Role of endonuclease III enzymes in uracil repair.

Endonuclease III is a DNA glycosylase previously known for its repair activity on oxidative pyrimidine damage. Uracil is a deamination product derived from cytosine. Uracil DNA N-glycosylase (UNG) and mismatch-specific uracil DNA glycosylase (MUG) are two known repair enzymes with enzymatic activity on uracil in E. coli. Here we report a G/U specific uracil DNA glycosylase activity in E. coli endonuclease III (endo III, Nth), which is comparable to MUG but significantly lower than its thymine glycol DNA glycosylase activity. The possibility that the novel activity is due to contamination is ruled out by expressing the wild type nth gene and an active site mutant in a uracil-repair-deficient genetic background. Consistent with the biochemical analysis, analyses of lac+ reversion and mutation frequencies in the presence of human AID induced cytosine deamination indicate the endo III can play a role in repair of cytosine deamination. In addition to E. coli, UDG activity is found in endo III homologs from other organisms. E. coli nucleoside diphosphate kinase (Ndk) was also tested for UDG activity because it was previously reported as an uracil repair enzyme. Under the assay conditions, very limited UDG activity was detected in single-stranded uracil-containing DNA from E. coli Ndk and no UDG activity was detected in human Ndk homologs. This study provides definitive clarification on uracil repair by endo III and reveals that endonuclease III is a G/U-specific UDG that can be viewed as a prototype for the human MBD4 uracil DNA glycosylase.

The PX Motif of DNA Binds Specifically to Escherichia coli DNA Polymerase I.

The PX motif of DNA is a four-stranded structure in which two parallel juxtaposed double-helical domains are fused by crossovers at every point where the strands approach each other. Consequently, its twist and writhe are approximately half of those of conventional DNA. This property has been shown to relax supercoiled plasmid DNA under circumstances in which head-to-head homology exists within the plasmid; the homology can be either complete homology or every-other-half-turn homology, known as PX homology. It is clearly of interest to establish whether the cell contains proteins that interact with this unusual and possibly functional motif. We have examined Escherichia coli extracts to seek such a protein. We find by gel mobility studies that the PX motif is apparently bound by a cellular component. Fractionation of this binding activity reveals that the component is DNA polymerase I (Pol I). Although the PX motif binds to Pol I, we find that PX-DNA is not able to serve as a substrate for the extension of a shortened strand. We cannot say at this time whether the binding is a coincidence or whether it represents an activity of Pol I that is currently unknown. We have modeled the interaction of Pol I and PX-DNA using symmetry considerations and molecular dynamics.

The role of sequence context, nucleotide pool balance and stress in 2'-deoxynucleotide misincorporation in viral, bacterial and mammalian RNA.

The misincorporation of 2'-deoxyribonucleotides (dNs) into RNA has important implications for the function of non-coding RNAs, the translational fidelity of coding RNAs and the mutagenic evolution of viral RNA genomes. However, quantitative appreciation for the degree to which dN misincorporation occurs is limited by the lack of analytical tools. Here, we report a method to hydrolyze RNA to release 2'-deoxyribonucleotide-ribonucleotide pairs (dNrN) that are then quantified by chromatography-coupled mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Using this platform, we found misincorporated dNs occurring at 1 per 103 to 105 ribonucleotide (nt) in mRNA, rRNAs and tRNA in human cells, Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and, most abundantly, in the RNA genome of dengue virus. The frequency of dNs varied widely among organisms and sequence contexts, and partly reflected the in vitro discrimination efficiencies of different RNA polymerases against 2'-deoxyribonucleoside 5'-triphosphates (dNTPs). Further, we demonstrate a strong link between dN frequencies in RNA and the balance of dNTPs and ribonucleoside 5'-triphosphates (rNTPs) in the cellular pool, with significant stress-induced variation of dN incorporation. Potential implications of dNs in RNA are discussed, including the possibilities of dN incorporation in RNA as a contributing factor in viral evolution and human disease, and as a host immune defense mechanism against viral infections.

Conserved structural chemistry for incision activity in structurally non-homologous apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease APE1 and endonuclease IV DNA repair enzymes.

Non-coding apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites in DNA form spontaneously and as DNA base excision repair intermediates are the most common toxic and mutagenic in vivo DNA lesion. For repair, AP sites must be processed by 5' AP endonucleases in initial stages of base repair. Human APE1 and bacterial Nfo represent the two conserved 5' AP endonuclease families in the biosphere; they both recognize AP sites and incise the phosphodiester backbone 5' to the lesion, yet they lack similar structures and metal ion requirements. Here, we determined and analyzed crystal structures of a 2.4 Å resolution APE1-DNA product complex with Mg(2+) and a 0.92 Å Nfo with three metal ions. Structural and biochemical comparisons of these two evolutionarily distinct enzymes characterize key APE1 catalytic residues that are potentially functionally similar to Nfo active site components, as further tested and supported by computational analyses. We observe a magnesium-water cluster in the APE1 active site, with only Glu-96 forming the direct protein coordination to the Mg(2+). Despite differences in structure and metal requirements of APE1 and Nfo, comparison of their active site structures surprisingly reveals strong geometric conservation of the catalytic reaction, with APE1 catalytic side chains positioned analogously to Nfo metal positions, suggesting surprising functional equivalence between Nfo metal ions and APE1 residues. The finding that APE1 residues are positioned to substitute for Nfo metal ions is supported by the impact of mutations on activity. Collectively, the results illuminate the activities of residues, metal ions, and active site features for abasic site endonucleases.

Human endonuclease V as a repair enzyme for DNA deamination.

The human endonuclease V gene is located in chromosome 17q25.3 and encodes a 282 amino acid protein that shares about 30% sequence identity with bacterial endonuclease V. This study reports biochemical properties of human endonuclease V with respect to repair of deaminated base lesions. Using soluble proteins fused to thioredoxin at the N-terminus, we determined repair activities of human endonuclease V on deoxyinosine (I)-, deoxyxanthosine (X)-, deoxyoxanosine (O)- and deoxyuridine (U)-containing DNA. Human endonuclease V is most active with deoxyinosine-containing DNA but with minor activity on deoxyxanthosine-containing DNA. Endonuclease activities on deoxyuridine and deoxyoxanosine were not detected. The endonuclease activity on deoxyinosine-containing DNA follows the order of single-stranded I>G/I>T/I>A/I>C/I. The preference of the catalytic activity correlates with the binding affinity of these deoxyinosine-containing DNAs. Mg(2+) and to a much less extent, Mn(2+), Ni(2+), Co(2+) can support the endonuclease activity. Introduction of human endonuclease V into Escherichia coli cells deficient in nfi, mug and ung genes caused three-fold reduction in mutation frequency. This is the first report of deaminated base repair activity for human endonuclease V. The relationship between the endonuclease activity and deaminated deoxyadenosine (deoxyinosine) repair is discussed.

Defects in purine nucleotide metabolism lead to substantial incorporation of xanthine and hypoxanthine into DNA and RNA.

Deamination of nucleobases in DNA and RNA results in the formation of xanthine (X), hypoxanthine (I), oxanine, and uracil, all of which are miscoding and mutagenic in DNA and can interfere with RNA editing and function. Among many forms of nucleic acid damage, deamination arises from several unrelated mechanisms, including hydrolysis, nitrosative chemistry, and deaminase enzymes. Here we present a fourth mechanism contributing to the burden of nucleobase deamination: incorporation of hypoxanthine and xanthine into DNA and RNA caused by defects in purine nucleotide metabolism. Using Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae with defined mutations in purine metabolism in conjunction with analytical methods for quantifying deaminated nucleobases in DNA and RNA, we observed large increases (up to 600-fold) in hypoxanthine in both DNA and RNA in cells unable to convert IMP to XMP or AMP (IMP dehydrogenase, guaB; adenylosuccinate synthetase, purA, and ADE12), and unable to remove dITP/ITP and dXTP/XTP from the nucleotide pool (dITP/XTP pyrophosphohydrolase, rdgB and HAM1). Conversely, modest changes in xanthine levels were observed in RNA (but not DNA) from E. coli lacking purA and rdgB and the enzyme converting XMP to GMP (GMP synthetase, guaA). These observations suggest that disturbances in purine metabolism caused by known genetic polymorphisms could increase the burden of mutagenic deaminated nucleobases in DNA and interfere with gene expression and RNA function, a situation possibly exacerbated by the nitrosative stress of concurrent inflammation. The results also suggest a mechanistic basis for the pathophysiology of human inborn errors of purine nucleotide metabolism.

DNA sequence context conceals α-anomeric lesions.

DNA sequence context has long been known to modulate detection and repair of DNA damage. Recent studies using experimental and computational approaches have sought to provide a basis for this observation. We have previously shown that an α-anomeric adenosine (αA) flanked by cytosines (5'CαAC-3') resulted in a kinked DNA duplex with an enlarged minor groove. Comparison of different flanking sequences revealed that a DNA duplex containing a 5'CαAG-3' motif exhibits unique substrate properties. However, this substrate was not distinguished by unusual thermodynamic properties. To understand the structural basis of the altered recognition, we have determined the solution structure of a DNA duplex with a 5'CαAG-3' core, using an extensive set of restraints including dipolar couplings and backbone torsion angles. The NMR structure exhibits an excellent agreement with the data (total R(X) <5.3%). The αA base is intrahelical, in a reverse Watson-Crick orientation, and forms a weak base pair with a thymine of the opposite strand. In comparison to the DNA duplex with a 5'CαAC-3' core, we observe a significant reduction of the local perturbation (backbone, stacking, tilt, roll, and twist), resulting in a straighter DNA with narrower minor groove. Overall, these features result in a less perturbed DNA helix and obscure the presence of the lesion compared to the 5'CαAC-3' sequence. The improved stacking of the 5'CαAG-3' core also affects the energetics of the DNA deformation that is required to form a catalytically competent complex. These traits provide a rationale for the modulation of the recognition by endonuclease IV.

Cross-species Functionome analysis identifies proteins associated with DNA repair, translation and aerobic respiration as conserved modulators of UV-toxicity.

Cellular responses to DNA damage can prevent mutations and death. In this study, we have used high throughput screens and developed a comparative genomic approach, termed Functionome mapping, to discover conserved responses to UVC-damage. Functionome mapping uses gene ontology (GO) information to link proteins with similar biological functions from different organisms, and we have used it to compare 303, 311 and 288 UVC-toxicity modulating proteins from Escherichia coli, Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, respectively. We have demonstrated that all three organisms use DNA repair, translation and aerobic respiration associated processes to modulate the toxicity of UVC, with these last two categories highlighting the importance of ribosomal proteins and electron transport machinery. Our study has demonstrated that comparative genomic approaches can be used to identify conserved responses to damage, and suggest roles for translational machinery and components of energy metabolism in optimizing the DNA damage response.

Quantitative in vitro and in vivo characterization of the human P32T mutant ITPase.

Human ITPase, encoded by the ITPA gene, and its orthologs (RdgB in Escherichia coli and HAM1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae) exclude noncanonical nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs) from NTP pools. Deoxyinosine triphosphate (dITP) and 2'-deoxy-N-6-hydroxylaminopurine triphosphate are both hydrolyzed by ITPase to yield the corresponding deoxynucleoside monophosphate and pyrophosphate. In addition, metabolites of thiopurine drugs such as azathioprine have been shown to be substrates for ITPase. The ITPA 94C>A [P32T] variant is one of two polymorphisms associated with decreased ITPase activity. Furthermore, the ITPA 94C>A [P32T] variant is associated with an increased risk of adverse drug reactions for patients treated with azathioprine. The nature of the observed phenotypes for ITPA 94C>A [P32T] variant individuals is currently unclear. Our biochemical assays indicate the P32T ITPase has 55% activity with dITP compared to wild-type ITPase. Complementation experiments at 37 degrees C show that N-6-hydroxylaminopurine sensitivity of E. coli rdgB mutants is reduced with a plasmid bearing the ITPA 94C>A [P32T] gene approximately 50% less than with a plasmid bearing the wild-type ITPA gene. The reduction in sensitivity is less at 42 degrees C. Experiments with synthetic lethal E. coli recA(ts) rdgB mutants show that the ITPA 94C>A [P32T] gene also complements the recA(ts) rdgB growth deficiency at 42 degrees C approximately 40% lower than wild-type ITPA gene. Western blot analysis indicates that the expression level of P32T ITPase is reduced in these cells relative to wild type. Our data support the idea that P32T ITPase is a functional protein, albeit with a reduced rate of noncanonical NTP pyrophosphohydrolase activity and reduced protein stability.

Systems based mapping demonstrates that recovery from alkylation damage requires DNA repair, RNA processing, and translation associated networks.

The identification of cellular responses to damage can promote mechanistic insight into stress signalling. We have screened a library of 3968 Escherichia coli gene-deletion mutants to identify 99 gene products that modulate the toxicity of the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). We have developed an ontology mapping approach to identify functional categories over-represented with MMS-toxicity modulating proteins and demonstrate that, in addition to DNA re-synthesis (replication, recombination, and repair), proteins involved in mRNA processing and translation influence viability after MMS damage. We have also mapped our MMS-toxicity modulating proteins onto an E. coli protein interactome and identified a sub-network consisting of 32 proteins functioning in DNA repair, mRNA processing, and translation. Clustering coefficient analysis identified seven highly connected MMS-toxicity modulating proteins associated with translation and mRNA processing, with the high connectivity suggestive of a coordinated response. Corresponding results from reporter assays support the idea that the SOS response is influenced by activities associated with the mRNA-translation interface.

A molecular bar-coded DNA repair resource for pooled toxicogenomic screens.

DNA damage from exogenous and endogenous sources can promote mutations and cell death. Fortunately, cells contain DNA repair and damage signaling pathways to reduce the mutagenic and cytotoxic effects of DNA damage. The identification of specific DNA repair proteins and the coordination of DNA repair pathways after damage has been a central theme to the field of genetic toxicology and we have developed a tool for use in this area. We have produced 99 molecular bar-coded Escherichia coli gene-deletion mutants specific to DNA repair and damage signaling pathways, and each bar-coded mutant can be tracked in pooled format using bar-code specific microarrays. Our design adapted bar-codes developed for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene-deletion project, which allowed us to utilize an available microarray product for pooled gene-exposure studies. Microarray-based screens were used for en masse identification of individual mutants sensitive to methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). As expected, gene-deletion mutants specific to direct, base excision, and recombinational DNA repair pathways were identified as MMS-sensitive in our pooled assay, thus validating our resource. We have demonstrated that molecular bar-codes designed for S. cerevisiae are transferable to E. coli, and that they can be used with pre-existing microarrays to perform competitive growth experiments. Further, when comparing microarray to traditional plate-based screens both overlapping and distinct results were obtained, which is a novel technical finding, with discrepancies between the two approaches explained by differences in output measurements (DNA content versus cell mass). The microarray-based classification of Deltatag and DeltadinG cells as depleted after MMS exposure, contrary to plate-based methods, led to the discovery that Deltatag and DeltadinG cells show a filamentation phenotype after MMS exposure, thus accounting for the discrepancy. A novel biological finding is the observation that while DeltadinG cells filament in response to MMS they exhibit wild-type sulA expression after exposure. This decoupling of filamentation from SulA levels suggests that DinG is associated with the SulA-independent filamentation pathway.

DNA apurinic-apyrimidinic site binding and excision by endonuclease IV.

Escherichia coli endonuclease IV is an archetype for an abasic or apurinic-apyrimidinic endonuclease superfamily crucial for DNA base excision repair. Here biochemical, mutational and crystallographic characterizations reveal a three-metal ion mechanism for damage binding and incision. The 1.10-A resolution DNA-free and the 2.45-A resolution DNA-substrate complex structures capture substrate stabilization by Arg37 and reveal a distorted Zn3-ligand arrangement that reverts, after catalysis, to an ideal geometry suitable to hold rather than release cleaved DNA product. The 1.45-A resolution DNA-product complex structure shows how Tyr72 caps the active site, tunes its dielectric environment and promotes catalysis by Glu261-activated hydroxide, bound to two Zn2+ ions throughout catalysis. These structural, mutagenesis and biochemical results suggest general requirements for abasic site removal in contrast to features specific to the distinct endonuclease IV alpha-beta triose phosphate isomerase (TIM) barrel and APE1 four-layer alpha-beta folds of the apurinic-apyrimidinic endonuclease families.

Substrate specificity of RdgB protein, a deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase.

We have previously reported the identification of a DNA repair system in Escherichia coli for the prevention of the stable incorporation of noncanonical purine dNTPs into DNA. We hypothesized that the RdgB protein is active on 2'-deoxy-N-6-hydroxylaminopurine triphosphate (dHAPTP) as well as deoxyinosine triphosphate. Here we show that RdgB protein and RdgB homologs from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mouse, and human all possess deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase activity and that all four RdgB homologs have high specificity for dHAPTP and deoxyinosine triphosphate compared with the four canonical dNTPs and several other noncanonical (d)NTPs. Kinetic analysis reveals that the major source of the substrate specificity lies in changes in K(m) for the various substrates. The expression of these enzymes in E. coli complements defects that are caused by the incorporation of HAP and an endogenous noncanonical purine into DNA. Our data support a preemptive role for the RdgB homologs in excluding endogenous and exogenous modified purine dNTPs from incorporation into DNA.

Repair of thymine glycol by hNth1 and hNeil1 is modulated by base pairing and cis-trans epimerization.

Oxidation of thymine yields 5,6-dihydroxy-5,6-dihydrothymine (thymine glycol. Tg) which, as cis 5S,6R and 5R,6S 2'-deoxyribonucleoside diastereoisomers (dTg1, dTg2), are in equilibrium with their trans 5S,6S and 5R,6R epimers. The stereoselective excision of Tg from DNA by the mammalian orthologs of E. coli DNA N-glycosylase/AP lyases Nth and Nei was reported using substrates in which Tg opposed adenine. Since we showed that Tg is the major product of oxidation of 5-methylcytosine, we asked if the opposing purine influenced stereospecific enzymatic excision. The human ortholog hNth1 released Tg2 much more rapidly than Tg1 regardless of the opposing purine. In contrast, hNeil1 released Tg non-stereoselectively, but the rate of excision was much greater when Tg opposed guanine. Remarkably, the kinetics of excision of Tg by hNth1 and hNeil1 were biphasic, describing a double exponential curve which yielded two rate constants. We suggest that the greater rate constant describes the rate of enzymatic excision of Tg. The smaller rate constant represents the equilibrium constant for the cis and trans epimerization of dTg1 and dTg2 in high molecular weight DNA. Thus, only one of the epimers of dTg1 and dTg2 are enzymatically processed but it is not yet known whether it is cis or trans. Thus, base excision repair of Tg in mammals is mediated by at least two DNA N-glycosylase/AP lyases which are affected by the nature of the diastereoisomer of dTg, the rate of cis-trans epimerization of each diastereoisomer, and the nature of the opposing purine.

Solution structure of a DNA duplex containing an alpha-anomeric adenosine: insights into substrate recognition by endonuclease IV.

The cytotoxic alpha anomer of adenosine, generated in situ by radicals, must be recognized and repaired to maintain genomic stability. Endonuclease IV (Endo IV), a member of the base excision repair (BER) enzyme family, in addition to acting on abasic sites, has the auxiliary function of removing this mutagenic nucleotide in Escherichia coli. We have employed enzymatic, thermodynamic, and structural studies on DNA duplexes containing a central alpha-anomeric adenosine residue to characterize the role of DNA structure on recognition and catalysis by Endo IV. The enzyme recognizes and cleaves our alphaA-containing DNA duplexes at the site of the modification. The NMR solution structure of the DNA decamer duplex establishes that the single alpha-anomeric adenosine residue is intrahelical and stacks in a reverse Watson-Crick fashion consistent with the slight decrease in thermostability. However, the presence of this lesion confers significant changes to the global duplex conformation, resulting from a kink of the helical axis into the major groove and an opening of the minor groove emanating from the alpha-anomeric site. Interestingly, the conformation of the flanking base-paired segments is not greatly altered from a B-type conformation. The global structural changes caused by this lesion place the DNA along the conformational path leading to the DNA structure observed in the complex. Thus, it appears that the alpha-anomeric lesion facilitates recognition by Endo IV.

Repair system for noncanonical purines in Escherichia coli.

Exposure of Escherichia coli strains deficient in molybdopterin biosynthesis (moa) to the purine base N-6-hydroxylaminopurine (HAP) is mutagenic and toxic. We show that moa mutants exposed to HAP also exhibit elevated mutagenesis, a hyperrecombination phenotype, and increased SOS induction. The E. coli rdgB gene encodes a protein homologous to a deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate pyrophosphatase from Methanococcus jannaschii that shows a preference for purine base analogs. moa rdgB mutants are extremely sensitive to killing by HAP and exhibit increased mutagenesis, recombination, and SOS induction upon HAP exposure. Disruption of the endonuclease V gene, nfi, rescues the HAP sensitivity displayed by moa and moa rdgB mutants and reduces the level of recombination and SOS induction, but it increases the level of mutagenesis. Our results suggest that endonuclease V incision of DNA containing HAP leads to increased recombination and SOS induction and even cell death. Double-strand break repair mutants display an increase in HAP sensitivity, which can be reversed by an nfi mutation. This suggests that cell killing may result from an increase in double-strand breaks generated when replication forks encounter endonuclease V-nicked DNA. We propose a pathway for the removal of HAP from purine pools, from deoxynucleotide triphosphate pools, and from DNA, and we suggest a general model for excluding purine base analogs from DNA. The system for HAP removal consists of a molybdoenzyme, thought to detoxify HAP, a deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate pyrophosphatase that removes noncanonical deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates from replication precursor pools, and an endonuclease that initiates the removal of HAP from DNA.

Kinetics and binding of the thymine-DNA mismatch glycosylase, Mig-Mth, with mismatch-containing DNA substrates.

We have examined the removal of thymine residues from T-G mismatches in DNA by the thymine-DNA mismatch glycosylase from Methanobacterium thermoautrophicum (Mig-Mth), within the context of the base excision repair (BER) pathway, to investigate why this glycosylase has such low activity in vitro. Using single-turnover kinetics and steady-state kinetics, we calculated the catalytic and product dissociation rate constants for Mig-Mth, and determined that Mig-Mth is inhibited by product apyrimidinic (AP) sites in DNA. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) provide evidence that the specificity of product binding is dependent upon the base opposite the AP site. The binding of Mig-Mth to DNA containing the non-cleavable substrate analogue difluorotoluene (F) was also analyzed to determine the effect of the opposite base on Mig-Mth binding specificity for substrate-like duplex DNA. The results of these experiments support the idea that opposite strand interactions play roles in determining substrate specificity. Endonuclease IV, which cleaves AP sites in the next step of the BER pathway, was used to analyze the effect of product removal on the overall rate of thymine hydrolysis by Mig-Mth. Our results support the hypothesis that endonuclease IV increases the apparent activity of Mig-Mth significantly under steady-state conditions by preventing reassociation of enzyme to product.

Substrate specificity of human endonuclease III (hNTH1). Effect of human APE1 on hNTH1 activity.

Base excision repair of oxidized pyrimidines in human DNA is initiated by the DNA N-glycosylase/apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) lyase, human NTH1 (hNTH1), the homolog of Escherichia coli endonuclease III (Nth). In contrast to Nth, the DNA N-glycosylase activity of hNTH1 is 7-fold greater than its AP lyase activity when the DNA substrate contains a thymine glycol (Tg) opposite adenine (Tg:A) (Marenstein, D. R., Ocampo, M. T. A., Chan, M. K., Altamirano, A., Basu, A. K., Boorstein, R. J., Cunningham, R. P., and Teebor, G. W. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 21242-21249). When Tg is opposite guanine (Tg:G), the two activities are of the same specific activity as the AP lyase activity of hNTH1 against Tg:A (Ocampo, M. T. A., Chaung, W., Marenstein, D. R., Chan, M. K., Altamirano, A., Basu, A. K., Boorstein, R. J., Cunningham, R. P., and Teebor, G. W. (2002) Mol. Cell. Biol. 22, 6111-6121). We demonstrate here that hNTH1 was inhibited by the product of its DNA N-glycosylase activity directed against Tg:G, the AP:G site. In contrast, hNTH1 was not as inhibited by the AP:A site arising from release of Tg from Tg:A. Addition of human APE1 (AP endonuclease-1) increased dissociation of hNTH1 from the DNA N-glycosylase-generated AP:A site, resulting in abrogation of AP lyase activity and an increase in turnover of the DNA N-glycosylase activity of hNTH1. Addition of APE1 did not abrogate hNTH1 AP lyase activity against Tg:G. The stimulatory protein YB-1 (Marenstein et al.), added to APE1, resulted in an additive increase in both activities of hNTH1 regardless of base pairing. Tg:A is formed by oxidative attack on thymine opposite adenine. Tg:G is formed by oxidative attack on 5-methylcytosine opposite guanine (Zuo, S., Boorstein, R. J., and Teebor, G. W. (1995) Nucleic Acids Res. 23, 3239-3243). It is possible that the in vitro substrate selectivity of mammalian NTH1 and the concomitant selective stimulation of activity by APE1 are indicative of selective repair of oxidative damage in different regions of the genome.

Targeted deletion of mNth1 reveals a novel DNA repair enzyme activity.

DNA N-glycosylase/AP (apurinic/apyrimidinic) lyase enzymes of the endonuclease III family (nth in Escherichia coli and Nth1 in mammalian organisms) initiate DNA base excision repair of oxidized ring saturated pyrimidine residues. We generated a null mouse (mNth1(-/-)) by gene targeting. After almost 2 years, such mice exhibited no overt abnormalities. Tissues of mNth1(-/-) mice contained an enzymatic activity which cleaved DNA at sites of oxidized thymine residues (thymine glycol [Tg]). The activity was greater when Tg was paired with G than with A. This is in contrast to Nth1, which is more active against Tg:A pairs than Tg:G pairs. We suggest that there is a back-up mammalian repair activity which attacks Tg:G pairs with much greater efficiency than Tg:A pairs. The significance of this activity may relate to repair of oxidized 5-methyl cytosine residues (5meCyt). It was shown previously (S. Zuo, R. J. Boorstein, and G. W. Teebor, Nucleic Acids Res. 23:3239-3243, 1995) that both ionizing radiation and chemical oxidation yielded Tg from 5meCyt residues in DNA. Thus, this previously undescribed, and hence novel, back-up enzyme activity may function to repair oxidized 5meCyt residues in DNA while also being sufficient to compensate for the loss of Nth1 in the mutant mice, thereby explaining the noninformative phenotype.

Structure and activity of a thermostable thymine-DNA glycosylase: evidence for base twisting to remove mismatched normal DNA bases.

The repair of T:G mismatches in DNA is key for maintaining bacterial restriction/modification systems and gene silencing in higher eukaryotes. T:G mismatch repair can be initiated by a specific mismatch glycosylase (MIG) that is homologous to the helix-hairpin-helix (HhH) DNA repair enzymes. Here, we present a 2.0 A resolution crystal structure and complementary mutagenesis results for this thermophilic HhH MIG enzyme. The results suggest that MIG distorts the target thymine nucleotide by twisting the thymine base approximately 90 degrees away from its normal anti position within DNA. We propose that functionally significant differences exist in DNA repair enzyme extrahelical nucleotide binding and catalysis that are characteristic of whether the target base is damaged or is a normal base within a mispair. These results explain why pure HhH DNA glycosylases and combined glycosylase/AP lyases cannot be interconverted by simply altering their functional group chemistry, and how broad-specificity DNA glycosylase enzymes may weaken the glycosylic linkage to allow a variety of damaged DNA bases to be excised.