DNA damage and repair responses to freezing and anoxia stresses in wood frogs, Rana sylvatica

Abstract

Wood frogs, Rana sylvatica, endure the freezing of ∼65% of total body water while overwintering in cold climates, enduring not only internal ice formation but also long-term anoxia due to cessation of heartbeat and breathing. Thawing restores perfusion but rapid reoxygenation can increase vulnerability to reactive oxygen species and induce oxidative damage. This study provides a first assessment of antioxidant capacity, DNA damage, and DNA repair responses comparing freeze/thaw and anoxia/reoxygenation in liver and skeletal muscle of wood frogs. Oxidation of guanine resides in DNA did not change under either stress but total antioxidant capacity rose in both tissues under anoxia. Relative expression of eight proteins involved in double-stranded break repair (Mre11, Rad50, phospho-p95, XLF, DNA ligase IV, XRCC4, Ku70, Rad51) were assessed in both tissues. Freezing suppressed Ku70 and Rad51 in liver and Rad51 in muscle but levels rose again after thawing. Anoxia exposure suppressed XLF, Ku70 and Rad51 proteins in muscle. However, in liver, anoxia exposure led to elevated Mre11, Ku70 and DNA ligase IV, the former two belonging to the MRN complex that binds DNA and marks sites of double stranded breaks (DSBs). Large increases in Mre11 and Ku70 expression suggested DSB damage in liver under anoxia but not during freezing, whereas muscle was resistant to DSB damage under both stresses. These data indicate that DNA damage is minimal during whole body freezing due to tissue and stress specific regulation of antioxidant capacity and DNA damage repair to preserve genomic integrity.