Transfection of the DNA polymerase-alpha gene

Enhanced expression of alpha-type DNA polymerase genes reduces AZT cytotoxicity in hamster tr5 cells

To study the mechanism of azidothymidine (AZT) cytotoxicity, human DNA was transfected to a variant of Chinese hamster V79 fibroblasts, the tr5 line. This cell line was used for this study for its elevated sensitivity to 5 microM AZT. Primary and secondary transfectants of tr5 cells using total human DNA and pSV2neo plasmid were selected by sequential incubations in AZT (20-50 microM), G418 (400 micrograms/ml active dose), and medium containing hypoxanthine, aminopterin, and thymidine (HAT). One DNA Alu fragment was detected in transfectants using primer TC-65, specific for human Alu sequences in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Moreover, cDNA of Chinese hamster alpha-type DNA polymerases was detected in transfectants by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) using specific oligo-primer from a DNA polymerase-alpha cDNA sequence and in elevated annealing temperatures. In untransfected tr5 cells, neither of these sequences was detected. The data suggested that the genetic basis for AZT sensitivity may be related to the expression of alpha-type DNA polymerase, and the result indicated that AZT cytotoxicity could be reversed by transfection of appropriate human DNA into tr5 cells. This animal cell model has applications for studies of AZT metabolism and the isolation of the human gene that modulates AZT cytotoxicity.

On the DNA polymerase-a mutant: immunofluorescence assay of UV-induced thymidine dimers in Aphr-4-2 cells

Aphidicolin inhibits purified DNA polymerases-a and -d in vitro and inhibits mitosis in animal cells. The Chinese hamster V79 cell mutant, Aphr-4-2, was selected for its ability to form colonies in cultured medium supplemented with 1.0 microM aphidicolin. At this concentration, the parental wild-type V79 cells (clone 743x) have a survival rate of less than 10(-7). The mutant DNA polymerase-a is resistant to aphidicolin at concentrations that are inhibitory to the wild-type V79 DNA polymerase-a. The apparent Km for dCTP of the mutant DNA polymerase-a is consistently lower than that of the wild-type DNA polymerase-a. This mutant exhibits slow growth, mutator activity, hypersensitivity, and hypermutability to UV. We wanted to know the basis of UV hypersensitivity in this mutant. Using the antisera (UV2) raised against UV-induced thymidine dimers and a sensitive immunofluorescence assay to measure UV-induced thymidine dimers and with detection in ACAS 570 Workstation, we observed that 50% of the thymidine dimers disappeared within 5 h after irradiation and more than 80% of the dimers were removed within 24 h in both cell lines. These results indicate that the recognition, incision, and excision steps in nucleotide excision repair pathway are normal in the mutant. In order to know if there is a difference in DNA polymerase-a or -d activities in the parental V79(wt) and Aphr-4-2 cells, DNA polymerases were partially purified from the parental and the mutant cells using sequential centrifugation and column chromatographies on DEAE-cellulose (DE23 and DE52) to remove DNA polymerases-beta and -gamma. More than 90% of the enzymatic activities from both cells showed characteristics of DNA polymerase-a type on the basis of these criteria: sensitivity to butyl phenyl dGTP (1 microM) and to IgG raised against DNA polymerase-a (SJK 132-20). The results indicate that DNA replication involving a mutant DNA polymerase-a with altered affinity for dCTP may be responsible for the UV sensitivity and mutability of the mutant.

The roles of DNA polymerases alpha and delta in DNA replication

The identities and precise roles of the DNA polymerase(s) involved in mammalian cell DNA replication are uncertain. Circumstantial evidence suggests that DNA polymerase alpha and at least one form of DNA polymerase delta, that which is stimulated by Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen, catalyze mammalian cell replicative DNA synthesis. Further, the in vitro properties of polymerases alpha and delta suggest a model for their coordinate action at the replication fork. The present paper summarizes the current status of DNA polymerases alpha and delta in DNA replication, and describes newly available approaches to the study of those enzymes.

Aphidicolin hypersensitive mutant of Chinese hamster V79 fibroblasts that underproduces DNA polymerase-alpha antigen

Aphidicolin is a specific inhibitor of DNA polymerase-alpha and -delta from eukaryotic cells. Because of the specificity of this inhibitor, it is potentially a useful probe for the detailed studies of the function of these polymerases. DNA polymerase-alpha mutants isolated on the basis of resistance to aphidicolin have been described. We have isolated four variants that exhibit hypersensitivities to aphidicolin (Aphhs) from Chinese hamster V79/743X fibroblasts. These variants are designated aphhs-1, aphhs-2, aphhs-3 and aphhs-4. We reported here results of studies involving immunochemical characterization. The Aphhs phenotype in all mutants was stable for at least 30 days in the absence of selection pressure. The dCTP pools in the 743X and Aphhs cell lines were not significantly different. The level of total DNA polymerase activity in the crude extract from aphhs-2 cells was 30% of that observed in the parental 743X clone. We developed a method to quantitate DNA polymerase-alpha antigen at single cells in situ using monoclonal antibody SJK 132-20 and fluorescence pseudocolor image. We found that the antigen of DNA polymerase-alpha in aphhs-2 was 30-50% of that in the parental 743X cells. The underproduction of the antigen of DNA polymerase-alpha provides a basis for the observed Aphhs phenotype. Possible mechanisms for the underproduction of DNA polymerase-alpha in aphhs-2 clone are presented.

Transfection of normal human and Chinese hamster DNA corrects diepoxybutane-induced chromosomal hypersensitivity of Fanconi anemia fibroblasts

Cultured cells from individuals affected with Fanconi anemia (FA) exhibit spontaneous chromosome breakage and hypersensitivity to the cell killing and clastogenic effects of the difunctional alkylating agent diepoxybutane (DEB). We report here the correction of both of these DEB-hypersensitivity phenotypes of FA cells achieved by cotransfection of normal placental or Chinese hamster lung cell DNA and the plasmid pSV2-neo-SVgpt. Transfectants were selected for clonogenic survival after treatment with DEB at a dose of 5 micrograms/ml. At this dose of DEB, the clonogenicity of normal fibroblasts was reduced to 50% and that of FA fibroblasts was reduced to zero. DEB-resistant (DEBr) colonies selected in this system exhibited a normal response to DEB-induced chromosome breakage and resistance to repeated DEB treatment. The neo and gpt sequences were detected by Southern blot analysis of DNA from one of four DEBr colonies independently derived from transfection of human DNA and one of three DEBr colonies independently derived from transfection of Chinese hamster DNA. In addition, Alu-equivalent hamster sequences were detected in three of seven additional independently derived colonies from transfection of Chinese hamster DNA. The DEBr phenotype of these colonies was stably maintained over several subcultures. Our results demonstrate that DNA sequences that complement the two hallmark cellular phenotypes (cellular and chromosomal hypersensitivity to alkylating agents) of FA are present in human as well as Chinese hamster DNA. The cloning of these genes using transfection strategies can be expected to enable molecular characterization of FA.

Aphidicolin-resistant mutator strains of mouse teratocarcinoma

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

Abrogation of the effects of aphidicolin on NIH3T3 and V79 cells by caffeine

In this communication I show that caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) stimulates [3H]thymidine incorporation in aphidicolin-treated V79 and NIH3T3 cells. Flow microfluorometric analysis showed that caffeine, partially or fully, abrogates the cell cycle progression block produced by aphidicolin. Increased cell growth is also observed in cultures treated with both aphidicolin and caffeine compared to cultures treated with aphidicolin only. Microscopic examination of V79 cultures treated with aphidicolin for 8 h showed a marked reduction in the frequency of round mitotic cells, as is expected from a drug which inhibits progression through the cell cycle by inhibiting DNA replication; this effect of aphidicolin was also reduced by caffeine. Biochemical analysis showed that caffeine did not directly interfere with the inhibition of DNA polymerase-alpha by aphidicolin. Analysis of dNTP pools indicated that caffeine increased the level of dCTP in V79 cells. In aphidicolin-treated V79 cells, the increase in the dCTP level due to exogenous cytidine was almost completely blocked; caffeine also substantially overcame this effect of aphidicolin. These results indicate that caffeine produces its effects on aphidicolin-treated cells by altering the dCTP metabolism.

Identification of a DNA segment containing the human DNA polymerase alpha gene

We isolated a temperature-sensitive mutant from mouse FM3A cells, designated as tsFT20, the DNA polymerase alpha activity of which is heat-labile. A hybrid clone (M6-39 cells) between human cells and tsFT20 cells contained one or two human chromosomes. M6-39 cells (primary hybrid) were exposed to gamma-ray and re-fused with tsFT20, after which we isolated two temperature-resistant secondary hybrids, both of which retained an identical minute portion of the human chromosome, 400-500 kilobase pairs (kbp). Immunological studies demonstrated that this secondary hybrid expressed human DNA polymerase alpha. Thus, the human DNA polymerase alpha gene was located within a DNA region of 400-500 kbp.

Transformation of diploid human fibroblasts by DNA transfection with the v-sis oncogene

The simian sarcoma virus (SSV) oncogene (v-sis) has a high degree of homology to the cellular gene coding for the B peptide of human platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), a potent fibroblast mitogen. The cellular homolog of v-sis is activated in some mesenchymal human tumors and cell lines derived from them. To determine the phenotype produced by v-sis in diploid human fibroblasts, we constructed plasmids containing the SSV provirus and drug-resistance markers and transfected them into early-passage human cells. Fibroblasts that had integrated the plasmid were selected for drug resistance and shown to contain and express the v-sis oncogene by DNA and RNA hybridization. The v-sis-expressing cells grew to higher saturation densities than control cells transfected with the vector plasmid alone and formed large, well defined foci. This allowed selection of transfectants directly for focus formation. The v-sis transformed cells continued to grow well in the absence of serum, whereas age-matched, vector-transfected control cells ceased replicating under these conditions so that the final difference in density between the two populations was tenfold. Incorporation of thymidine in serum-free medium by the v-sis-transformed cells was independent of exogenous PDGF. In contrast, PDGF increased thymidine incorporation in such medium by the control cells to the level found in the v-sis-transformed cells with or without added PDGF. These results suggest that expression of the v-sis oncogene in diploid human fibroblasts causes sufficient endogenous synthesis of the B chain of PDGF to allow transformants to grow to abnormally high cell densities. When individual v-sis-transformed cells were grown on a background of normal cells, this higher cell density at confluence could be visualized as a focus.

Chinese hamster ovary cell mutants resistant to DNA polymerase inhibitors. II. Segregational analysis and DNA transfection of the aphr gene

Genetic characterizations of the Chinese hamster ovary cell mutants resistant to the DNA polymerase inhibitors (aphidicolin, ara-A and ara-C) have been described. Resistance to all three inhibitors showed dominance among the progeny of somatic cell crosses between the wild type and mutant parents. Analysis of the segregation of the drug-resistant character among 566 hybrid progeny from somatic crosses between the wild type (aphs, ara-As, and ara-Cs) and the triple mutants (aphr, ara-Ar, ara-Cr) showed the involvement of at least three unlinked genes in controlling the expression of the resistance to different DNA polymerase inhibitors. The mutant (aphr) DNA was used to transfect aphidicolin resistance to recipient mouse Ltk- cells either directly or in combination with the plasmid pTK2 DNA. The aphidicolin resistance of the transfected cells was found to be a stable phenotype and could be used in multiple rounds of transfection, indicating the chromosomal integration of the transfecting gene.