phosphorus-radioisotopes and phosphoglycolate

We have used a 32P-postlabelling assay to examine the activity of purified Esherichia coli endonuclease IV, human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease I and human cell-free extracts towards irradiated DNA. The assay can detect thymine glycols, 3'-phosphoglycolate groups and at least one other major lesion that has yet to be fully characterized. It was observed that endonuclease IV removed the phosphoglycolates and the uncharacterized lesion(s) suggesting that the latter are abasic sites with modified deoxyribose residues. The purified human enzyme acted only on the phosphoglycolate residues. Cell-free extract, prepared from A549 lung carcinoma cells by sonication or treatment with toluene, efficiently removed the phosphoglycolate and unknown lesions, but was less reactive towards thymine glycols. The extract was completely inactivated by heating at 60 degrees C for 10 min. Removal of the unknown product and phosphoglycolate did not require magnesium, but 1 mM EDTA did inhibit release of the latter. The cell-free extract exhibited substantially more activity towards native than heat-denatured DNA. A comparison of extracts prepared from 4 cell lines displaying a range of radiosensitivities, including an ataxia telangiectasia cell line, showed that all contained similar levels of repair activity towards the detectable lesions.

Topics: Cell Extracts; Cell Survival; Deoxyribonuclease I; Deoxyribonuclease IV (Phage T4-Induced); DNA; DNA Damage; DNA Repair; DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase; DNA, Single-Stranded; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Proteins; Gamma Rays; Glycolates; Humans; Lyases; Magnesium; Nucleic Acid Denaturation; Phosphorus Radioisotopes; Thymine; Tumor Cells, Cultured

A 32-P-postlabeling assay has been developed that permits detection of several radiogenic base and sugar lesions of DNA at the femtomole level. The technique is based on the inability of DNase I and snake venom phosphodiesterase to cleave the internucleotide phosphodiester bond immediately 5' to the site of damage so that complete digestion of irradiated DNA with these nucleases and alkaline phosphatase yields lesion-bearing "dinucleoside" monophosphates. Because these fragments contain an unmodified nucleoside at the 5'-end of each molecule, they can be readily phosphorylated by T4 polynucleotide kinase and [gamma-32P]ATP and analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and reverse-phase HPLC. We observed a linear induction of total damage in DNA irradiated with 5-50 Gy. Virtually no damage was detected when the DNA was irradiated in solution containing 1 M DMSO, implicating hydroxyl radicals in the formation of these lesions. Evidence for the presence of thymine glycols and phosphoglycolate groups came from (i) a comparison of the radiation-induced products with those produced by OsO4 and KMnO4 and (ii) incubation of irradiated DNA with Escherichia coli endonuclease III and exonuclease III before analysis by the postlabeling procedure. This was confirmed by comigration of the radiogenic products with chemically synthesized markers. G values of 0.0022 and 0.0105 mumol J-1 were obtained for thymine glycol and phosphoglycolate production, respectively. The identity of the 5'-nucleotide of each isolated compound was obtained by nuclease P1 digestion. This analysis of nearest-neighbor bases to thymine glycols and phosphoglycolates indicated a nonrandom interaction between radiation-induced hydroxyl radicals and DNA.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Alkaline Phosphatase; Deoxyribonuclease I; DNA; DNA Damage; DNA Repair; Genetic Markers; Glycolates; Hydrolysis; Hydroxides; Hydroxyl Radical; Osmium Tetroxide; Phosphodiesterase I; Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; Phosphorus Radioisotopes; Phosphorylation; Polynucleotide 5'-Hydroxyl-Kinase; Pyrimidine Dimers; T-Phages; Thymine; X-Rays

When 32P-glycolate and phosphoglycolate phosphatase from spinach are mixed, 32P is incorporated into acid precipitated protein. Properties that relate the phosphorylation of the enzyme to the phosphatase are: the Km value for P-glycolate is similar for protein phosphorylation and substrate hydrolysis; the 32P in the phosphoenzyme is diluted by unlabeled P-glycolate or the specific alternative substrate, ethyl-P; the activator Cl- enhances the effectiveness of ethyl-P as a substrate and as an inhibitor of the formation of 32P-enzyme; and 32P is lost from the enzyme when 32P-glycolate is consumed. The phosphorylated protein has a molecular weight of 34,000, which is half that of the native protein and is similar in size to the labeled band that is seen on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. The enzyme-bound phosphoryl group appears to be an acylphosphate from its pH stability, being quite stable at pH 1, less stable at pH 5, and very unstable above pH 5. The bond is readily hydrolyzed in acid molybdate and it is sensitive to cleavage by hydroxylamine at pH 6.8. The demonstration of enzyme phosphorylation by 32P-glycolate resolves the dilemma presented by initial rate studies in which alternative substrates appeared to have different mechanisms (Rose, Z. B., Grove, D. S., and Seal, S. N. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 10996-11002).

Topics: Chromatography, Gel; Chromatography, Ion Exchange; Enzyme Stability; Glycolates; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Phosphoproteins; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; Phosphorus Radioisotopes; Plants; Protein Binding; Tritium