A Knockout of Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase 1 in a Human Cell Line: An Influence on Base Excision Repair Reactions in Cellular Extracts.

Base excision repair (BER) is the predominant pathway for the removal of most forms of hydrolytic, oxidative, and alkylative DNA lesions. The precise functioning of BER is achieved via the regulation of each step by regulatory/accessory proteins, with the most important of them being poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1). PARP1's regulatory functions extend to many cellular processes including the regulation of mRNA stability and decay. PARP1 can therefore affect BER both at the level of BER proteins and at the level of their mRNAs. Systematic data on how the PARP1 content affects the activities of key BER proteins and the levels of their mRNAs in human cells are extremely limited. In this study, a CRISPR/Cas9-based technique was used to knock out the PARP1 gene in the human HEK 293FT line. The obtained cell clones with the putative PARP1 deletion were characterized by several approaches including PCR analysis of deletions in genomic DNA, Sanger sequencing of genomic DNA, quantitative PCR analysis of PARP1 mRNA, Western blot analysis of whole-cell-extract (WCE) proteins with anti-PARP1 antibodies, and PAR synthesis in WCEs. A quantitative PCR analysis of mRNAs coding for BER-related proteins-PARP2, uracil DNA glycosylase 2, apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1, DNA polymerase ß, DNA ligase III, and XRCC1-did not reveal a notable influence of the PARP1 knockout. The corresponding WCE catalytic activities evaluated in parallel did not differ significantly between the mutant and parental cell lines. No noticeable effect of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis on the activity of the above WCE enzymes was revealed either.

Influence of Combinations of Lipophilic and Phosphate Backbone Modifications on Cellular Uptake of Modified Oligonucleotides.

Numerous types of oligonucleotide modifications have been developed since automated synthesis of DNA/RNA became a common instrument in the creation of synthetic oligonucleotides. Despite the growing number of types of oligonucleotide modifications under development, only a few of them and, moreover, their combinations have been studied widely enough in terms of their influence on the properties of corresponding NA constructions. In the present study, a number of oligonucleotides with combinations of 3'-end lipophilic (a single cholesteryl or a pair of dodecyl residues) and phosphate backbone modifications were synthesized. The influence of the combination of used lipophilic groups with phosphate modifications of various natures and different positions on the efficiency of cell penetration was evaluated. The obtained results indicate that even a couple of phosphate modifications are able to affect a set of oligonucleotide properties in a complex manner and can remarkably change cellular uptake. These data clearly show that the strategy of using different patterns of modification combinations has great potential for the rational design of oligonucleotide structures with desired predefined properties.

Self-Penetrating Oligonucleotide Derivatives: Features of Self-Assembly and Interactions with Serum and Intracellular Proteins.

Lipophilic oligonucleotide derivatives are a potent approach to the intracellular delivery of nucleic acids. The binding of these derivatives to serum albumin is a determinant of their fate in the body, as its structure contains several sites of high affinity for hydrophobic compounds. This study focuses on the features of self-association and non-covalent interactions with human serum albumin of novel self-penetrating oligonucleotide derivatives. The study revealed that the introduction of a triazinyl phosphoramidate modification bearing two dodecyl groups at the 3' end region of the oligonucleotide sequence has a negligible effect on its affinity for the complementary sequence. Dynamic light scattering verified that the amphiphilic oligonucleotides under study can self-assemble into micelle-like particles ranging from 8 to 15 nm in size. The oligonucleotides with dodecyl groups form stable complexes with human serum albumin with a dissociation constant of approximately 10-6 M. The oligonucleotide micelles are simultaneously destroyed upon binding to albumin. Using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay and affinity modification, we examined the ability of DNA duplexes containing triazinyl phosphoramidate oligonucleotides to interact with Ku antigen and PARP1, as well as the mutual influence of PARP1 and albumin or Ku antigen and albumin upon interaction with DNA duplexes. These findings, together with the capability of dodecyl-containing derivatives to effectively penetrate different cells, such as HEK293 and T98G, indicate that the oligonucleotides under study can be considered as a platform for the development of therapeutic preparations with a target effect.

Fork- and Comb-like Lipophilic Structures: Different Chemical Approaches to the Synthesis of Oligonucleotides with Multiple Dodecyl Residues.

Lipophilic oligonucleotide conjugates represent a powerful tool for nucleic acid cellular delivery, and many methods for their synthesis have been developed over the past few decades. In the present study, a number of chemical approaches for the synthesis of different fork- and comb-like dodecyl-containing oligonucleotide structures were performed, including use of non-nucleotide units and different types of phosphate modifications such as alkyl phosphoramidate, phosphoryl guanidine, and triazinyl phosphoramidate. The influence of the number of introduced lipophilic residues, their mutual arrangement, and the type of formed modification backbone on cell penetration was evaluated. The results obtained indicate great potential in the developed chemical approaches, not only for the synthesis of complex oligonucleotide structures but also for the fine-tuning of their properties.

Transcriptomic Analysis of CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated PARP1-Knockout Cells under the Influence of Topotecan and TDP1 Inhibitor.

Topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) is an enzyme that regulates DNA topology and is essential for replication, recombination, and other processes. The normal TOP1 catalytic cycle involves the formation of a short-lived covalent complex with the 3' end of DNA (TOP1 cleavage complex, TOP1cc), which can be stabilized, resulting in cell death. This fact substantiates the effectiveness of anticancer drugs-TOP1 poisons, such as topotecan, that block the relegation of DNA and fix TOP1cc. Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1) is able to eliminate TOP1cc. Thus, TDP1 interferes with the action of topotecan. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) is a key regulator of many processes in the cell, such as maintaining the integrity of the genome, regulation of the cell cycle, cell death, and others. PARP1 also controls the repair of TOP1cc. We performed a transcriptomic analysis of wild type and PARP1 knockout HEK293A cells treated with topotecan and TDP1 inhibitor OL9-119 alone and in combination. The largest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs, about 4000 both up- and down-regulated genes) was found in knockout cells. Topotecan and OL9-119 treatment elicited significantly fewer DEGs in WT cells and negligible DEGs in PARP1-KO cells. A significant part of the changes caused by PARP1-KO affected the synthesis and processing of proteins. Differences under the action of treatment with TOP1 or TDP1 inhibitors alone were found in the signaling pathways for the development of cancer, DNA repair, and the proteasome. The drug combination resulted in DEGs in the ribosome, proteasome, spliceosome, and oxidative phosphorylation pathways.

Strand Displacement Activity of PrimPol.

Human PrimPol is a unique enzyme possessing DNA/RNA primase and DNA polymerase activities. In this work, we demonstrated that PrimPol efficiently fills a 5-nt gap and possesses the conditional strand displacement activity stimulated by Mn2+ ions and accessory replicative proteins RPA and PolDIP2. The DNA displacement activity of PrimPol was found to be more efficient than the RNA displacement activity and FEN1 processed the 5'-DNA flaps generated by PrimPol in vitro.

Non-canonical interaction of DNA repair proteins with intact and cleaved AP sites.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites are widespread lesions in genomic DNA, arising from a number of exogenous and endogenous sources. These DNA lesions are highly mutagenic and demand efficient repair. The review is devoted to data on searching for previously unrecognized proteins capable of interaction with intact or cleaved AP sites. We mainly focused on proteins that form Schiff base upon this interaction. It is important to note that the aldehyde at the deoxyribose C1 atom both in intact and cleaved AP sites can readily react with nucleophiles of proteins. In most cases, these interactions results in processing of AP sites although the process is less efficient as compared to classical AP/dRP lyases. The biological role of these interactions in providing of backup pathways of DNA repair processes is discussed.

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation and DNA repair synthesis in the extracts of naked mole rat, mouse, and human cells.

DNA repair capacity in cells of naked mole rat (Hgl), a species known for its longevity and resistance to cancer, is still poorly characterized. Here, using the whole-cell extracts (WCEs) of Hgl, mouse and human cells, we studied the interrelation between DNA synthesis on the substrates of base excision repair and the activity of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) responsible for the transfer of the ADP-ribose moieties onto different targets. The level of PAR synthesis was more than ten-fold higher in human WCE as compared to rodent WCEs, while the efficiency of DNA synthesis was comparable. Under conditions of PAR synthesis, the efficiency of DNA synthesis was only slightly enhanced in all extracts and in mouse WCEs unusual products of the primer elongation were detected. The results obtained with WCEs, recombinant proteins and recently found ability of PARPs to attach the ADP-ribose moieties to DNA allowed us to attribute these products to primer mono(ADP-ribosyl)ation (MARylation) at the 5'-terminal phosphate by PARP3 during the DNA synthesis. PARP1/PARP2 can then transfer the ADP-ribose moieties onto initial ADP-ribose. Our results suggest that MARylation/PARylation of DNA in the extracts depends on the ratios between PARPs and can be controlled by DNA-binding proteins.

Naked mole rat cells display more efficient excision repair than mouse cells.

Naked mole rat (NMR) is the long-lived and tumor-resistant rodent. NMRs possess multiple adaptations that may contribute to longevity and cancer-resistance. However, whether NMRs have more efficient DNA repair have not been directly tested. Here we compared base excision repair (BER) and nucleotide excision repair (NER) systems in extracts from NMR and mouse fibroblasts after UVC irradiation. Transcript levels of the key repair enzymes demonstrated in most cases higher inducibility in the mouse vs the NMR cells. Ratios of repair enzymes activities in the extracts somewhat varied depending on post-irradiation time. NMR cell extracts were 2-3-fold more efficient at removing the bulky lesions, 1.5-3-fold more efficient at removing uracil, and about 1.4-fold more efficient at cleaving the AP-site than the mouse cells, while DNA polymerase activities being as a whole higher in the mouse demonstrate different patterns of product distribution. The level of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis was 1.4-1.8-fold higher in the NMR cells. Furthermore, NMR cell extracts displayed higher binding of PARP1 to DNA probes containing apurinic/apyrimidinic site or photo-reactive DNA lesions. Cumulatively, our results suggest that the NMR has more efficient excision repair systems than the mouse, which may contribute to longevity and cancer resistance of this species.

Unusual interaction of human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) with abasic sites via the Schiff-base-dependent mechanism.

Clustered apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites are more cytotoxic than isolated AP lesions because double strand breaks (DSB) can be formed during repair of closely positioned bistranded AP sites. Formation of DSB due to simultaneous cleavage of bistranded AP sites may be regulated by proteins specifically interacting with this complex lesion. A set of AP DNA duplexes containing AP sites in both strands in different mutual orientation (BS-AP DNAs) was used for search in the extracts of human cells proteins specifically recognizing clustered AP sites. A protein, which formed the Schiff-base-dependent covalent products having an apparent molecular mass of 50 kDa with the subset of BS-AP DNAs, was identified by mass spectrometry as apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1). The identity of trapped protein was confirmed by Western blot analysis with anti-APE1 antibodies. Purified recombinant human APE1 is also capable of forming the 50 kDa-adducts with efficiency of BS-AP DNAs cross-linking to APE1 being dependent on the mutual orientation of AP sites. In spite of formation of the Schiff-base-dependent intermediate, which is prerequisite for the ß-elimination mechanism, APE1 is unable to cleave AP sites. APE1 lacking the first 34 amino acids at the N-terminus, unlike wild type enzyme, is unable to form cross-links with BS-AP DNAs that testifies to the involvement of disordered N-terminal extension, which is enriched in lysine residues, in the interaction with AP sites. The yield of APE1-AP DNA cross-links was found to correlate with the enzyme amount in the extracts estimated by the immunochemical approach; therefore the BS-AP DNA-probes can be useful for comparative analysis of APE1 content in cell extracts.

Ku antigen displays the AP lyase activity on a certain type of duplex DNA.

In the search for proteins reactive to apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites, it has been earlier found that proteins of human cell extracts formed the Schiff-base-dependent covalent adduct with an apparent molecular mass of 100kDa with a partial DNA duplex containing an AP site and 5'- and 3'-protruding ends (DDE-AP DNA). The adduct of such electrophoretic mobility was characteristic of only DDE-AP DNA (Ilina et al., Biochem. Biophys. Acta 1784 (2008) 1777-1785). The protein in this unusual adduct was identified as the Ku80 subunit of Ku antigen by peptide mass mapping based on MALDI-TOF MS data (Kosova et al., Biopolym. Cell 30 (2014) 42-46). Here we studied the interaction of Ku with DDE-AP DNA in details. Purified Ku (the Ku80 subunit) was shown to form the 100-kDa adduct highly specific for AP DNA with a certain length of protruding ends, base opposite the AP site and AP site location. Ku is capable of AP site cleavage in DDE-AP DNA unlike in analogous AP DNA with blunt ends. Ku cleaves AP sites via ß-elimination and prefers apurinic sites over apyrimidinic ones. The AP site in DDE-DNA can be repaired in an apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease-independent manner via the successive action of Ku (cleavage of the AP site), tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (removal of the 3'-deoxyribose residue), polynucleotide kinase 3'-phosphatase (removal of the 3'-phosphate), DNA polymerase ß (incorporation of dNMP), and DNA ligase (sealing the nick). These results provide a new insight into the role of Ku in the repair of AP sites.

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) interacts with apurinic/apyrimidinic sites in DNA.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites are some of the most frequent DNA damages and the key intermediates of base excision repair. Certain proteins can interact with the deoxyribose of the AP site to form a Schiff base, which can be stabilized by NaBH4 treatment. Several types of DNA containing the AP site were used to trap proteins in human cell extracts by this method. In the case of single-stranded AP DNA and AP DNA duplex with both 5' and 3' dangling ends, the major crosslinking product had an apparent molecular mass of 45 kDa. Using peptide mass mapping based on mass spectrometry data, we identified the protein forming this adduct as an isoform of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) called "uracil-DNA glycosylase". GAPDH is a glycolytic enzyme with many additional putative functions, which include interaction with nucleic acids, different DNA damages and DNA repair enzymes. We investigated interaction of GAPDH purified from HeLa cells and rabbit muscles with different AP DNAs. In spite of the ability to form a Schiff-base intermediate with the deoxyribose of the AP site, GAPDH does not display the AP lyase activity. In addition, along with the borohydride-dependent adducts with AP DNAs containing single-stranded regions, GAPDH was also shown to form the stable borohydride-independent crosslinks with these AP DNAs. GAPDH was proven to crosslink preferentially to AP DNAs cleaved via the ß-elimination mechanism (spontaneously or by AP lyases) as compared to DNAs containing the intact AP site. The level of GAPDH-AP DNA adduct formation depends on oxidation of the protein SH-groups; disulfide bond reduction in GAPDH leads to the loss of its ability to form the adducts with AP DNA. A possible role of formation of the stable adducts with AP sites by GAPDH is discussed.

Interaction of PARP-2 with AP site containing DNA.

In eukaryotes the stability of genome is provided by functioning of DNA repair systems. One of the main DNA repair pathways in eukaryotes is the base excision repair (BER). This system requires precise regulation for correct functioning. Two members of the PARP family - PARP-1 and PARP-2, which can be activated by DNA damage - are widely considered as regulators of DNA repair processes, including BER. In contrast to PARP-1, the role of PARP-2 in BER has not been extensively studied yet. Since AP site is one of the most frequent type of DNA damage and a key intermediate of BER at the stage preceding formation of DNA breaks, in this paper we focused on the characterization of PARP-2 interaction with AP site-containing DNAs. We demonstrated that PARP-2, like PARP-1, can interact with the intact AP site via Schiff base formation, in spite of crucial difference in the structure of the DNA binding domains of these PARPs. By cross-linking of PARPs to AP DNA, we determined that the N-terminal domains of both PARPs are involved in formation of cross-links with AP DNA. We have also confirmed that DNA binding by PARP-2, in contrast to PARP-1, is not modulated by autoPARylation. PARP-2, like PARP-1, can inhibit the activity of APE1 by binding to AP site, but, in contrast to PARP-1, this inhibitory influence is hardly regulated by PAR synthesis. At the same time, 5'-dRP lyase activity of both PARPs is comparable, although being much weaker than that of Pol ß, which is considered as the main 5'-dRP lyase of the BER process.

Disaccharide pyrimidine nucleosides and their derivatives: a novel group of cell-penetrating inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1.

Nearly 30 synthetic nucleosides were tested with human recombinant poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 as potential inhibitors of this enzyme. The most active compounds were some disaccharide analogues of thymidine: 3'-O-ß-D-ribofuranosyl-5-iodo-dUrd (2d; IC50 = 45 µM), 3'-O-ß-D-ribofuranosyl-2'-deoxythymidine (2e; IC50 = 38 µM), and 3'-O-ß-D-ribofuranosyl-2'-deoxythymidine oxidized (4; IC50 = 25 µM). These compounds also reduced H2O2-induced synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) in cultured human ovarian carcinoma (SKOV-3) cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, compounds 2d or 2e until a concentration of 1 mM did not affect growth of SKOV-3 cells, whereas dialdehyde compound 4, as well as thymidine, exhibited a significant cytotoxicity.

Interaction of PARP-2 with DNA structures mimicking DNA repair intermediates and consequences on activity of base excision repair proteins.

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is a posttranslational protein modification significant for genomic stability and cell survival in response to DNA damage. Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is catalyzed by poly(ADP-ribose)polymerases (PARPs). Among the 17 members of the PARP family, PARP-1 and PARP-2 are described as enzymes whose catalytic activity is stimulated by some types of DNA damages. Whereas the role of PARP-1 in response to DNA damage has been widely illustrated, the contribution of another DNA-dependent PARP, PARP-2, is less documented. To find out specific DNA targets of PARP-2 we evaluated by EMSA Kd values of PARP-2-DNA complexes for several DNA structures mimicking intermediates of different DNA metabolizing processes. In addition, we tested these DNA as activators of PARP-1 and PARP-2 in poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis. Like PARP-1, PARP-2 doesn't show correlation between activation efficiency and Kd values for DNA. PARP-2 displayed the highest affinity for flap-containing DNA, but was more efficiently activated by 5'-overhang DNA. Evaluating the influence of PARP-1 and PARP-2 on DNA repair synthesis catalyzed by DNA polymerase ß revealed that both PARPs inhibit DNA polymerase ß activity. However, unlike PARP-1, poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of PARP-2 does not result in restoration of DNA synthesis efficiency. Similarly, both PARPs proteins inhibited FEN1 activity, but only activation of PARP-1, not PARP-2, could restore FEN1 activity, and only when PARP-2 was not present. Taken together, our data show that PARP-2 can directly regulate BER proteins but also can modulate the influence of PARP-1 on these BER proteins, by decreasing its poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation activity.

Influence of usnic acid and its derivatives on the activity of mammalian poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 and DNA polymerase ß.

The influence of a number of usnic acid derivatives on auto(polyADP-ribosyl)ation catalyzed by PARP1 and DNA synthesis catalyzed by DNA polymerase ß was studied. The derivatives of usnic acid containing aromatic substituents were shown to be moderate inhibitors of PARP1. The presence of both usnic acid tricyclic structure and aromatic substituent at any position of the molecule is a key factor for the inhibitory action. In the case of DNA polymerase ß, no relationship between the structure and inhibitory properties has been found with the only exception. Derivatives with modified ring A showed mild activation of DNA synthesis catalyzed by DNA polymerase ß.

Hit clustering can improve virtual fragment screening: CDK2 and PARP1 case studies.

Virtual fragment screening could be a promising alternative to existing experimental screening techniques. However, reliable methods of in silico fragment screening are yet to be established and validated. In order to develop such an approach we first checked how successful the existing molecular docking methods can be in predicting fragment binding affinities and poses. Using our Lead Finder docking software the RMSD of the binding energy prediction was observed to be 1.35 kcal/mol(-1) on a set of 26 experimentally characterized fragment inhibitors, and the RMSD of the predicted binding pose from the experimental one was <1.5 Å. Then, we explored docking of 68 fragments obtained from 39 drug molecules for which co-crystal structures were available from the PDB. It appeared that fragments that participate in oriented non-covalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonds and metal coordination, could be correctly docked in 70-80% of cases suggesting the potential success of rediscovering of corresponding drugs by in silico fragment approach. Based on these findings we've developed a virtual fragment screening technique which involved structural filtration of protein-ligand complexes for specific interactions and subsequent clustering in order to minimize the number of preferable starting fragment candidates. Application of this method led to 2 millimolar-scale fragment PARP1 inhibitors with a new scaffold.

Tracking Ku antigen levels in cell extracts with DNA containing abasic sites.

Prominent lesions in DNA are abasic (AP) sites arising spontaneously or as intermediates during base excision repair. An AP site can form a Schiff base intermediate with primary amino groups of proteins. This intermediate can be stabilized by NaBH(4) treatment and, therefore, cross-linking of AP site-containing DNA (AP DNA) can be used as a tool in detecting proteins that interact with AP sites. Using AP DNA, we observed in the extracts derived from several human cell lines a predominant cross-linked product with an apparent molecular mass of 95kDa. The cross-linked protein was identified as the p80 subunit of Ku antigen (Ku80) (Ilina et al., Biochem. Biophys. Acta 1784 (2008) 1777-1785 [1]). Because the cross-linking of Ku80 to AP sites is efficient and selective, this approach may be useful to estimate the amount of Ku antigen in cell extracts in the presence of other cellular proteins. We compared levels of Ku80 detected by dot-ELISA with Ku80 antibodies to the levels of Ku80 cross-linked to AP DNA in extracts derived from HeLa cells and several melanoma cell lines. The level of Ku80 trapping varied considerably depending on the cell lines and correlated with the amount of Ku80 in the extracts estimated by the immunochemical approach. This approach, unlike western blot or estimation of the Ku content based on mRNA levels, is more suitable for tracking Ku forms active in DNA binding including those having aberrations in Ku80, but retaining an ability to heterodimerize with Ku70, that provides efficient loading of Ku antigen onto DNA ends. As a routine test, borohydride trapping (BHT) is also less time and reagent consuming than blotting and EMSA.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 regulates activity of DNA polymerase beta in long patch base excision repair.

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP1), functioning as DNA nick-sensor, interacts with base excision repair (BER) DNA intermediates containing single-strand breaks. When bound to DNA breaks, PARP1 catalyzes synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) covalently attached to itself and some nuclear proteins. Autopoly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of PARP1 facilitates its dissociation from DNA breaks and is considered as a factor regulating DNA repair. In the study, using system reconstituted from purified BER proteins, bovine testis nuclear extract and model BER DNA intermediates, we examined the influence of PARP1 and its autopoly(ADP-ribosyl)ation on DNA polymerase beta (Pol beta)-mediated long patch (LP) BER DNA synthesis that is accomplished through a cooperation between Pol beta and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease1 (APE1) or flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1) and gap-filling activity of Pol beta. PARP1 upon interaction with nicked LP BER DNA intermediated, formed after gap-filling, was shown to suppress the subsequent steps in LP pathway. PARP1 interferes with APE1-dependent stimulation of DNA synthesis by Pol beta via strand-displacement mechanism. PARP1 also represses Pol beta/FEN1-mediated LP BER DNA synthesis via a "gap translation" mechanism inhibiting FEN1 activity on the nicked DNA intermediate. Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of PARP1 abolishes its inhibitory influence on LP BER DNA synthesis catalyzed by Pol beta both via APE1-mediated strand-displacement and FEN1-mediated "gap translation" mechanism. Thus PARP1 may act as a negative regulator of Pol beta activity in LP BER pathway and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of PARP1 seems to play a critical role in enablement of Pol beta-mediated DNA synthesis in this process. In contrast, interaction of PARP1 with one nucleotide gapped DNA mimicking the intermediate of short patch (SP) BER slightly inhibits the gap-filling activity of Pol beta and the overall efficiency of SP BER is practically unaffected by PARP1. Thus, PARP1 differentially influences DNA synthesis in SP- and LP BER pathways.

Ku antigen interacts with abasic sites.

One of the most abundant lesions in DNA is the abasic (AP) sites arising spontaneously or as an intermediate in base excision repair. Certain proteins participating in the processing of these lesions form a Schiff base with the deoxyribose of the AP site. This intermediate can be stabilized by NaBH(4) treatment. By this method, DNA duplexes with AP sites were used to trap proteins in cell extracts. In HeLa cell extract, along with a prevalent trap product with an apparent molecular mass of 95 kDa, less intensive low-molecular-weight products were observed. The major one was identified as the p80-subunit of Ku antigen (Ku). Ku antigen, a DNA binding component of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), participates in double-stranded break repair and is responsible for the resistance of cells to ionizing radiation. The specificity of Ku interaction with AP sites was proven by more efficient competition of DNA duplexes with an analogue of abasic site than non-AP DNA. Ku80 was cross-linked to AP DNAs with different efficiencies depending on the size and position of strand interruptions opposite to AP sites. Ku antigen as a part of DNA-PK was shown to inhibit AP site cleavage by apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1.