The need for enhancers is acquired upon formation of a diploid nucleus during early mouse development.

The activity of the polyoma virus (PyV) origin of DNA replication was used as a sensitive assay for enhancer function in one- and two-cell mouse embryos by injecting embryos with plasmid DNA containing different PyV ori configurations, allowing them to continue development in vitro, and then measuring plasmid DNA replication. Replication always required the PyV origin 'core' sequence in cis and PyV large tumor antigen (T-Ag) in trans. In developing two-cell embryos, DNA replication also required an enhancer in cis. Two copies of part of PyV enhancer 3 (beta element) was sevenfold better than one copy, and enhancer 3 was better than enhancer 1 + 2 (alpha element). Competition between ori configurations suggested that enhancers bound specific proteins required for replication and transcription. In contrast, DNA injected into one-cell embryos did not need an enhancer for replication, and no competition for replication factors was observed between different ori configurations. In fact, ori core replicated about ninefold better in one-cell embryos than the complete origin did in developing two-cell embryos. Therefore, core contains all the cis-acting information necessary to initiate DNA replication. Because one-cell embryos that replicated injected DNA retained their pronuclei and remained one-cell embryos, enhancers are not needed in mammalian development until a diploid nucleus is formed.

Modification of chromium(VI)-induced DNA damage by glutathione and cytochromes P-450 in chicken embryo hepatocytes.

The role of glutathione and cytochrome P-450 in the production of DNA damage by chromium(VI) was examined in chicken embryo hepatocytes by the alkaline elution technique. Cellular levels of glutathione and cytochrome P-450 were altered by treating the hepatocytes with N-acetyl-L-cysteine, buthionine sulfoximine, isopentanol, or beta-naphthoflavone. A dramatic increase in chromium(VI)-induced DNA strand breaks was observed after increasing glutathione levels in the cells. Chromium(VI)-induced DNA strand breaks were even more numerous when the level of cytochrome P-450 was also increased. Upon depletion of glutathione levels and induction of cytochrome P-450 or cytochrome P-448, little or no DNA strand breaks or DNA interstrand cross-links were observed after chromium(VI) treatment. Chromium(VI)-induced DNA-protein cross-links generally decreased after either increases or decreases in cellular levels of glutathione or cytochrome P-450 or P-448. These results suggest that glutathione enhances chromium(VI)-induced DNA damage through metabolic activation of chromium(VI). The possible production of reactive chromium species upon metabolism by glutathione and cytochrome P-450 or P-448 and their involvement in DNA damage is discussed.

Binding of chromium to chromatin and DNA from liver and kidney of rats treated with sodium dichromate and chromium(III) chloride in vivo.

The in vivo binding of chromium to whole chromatin, polynucleosomes, DNA, and cytoplasmic RNA-protein fraction from liver and kidney was examined after treatment of rats with sodium dichromate and chromium(III) chloride. Significant amounts of chromium were bound to DNA and the nonhistone proteins of chromatin and to cytoplasmic RNA-protein fraction. The binding of chromium to the nuclear and cytoplasmic nucleic acid fractions varied considerably, depending on the tissue and the oxidation state of the chromium administered. The level of chromium bound to whole chromatin was greater in the liver than in the kidney after treatment with either chromium compound. Chromium entered the liver and kidney tissues at a slower rate after chromium(III) treatment than after chromium(VI) treatment. At early times after chromium(VI) treatment, more chromium was bound to the liver and kidney chromatin and DNA than after chromium(III) treatment. A much smaller proportion of the chromium bound to chromatin was associated with the DNA after treatment with chromium(III) than after treatment with chromium(VI). However, 40 hr after injection, there was no significant difference in the level of chromium on the DNA from both the liver and kidney of chromium(VI)- and chromium(III)-treated animals. No DNA damage was detected in either liver or kidney nuclei after chromium(III) treatment, using the technique of alkaline elution. A possible correlation between chromium binding to chromatin and DNA damage is discussed.

Repair of chromate-induced DNA damage in chick embryo hepatocytes.

The repair of DNA damage caused by chromate was examined in chick embryo hepatocytes. Treatment of chick embryo hepatocytes with 5 microM sodium chromate for 2 h caused the formation of DNA strand breaks, DNA interstrand cross-links, and DNA-protein cross-links. The maximal level of strand breaks and DNA interstrand cross-links was observed immediately after the 2 h chromate treatment. After removal of the chromate, strand breaks and DNA interstrand cross-links were completely repaired by 3 h and 12 h, respectively. In contrast, DNA-protein cross-links continued to form reaching a maximal level 3 h after chromate removal. Although the level of DNA-protein cross-links decreased at later times, a significant level persisted 40 h after chromate removal. The effect of these persistent DNA-protein cross-links on gene expression was examined by measuring induction of porphyrin accumulation by propylisopropylacetamide and deferoxamine methanesulphonate, a process known to depend on mRNA synthesis. Induction of porphyrin accumulation was decreased immediately following the 2 h chromate treatment. Only partial recovery of induction was observed even 40 h after chromate removal. The effect of chromate treatment on cellular glutathione levels was monitored. No change in cellular glutathione was observed after a 2 h treatment with 5 microM sodium chromate; however, a three-fold increase was observed 12 h after removal of chromate.