Ability Of Nucleotide Excision Repair Research Articles

Constitutive activation of Notch signalling and T cell activation characterize a mouse model of autism.

Gene and protein expression of BTBR T+ Itpr3tf /J (BTBR) mice with autistic-like behaviours were compared with the C57BL/6J strain, which is considered to have normal immunity and behaviour. Notch signalling pathway was constitutively activated in the immune system and liver of BTBR T+ Itpr3tf /J (BTBR) mice. Notch ligand 4 (Dll4), Notch receptors (Notch1 Notch2 and Notch3) and recombination signal binding protein for immunoglobulin κ j region (RBPJ) were increased both at gene and protein levels in BTBR spleens and thymi. Notch downstream transcriptional factors, Tbx21, Gata3, Rorc and FoxP3 were increased in BTBR spleens, Gata3 and FoxP3 were increased in BTBR thymi and BTBR mice have a high blood CD4/CD8 T cell ratio. Reduced nucleotide excision repair ability in BTBR spleens was associated with increased 8-oxoguanine, Ogg1 inhibition, an enhanced level of apoptotic thymocytes and higher expression of GATA-3. Ogg1 inhibition and enhanced GATA-3 expression also were detected in BTBR brain. Notch signal promoted mitochondrial dynamics switching to enhanced fission with an increased number and mass of mitochondria in immune cells of BTBR mice, but not in livers and brains. Constitutive influences on mitochondria exist in this mouse model of autism spectrum disorder; similar outcomes from environmental exposures might occur perinatally in susceptible individuals to affect the development of autism.

In Silico Drug Repurposing by Structural Alteration after Induced Fit: Discovery of a Candidate Agent for Recovery of Nucleotide Excision Repair in Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group D Mutant (R683W).

Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group D (XPD) is a UV-sensitive syndrome and a rare incurable genetic disease which is caused by the genetic mutation of the excision repair cross-complementation group 2 gene (ERCC2). Patients who harbor only XPD R683W mutant protein develop severe photosensitivity and progressive neurological symptoms. Cultured cells derived from patients with XPD (XPD R683W cells) demonstrate a reduced nucleotide excision repair (NER) ability. We hope to ameliorate clinical symptoms if we can identify candidate agents that would aid recovery of the cells’ NER ability. To investigate such candidates, we created in silico methods of drug repurposing (in silico DR), a strategy that utilizes the recovery of ATP-binding in the XPD R683W protein after the induced fit. We chose 4E1RCat and aprepitant as the candidates for our in silico DR, and evaluated them by using the UV-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) assay to verify the recovery of NER in XPD R683W cells. UDS values of the cells improved about 1.4–1.7 times after 4E1RCat treatment compared with solvent-only controls; aprepitant showed no positive effect. In this study, therefore, we succeeded in finding the candidate agent 4E1RCat for XPD R683W. We also demonstrated that our in silico DR method is a cost-effective approach for drug candidate discovery.

Facile preparation of a fluorescent probe to detect the cellular ability of nucleotide excision repair

We previously developed a method to detect the cellular ability of nucleotide excision repair, which functions to remove UV-induced lesions in DNA, using a plasmid-type fluorescent probe. A drawback to the popular use of this method was that the oligonucleotide containing the (6–4) photoproduct, which was used as a primer in the plasmid preparation, must be synthesized chemically. In this study, we prepared the probe using a post-synthetically UV-irradiated oligonucleotide as the primer. Transfection of cells demonstrated that this probe detected the repair ability of the cells in the same manner as the original probe.

Base damage, local sequence context and TP53 mutation hotspots: a molecular dynamics study of benzo[a]pyrene induced DNA distortion and mutability.

The mutational pattern for the TP53 tumour suppressor gene in lung tumours differs to other cancer types by having a higher frequency of G:C>T:A transversions. The aetiology of this differing mutation pattern is still unknown. Benzo[a]pyrene,diol epoxide (BPDE) is a potent cigarette smoke carcinogen that forms guanine adducts at TP53 CpG mutation hotspot sites including codons 157, 158, 245, 248 and 273. We performed molecular modelling of BPDE-adducted TP53 duplex sequences to determine the degree of local distortion caused by adducts which could influence the ability of nucleotide excision repair. We show that BPDE adducted codon 157 has greater structural distortion than other TP53 G:C>T:A hotspot sites and that sequence context more distal to adjacent bases must influence local distortion. Using TP53 trinucleotide mutation signatures for lung cancer in smokers and non-smokers we further show that codons 157 and 273 have the highest mutation probability in smokers. Combining this information with adduct structural data we predict that G:C>T:A mutations at codon 157 in lung tumours of smokers are predominantly caused by BPDE. Our results provide insight into how different DNA sequence contexts show variability in DNA distortion at mutagen adduct sites that could compromise DNA repair at well characterized cancer related mutation hotspots.

Differential anti-proliferative properties of novel hydroxydicarboxylatoplatinum(II) complexes with high or low reactivity with thiols

We have examined the anti-proliferative effect of 13 recently synthesised platinum dicarboxylate complexes, very similar in their chemical, structural and kinetic properties to carboplatin. We used the L5178Y model: two murine lymphoma sublines, which differ in nucleotide excision repair ability and hence, in sensitivity to those platinum complexes that react with DNA. The anti-proliferative effect of the examined compounds mainly depends on the kind of amine ligand. Complexes with the primary amine (ethylenediamine) are more effective than complexes containing the tertiary amine (1-alkylimidazole). The ethylenediaminemalatoplatinum(II) complexes show a differential in vitro anti-proliferative activity in the L5178Y model; hence, it may be expected that they inflict DNA lesions that are repaired by the nucleotide excision system. The cytotoxicity of these complexes is directly correlated with reactivity with glutathione (GSH). The 1-alkylimidazole complexes are of low toxicity and moderate to low reactivity with GSH; in contrast to the ethylenediaminemalatoplatinum(II) complexes, their cytotoxicity is inversely correlated with reactivity with GSH. Two of the 1-alkylimidazole complexes, bis(1-ethylimidazole)( l-malato)platinum(II) and bis(1-propylimidazole ( l-malato)platinum(II), show a considerable ability to arrest cells in G2 phase. We expect that the properties of these two groups of platinum complexes may be exploited in combined platinum complex treatment and irradiation.

Mechanisms of DNA damage recognition in mammalian nucleotide excision repair

The ability of nucleotide excision repair (NER) to process multiple forms of DNA damage is highly dependent on the precision by which DNA modifications are located in the genome. Studies of mammalian NER have shown that this system eliminates a wide range of chemically and structurally distinct DNA lesions whereby some types of damage are repaired at higher rates than others. Although the biochemical basis for this broad but heterogeneous response to DNA damage is poorly understood, recent discoveries in closely related areas of DNA metabolism indicate that selectivity for specific sites is achieved through the assembly of nucleoprotein complexes, in which DNA is frequently bent and unwound. In many cases, selectivity may be further enhanced by the action of specialized DNA helicases. These principles in protein-DNA recognition suggest a hypothetical mechanism of damage recognition that accounts for the wide substrate range of mammalian NER and also accommodates its preference for specific DNA lesions.

DNA binding and mutagenicity of ethyl methanesulfonate in wild-type and uvr B cells of Salmonella typhimurium

The extent of DNA ethylation and the influence of excision repair on ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis of Salmonella typhimurium were examined. The relationship between the dose to DNA and the exposure concentration of EMS was linear. EMS induction of his + revertants followed exponential kinetics and did not parallel the increase in total DNA ethylation. Mutant induction was influenced by the cells' nucleotide excision repair ability. Although mutagenized to a larger extent than the wild-type ( uvr +) strain at high doses, the uvrB strain was more resistant to the mutagenic effect of low doses of EMS.