously created products of lipid peroxidation. Chloroacetaldehyde (CAA), a metabolite of carcinogen vinyl chloride, is routinely used to generate epsilon-adducts. We studied the role of AlkB, along with AlkA and Mug proteins, all engaged in repair of epsilon-adducts, in CAA-induced mutagenesis. The test system used involved pIF102 and pIF104 plasmids bearing the lactose operon of CC102 or CC104 origin (Cupples and Miller (1989) [17]) which allowed to monitor Lac(+) revertants, the latter arose by GC-->AT or GC-->TA substitutions, respectively, as a result of modification of guanine and cytosine. The plasmids were CAA-damaged in vitro and replicated in Escherichia coli of various genetic backgrounds. To modify the levels of AlkA and AlkB proteins, mutagenesis was studied in E. coli cells induced or not in adaptive response. Formation of varepsilonC proceeds via a relatively stable intermediate, 3,N(4)-alpha-hydroxyethanocytosine (HEC), which allowed to compare repair of both adducts. The results indicate that all three genes, alkA, alkB and microg, are engaged in alleviation of CAA-induced mutagenesis. The frequency of mutation was higher in AlkA-, AlkB- and Mug-deficient strains in comparison to alkA(+), alkB(+), and microg(+) controls. Considering the levels of CAA-induced Lac(+) revertants in strains harboring the pIF plasmids and induced or not in adaptive response, we conclude that AlkB protein is engaged in the repair of epsilonC and HEC in vivo. Using the modified TTCTT 5-mers as substrates, we confirmed in vitro that AlkB protein repairs epsilonC and HEC although far less efficiently than the reference adduct 3-methylcytosine. The pH optimum for repair of HEC and epsilonC is significantly different from that for 3-methylcytosine. We propose that the protonated form of adduct interact in active site of AlkB protein.

Typical signature of DNA damage in white blood cells: a pilot study on etheno adducts in Danish mother-newborn child pairs

The impact of DNA damage commonly thought to be involved in chronic degenerative disease causation is particularly detrimental during fetal development. Within a multicenter study, we analyzed 77 white blood cell (WBC) samples from mother-newborn child pairs to see if imprinting of DNA damage in mother and newborn shows a similar pattern. Two adducts 1,N(6)-ethenodeoxyadenosine (epsilondA) and 3,N(4)-ethenodeoxycytidine (epsilondC) were measured by our ultrasensitive immunoaffinity (32)P-post-labeling method. These miscoding etheno-DNA adducts are generated by the reaction of lipid peroxidation (LPO) end products such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal with DNA bases. Mean epsilondA and epsilondC levels when expressed per 10(9) parent nucleotides in WBC-DNA from cord blood were 138 and 354, respectively; in maternal WBC-DNA, the respective values were 317 and 916. Thus, the DNA-etheno adduct levels were reliably detectable and about two times lower in child cord blood, the difference being significant at P < 0.0004. Analysis of epsilondA and epsilondC levels in cord versus maternal blood WBC showed strong positive correlations (R(2) approximately 0.9, P < 0.00001). In conclusion, LPO-induced DNA damage arising from endogenous reactive aldehydes in WBC of both mother and newborn can be reliably assessed by epsilondA and epsilondC as biomarkers. The high correlation of etheno adduct levels in mother and child WBC suggests that a typical signature of DNA damage is induced similarly in fetus and mother. Prospective cohort studies have to reveal whether these two WBC-DNA adducts could serve as risk indicator for developing hematopoietic cancers and other disorders later in life.

DNA damage induced by chronic inflammation contributes to colon carcinogenesis in mice

Chronic inflammation increases cancer risk. While it is clear that cell signaling elicited by inflammatory cytokines promotes tumor development, the impact of DNA damage production resulting from inflammation-associated reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) on tumor development has not been directly tested. RONS induce DNA damage that can be recognized by alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (Aag) to initiate base excision repair. Using a mouse model of episodic inflammatory bowel disease by repeated administration of dextran sulfate sodium in the drinking water, we show that Aag-mediated DNA repair prevents colonic epithelial damage and reduces the severity of dextran sulfate sodium-induced colon tumorigenesis. Importantly, DNA base lesions expected to be induced by RONS and recognized by Aag accumulated to higher levels in Aag-deficient animals following stimulation of colonic inflammation. Finally, as a test of the generality of this effect we show that Aag-deficient animals display more severe gastric lesions that are precursors of gastric cancer after chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori. These data demonstrate that the repair of DNA lesions formed by RONS during chronic inflammation is important for protection against colon carcinogenesis.

Lipid peroxidation-derived etheno-DNA adducts in human atherosclerotic lesions

Atherosclerosis and cancer are characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation and share common risk factors, such as cigarette smoking, dietary habits and ageing. Growth of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in atherosclerotic plaques may result from DNA damage, caused either by exogenous mutagens or by agents endogenously generated due to oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation (LPO). Hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), a major LPO product, binds covalently to cellular DNA to form the exocyclic etheno-DNA-base adducts, 1,N(6)-ethenodeoxyadenine (varepsilondA) and 3,N(4)-ethenodeoxycytosine (varepsilondC). By applying an ultrasensitive (32)P-postlabeling-immunoaffinity method, varepsilondA and varepsilondC were quantified in abdominal aorta SMCs from 13 atherosclerotic patients and 3 non-smoking subjects without atherosclerotic lesions. The levels of etheno-adducts ranged for varepsilondA from 2.3 to 39.6/10(8)dA and for varepsilondC from 10.7 to 157.7/10(8)dC, with a high correlation between varepsilondA and varepsilondC (r=0.84, P=0.0001). Etheno-adduct levels were higher in atherosclerotic smokers than in ex-smokers for both varepsilondA (means 15.2 versus 7.3, P=0.06) and varepsilondC (71.9 versus 51.6, not significant). varepsilondC levels were higher in either ex-smokers (P=0.03) or smokers (P=0.07) than in non-smokers. There was a poor correlation between either varepsilondA or varepsilondC and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, whereas significant positive correlations were detected with the levels of several postlabeled bulky aromatic DNA adducts. In conclusion, two different types of DNA damage may be involved in atherosclerotic plaque formation and progression: (i) bulky aromatic compounds, to which aorta SMCs are chronically exposed in smokers, can either covalently bind to DNA, induce redox-cycling via quinone intermediates and/or activate local chronic inflammatory processes in the arterial wall; ii) this in turn leads to a self perpetuating generation of reactive oxygen species, LPO-products and increasing DNA-damage, as documented by the presence of high levels of miscoding etheno-DNA adducts in human aorta SMCs.

Methylating agents and DNA repair responses: Methylated bases and sources of strand breaks

The chemical methylating agents methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) have been used for decades as classical DNA damaging agents. These agents have been utilized to uncover and explore pathways of DNA repair, DNA damage response, and mutagenesis. MMS and MNNG modify DNA by adding methyl groups to a number of nucleophilic sites on the DNA bases, although MNNG produces a greater percentage of O-methyl adducts. There has been substantial progress elucidating direct reversal proteins that remove methyl groups and base excision repair (BER), which removes and replaces methylated bases. Direct reversal proteins and BER, thus, counteract the toxic, mutagenic, and clastogenic effects of methylating agents. Despite recent progress, the complexity of DNA damage responses to methylating agents is still being discovered. In particular, there is growing understanding of pathways such as homologous recombination, lesion bypass, and mismatch repair that react when the response of direct reversal proteins and BER is insufficient. Furthermore, the importance of proper balance within the steps in BER has been uncovered with the knowledge that DNA structural intermediates during BER are deleterious. A number of issues complicate the elucidation of the downstream responses when direct reversal is insufficient or BER is imbalanced. These include inter-species differences, cell-type-specific differences within mammals and between cancer cell lines, and the type of methyl damage or BER intermediate encountered. MMS also carries a misleading reputation of being a radiomimetic, that is, capable of directly producing strand breaks. This review focuses on the DNA methyl damage caused by MMS and MNNG for each site of potential methylation to summarize what is known about the repair of such damage and the downstream responses and consequences if the damage is not repaired.

Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress in the genesis and perpetuation of cancer: role of lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, and repair

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Chronic inflammation, induced by biological, chemical, and physical factors, was associated with increased risk of human cancer at various sites. Chronic inflammatory processes induce oxidative/nitrosative stress and lipid peroxidation (LPO), thereby generating excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), and DNA-reactive aldehydes. Miscoding etheno- and propano-modified DNA bases are generated inter alia by reaction of DNA with these major LPO products. Steady-state levels of LPO-derived (etheno-) DNA adducts in organs affected by persistent inflammatory processes were investigated as potential lead markers for assessing progression of inflammatory cancer-prone diseases.

RESULTS

Using ultrasensitive and specific detection methods for the analysis of human tissues, cells, and urine, etheno-DNA adduct levels were found to be significantly elevated in the affected organs of subjects with chronic pancreatitis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease. Patients with alcohol-related liver diseases showed excess hepatic DNA damage progressively increasing from hepatitis, fatty liver, to liver cirrhosis. Ethenodeoxyadenosine excreted after DNA repair in urine of hepatitis B virus-related chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis patients was increased up to 90-fold. Putative mechanisms that may control DNA damage in inflamed tissues including impaired or imbalanced DNA repair pathways are reviewed.

CONCLUSION

Persistent oxidative/nitrosative stress and excess LPO are induced by inflammatory processes in a self-perpetuating process and cause progressive accumulation of DNA damage in target organs. Together with deregulation of cell homeostasis, the resulting genetic changes act as driving force in chronic inflammation-associated human disease pathogenesis. Thus steady-state levels of DNA damage caused by ROS, RNS, and LPO end products provide promising molecular signatures for risk prediction and potential targets and biomarkers for preventive measures.

Increased etheno-DNA adducts in affected tissues of patients suffering from Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and chronic pancreatitis

Chronic inflammatory processes induce oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation (LPO), hereby generating DNA-reactive aldehydes such as trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE). Etheno-modified DNA bases are inter alia generated by reaction of DNA with HNE. Using an immunoaffinity-(32)P-postlabeling method, the authors have investigated etheno-DNA adduct levels 1,N (6)-ethenodeoxyadenosine (epsilondA) and of 3,N (4)-ethenodeoxycytidine (epsilondC) in the pancreas of chronic pancreatitis patients and in the colon of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Both epsilondA and epsilondC levels were found to be significantly, 3 and 28 times, respectively, elevated in the inflamed pancreatic tissue. In contrast, only epsilondC was found to be increased in affected colonic mucosa of Crohn's disease (19 times) and of ulcerative colitis patients (4 times) when compared to asymptomatic tissues. In all three cancer-prone diseases, the mean epsilondC-levels in tissues were five- to ninefold higher than those of epsilondA. Differential or impaired DNA repair pathways of these adducts, known to occur by two different glycosylases are implicated. K-ras in pancreatic tumors and K-ras and p53 in colon mucosa in long-standing inflammatory bowel disease are known to be highly mutated. The conclusion is that promutagenic etheno-DNA adducts are generated as a consequence of chronic inflammation, acting as a driving force to malignancy in cancer-prone inflammatory diseases.

Age-dependent increase of etheno-DNA-adducts in liver and brain of ROS overproducing OXYS rats

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) play a role in aging and degenerative diseases. To correlate oxidative stress and LPO-derived DNA damage, we determined etheno-DNA-adducts in liver and brain from ROS overproducing OXYS rats in comparison with age-matched Wistar rats. Liver DNA samples from 3- and 15-month-old OXYS and Wistar rats were analyzed for 1,N6-ethenodeoxyadenosine (epsilondA) and 3,N4-ethenodeoxycytidine (epsilondC) by immunoaffinity/32P-postlabelling. While epsilondA and epsilondC levels were not different in young rats, adduct levels were significantly higher in old OXYS rats when compared to old Wistar or young OXYS rats. Frozen rat brain sections were analyzed for epsilondA by immunostaining of nuclei. Brains from old OXYS rats accumulated epsilondA more frequently than age-matched Wistar rats. Our results demonstrate increased LPO-induced DNA damage in organs of OXYS rats which correlates with their known shorter life-span and elevated frequency of chronic degenerative diseases.

Accumulation of lipid peroxidation-derived DNA lesions: potential lead markers for chemoprevention of inflammation-driven malignancies

Chronic inflammatory processes produce an excess of ROS and DNA-reactive aldehydes from lipid peroxidation (LPO), such as trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) and malondialdehyde (MDA), which can modify cellular macromolecules and drive to malignancy. Etheno-modified DNA bases are generated inter alia by reaction of DNA with the major LPO product, HNE. We are investigating steady-state levels of etheno-DNA adducts in organs with diseases related to persistent inflammatory processes that can lead to malignancies. We have developed ultrasensitive and specific methods for the detection of etheno-DNA base adducts in human tissues and in urine. Etheno-DNA adduct levels were found to be significantly elevated in the affected organs of subjects with chronic pancreatitis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. When patients with alcohol abuse-related hepatitis, fatty liver, fibrosis and cirrhosis were compared with asymptomatic livers, excess hepatic DNA damage was seen in the three latter patient groups. Etheno-deoxyadenosine excreted in urine was measured in HBV-infected patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. As compared to controls, these patients had up to 90-fold increased urinary levels. Impaired or imbalanced DNA-repair pathways may influence the steady-state levels of etheno-DNA adducts in inflamed tissues. In conclusion, etheno-DNA adducts may serve as potential lead markers for assessing progression of inflammatory cancer-prone diseases. If so, the efficacy of human chemopreventive interventions for malignant disease prevention could be verified.

DNA damage and mutations produced by chloroacetaldehyde in a CpG-methylated target gene

Chloroacetaldehyde (CAA) is a metabolite of the human carcinogen vinyl chloride. CAA produces several types of DNA adducts including the exocyclic base adducts 3,N(4)-ethenocytosine, 1,N(6)-ethenoadenine, N(2),3-ethenoguanine, and 1,N(2)-ethenoguanine. Adducts of CAA with 5-methylcytosine have not yet been characterized. Here we have analyzed the mutational spectra produced by CAA in the supF gene of the pSP189 shuttle vector when present in either an unmethylated or CpG-methylated state. The vectors were replicated in human nucleotide excision repair-deficient XP-A fibroblasts. The mutational spectra obtained with the unmethylated and methylated supF target genes were generally similar with a preponderance of C/G to T/A transitions and C/G to A/T transversions. CAA-induced DNA adducts were mapped along the supF gene by using thermostable thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) in conjunction with ligation-mediated PCR or by a Taq polymerase stop assay. Prominent CAA-induced TDG-sensitive sites were seen at several CpG positions but were independent of methylation. Methylated CpG sites were sites of CAA-induced mutations but were not the major mutational hotspots. Taq polymerase arrest sites were observed at numerous sequence positions in the supF gene and reflected the rather broad distributions of mutations along the sequence. We conclude that methylated CpG sites are not preferential targets for chloroacetaldehyde-induced mutagenesis.

Action of multiple base excision repair enzymes on the 2'-deoxyribonolactone

Free radical attack on the sugar-phosphate backbone generates oxidized apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) residues in DNA. 2'-deoxyribonolactone (dL) is a C1'-oxidized AP site damage generated by UV and gamma-irradiation, and certain anticancer drugs. If not repaired dL produces G-->A transitions in Escherichia coli. In the base excision repair (BER) pathway, AP endonucleases are the major enzymes responsible for 5'-incision of the regular AP site (dR) and dL. DNA glycosylases with associated AP lyase activity can also efficiently cleave regular AP sites. Here, we report that dL is a substrate for AP endonucleases but not for DNA glycosylases/AP lyases. The kinetic parameters of the dL-incision were similar to those of the dR. DNA glycosylases such as E. coli formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase, mismatch-specific uracil-DNA glycosylase, and human alkylpurine-DNA N-glycosylase bind strongly to dL without cleaving it. We show that dL cross-links with the human proteins 8-oxoguanine-DNA (hOGG1) and thymine glycol-DNA glycosylases (hNth1), and dR cross-links with Nth and hNth1. These results suggest that dL and dR induced genotoxicity might be strengthened by BER pathway in vivo.

Alkylation damage in DNA and RNA--repair mechanisms and medical significance

Alkylation lesions in DNA and RNA result from endogenous compounds, environmental agents and alkylating drugs. Simple methylating agents, e.g. methylnitrosourea, tobacco-specific nitrosamines and drugs like temozolomide or streptozotocin, form adducts at N- and O-atoms in DNA bases. These lesions are mainly repaired by direct base repair, base excision repair, and to some extent by nucleotide excision repair (NER). The identified carcinogenicity of O(6)-methylguanine (O(6)-meG) is largely caused by its miscoding properties. Mutations from this lesion are prevented by O(6)-alkylG-DNA alkyltransferase (MGMT or AGT) that repairs the base in one step. However, the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of O(6)-meG is mainly due to recognition of O(6)-meG/T (or C) mispairs by the mismatch repair system (MMR) and induction of futile repair cycles, eventually resulting in cytotoxic double-strand breaks. Therefore, inactivation of the MMR system in an AGT-defective background causes resistance to the killing effects of O(6)-alkylating agents, but not to the mutagenic effect. Bifunctional alkylating agents, such as chlorambucil or carmustine (BCNU), are commonly used anti-cancer drugs. DNA lesions caused by these agents are complex and require complex repair mechanisms. Thus, primary chloroethyl adducts at O(6)-G are repaired by AGT, while the secondary highly cytotoxic interstrand cross-links (ICLs) require nucleotide excision repair factors (e.g. XPF-ERCC1) for incision and homologous recombination to complete repair. Recently, Escherichia coli protein AlkB and human homologues were shown to be oxidative demethylases that repair cytotoxic 1-methyladenine (1-meA) and 3-methylcytosine (3-meC) residues. Numerous AlkB homologues are found in viruses, bacteria and eukaryotes, including eight human homologues (hABH1-8). These have distinct locations in subcellular compartments and their functions are only starting to become understood. Surprisingly, AlkB and hABH3 also repair RNA. An evaluation of the biological effects of environmental mutagens, as well as understanding the mechanism of action and resistance to alkylating drugs require a detailed understanding of DNA repair processes.

Survey of the year 2004 commercial optical biosensor literature

The year 2004 represents a milestone for the biosensor research community: in this year, over 1000 articles were published describing experiments performed using commercially available systems. The 1038 papers we found represent an approximately 10% increase over the past year and demonstrate that the implementation of biosensors continues to expand at a healthy pace. We evaluated the data presented in each paper and compiled a 'top 10' list. These 10 articles, which we recommend every biosensor user reads, describe well-performed kinetic, equilibrium and qualitative/screening studies, provide comparisons between binding parameters obtained from different biosensor users, as well as from biosensor- and solution-based interaction analyses, and summarize the cutting-edge applications of the technology. We also re-iterate some of the experimental pitfalls that lead to sub-optimal data and over-interpreted results. We are hopeful that the biosensor community, by applying the hints we outline, will obtain data on a par with that presented in the 10 spotlighted articles. This will ensure that the scientific community at large can be confident in the data we report from optical biosensors.