The (6-4) photoproduct of thymine-thymine induces targeted substitution mutations in mammalian cells

Pterygium-The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Pterygium is a multifaceted pathology that displays apparent conflicting characteristics: benign (e.g., self-limiting and superficial), bad (e.g., proliferative and potentially recurrent) and ugly (e.g., signs of preneoplastic transformation). The natural successive question is: why are we lacking reports showing that pterygium lesions become life-threatening through metastasis, especially since pterygium has considerable similarities with UV-related malignancies on the molecular level? In this review, we consider how our pathophysiological understanding of the benign pterygium pathology overlaps with ocular surface squamous neoplasia and skin cancer. The three UV-related disorders share the same initial insult (i.e., UV radiation) and responsive repair mechanisms to the ensuing (in)direct DNA damage. Their downstream apoptotic regulators and other cellular adaptations are remarkably alike. However, a complicating factor in understanding the fine line between the self-limiting nature of pterygium and the malignant transformation in other UV-related diseases is the prominent ambiguity in the pathological evaluation of pterygium biopsies. Features of preneoplastic transformation (i.e., dysplasia) are used to define normal cellular reactions (i.e., atypia and metaplasia) and vice versa. A uniform grading system could help in unraveling the true nature of this ancient disease and potentially help in identifying the earliest intervention point possible regarding the cellular switch that drives a cell’s fate towards cancer.

Detection of UV-Induced Thymine Dimers

Ultraviolet rays induce interstrand and intrastrand DNA cross-links, usually thymine-thymine cyclobutane dimer (T-T) and thymine-thymine pyrimidine-pyrimidone (6-4) photoproduct (T (6-4) T). These DNA cross-links, if left unrepaired, increase the risk of these mutation being incorporated in the genetic material (i.e., DNA). Numerous studies have reported the mutagenic potential of above mentioned DNA adducts in prokaryotes, yeast and mammalian cells. Different techniques have been developed to identify such DNA adducts such as immuno-Southern blotting. This is a routinely used quantitative method to determine especially the amount of thymine dimers formed, following irradiation. In this chapter, the detailed methodology to identify thymine dimers formation is provided, using specific antibody against these adducts.

Large deletions and untargeted substitutions induced by abasic site analog on leading versus lagging strand templates in human cells

The tetrahydrofuran-type abasic site analog (THF) induces large deletion mutations in human cells. To compare the large deletions induced by THF on leading and lagging strand templates, plasmid DNAs bearing the analog at a specific position outside the supF gene were introduced into human U2OS cells. The replicated DNAs recovered from the transfected cells were electroporated into an Escherichia coli indicator strain. THF on the lagging strand template produced more supF mutants than THF on the leading strand template. This unequal mutagenicity was due to the higher frequencies of not only large deletions but also untargeted base substitutions induced in the gene. These results suggested that both types of mutations occur more frequently when abasic sites are formed on the lagging strand template.

Effect of sequence context on Polζ-dependent error-prone extension past (6-4) photoproducts

The (6-4) pyrimidine-pyrimidone photoproduct [(6-4)PP] is a major DNA lesion induced by ultraviolet radiation. (6-4)PP induces complex mutations opposite its downstream bases, in addition to opposite 3' or 5' base, as has been observed through a site-specific translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) assay. The mechanism by which these mutations occur is not well understood. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying mutagenesis induced by (6-4)PP, we performed an intracellular TLS assay using a replicative vector with site-specific T(thymidine)-T (6-4)PP. Rev3^-/-p53^-/- mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells (defective in Polζ) were almost completely defective in bypassing T-T (6-4)PP, whereas both Rev1^-/- and Polh^-/-Poli^-/-Polk^-/- MEF cells (defective in Polη, Polι, and Polκ) presented bypassing activity comparable to that of wild-type cells, indicating that Y-family TLS polymerases are dispensable for bypassing activity, whereas Polζ plays an essential role, probably at the extension step. Among all cells tested, misincorporation occurred most frequently just beyond the lesion (position +1), indicating that the Polζ-dependent extension step is crucial for (6-4)PP-induced mutagenesis. We then examined the effects of sequence context on T-T (6-4)PP bypass using a series of T-T (6-4)PP templates with different sequences at position +1 or -1 to the lesion, and found that the dependency of T-T (6-4)PP bypass on Polζ is not sequence specific. However, the misincorporation frequency at position +1 differed significantly among these templates. The misincorporation of A at position +1 occurred frequently when a purine base was located at position -1. These results indicate that Polζ-dependent extension plays a major role in inducing base substitutions in (6-4)PP-induced mutagenesis, and its fidelity is affected by sequence context surrounding a lesion.

Processing of a single ribonucleotide embedded into DNA by human nucleotide excision repair and DNA polymerase η

DNA polymerases often incorporate non-canonical nucleotide, i.e., ribonucleoside triphosphates into the genomic DNA. Aberrant accumulation of ribonucleotides in the genome causes various cellular abnormalities. Here, we show the possible role of human nucleotide excision repair (NER) and DNA polymerase η (Pol η) in processing of a single ribonucleotide embedded into DNA. We found that the reconstituted NER system can excise the oxidized ribonucleotide on the plasmid DNA. Taken together with the evidence that Pol η accurately bypasses a ribonucleotide, i.e., riboguanosine (rG) or its oxidized derivative (8-oxo-rG) in vitro, we further assessed the mutagenic potential of the embedded ribonucleotide in human cells lacking NER or Pol η. A single rG on the supF reporter gene predominantly induced large deletion mutations. An embedded 8-oxo-rG caused base substitution mutations at the 3′-neighboring base rather than large deletions in wild-type cells. The disruption of XPA, an essential factor for NER, or Pol η leads to the increased mutant frequency of 8-oxo-rG. Furthermore, the frequency of 8-oxo-rG-mediated large deletions was increased by the loss of Pol η, but not XPA. Collectively, our results suggest that base oxidation of the embedded ribonucleotide enables processing of the ribonucleotide via alternative DNA repair and damage tolerance pathways.

Analysis of large deletion mutations induced by abasic site analog in human cells

Background

Abasic sites are formed spontaneously and by nucleobase chemical modifications and base excision repair. A chemically stable abasic site analog was site-specifically introduced into replicable plasmid DNAs, which were transfected into human U2OS cells. The amplified DNAs were recovered from the cells and used for the transformation of a bacterial indicator strain.

Results

Large deletion mutations were induced by the analog, in addition to point mutations at the modified site. No apparent sequence homology at the deletion junctions was found.

Conclusion

These results suggested that the large deletions induced by the abasic site analog are formed by homology-independent events.

Insights into Light-driven DNA Repair by Photolyases: Challenges and Opportunities for Electronic Structure Theory

Ultraviolet radiation causes two of the most abundant mutagenic and cytotoxic DNA lesions: cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and 6-4 photoproducts. (6-4) Photolyases are light-activated enzymes that selectively bind to DNA and trigger repair of mutagenic 6-4 photoproducts via photoinduced electron transfer from flavin adenine dinucleotide anion (FADH^- ) to the lesion triggering repair. This review provides an overview of the sequential steps of the repair process, that is light absorption and resonance energy transfer, photoinduced electron transfer and electron-induced splitting mechanisms, with an emphasis on the role of theory and computation. In addition, theoretical calculations and physical properties that can be used to classify specific mechanism are discussed in an effort to trace the fundamental aspects of each individual step and assist the interpretation of experimental data. The current challenges and suggested future directions are outlined for each step, concluding with a view on the future.

Rhodobacter sphaeroides CryB is a bacterial cryptochrome with (6-4) photolyase activity

Photolyases are efficient DNA repair enzymes that specifically repair either cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers or (6-4) photoproducts in a light-dependent cleavage reaction. The closely related classical cryptochrome blue light photoreceptors do not repair DNA lesions; instead they are involved in regulatory processes. CryB of Rhodobacter sphaeroides was until now described as a cryptochrome that affects light-dependent and singlet oxygen-dependent gene expression and is unusual in terms of its cofactor composition. Here we present evidence for a repair activity of (6-4) photoproducts by CryB and suggest a dual character combining the functions of cryptochromes and photolyases. We investigated the effects of crucial amino acids involved in cofactor or DNA lesion binding on the light-dependent recovery of cells after UV light exposure (in vivo photoreactivation). Remarkably, impairment of one of the two light absorbing cofactors, FAD or 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine, only marginally affected the final survival rate but strongly decelerated photoreactivation kinetics. The impairment of both of them together through mutagenesis decreased CryB-dependent photoreactivation to the level of the ∆cryB knockout strain. The third cofactor, a [4Fe4S] iron-sulfur cluster, is indispensable for the structural integrity of the protein. The reduction of FAD via the conserved tryptophan W338, which is crucial for in vitro reduction and consequently DNA repair, is not required for in vivo photoreactivation, suggesting that this reduction pathway to FAD is dispensable in the cellular environment. This demonstrates that in vitro experiments give only limited information on in vivo photolyase activity.

An unexpected deamination reaction after hydrolysis of the pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproduct

Pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproduct (6-4PP), a common DNA photolesion formed under solar irradiation, was indicated to hydrolyze under strong basic conditions, breaking the N3-C4 bond at the 5'-thymine. The reanalysis of this reaction revealed that the resulting water adduct may not be stable as previously proposed; it readily undergoes an esterification reaction induced by the 5-OH group at 6-4PP to form a five-membered ring, eliminating a molecule of ammonia.

A quantum chemical perspective on (6-4) photolesion repair by photolyases

(6-4)-Photolyases are fascinating enzymes which repair (6-4)-DNA photolesions utilizing light themselves. It is well known that upon initial photo-excitation of an antenna pigment an electron is transferred from an adjacent FADH(-) cofactor to the photolesion initiating repair, i.e. restoration of the original undamaged DNA bases. Concerning the molecular details of this amazing repair mechanism, the early steps of energy transfer and catalytic electron generation are well understood, the terminal repair mechanism, however, is still a matter of ongoing debate. In this perspective article, recent results of quantum chemical investigations are presented, and their meaning for the repair mechanism under natural conditions is outlined. Consequences of natural light conditions, temperature and thermal equilibration are highlighted when issues like the initial protonation state of the relevant histidines and the lesion, or the direction of electron transfer are discussed.

High frequency of PTEN mutations in nevi and melanomas from xeroderma pigmentosum patients

We examined nevi and melanomas in 10 xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patients with defective DNA repair. The lesions had a lentiginous appearance with markedly increased numbers of melanocytes. Using laser capture microdissection, we performed DNA sequencing of 18 benign and atypical nevi and 75 melanomas (melanoma in situ and invasive melanomas). The nevi had a similar high frequency of PTEN mutations as melanomas [61% (11/18) versus 53% (39/73)]. Both had a very high proportion of UV-type mutations (occurring at adjacent pyrimidines) [91% (10/11) versus 92% (36/39)]. In contrast to melanomas in the general population, the frequency of BRAF mutations (11%, 7/61), NRAS mutations (21%, 13/62), and KIT mutations (21%, 6/28) in XP melanomas was lower than for PTEN. Phospho-S6 immunostaining indicated activation of the mTOR pathway in the atypical nevi and melanomas. Thus, the clinical and histological appearances and the molecular pathology of these UV-related XP nevi and melanomas were different from nevi and melanomas in the general population.

Combined QM/MM investigation on the light-driven electron-induced repair of the (6-4) thymine dimer catalyzed by DNA photolyase

The (6-4) photolyases are blue-light-activated enzymes that selectively bind to DNA and initiate splitting of mutagenic thymine (6-4) thymine photoproducts (T(6-4)T-PP) via photoinduced electron transfer from flavin adenine dinucleotide anion (FADH(-)) to the lesion triggering repair. In the present work, the repair mechanism after the initial electron transfer and the effect of the protein/DNA environment are investigated theoretically by means of hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) simulations using X-ray structure of the enzyme-DNA complex. By comparison of three previously proposed repair mechanisms, we found that the lowest activation free energy is required for the pathway in which the key step governing the repair photocycle is electron transfer coupled with the proton transfer from the protonated histidine, His365, to the N3' nitrogen of the pyrimidone thymine. The transfer simultaneously occurs with concerted intramolecular OH transfer without formation of an oxetane or isolated water molecule intermediate. In contrast to previously suggested mechanisms, this newly identified pathway requires neither a subsequent two-photon process nor electronic excitation of the photolesion.

Quantum chemical study of the enzymatic repair of T(6-4)C/C(6-4)T UV-photolesions by DNA photolyases

Several strategies have evolved to repair one of the abundant UV radiation-induced damages caused to DNA, namely the mutagenic pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photolesions. DNA (6-4)-photolyases are enzymes repairing these lesions by a photoinitiated electron transfer. An important aspect of a possible repair mechanism is its generality and transferability to different (6-4) lesions. Therefore, previously suggested mechanisms for the repair of the T(6-4)T lesion are here transferred to the T(6-4)C and C(6-4)T lesions and investigated theoretically using quantum chemical methods. Despite the different functional groups of the pyrimidine bases involved, a general valid molecular mechanism was identified, in which the initial step is an electron transfer coupled to a proton transfer from the protonated HIS365 to the N3(') nitrogen of the 3(') pyrimidine, followed by an intramolecular OH/NH2 transfer in one concerted step, which does not require an oxetane/azetidine or isolated water/ammonia intermediate.

Preparation of oligodeoxyribonucleotides containing the pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone photoproduct by using a dinucleotide building block

This unit describes procedures for the synthesis of a dinucleotide-type building block of the pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone photoproduct [(6-4) photoproduct], which is one of the major DNA lesions induced by ultraviolet (UV) light, and its incorporation into oligodeoxyribonucleotides. Although this type of lesion is frequently found at thymine-cytosine sites, the building block of the (6-4) photoproduct formed at thymine-thymine sites can be synthesized much more easily. The problem in the oligonucleotide synthesis is that the (6-4) photoproduct is labile under alkaline conditions. Therefore, building blocks with an amino-protecting group that can be removed by a brief treatment with ammonia water at room temperature must be used for the incorporation of the normal bases. Byproduct formation by the coupling of phosphoramidites with the N3 of the 5' component should also be considered. This side reaction can be avoided by using benzimidazolium triflate as an activator.

Strand breakage of a (6-4) photoproduct-containing DNA at neutral pH and its repair by the ERCC1-XPF protein complex

The (6-4) photoproduct is one of the major UV-induced lesions in DNA. We previously showed that hydrolytic ring opening of the 5' base and subsequent hydrolysis of the glycosidic bond of the 3' component occurred when this photoproduct was treated with aqueous NaOH. In this study, we found that another product was obtained when the (6-4) photoproduct was heated at 90 °C for 6 h, in a 0.1 M solution of N,N'-dimethyl-1,2-ethanediamine adjusted to pH 7.4 with acetic acid. An analysis of the chemical structure of this product revealed that the 5' base was intact, whereas the glycosidic bond at the 3' component was hydrolyzed in the same manner. The strand break was detected for a 30-mer oligonucleotide containing the (6-4) photoproduct upon treatment with the above solution or other pH 7.4 solutions containing biogenic amines, such as spermidine and spermine. In the case of spermidine, the rate constant was calculated to be 1.4 × 10(-8) s(-1) at 37 °C. The strand break occurred even when the oligonucleotide was heated at 90 °C in 0.1 M sodium phosphate (pH 7.0), although this treatment produced several types of 5' fragments. The Dewar valence isomer was inert to this reaction. The product obtained from the (6-4) photoproduct-containing 30-mer was used to investigate the enzymatic processing of the 3' end bearing the damaged base and a phosphate. The ERCC1-XPF complex removed several nucleotides containing the damaged base, in the presence of replication protein A.

Applications of Potential Energy Surfaces in the Study of Enzymatic Reactions

From a generated PES, one can determine the relative energies of species involved, the sequence in which they occur, and the activation barrier(s) associated with individual steps or the overall mechanism. Furthermore, they can provide more insights than a simple indication of a path of sequential mechanistic structures and their energetic relationships. The investigation into the activation of O2 by alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (AlkB) clearly shows the opportunity for spin inversion, where one can see that the lowest energy product may be formed via several possible routes. In the investigation of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase III (UROD), the use of QM/MM methods allowed for the inclusion of the anisotropic protein environment providing greater insight into the rate-limiting barrier. Lastly, the mechanism of 6-phospho-α-glucosidase (GlvA) was discussed using different active site models. In particular, a continuum model PES was compared to the gas-phase PES.

Turn-on DNA damage sensors for the direct detection of 8-oxoguanine and photoproducts in native DNA

The integrity of the genetic information in all living organisms is constantly threatened by a variety of endogenous and environmental insults. To counter this risk, the DNA-damage response is employed for repairing lesions and maintaining genomic integrity. However, an aberrant DNA-damage response can potentially lead to genetic instability and mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, or cell death. To directly monitor DNA damage events in the context of native DNA, we have designed two new sensors utilizing genetically fragmented firefly luciferase (split luciferase). The sensors are comprised of a methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD) attached to one fragment of split luciferase for localizing the sensor to DNA (50-80% of the CpG dinucleotide sites in the genome are symmetrically methylated at cytosines), while a damage-recognition domain is attached to the complementary fragment of luciferase to probe adjacent nucleotides for lesions. Specifically, we utilized oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (OGG1) to detect 8-oxoguanine caused by exposure to reactive oxygen species and employed the damaged-DNA binding protein 2 (DDB2) for detection of pyrimidine dimer photoproducts induced by UVC light. These two sensors were optimized and validated using oligonucleotides, plasmids, and mammalian genomic DNA, as well as HeLa cells that were systematically exposed to a variety of environmental insults, demonstrating that this methodology utilizing MBD-directed DNA localization provides a simple, sensitive, and potentially general approach for the rapid profiling of specific chemical modifications associated with DNA damage and repair.

The mechanisms of UV mutagenesis

Ultraviolet (UV) light induces specific mutations in the cellular and skin genome such as UV-signature and triplet mutations, the mechanism of which has been thought to involve translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) over UV-induced DNA base damage. Two models have been proposed: "error-free" bypass of deaminated cytosine-containing cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) by DNA polymerase η, and error-prone bypass of CPDs and other UV-induced photolesions by combinations of TLS and replicative DNA polymerases--the latter model has also been known as the two-step model, in which the cooperation of two (or more) DNA polymerases as misinserters and (mis)extenders is assumed. Daylight UV induces a characteristic UV-specific mutation, a UV-signature mutation occurring preferentially at methyl-CpG sites, which is also observed frequently after exposure to either UVB or UVA, but not to UVC. The wavelengths relevant to the mutation are so consistent with the composition of daylight UV that the mutation is called solar-UV signature, highlighting the importance of this type of mutation for creatures with the cytosine-methylated genome that are exposed to the sun in the natural environment. UVA has also been suggested to induce oxidative types of mutation, which would be caused by oxidative DNA damage produced through the oxidative stress after the irradiation. Indeed, UVA produces oxidative DNA damage not only in cells but also in skin, which, however, does not seem sufficient to induce mutations in the normal skin genome. In contrast, it has been demonstrated that UVA exclusively induces the solar-UV signature mutations in vivo through CPD formation.

Electronic structure of (6-4) DNA photoproduct repair involving a non-oxetane pathway

Mutagenic pyrimidine-pyrimidone (6-4) photoproducts are one of the main DNA lesions induced by solar UV radiation. These lesions can be photoreversed by (6-4) photolyases. The originally published repair mechanism involves rearrangement of the lesion into an oxetane intermediate upon binding to the (6-4) photolyase, followed by light-induced electron transfer from the reduced flavin cofactor. In a recent crystallographic study on a (6-4) photoproduct complexed with (6-4) photolyase from Drosophila melanogaster no oxetane was observed, raising the possibility of a non-oxetane repair mechanism. Using quantum-chemical calculations we find that in addition to repair via an oxetane, a direct transfer of the hydroxyl group results in reversal of the radical anion (6-4) photoproduct. In both mechanisms, the transition states have high energies and correspond to avoided crossings of the ground and excited electronic states. To study whether the repair can proceed via these state crossings, the excited-state potential energy curves were computed. The radical excitation energies and accessibility of the nonadiabatic repair path were found to depend on hydrogen bonds and the protonation state of the lesion. On the basis of the energy calculations, a nonadiabatic repair of the excited (6-4) lesion radical anion via hydroxyl transfer is probable. This repair mechanism is in line with the recent structural data on the (6-4) photolyase from D. melanogaster .

A DFT study of nucleobase dealkylation by the DNA repair enzyme AlkB

Oxidative dealkylation is a unique mechanistic pathway found in the alpha-ketoglutarate-Fe(II)-dependent AlkB family of enzymes to remove the alkylation damage to DNA bases and regenerate nucleobases to their native state. The B3LYP density functional combined with a self-consistent reaction field was used to explore the triplet, quintet, and septet spin-state potential energy surfaces of the multistep catalytic mechanism of AlkB. The mechanism was found to consist of four stages. First, binding of dioxygen to iron in the active-site complex occurs concerted with electron transfer, thereby yielding a ferric-superoxido species. Second, competing initiation for the activation of oxygen to generate the high-valent iron-oxygen intermediates (ferryl-oxo Fe(IV)O and ferric-oxyl Fe(III)O(*) species) was found to occur on the quintet and septet surfaces. Then, conformational reorientation of the activated iron-oxygen ligand was found to be nearly thermoneutral with a barrier of ca. 50 kJ mol(-1). The final stage is the oxidative dealkylation of the damaged nucleobase with the rate-controlling step being the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from the damaging methyl group by the ferryl-oxo ligand. For this step, the calculated barrier of 87.4 kJ mol(-1) is in good agreement with the experimental activation energy of ca. 83 kJ mol(-1) for the enzyme-catalyzed reaction.

Spectroscopic analysis of the pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone photoproduct: insights into the (6-4) photolyase reaction

We synthesized a dinucleoside monophosphate of the (15)N-labeled (6-4) photoproduct, which is one of the major UV-induced lesions in DNA, to investigate the (6-4) photolyase repair mechanism, and characterized its protonation state by measuring (15)N NMR spectra as a function of pH. We expected that chemical-shift changes of the pyrimidone (15)N3, due to protonation, would be observed at pH 3, as observed for the (15)N-labeled 5-methylpyrimidin-2-one nucleoside. Interestingly, however, the changes were observed only in alkaline solutions. In UV absorption spectroscopy and HPLC analyses under acidic conditions, a change in the maximum absorption wavelength, due to the protonation-induced hydrolysis, was observed at and below pH 1, but not at pH 2, whereas the protonation of 5-methylpyrimidin-2-one occurred at pH values between 2 and 3. These results indicated that the pK(a) value for this N3 is remarkably lower than that of a normal pyrimidone ring, and strongly suggest that an intramolecular hydrogen bond is formed between the N3 of the 3' base and the 5-OH of the 5' base under physiological conditions. The results of this study have implications not only for the recognition and reaction mechanisms of (6-4) photolyase, but also for the chemical nature of the (6-4) photoproduct.

Reduced efficiency and increased mutagenicity of translesion DNA synthesis across a TT cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer, but not a TT 6-4 photoproduct, in human cells lacking DNA polymerase eta

Xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XPV) patients carry germ-line mutations in DNA polymerase eta (poleta), a major translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) polymerase, and exhibit severe sunlight sensitivity and high predisposition to skin cancer. Using a quantitative TLS assay system based on gapped plasmids we analyzed TLS across a site-specific TT CPD (thymine-thymine cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer) or TT 6-4 PP (thymine-thymine 6-4 photoproduct) in three pairs of poleta-proficient and deficient human cells. TLS across the TT CPD lesion was reduced by 2.6-4.4-fold in cells lacking poleta, and exhibited a strong 6-17-fold increase in mutation frequency at the TT CPD. All targeted mutations (74%) in poleta-deficient cells were opposite the 3'T of the CPD, however, a significant fraction (23%) were semi-targeted to the nearest nucleotides flanking the CPD. Deletions and insertions were observed at a low frequency, which increased in the absence of poleta, consistent with the formation of double strand breaks due to defective TLS. TLS across TT 6-4 PP was about twofold lower than across CPD, and was marginally reduced in poleta-deficient cells. TLS across TT 6-4 PP was highly mutagenic (27-63%), with multiple mutations types, and no significant difference between cells with or without poleta. Approximately 50% of the mutations formed were semi-targeted, of which 84-93% were due to the insertion of an A opposite the template G 5' to the 6-4 PP. These results, which are consistent with the UV hyper-mutability of XPV cells, highlight the critical role of poleta in error-free TLS across CPD in human cells, and suggest a potential involvement, although minor, of poleta in TLS across 6-4 PP under some conditions.

Biological properties of single chemical-DNA adducts: a twenty year perspective

The genome and its nucleotide precursor pool are under sustained attack by radiation, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, chemical carcinogens, hydrolytic reactions, and certain drugs. As a result, a large and heterogeneous population of damaged nucleotides forms in all cells. Some of the lesions are repaired, but for those that remain, there can be serious biological consequences. For example, lesions that form in DNA can lead to altered gene expression, mutation, and death. This perspective examines systems developed over the past 20 years to study the biological properties of single DNA lesions.

Mutagenic effects of 8-hydroxy-dGTP in live mammalian cells

The mutagenicity of an oxidized form of dGTP, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-triphosphate (8-OH-dGTP), was examined using COS-7 cells. 8-OH-dGTP and supF shuttle plasmid DNA were cointroduced by means of cationic liposomes, and the DNAs replicated in the cells were recovered and then transfected into Escherichia coli. 8-OH-dGTP induced A:T-->C:G substitution mutations in the COS-7 cells. This result agrees with previous observations indicating that DNA polymerases misincorporate 8-OH-dGTP opposite A in vitro, and that the oxidized deoxyribonucleotide induces A:T-->C:G transversions in E. coli. These results constitute the first direct evidence to show that 8-OH-dGTP actually induces mutations in living mammalian cells.

Electron-Transfer Induced Repair of 6-4 Photoproducts in DNA: A Computational Study

The mechanism employed by DNA photolyase to repair 6-4 photoproducts in UV-damaged DNA is explored by means of quantum chemical calculations. Considering the repair of both oxetane and azetidine lesions, it is demonstrated that reduction as well as oxidation enables a reversion reaction by creating anionic or cationic radicals that readily fragment into monomeric pyrimidines. However, on the basis of calculated reaction energies indicating that electron transfer from the enzyme to the lesion is a much more favorable process than electron transfer in the opposite direction, it is suggested that the photoenzymic repair can only occur by way of an anionic mechanism. Furthermore, it is shown that reduction of the oxetane facilitates a mechanism involving cleavage of the C-O bond followed by cleavage of the C-C bond, whereas reductive fragmentation of the azetidine may proceed with either of the intermonomeric C-N and C-C bonds cleaved as the first step. From calculations on neutral azetidine radicals, a significant increase in the free-energy barrier for the initial fragmentation step upon protonation of the carbonylic oxygens is predicted. This effect can be attributed to protonation serving to stabilize reactant complexes more than transition structures.

DNA polymerases eta and kappa are responsible for error-free translesion DNA synthesis activity over a cis-syn thymine dimer in Xenopus laevis oocyte extracts

In translesion synthesis (TLS), specialized DNA polymerases (pols) facilitate progression of replication forks stalled by DNA damage. Although multiple TLS pols have been identified in eukaryotes, little is known about endogenous TLS pols and their relative contributions to TLS in vivo because of their low cellular abundance. Taking advantage of Xenopus laevis oocyte cells, with their extraordinary size and abundant enzymes involved in DNA metabolism, we have identified and characterized endogenous TLS pols for DNA damage induced by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. We designed a TLS assay which monitors primer elongation on a synthetic oligomer template over a single UV-induced lesion, either a cys-syn cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) or a pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproduct. Four distinct TLS activities (TLS1-TLS4) were identified in X. laevis oocyte extracts, using three template/primer (T/P) DNA substrates having various sites at which primer extension is initiated relative to the lesion. TLS1 and TLS2 activities appear to be sequence-dependent. TLS3 and TLS4 extended the primers over the CPD in an error-free manner irrespective of sequence context. Base insertion opposite the CPD of the T/P substrate in which the 3'-end of the primer is placed one base upstream of the lesion was observed only with TLS3. TLS3 and TLS4 showed primer extension with similar efficiencies on the T/P substrate whose 3'-primer terminal dinucleotide (AA) was complementary to the CPD lesion. Investigations with antibodies and recombinant pols revealed that TLS3 and TLS4 were most likely attributable to pol eta and pol kappa, respectively. These results indicate that error-free insertion in CPD bypass is due mainly to pol eta (TLS3) in the extracts, and suggest that pol kappa (TLS4) may assist pol eta (TLS3) in error-free extension during CPD bypass.

Binding of Distamycin A to UV-Damaged DNA

We have found that distamycin A can bind to DNA duplexes containing the (6-4) photoproduct, one of the major UV lesions in DNA, despite the changes, caused by photoproduct formation, in both the chemical structure of the base moiety and the local tertiary structure of the helix. A 20-mer duplex containing the target site, AATT.AATT, was designed, and then one of the TT sequences was changed to the (6-4) photoproduct. Distamycin binding to the photoproduct-containing duplex was detected by CD spectroscopy, whereas specific binding did not occur when the TT site was changed to a cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer, another type of UV lesion. Distamycin binding was analyzed in detail using 14-mer duplexes. Curve fitting of the CD titration data and induced CD difference spectra revealed that the binding stoichiometry changed from 1:1 to 2:1 with photoproduct formation. Melting curves of the drug-DNA complexes also supported this stoichiometry.

Studies on the chemical synthesis of oligodeoxynucleotides containing the s5T(6-4)T photoproduct: side reactions derived from the methylsulfenyl thiol protection elucidated by MALDI mass spectrometry

Attempts to incorporate the phosphoramidite of the thymine-thymine (6-4) photoproduct C5 thiol analogue (s(5)T(6-4)T PP), whose sulfur atom was protected with the methylsulfenyl group, into oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), are reported. Using matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) coupled to enzymatic digestion, accurate mass measurements and tandem mass spectrometry experiments, we demonstrated that ODNs containing the (2-cyanoethylthio)(5)T(6-4)T PP were obtained. Supported by model reactions, these results were explained 1) by the incorporation, during oligonucleotide synthesis, of the sulfur deprotected phosphoramidite that arose from a Michaelis-Arbusov-type rearrangement, and 2) the Michael addition to the thiol of acrylonitrile released upon the cyanoethyl phosphotriester deprotection. To avoid the formation of the cyanoethyl adduct, the phosphotriester deprotection was carried out in the presence of a thiol in excess. This afforded the ODN containing the h(5)T(6-4)T PP.

Identification and characterization of an intermediate in the alkali degradation of (6-4) photoproduct-containing DNA

The (6-4) photoproduct formed by ultraviolet light is known as an alkali-labile DNA lesion. Strand breaks occur at (6-4) photoproducts when UV-irradiated DNA is treated with hot alkali. We have analyzed the degradation reaction of this photoproduct under alkaline conditions using synthetic oligonucleotides. A tetramer, d(GT(6-4)TC), was prepared, and its degradation in 50 mm KOH at 60 degrees C was monitored by high performance liquid chromatography. A single peak with a UV absorption spectrum similar to that of the starting material was detected after the reaction, and this compound was regarded as an intermediate before the strand break. The formation of this intermediate was compared with intermediates from the degradation of other alkali-labile lesions such as the abasic site, thymine glycol, and 5,6-dihydrothymine. The results strongly suggested that the first step of the alkali degradation of the (6-4) photoproduct was the hydrolysis between the N3 and C4 positions of the 5'-pyrimidine component. Analyses by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry supported the chemical structure of this product. Assays of the complex formation with XPC.HR23B and the translesion synthesis by DNA polymerase eta revealed that the biochemical properties are indistinguishable between the intact and hydrolyzed photoproducts.

Sequence context-dependent replication of DNA templates containing UV-induced lesions by human DNA polymerase iota

Humans possess four Y-family polymerases: pols eta, iota, kappa and the Rev1 protein. The pivotal role that pol eta plays in protecting us from UV-induced skin cancers is unquestioned given that mutations in the POLH gene (encoding pol eta), lead to the sunlight-sensitive and cancer-prone xeroderma pigmentosum variant phenotype. The roles that pols iota, kappa and Rev1 play in the tolerance of UV-induced DNA damage is, however, much less clear. For example, in vitro studies in which the ability of pol iota to bypass UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) or 6-4 pyrimidine-pyrimidone (6-4PP) lesions has been assayed, are somewhat varied with results ranging from limited misinsertion opposite CPDs to complete lesion bypass. We have tested the hypothesis that such discrepancies might have arisen from different assay conditions and local sequence contexts surrounding each UV-photoproduct and find that pol iota can facilitate significant levels of unassisted highly error-prone bypass of a T-T CPD, particularly when the lesion is located in a 3'-A[T-T]A-5' template sequence context and the reaction buffer contains no KCl. When encountering a T-T 6-4PP dimer under the same assay conditions, pol iota efficiently and accurately inserts the correct base, A, opposite the 3'T of the 6-4PP by factors of approximately 10(2) over the incorporation of incorrect nucleotides, while incorporation opposite the 5'T is highly mutagenic. Pol kappa has been proposed to function in the bypass of UV-induced lesions by helping extend primers terminated opposite CPDs. However, we find no evidence that the combined actions of pol iota and pol kappa result in a significant increase in bypass of T-T CPDs when compared to pol iota alone. Our data suggest that under certain conditions and sequence contexts, pol iota can bypass T-T CPDs unassisted and can efficiently incorporate one or more bases opposite a T-T 6-4PP. Such biochemical activities may, therefore, be of biological significance especially in XP-V cells lacking the primary T-T CPD bypassing enzyme, pol eta.

Role of DNA polymerase eta in the UV mutation spectrum in human cells

In humans, inactivation of the DNA polymerase eta gene (pol eta) results in sunlight sensitivity and causes the cancer-prone xeroderma pigmentosum variant syndrome (XP-V). Cells from XP-V individuals have a reduced capacity to replicate UV-damaged DNA and show hypermutability after UV exposure. Biochemical assays have demonstrated the ability of pol eta to bypass cis-syn-cyclobutane thymine dimers, the most common lesion generated in DNA by UV. In most cases, this bypass is error-free. To determine the actual requirement of pol eta in vivo, XP-V cells (XP30RO) were complemented by the wild type pol eta gene. We have used two pol eta-corrected clones to study the in vivo characteristics of mutations produced by DNA polymerases during DNA synthesis of UV-irradiated shuttle vectors transfected into human host cells, which had or had not been exposed previously to UV radiation. The functional complementation of XP-V cells by pol eta reduced the mutation frequencies both at CG and TA base pairs and restored UV mutagenesis to a normal level. UV irradiation of host cells prior to transfection strongly increased the mutation frequency in undamaged vectors and, in addition, especially in the pol eta-deficient XP30RO cells at 5'-TT sites in UV-irradiated plasmids. These results clearly show the protective role of pol eta against UV-induced lesions and the activation by UV of pol eta-independent mutagenic processes.

Synthesis of the TT pyrimidine (6–4) pyrimidone photoproduct–thio analogue phosphoramidite building block

The phosphoramidite building block synthesis of the thio analogue at the 5,6-dihydropyrimidine C5 position of the thymidylyl(3'-5')thymidine (6-4) photoproduct 1 is presented. This compound was readily obtained from the appropriately protected dinucleotide P-methyl-5'-O-dimethoxytritylthymidilyl(3' --> 5')-4-thiothymidine 2 after irradiation at 366 nm, then S-sulfenylmethylation of the thiol function of the resulting (6-4) adduct, and phosphitylation of the 3'-hydroxyl group.

Asymmetry of DNA replication and translesion synthesis of UV-induced thymine dimers

In vitro replication assays for detection and quantification of bypass of UV-induced DNA photoproducts were used to compare the capacity of extracts prepared from different human cell lines to replicate past the cis,syn cyclobutane thymine dimer ([c,s]TT). The results demonstrated that neither nucleotide excision repair (NER) nor mismatch repair (MMR) activities in the intact cells interfered with measurements of bypass replication efficiencies in vitro. Extracts prepared from HeLa (NER- and MMR-proficient), xeroderma pigmentosum group A (NER-deficient), and HCT116 (MMR-deficient) cells displayed similar capacity for translesion synthesis, when the substrate carried the site-specific [c,s]TT on the template for the leading or the lagging strand of nascent DNA. Extracts from xeroderma pigmentosum variant cells, which lack DNA polymerase eta, were devoid of bypass activity. Bypass-proficient extracts as a group (n=16 for 3 extracts) displayed higher efficiency (P=0.005) for replication past the [c,s]TT during leading strand synthesis (84+/-22%) than during lagging strand synthesis (64+/-13%). These findings are compared to previous results concerning the bypass of the (6-4) photoproduct [Biochemistry 40 (2001) 15215] and analyzed in the context of the reported characteristics of bypass DNA polymerases implicated in translesion synthesis of UV-induced DNA lesions. Models to explain how these enzymes might interact with the DNA replication machinery are considered. An alternative pathway of bypass replication, which avoids translesion synthesis, and the mutagenic potential of post-replication repair mechanisms that contribute to the duplication of the human genome damaged by UV are discussed.

Ab initio study of the (5R)- and (5S)-TT pyrimidine h5(6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts. Implications on the design of new biologically relevant analogues

A computational study of a series of N(1)- and/or C(6)-alkyl-5,6-dihydrothymine diastereomers at theory levels up to MP4(SDTQ)/6-31G//HF/6-31G and MP2/6-311G//HF/6-31G has demonstrated the respective importance of the substituents at positions 1, 5, and 6 on the energetically favored conformation of each isomer. Results obtained both in the gas and condensed phase indicate that unsubstitution of the N(1)-position favors a half-chair conformation with the C(5) -and C(6)-substituents in the equatorial position. On the other hand, in the case of the (6S)-1,6-dimethyl-5,6-dihydrothymine, the C(6)-substituent adopts the axial position to minimize its van der Waals interactions with the N(1)-substituent. Furthermore, if the configuration at the C(5)-dihydrothymine position has no resultant influence on the total molecular free energy, when a pyrimidone substituent is introduced at the dihydrothymine C(6)-position, additional repulsive forces between the C(5)- and C(6)-substituents make the diaxially substituted half-chair conformation the most energetically favorable one. These results indicate that the observed C(6)-axially substituted conformation of the thymine-thymine pyrimidine h(5)(6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts is not necessarily induced by the macrocyclic structure. They also nicely explain the formation mechanism of these photoproduct derivatives, and allow the prediction of the conformation of new analogues.

Use of yeast transformation by oligonucleotides to study DNA lesion bypass in vivo

We have studied mutagenic specificities of DNA lesions in vivo in yeast CYC1 oligonucleotide transformation assay. We introduced two lesions into oligonucleotides. One was a nucleoside analog, 3,4-dihydro-6H,8H-pyrimido[4,5-c][1,2]oxazin-7-one 2'-deoxyriboside (dP), which is highly mutagenic to bacteria. It is supposed to be a miscoding, but otherwise good template for DNA polymerases. The other lesion was the TT pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone photoproduct, one of the typical UV lesions, which blocks DNA replication. These oligonucleotides were used to transform yeast cyc1 mutants with ochre nonsense mutation to Cyc1+. As expected from its templating properties in vitro, the transforming activity of dP-containing oligonucleotides was similar to those of unmodified oligonucleotides. Results indicated that dP may direct incorporation of guanine and adenine at a ratio of 1:20 or more in vivo. An oligonucleotide containing the photoproduct showed the transforming activity of as low as 3-5% of that of the corresponding unmodified oligonucleotide. This bypass absolutely required REV1 gene. The sequence analysis of the transformants has shown that the lesion was read as TT and TC at a ratio of 3:7, indicating its high mutagenic potential.

Further insight in the photochemistry of DNA: structure of a 2-imidazolone (5-4) pyrimidone adduct derived from the mutagenic pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photolesion by UV irradiation

Pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts represent one of the major mutagenic and carcinogenic class of DNA damage produced by UV exposure. At present, besides their conversion to their Dewar valence isomer, (6-4) photoproducts are generally believed to be photostable, and the observed biological properties of Paterno-Büchi-derived photoproducts are, thus far, exclusively attributed to these two types of compounds. Using a model system (2) relevant to DNA photochemistry, we have observed that the 5'-base moiety of the (6-4) thymine dimer 3, under far-UV radiation, is able to undergo a ring contraction leading to a 2-oxoimidazoline, 1. This unprecedented secondary photochemical reaction constitutes the first report of a major photomodification affecting (6-4) photoproducts and strongly questions the biological stability of the (6-4) adducts under UV light with 2-imidazolone (5-4) pyrimidone adducts being possibly another source of endogenous DNA damage.

Induction of T --> G and T --> A transversions by 5-formyluracil in mammalian cells

Oxidatively damaged thymine, 5-formyluracil (5-fU), was incorporated into a predetermined site of double-stranded shuttle vectors. The nucleotide sequences in which the modified base was incorporated were 5'-CFTAAG-3' and 5'-CTFAAG-3' (F represents 5-fU), the recognition site for the restriction enzyme AflII (5'-CTTAAG-3'). The 5-fU was incorporated into a template strand of either the leading or lagging strand of DNA replication. The modified DNAs were transfected into simian COS-7 cells, and the DNAs replicated in the cells were recovered and were analyzed after the second transfection into Escherichia coli. The 5-fU did not block DNA replication in mammalian cells. The 5-fU residues were weakly mutagenic, and their mutation frequencies in double-stranded vectors were 0.01-0.04%. The T --> G and T --> A transversions were the mutations found most frequently, suggesting the formation of 5-fU.C and 5-fU.T base pairs, respectively. This is the first report that clearly shows the induction of transversion mutations by an oxidized pyrimidine base in DNA in mammalian cells.

Structural study of DNA duplexes containing the (6-4) photoproduct by fluorescence resonance energy transfer

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments have been performed to elucidate the structural features of oligonucleotide duplexes containing the pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone photoproduct, which is one of the major DNA lesions formed at dipyrimidine sites by UV light. Synthetic 32mer duplexes with and without the (6-4) photoproduct were prepared and fluorescein and tetramethylrhodamine were attached, as a donor and an acceptor, respectively, to the aminohexyl linker at the C5 position of thymine in each strand. Steady-state and time-resolved analyses revealed that both the FRET efficiency and the fluorescence lifetime of the duplex containing the (6-4) photoproduct were almost identical to those of the undamaged duplex, while marked differences were observed for a cisplatin-modified duplex, as a model of kinked DNA. Lifetime measurements of a series of duplexes containing the (6-4) photoproduct, in which the fluorescein position was changed systematically, revealed a small unwinding at the damage site, but did not suggest a kinked structure. These results indicate that formation of the (6-4) photoproduct induces only a small change in the DNA structure, in contrast to the large kink at the (6-4) photoproduct site reported in an NMR study.

Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers are responsible for the vast majority of mutations induced by UVB irradiation in mammalian cells

The most prevalent DNA lesions induced by UVB are the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and the pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts ((6-4)PPs). It has been a long standing controversy as to which of these photoproduct is responsible for mutations in mammalian cells. Here we have introduced photoproduct-specific DNA photolyases into a mouse cell line carrying the transgenic mutation reporter genes lacI and cII. Exposure of the photolyase-expressing cell lines to photoreactivating light resulted in almost complete repair of either CPDs or (6-4)PPs within less than 3 h. The mutations produced by the remaining, nonrepaired photoproducts were scored. The mutant frequency in the cII gene after photoreactivation by CPD photolyase was reduced from 127 x 10(-5) to 34 x 10(-5) (background, 8-10 x 10(-5)). Photoreactivation with (6-4) photolyase did not lower the mutant frequency appreciably. In the lacI gene the mutant frequency after photoreactivation repair of CPDs was reduced from 148 x 10(-5) to 28 x 10(-5) (background, 6-10 x 10(-5)). Mutation spectra obtained with and without photoreactivation by CPD photolyase indicated that the remaining mutations were derived from background mutations, unrepaired CPDs, and other DNA photopoducts including perhaps a small contribution from (6-4)PPs. We conclude that CPDs are responsible for at least 80% of the UVB-induced mutations in this mammalian cell model.

Translesion synthesis by the UmuC family of DNA polymerases

Translesion synthesis is an important cellular mechanism to overcome replication blockage by DNA damage. To copy damaged DNA templates during replication, specialized DNA polymerases are required. Translesion synthesis can be error-free or error-prone. From E. coli to humans, error-prone translesion synthesis constitutes a major mechanism of DNA damage-induced mutagenesis. As a response to DNA damage during replication, translesion synthesis contributes to cell survival and induced mutagenesis. During 1999-2000, the UmuC superfamily had emerged, which consists of the following prototypic members: the E. coli UmuC, the E. coli DinB, the yeast Rad30, the human RAD30B, and the yeast Rev1. The corresponding biochemical activities are DNA polymerases V, IV, eta, iota, and dCMP transferase, respectively. Recent studies of the UmuC superfamily are summarized and evidence is presented suggesting that this family of DNA polymerases is involved in translesion DNA synthesis.

Error-prone lesion bypass by human DNA polymerase eta

DNA lesion bypass is an important cellular response to genomic damage during replication. Human DNA polymerase eta (Pol(eta)), encoded by the Xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XPV) gene, is known for its activity of error-free translesion synthesis opposite a TT cis-syn cyclobutane dimer. Using purified human Pol(eta), we have examined bypass activities of this polymerase opposite several other DNA lesions. Human Pol(eta) efficiently bypassed a template 8-oxoguanine, incorporating an A or a C opposite the lesion with similar efficiencies. Human Pol(eta) effectively bypassed a template abasic site, incorporating an A and less frequently a G opposite the lesion. Significant -1 deletion was also observed when the template base 5' to the abasic site is a T. Human Pol(eta) partially bypassed a template (+)-trans-anti-benzo[a]pyrene-N:(2)-dG and predominantly incorporated an A, less frequently a T, and least frequently a G or a C opposite the lesion. This specificity of nucleotide incorporation correlates well with the known mutation spectrum of (+)-trans-anti-benzo[a]pyrene-N:(2)-dG lesion in mammalian cells. These results show that human Pol(eta) is capable of error-prone translesion DNA syntheses in vitro and suggest that Pol(eta) may bypass certain lesions with a mutagenic consequence in humans.

The DNA damage spectrum produced by simulated sunlight

The mutagenic effects of ultraviolet and solar irradiation are thought to be due to the formation of DNA photoproducts, most notably cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts ((6-4)PPs). Experimental systems for determining the levels and sequence dependence of photoproduct formation in DNA have often used high doses of short-wave (UVC) irradiation. We have re-assessed this issue by using DNA sequencing technologies and different doses of UVC as well as more physiologically relevant doses of solar irradiation emitted from a solar UV simulator. It has been questioned whether hot alkali treatment can detect (6-4)PPs at all sequence positions. With high UVC doses, the sequence distribution of (6-4)PPs was virtually identical when hot alkali or UV damage endonuclease (UVDE) were used for detection, which appears to validate both methods. The (6-4)PPs form at 5'-TpC and 5'CpC sequences but very low levels are seen at all other dipyrimidines including 5'-TpT. Contrary to expectation, we find that (6-4) photoproducts form at almost undetectable levels under conditions of irradiation for up to five hours with the solar UV simulator. The same treatment produces high levels of CPDs. In addition, DNA glycosylases, which recognize oxidized and ring-opened bases, did not produce significant cleavage of sunlight-irradiated DNA. From these data, we conclude that cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers are at least 20 to 40 times more frequent than any other DNA photoproduct when DNA or cells are irradiated with simulated sunlight.