O6-methylguanine DNA Methyltransferase Activity Research Articles

Enhancing Temozolomide (TMZ) chemosensitivity using CRISPR-dCas9-mediated downregulation of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT).

Glioblastoma (GBM) stands out as the most prevalent and aggressive intracranial tumor, notorious for its poor prognosis. The current standard-of-care for GBM patients involves surgical resection followed by radiotherapy, combined with concurrent and adjuvant chemotherapy using Temozolomide (TMZ). The effectiveness of TMZ primarily relies on the activity of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), which removes alkyl adducts from the O6 position of guanine at the DNA level, thereby counteracting the toxic effects of TMZ. In this study, we employed fusions of catalytically-inactive Cas9 (dCas9) to DNA methyltransferases (dCas9-DNMT3A) to selectively downregulation MGMT transcription by inducing methylation at MGMT promoter and K-M enhancer. Our findings demonstrate a significant reduction in MGMT expression, leading to intensified TMZ sensitivity in the HEK293T cell line. This study serves as a proof of concept for the utilization of CRISPR-based gene suppression to overcome TMZ resistance and enhance the lethal effect of TMZ in glioblastoma tumor cells.

Abstract CT114: BORTEM-17 - phase IB/II single arm, non-randomized controlled multicenter study investigating whether sequential bortezomib and temozolomide is safe and effective in recurrent GBM with unmethylated MGMT promoter

Abstract Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor where median survival is approx. 12 months in unselected patients, largely due to activity of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) that renders GBM resistant to temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy. There is no standard treatment for recurrent GBM patients who progress under TMZ treatment. We previously demonstrated that bortezomib (BTZ) depletes MGMT protein and sensitizes MGMT unmethylated GBM cells to TMZ in vitro and in PDX models when administered in precise dose and sequential schedule. TMZ dose escalation in phase IB part of the trial was tolerated, safe and associated with immunological responses in selected patients. We hypothesized that recurrent GBM patients with unmethylated MGMT promoter may obtain clinical benefit from sequential combination of BTZ and TMZ treatment. Methods: The sample size was calculated to 63 patients for this phase IB/II study, 10 were included in the phase IB and the rest are ongoing in phase II. A cohort of 467 patients treated at Oslo and Haukeland University Hospitals were used as controls. We report interim results of n=32 MGMT unmethylated recurrent GBM patients progressing at least 12 weeks after completion of postoperative radiotherapy, with adequate organ function, Karnofsky performance status (KPS) ≥70 and radiologically measurable lesions treated on BORTEM-17 protocol. The patients received intravenous BTZ 1.3mg/m2 on days 1,4,7, during each 4-week chemotherapy cycle starting on day 3 with per oral TMZ at 200mg/m2 5 days/week. Mantel-Cox regression analyses was used to calculate survival. Results: Until January 2022, 32 patients with median age 54 yrs (range 25-66 yrs), 23 male and 9 female were treated at 3 different referral university hospitals in Norway. 81% (26/32) were IDH wt. Median KPS was 90 (70-100) and median NANO score was 1 (0-7). 9/32 patients are still alive. Preliminary data indicates 20% of patients showed clinical and radiological responses, where 4/6 (67%) obtained partial response and 2/6 (33%) had stable disease. BORTEM-17 patients’ median survival was significantly better than all controls (23.7 months vs 12.1 months) HR0.61, 95% CI [0.44-0.85], P=0.003. The Median survival for BORTEM-17 patients was 23.7 months vs 11.4 months for control MGMT unmethylated patients HR0.46, 95% CI [0.33-0.63], P<0.0001. When adjusted for age, BORTEM-17 patients’ median survival was 23.7 months vs 12.9 months of control MGMT unmethylated patients HR0.51, 95% CI [0.34-0.75], P=0.0007. Patients’ self-reported quality of life was good. Majority of the side effects were mild or moderate. Patients with disease progression from the study received another line of treatment according to the institutional practice. Conclusion: Combination of BTZ and TMZ administered sequentially is safe. Interim analysis indicates objective radiological response and increased median survival of MGMT unmethylated patients. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03643549 Citation Format: Dorota Goplen, Mohummad Aminur Rahman, Jorunn Brekke, Victoria Arnesen, Anne Simonsen, Andreas Waha, Kirstin Marienhagen, Leif Oltedal, Judit Haasz, Hrvoje Miletic, Tora Skeidsvoll Solheim, Petter Brandal, Stein Atle Lie, Martha Chekenya. BORTEM-17 - phase IB/II single arm, non-randomized controlled multicenter study investigating whether sequential bortezomib and temozolomide is safe and effective in recurrent GBM with unmethylated MGMT promoter [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr CT114.

A simple and rapid mix-and-read assay for sensitive detection of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase.

We have developed a simple and rapid mix-and-read assay for the sensitive detection of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) activity based on exonuclease III-assisted signal amplification under completely isothermal conditions (37 °C). This method is very simple and rapid (60 min) with ultrahigh sensitivity and good specificity, and it can detect MGMT activity at the single-cell level. Moreover, this method can be applied for the screening of MGMT inhibitors and the discrimination of MGMT in different cancer cells.

3-Bromopyruvate regulates the status of glycolysis and BCNU sensitivity in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Chloroethylnitrosoureas (CENUs) are bifunctional antitumor alkylating agents, which exert their antitumor activity through inducing the formation of dG-dC interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) within DNA double strand. However, the complex process of tumor biology enables tumor cells to escape the killing triggered by CENUs, as for instance with the detoxifying activity of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) to accomplish DNA damage repair. Considering the fact that most tumor cells highly depend on aerobic glycolysis to provide energy for survival even in the presence of oxygen (Warburg effect), inhibition of aerobic glycolysis may be an attractive strategy to overcome the resistance and improve the chemotherapeutic effects of CENUs. Especially, 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA), a small molecule alkylating agent, has been emerged as an effective glycolytic inhibitor (energy blocker) in cancer treatment. In view of its tumor specificity and inhibition on cellular multiple targets, it is likely to reduce the chemoresistance when chemotherapeutic drugs are combined with 3-BrPA. In this study, we investigated the effects of 3-BrPA on the chemosensitivity of two human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines to the cytotoxic effects of l,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) and the underlying molecular mechanism. The sensitivity of SMMC-7721 and HepG2 cells to BCNU was significantly increased by 2 h pretreatment with micromolar dosage of 3-BrPA. Moreover, 3-BrPA decreased the cellular ATP and GSH levels, and extracellular lactate excreted by tumor cells, and the effects were more effective when 3-BrPA was combined with BCNU. Cellular hexokinase-II (HK-II) activity was also reduced after exposure to the treatment of 3-BrPA plus BCNU. Based on the above results, the effects of 3-BrPA on the formation of dG-dC ICLs induced by BCNU was investigated by stable isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS). The results indicated that BCNU produced higher levels of dG-dC ICLs in SMMC-7721 and HepG2 cells pretreated with 3-BrPA compared to that without 3-BrPA pretreatment. Notably, in MGMT-deficient HepG2 cells, the levels of dG-dC ICLs were significantly higher than MGMT-proficient SMMC-7721 cells. In general, these findings revealed that 3-BrPA, as an effective glycolytic inhibitor, may be considered as a potential clinical chemosensitizer to optimize the therapeutic index of CENUs.

Oncolytic adenovirus-expressed RNA interference of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase activity may enhance the antitumor effects of temozolomide.

Temozolomide (TMZ) is an example of an alkylating agent, which are known to be effective anticancer drugs for the treatment of various solid tumors, including glioma and melanoma. TMZ acts predominantly through the mutagenic product O6-methylguanine, a cytotoxic DNA lesion. The DNA repair enzyme, O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), which functions in the resistance of cancers to TMZ, can repair this damage. RNA interference (RNAi) has been previously shown to be a potent tool for the knockdown of genes, and has potential for use in cancer treatment. Oncolytic adenoviruses not only have the ability to destroy cancer cells, but may also be possible vectors for the expression of therapeutic genes. We therefore hypothesized that the oncolytic virus-mediated RNAi of MGMT activity may enhance the antitumor effect of TMZ and provide a promising method for cancer therapy.

Glutathione S-Transferase and O6-Methylguanine DNA Methyl Transferase Activities in Patients with Thyroid Papillary Carcinoma

Alkylating agents, which are metabolized by glutathione S-transferase (GST), have an important role in the etiology of cancer by forming mutagenic DNA adducts. Previous studies have shown that DNA repair protein, O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase, repairs these mutagenic DNA adducts and its activity is correlated with the resistance of human tumors to alkylating agent-based anti-cancer drugs. However, little is known about GST and O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase activities in patients with thyroid cancer in vivo. We measured the activities of GST and O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase in the leukocytes from patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma and healthy controls. The GST activity was significantly higher in men than in women, and it was negative correlated with age in men whereas it was unchanged in women in the control group. Both GST and O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase activities were significantly increased in the patient group. There were no age and sex-related changes in the O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase activity in both the control and patient groups. These results suggest that leukocyte GST and O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase activities were increased with thyroid cancer. This may be related to the resistance to chemotherapy exhibited by patients with thyroid cancer.

DNA repair methyltransferase (Mgmt) knockout mice are sensitive to the lethal effects of chemotherapeutic alkylating agents.

We have generated mice deficient in O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase activity encoded by the murine Mgmt gene using homologous recombination to delete the region encoding the Mgmt active site cysteine. Tissues from Mgmt null mice displayed very low O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase activity, suggesting that Mgmt constitutes the major, if not the only, O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase. Primary mouse embryo fibroblasts and bone marrow cells from Mgmt -/- mice were significantly more sensitive to the toxic effects of the chemotherapeutic alkylating agents 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea, streptozotocin and temozolomide than those from Mgmt wild-type mice. As expected, Mgmt-deficient fibroblasts and bone marrow cells were not sensitive to UV light or to the crosslinking agent mitomycin C. In addition, the 50% lethal doses for Mgmt -/- mice were 2- to 10-fold lower than those for Mgmt +/+ mice for 1,3-bis(2chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea, N-methyl-N-nitrosourea and streptozotocin; similar 50% lethal doses were observed for mitomycin C. Necropsies of both wild-type and Mgmt -/mice following drug treatment revealed histological evidence of significant ablation of hematopoietic tissues, but such ablation occurred at much lower doses for the Mgmt -/- mice. These results demonstrate the critical importance of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase in protecting cells and animals against the toxic effects of alkylating agents used for cancer chemotherapy.

Creation of a Fully Functional Human Chimeric DNA Repair Protein: COMBINING O6-METHYLGUANINE DNA METHYLTRANSFERASE (MGMT) AND AP ENDONUCLEASE (APE/REDOXEFFECTOR FACTOR 1 (Ref 1)) DNA REPAIR PROTEINS

A dose-limiting toxicity of certain chemotherapeutic alkylating agents is their toxic effects on nontarget tissues such as the bone marrow. To overcome the myelosuppression observed by chemotherapeutic alkylating agents, one approach is to increase the level of DNA repair proteins in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Toward this goal, we have constructed a human fusion protein consisting of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase coupled with an apurinic endonuclease, resulting in a fully functional protein for both O6-methylguanine and apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) site repair as determined by biochemical analysis. The chimeric protein protected AP endonuclease-deficient Escherichia coli cells against methyl methanesulfonate and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) damage. A retroviral construct expressing the chimeric protein also protected HeLa cells against 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea and methyl methanesulfonate cytotoxicity either when these agents were used separately or in combination. Moreover, as predicted from previous analysis, truncating the amino 150 amino acids of the apurinic endonuclease portion of the O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase-apurinic endonuclease protein resulted in the retention of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase activity but loss of all AP endonuclease activity. These results demonstrate that the fusion of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase and apurinic endonuclease proteins into a combined single repair protein can result in a fully functional protein retaining the repair activities of the individual repair proteins. These and other related constructs may be useful for protection of sensitive tissues and, therefore, are candidate constructs to be tested in preclinical models of chemotherapy toxicity.

O6-Methylgaunine-DNA Methyltransferase Activity in Cerebral Gliomas: A guidance for nitrosourea treatment?

The activity of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (O6-MT), which removes O6-methyl residues from O6-methylguanine-DNA leading to cell death, has been reported to correlate with sensitivity to nitrosoureas used for chemotherapy of gliomas. We determined O6-MT activity in tumors and matched brain tissue from patients with gliomas. Histological diagnoses were: six malignant astrocytomas, two glioblastomas, two oligodendrogliomas, one ependymoma, and one medulloblastoma. In all cases but one, the activity ranged widely from 39 to 258 fmol/mg protein extract. The wide range of activity of the tumor tissue may indicate varying degree of sensitivity to nitrosoureas. The activity of brain tissue, available from the peritumoral region of five cases, varied between 38 to 415 fmol/mg. Four of the five regions showed a higher value than the respective tumor, and one showed a lower value.

Age dependence of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase activity and its depletion after carcinogen treatment in the teleost medaka (Oryzias latipes)

O6-Methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (O6-MT) is considered to play an important role in the repair of DNA lesions induced by alkylating carcinogens in a wide range of animals. The activity of O6-MT was compared in liver extracts from the teleost medaka (Oryzias latipes) at various ages (3–5 years old) reared under natural conditions. O6-MT activity decreased significantly with advancing age.When medaka were exposed continuously to the alkylating agent methylazomethanol (MAM) acetate at levels of 0.1, 0.15 and 0.3 ppm in water, O6-MT activity was markedly reduced from days 1 to 7, with a slight increase thereafter. Furthermore, when fish were exposed to MAM acetate at levels of 1–2 ppm for 1 h and then maintained in normal tap water, O6-MT activity remained suppressed for 2 weeks, followed by a partial recovery.

Expression of ribosomal phosphoprotein PO is induced by antitumor agents and increased in Mer− human tumor cell lines

We initiated this study to determine whether three structurally related bifunctional alkylating agents could induce the expression of a presumptive human DNA repair gene. The gene chosen for this study is known to encode the ribosomal phosphoprotein PO, but ironically may also share functions related to DNA repair. We now show by Northern analysis that PO is induced by L-phenylalanine mustard, 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide and mechlorethamine, which are DNA-damaging agents commonly used as chemotherapeutic antitumor agents. In further support of its involvement in DNA repair is the finding of a 30- to 50-fold constitutive overexpression of the PO gene in human tumor cell lines that are Mer-, cells which lack O6-methylguanine methyltransferase activity, when compared to Mer+ cell lines. This constitutively elevated level of PO in Mer- cell lines, which are thus DNA repair defective for O6-alkyguanine lesions, was not observed for other genes tested, including the human ribosomal gene S17 whose mRNA steady-state levels were uniformly the same in both Mer- and Mer+ cells. Taking these data together, it appears that increased levels of PO are somehow linked to DNA repair, and increased expression of PO may compensate for the decreased O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase activity in Mer- cells. Furthermore, the PO gene has also been shown to be overexpressed in colorectal tumors and polyps and the sera of some systemic lupus erythematosus patients contain antibodies against PO. The titer of the anti-PO antibodies rises significantly during lupus psychosis.

Carmustine-induced toxicity, DNA crosslinking and O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase activity in two human lung cancer cell lines.

O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (O6-MT) probably plays an important role in the repair of chloroethylnitrosourea-induced DNA damage. O6-MT was studied as a possible drug resistance factor in two human lung cancer cell lines, one small cell lung cancer (U1690) and one non-small cell lung cancer (U1810), with different sensitivities to carmustine. The U1810 cell line was 3.4-fold more resistant to carmustine than U1690 cells, although the two cell lines were equally sensitive to mustine, melphalan and cisplatin. A 23-fold higher level of DNA interstrand crosslinks was observed following exposure of U1690 cells to carmustine compared with U1810 cells. The O6-MT activity of U1810 cells was 11 times higher than that of U1690 cells. The O6-MT activity in the U1810 cells showed a dose-dependent decrease after exposure to carmustine. These results show a correlation between increased O6-MT activity, decreased drug induced DNA interstrand crosslinking and cellular resistance to carmustine.

O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase and human cancer chemotherapy.

Two kinds of human tumor cell strains having different activity of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (O6-MT) were transplanted into nude mice. Then the mice were injected intraperitoneally with bifunctional alkylating agent 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl) methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea hydrochloride (ACNU). The tumors with low O6-MT activity were quickly suppressed or cured. The result suggests that some tumors, if provisionally determined with low O6-MT activity, might be efficiently cured by treatment with ACNU. This probably opens a new way for human cancer chemotherapy.

The activity of O6-methylguanine DNA methyl-transferase in livers of ducks from Qidong and Qingpu

O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (O6-AT) is an enzyme for the repair of the promutagenic structure, O6-alkylguanine, from alkylated DNA, therefore low activity of O6-AT is involved in the predisposition of tissues to some nitrosamines and the development of cancer. The levels of O6-AT in livers of ducks from Qidong (Qd), a high incidence area of liver cancer, and from Qingpu(Qp), a relatively low incidence area were determined in this study. The results showed that the activity of O6-AT was higher in Qp than in Qd. It suggested that some nitrosamine in Qd might be one of factors responsible for the higher incidence of ducks liver cancer, because these ducks were more sensitive to nitrosamine.

Linkage between O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (O6-MT) activity and cellular resistance to antitumour nitrosoureas in cultured rat brain tumour cell strains

We have examined O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (O6-MT) activity of rat brain tumour cell strains with reference to cellular resistance to antitumour nitrosoureas, 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea hydrochloride (nimustine, ACNU) and methyl-6-[3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosoureido]-6-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyrano side (ramustine, MCNU). The values of O6-MT activity were 52 and 160 fmol/mg protein extract in 9L and C6 rat brain tumour cells, respectively; while HeLa S3 cells, as a methyl excision repair positive (Mer+) cell strain, revealed a rather high value of 488 fmol/mg. 9L cells indicative of a low O6-MT activity showed 13 microM for ACNU and 18 microM for MCNU at a 10% survival dose (SD10), determined by a clonogenic cell assay as an index of cellular resistance. In contrast to this, C6 cells revealed a SD10 value of 67 microM and 36 microM for ACNU and MCNU, respectively, indicating higher resistance than 9L cells. HeLa S3 cells showed the highest SD10 value as follows: 84 microM for ACNU and 73 microM for MCNU. The relationship between the O6-MT activity and the cellular resistance was almost linear, with relatively resistant cell lines exhibiting the higher levels of the O6-MT activity. This correlation between the O6-MT activity and the cellular resistance to nitrosoureas as ACNU and MCNU was not observed among other antitumour drugs, which included bleomycin (BLM), neocarzinostatin (NCS), cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (CDDP), and etoposide (VP-16) in clinical use for brain tumour chemotherapy. This indicates that O6-MT activity can be an indicator of cellular resistance to antitumour nitrosoureas in the chemotherapy of brain tumours.

DNA alkylation repair and the induction of cell death and sister chromatid exchange in human cells.

Mer- human cells, which lack O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase activity, are extremely sensitive to alkylation induced killing, mutation and sister chromatid exchange. We have analyzed a Mer+, a Mer-, and a Mer- revertant HeLa cell line and found that the methyltransferase deficiency correlates with increased levels of mutation and sister chromatid exchange, but does not correlate with increased killing of Mer- HeLa cells by alkylating agents. Furthermore, we show that HeLa Mer- cells repair N-3-methylguanine and N-3-methyladenine just as efficiently as HeLa Mer+ cells.

Hybrids between human tumor cell strains differing in repair of MNNG-produced DNA damage.

Human tumor cell strains with differing responses to MNNG damage in their DNA were treated with precipitates of the plasmids pSV2gpt or pSV2neo . Transfected clones were selected on the basis of the drug resistance which each plasmid confers. Cells with different drug resistances were fused and hybrids were selected in medium requiring the expression of both markers. Hybrids produced by fusion of two different strains hypersensitive to MNNG-produced cytotoxicity and which lack the DNA repair enzyme O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase ( O6MT ) failed to show complementation, suggesting that these strains share a common genetic defect. Hybrids from fusions of each of three strains containing O6MT activity with the same strain lacking O6MT activity were of surprising character. In one case the hybrid had resistance to MNNG-produced cell killing and O6MT activity similar to the parent strain possessing O6MT activity. In a second case, the hybrid had greater resistance to MNNG produced cytotoxicity than either parent strain although the level of O6MT activity was not higher. In a third case, the hybrid had little or no O6MT and as great hypersensitivity to MNNG-produced cytotoxicity as the parent strain lacking O6MT activity. We conclude that the survival of human tumor cell strains after MNNG-produced DNA damage is controlled by several genes. Even individual repair enzymes, like O6MT , are likely to be regulated by the interaction of these genes.