Gene amplification affecting O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase activity is not detected in nitrosourea resistant or sensitive human cell lines.

An attempt was made to characterize the genetic regulation of the human DNA repair protein O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) in the absence of the cloned gene. Four human cell lines, differing in AGT activity from very proficient to essentially absent, were assayed for gene amplification as a possible mediator of the methylation repair phenotype (Mer+, AGT activity and MER-, no AGT activity) using in-gel DNA renaturation and G-banded karyotype analysis. The former technique allows subsequent analysis of amplification units and cloning of observed amplified DNA fragments, a hopeful approach to the isolation of the human AGT gene. Within the sensitivities of the techniques, no correlation between AGT activity and gene amplification was observed in the four cell lines tested.

Expression of mammalian O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase in a cell line sensitive to alkylating agents.

Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) were co-transfected with pSV2neo and sheared DNA from either a human cell line (HT29) expressing high levels of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) or from a cell line (BE) deficient in this activity. Cells expressing the selectable marker were obtained by exposure to G418 and colonies resistant to alkylation damage isolated by growth in the presence of 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea (CCNU). The number of colonies of cells expressing AGT activity arising after transfection with DNA from BE cells was similar to the number arising from cells exposed to HT29 DNA. Although the amount of AGT repair protein expressed in the transfectant colonies from this experiment was relatively low, these results indicate that repair of alkylation damage can be restored in AGT-deficient cells by transfection of human DNA from both repair-deficient and proficient cells. A separate transfection of CHOMG cells [a mutant of CHO cells resistant to the drug, methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG)] with HT29 DNA and pSV2neo followed by selection of G418 and 1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) resulted in three colonies with high AGT levels. These transfectants had different growth rates and expressed levels of the AGT protein between 230 and 300 fmol/mg protein. The transfectants were as resistant to the cytotoxic effects of BCNU, Clomesone, methylnitrosourea (MNU) and 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) as HT29 cells which were much more resistant than the parental CHOMG cells. Pretreatment of transfectant cells with 0.4 mM O6-methylguanine for 24 h reduced AGT activity to 14% basal levels, which upon removal of the base increased to approximately 74% basal level within 8 h. The sensitivity to the cytotoxic effects of both the chloroethylating and methylating agents was enhanced by treatment with O6-methylguanine. In the same manner, the number of BCNU-induced DNA interstrand cross-links increased in transfectant cells pretreated with O6-methylguanine. These results provide further evidence that the formation of methyl or chloroethyl adducts at the O6-position contribute significantly to cell lethality.

Effect of O6-methylguanine on DNA interstrand cross-link formation by chloroethylnitrosoureas and 2-chloroethyl(methylsulfonyl)methanesulfonate.

Exposure of HT29 cells in culture to O6-methylguanine is known to result in a reduction in O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) activity and an enhancement of sensitivity to the cytotoxic effects of chloroethylating agents. Since cytotoxicity of these agents may be mediated by the formation of interstrand cross-links, alkaline elution analysis was performed on HT29 cells treated with 1-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea, 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea, and Clomesone [2-chloroethyl(methylsulfonyl)methanesulfonate] in the presence or absence of O6-methylguanine pretreatment to determine if the enhanced toxicity was due to an increase in the number of cross-links formed. Interstrand cross-linking by 1-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea or 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea was increased by pretreatment with 0.4 mM O6-methylguanine for 24 h. Cross-linking by Clomesone was observed only in cells exposed to 0.4 mM O6-methylguanine for 24 h prior to administration of the drug and for 12 h after administration, suggesting that the resynthesis of the AGT may prevent the cross-linking by Clomesone. Complete recovery of AGT activity after reduction to 20 to 30% of the basal level upon treatment with 0.4 mM O6-methylguanine required between 8 h and 15 h in both HT29 cells and in Raji cells which were also sensitized to 1-(2-chloro-ethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea by exposure to O6-methylguanine. These data suggest that the enhancement of chloroethylnitrosourea toxicity after treatment with O6-methylguanine may be related to an increase in the number of DNA cross-links and that the relatively rapid rate of AGT recovery plays a role in prevention of cross-links resulting from Clomesone.