Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.7.7 (DNA polymerase)
17,007 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Exposure to exogenous alkylating agents, particularly N-nitroso compounds, has been associated with increased incidence of primary human brain tumors, while intrinsic risk factors are currently unknown. The DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is a major defense against the carcinogenicity of N-nitroso compounds and other alkylators. We report here that in 55% (64/117) of cases, histologically normal brain tissue adjacent to primary human brain tumors lacked detectable MGMT activity [methyl excision repair-defective (Mer-) status]. The incidence of Mer- status in normal brain tissue from brain tumor patients was age-dependent, increasing from 21% in children 0.25-19 years of age to 75% in adults over 50. In contrast, Mer- status was found in 12% (5/43) of normal brain specimens from patients operated for conditions other than primary brain tumors and was not age-dependent. The 4.6-fold elevation in incidence of Mer- status in brain tumor patients is highly significant (chi2 = 24; p < or = 0.001). MGMT activity was independent of age in the lymphocytes of brain tumor patients and was present in lymphocytes from six of nine tumor patients whose normal brain specimen was Mer-. DNA polymerase beta, apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease, and lactate dehydrogenase activities were present in all specimens tested, including Mer- specimens from brain tumor patients. Our data are consistent with a model of carcinogenesis in human brain in which epigenetically regulated lack of MGMT is a predisposing factor and alkylation-related mutagenesis is a driving force.
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PMID:Lack of the DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase in histologically normal brain adjacent to primary human brain tumors. 869 23

Previous studies have shown that in vitro treatment of a synthetic double-stranded DNA template with chromium(III), or chromium(VI) in the presence of ascorbate, resulted in guanine-specific DNA polymerase arrests that correlated strongly with DNA-DNA cross-linking. In vivo chromium(VI) undergoes a more complicated intracellular cascade of reductive metabolism than is achievable in an in vitro model. Moreover, in living cells, DNA is highly packaged in the form of chromatin which may alter the accessibility of DNA to chromium. A repetitive primer-extension assay was employed to determine whether chromium forms polymerase-arresting lesions in vivo. Normal human lung fibroblasts treated with chromium(VI) exhibited adduct levels of 0.13-0.92 mmol Cr/mol DNA-nucleotides in the total genome (0.26-1.84 Cr adducts/Kbp DNA) and DNA interstrand cross-links. Genomic DNA was isolated and alphoid sequences (1-5% of the genome) were used as a substrate for repetitive primer extension using Taq polymerase. The results showed a dose-dependent, guanine-specific, replication termination, even at low doses resulting in greater than 90% survival. The same treatment resulted in dose-dependent suppression of thymidine incorporation into DNA immediately after treatment. Thymidine incorporation increased during the first 6 h after the 2-h exposure, probably related to the repair of the single strand breaks, but then returned to high suppression levels at 24 h. The chromate treatments inhibited cell growth by specific blocking of the progression of cells through S-phase of the cell cycle. The results confirmed our studies in cell-free systems and taken together they strongly indicate that guanine-guanine DNA interstrand cross-links induced by chromate in living cells is the lesion responsible for blocking DNA replication processivity.
Carcinogenesis 1996 Jul
PMID:Chromium(VI) treatment of normal human lung cells results in guanine-specific DNA polymerase arrest, DNA-DNA cross-links and S-phase blockade of cell cycle. 870 57

The effect of different vitamin A status on events following DNA damage by hepatocarcinogens was investigated in rats. Formation of single-strand breaks in nuclear DNA induced by aflatoxin B1 and N-nitrosodimethylamine was observed to be more pronounced after vitamin A-deficiency. This enhanced damage was reversed upon vitamin A supplementation. Subsequent to DNA damage, the induction of repair enzymes poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, DNA polymerase beta and DNA ligase was found to be significantly higher in vitamin A-deficient rats. Vitamin A supplementation brought down the induction to the levels found in rats maintained on normal diet. Vitamin A thus may control carcinogenesis by manipulating molecular events at the initiation stage.
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PMID:Effect of different vitamin A status on carcinogen-induced DNA damage and repair enzymes in rats. 872 17

Genetic instability characterized by the accumulation of mutations of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes appears to be associated with carcinogenesis in colorectal and other cancers. Mutations of DNA polymerase beta (pol beta) and related chromosomal alterations appear to be consistent with the causal role of a "mutator phenotype' in carcinogenesis. However, homozygous knockout pol beta mutations appear to interfere with embryogenesis. Increased pol beta activity (i.e. relative to pol alpha activity) has been associated with cell cycle arrest. The related aphidicolin-resistant DNA replication has been observed primarily in differentiating cells, including the mammalian blastocyst, adrenal cortex, thyroid, anterior pituitary, and the mechanism of endoreduplication (amitotic over-replication of DNA) can be traced to lower eukaryotes. This increased activity in relation to terminal commitment is inconsistent with a simple "DNA repair' view of pol beta. It is therefore proposed that pol beta may play a more fundamental role in cellular differentiation through involvement in a putative subgenomic DNA replication-based model of terminal gene expression. Thus genetic instability, loss of differentiation, and carcinogenesis may result from aberration(s) or "derailment' of such replication-based mechanism of terminal gene expression. It is suggested to examine the relationship of DNA pol beta to genomic instability and carcinogenesis using genetic analyses and antisense technology with possible applications for gene therapy against colorectal cancer.
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PMID:Potential role of DNA polymerase beta in gene therapy against cancer: a case for colorectal cancer. 881 7

Repair of alkylated bases in DNA is performed by O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) and a set of enzymes of the base excision repair pathway involving N-methylpurine-DNA glycosylase (MPG), apurinic endonuclease (APE), DNA polymerase beta (Pol beta) and DNA ligase. The level of expression of these enzymes may exert a profound effect on resistance of cells towards alkylating drugs. We have comparatively analyzed the expression of MGMT and the different base excision repair genes in rat hepatoma cells (line H4IIE) after exposure to alkylating agents, X-rays and the glucocorticoid hormone dexamethasone. Furthermore, the effect of these agents on the activity of the cloned human MGMT promoter was assayed. Exposure of cells to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) or ionizing radiation increased MGMT mRNA levels up to 4.5-fold. Under the same conditions of treatment, exerting only a weak toxic effect, MPG and DNA ligase I mRNA levels were not enhanced, whereas the amounts of APE and Pol beta mRNA transiently increased by approximately 2-fold after X-ray and MNNG treatment, respectively. Dexamethasone induced both MGMT, APE and Pol beta mRNA and the induction paralleled the increase in mRNA of the glucocorticoid-dependent gene tyrosine aminotransferase. The observed increase in MGMT mRNA was due to promoter activation, which was shown in transient transfection assays with MGMT promoter-CAT reporter constructs in H4IIE cells. In these assays, the human MGMT promoter was found to be induced by methylating agents (MNNG and methyl methanesulfonate), ionizing radiation and dexamethasone. Weak induction of the promoter was observed after UV irradiation. Treatment with the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate was ineffective in promoter activation. The transfected MGMT promoter was not inducible by mutagens in HeLa S3 cells, which do not respond with induction of the endogenous MGMT gene. This is the first report showing hormone induction of a DNA repair gene (MGMT). The induction of MGMT and other genes encoding enzymes involved in DNA alkylation damage repair may be relevant in cancer therapy by causing resistance of tumor cells to alkylating drugs.
Carcinogenesis 1996 Nov
PMID:Induction of the alkyltransferase (MGMT) gene by DNA damaging agents and the glucocorticoid dexamethasone and comparison with the response of base excision repair genes. 896 45

Estrogen-like chemicals are unique compared to nonestrogenic xenobiotics, because in addition to their chemical properties, the estrogenic property of these compounds allows them to act like sex hormones. Whether weak or strong, the estrogenic response of a chemical, if not overcome, will add extra estrogenic burden to the system. At elevated doses, natural estrogens and environmental estrogen-like chemicals are known to produce adverse effects. The source of extra or elevated concentration of estrogen could be either endogenous or exogenous. The potential of exposure for humans and animals to environmental estrogen-like chemicals is high. Only a limited number of estrogen-like compounds, such as diethylstilbestrol (DES), bisphenol A, nonylphenol, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), have been used to assess the biochemical and molecular changes at the cellular level. Among them, DES is the most extensively studied estrogen-like chemical, and therefore this article is focused mainly on DES-related observations. In addition to estrogenic effects, environmental estrogen-like chemicals produce multiple and multitype genetic and/or nongenetic hits. Exposure of Syrian hamsters to stilbene estrogen (DES) produces several changes in the nuclei of target organ for carcinogenesis (kidney): (1) Products of nuclear redox reactions of DES modify transcription regulating proteins and DNA; (2) transcription is inhibited; (3) tyrosine phosphorylation of nuclear proteins, including RNA polymerase II, p53, and nuclear insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor, is altered; and (4) DNA repair gene DNA polymerase beta transcripts are decreased and mutated. Exposure of Noble rats to DES also produces several changes in the mammary gland: proliferative activity is drastically altered; the cell cycle of mammary epithelial cells is perturbed; telomeric length is attenuated; etc. It appears that some other estrogenic compounds, such as bisphenol A and nonylphenol, may also follow a similar pattern of effects to DES, because we have recently shown that these compounds alter cell cycle kinetics, produce telomeric associations, and produce chromosomal aberrations. Like DES, bisphenol A after metabolic activation is capable of binding to DNA. However, it should be noted that a particular or multitype hit(s) will depend upon the nature of the environmental estrogen-like chemical. The role of individual attack leading to a particular change is not clear at this stage. Consequences of these multitypes of attack on the nuclei of cells could be (1) nuclear toxicity/cell death; (2) repair of all the hits and then acting as normal cells; or (3) sustaining most of the hits and acting as unstable cells. Proliferation of the last type of cell is expected to result in transformed cells.
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PMID:Biochemical and molecular changes at the cellular level in response to exposure to environmental estrogen-like chemicals. 901 29

Weekly administrations of the potent carcinogen 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) predominantly induce carcinoma of the colon by nearly 100% after six months' treatment in rats. Polyamines, and especially the key enzyme of polyamine de novo synthesis ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) are well-known to play an important role in cell growth and tumor carcinogenesis. Male Wistar rats were s. c.-injected with a single dose of 20 mg DMH/kg b. wt. and five to eight animals were sacrificed 4, 8, 12, 24, 72, 120, 168, and 240 hours after injection of DMH or the basic solution, respectively. Additionally, seven animals were simultaneously treated with the ODC inhibitor alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and sacrificed seven days after a single DMH injection. A single s. c.-dosage of the colon carcinogen DMH resulted in dissimilar activation patterns of polyamine metabolism in the various organs studied: in distal and less pronounced in proximal colonic mucosa ODC and putrescine are significantly increased seven days after application of DMH and DNA polymerase after ten days; in small intestinal mucosa ODC activity is significantly elevated after seven days and especially S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activity is significantly and prolonged increased between twelve and 72 hours after DMH injection; while spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase activity is significantly elevated in liver after 168 and 240 hours, no changes compared to controls are found in the pancreas. DFMO treatment completely prevents DMH-induced activation of polyamine de novo synthesis and DNA polymerase in colon and small intestine. These data prove completely different and -interestingly-late appearing activation patterns of DMH on intracellular polyamine metabolism in various organ systems and further elucidate the complex metabolic changes following carcinogen treatment.
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PMID:Dissimilar activation patterns of the carcinogen dimethylhydrazine (DMH) on intracellular polyamine metabolism in various organs. 901 96

Administration of hepatocarcinogens aflatoxin B1 and N-nitrosodimethylamine to rats caused single-strand breaks in nuclear DNA. Inclusion in the diet of rutin, a naturally occurring phenolic flavonoid glycoside, significantly reduced the appearance of such breaks. The protection against DNA damage was found to be reduction in the induction of repair enzymes polymerase, DNA polymerase beta and DNA ligase. Even associated with poly(ADP-ribose) a marginal dose of rutin was effective in this regard. Since DNA damage and inefficient repair are expected to initiate the process of carcinogenesis, modulation by rutin of these parameters emphasizes the protective role of this flavonoid against carcinogenesis induced by chemical carcinogens.
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PMID:Protective effect of rutin, a flavonol glycoside, on the carcinogen-induced DNA damage and repair enzymes in rats. 902 Sep 19

There are five well-characterized nuclear DNA polymerases in eukaryotes (DNA polymerases alpha, beta, delta, epsilon and zeta) and this short review summarizes our current knowledge concerning the participation of each in DNA-repair. The three major DNA excision-repair pathways involve a DNA synthesis step that replaces altered bases or nucleotides removed during repair. Base excision-repair removes many modified bases and abasic sites, and in mammalian cells this mainly involves DNA polymerase beta. An alternative means for completion of base excision-repair, involving DNA polymerases delta or epsilon, may also operate and be even more important in yeast. Nucleotide excision-repair uses DNA polymerases delta or epsilon to resynthesize the bases removed during repair of pyrimidine dimers and other bulky adducts in DNA. Similarly, mismatch-repair of replication errors appears to involve DNA polymerases delta or epsilon. DNA polymerase alpha is required for semi-conservative replication of DNA but not for repair of DNA. A more recently discovered enzyme, DNA polymerase zeta, appears to be involved in the bypass of damage, without excision, and occurs during DNA replication of a damaged template.
Carcinogenesis 1997 Apr
PMID:Which DNA polymerases are used for DNA-repair in eukaryotes? 911 Nov 89

In the supF gene, most (+)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide ((+)-anti-B[a]PDE) mutagenesis hot spots in Escherichia coli are in 5'-GG sequences [Rodriguez and Loechler (1993) Carcinogenesis 14, 373-383]. A major hot spot was detected at G1 in the sequence 5'-GCG1G2-CCAAAG, whereas G2 yielded very few mutants. In order to investigate the details of such sequence context effects of (+)-anti-B[a]PDE mutagenesis, we have constructed 25-mer oligonucleotides and single-stranded M13 genomes containing the above decamer sequence, in which the trans-N2-dG adduct induced by (+)-anti-B[a]PDE [(+)-trans-anti-B[a]P-N2-dG] at G1 or G2 was introduced. In vitro DNA synthesis on the adducted 25-mers was strongly blocked at each site, although the 3'-->5' exonuclease-deficient Klenow fragment could incorporate a nucleotide opposite the adduct in the presence of Mn2+. For both sites purine nucleotides were preferred. The ratio Vmax/K(m) indicated that the efficiency of incorporation of dGTP opposite these sites was very similar, but dATP incorporation opposite the adduct at G1 was five-fold more efficient than that at G2. For each site, further extension beyond the adducted nucleotide was investigated by annealing four different primers, in which only the nucleotide opposite the adducted deoxyguanosine was altered. Significant extension was only observed when deoxyadenosine was located opposite adducted G1. When the M13 genomes containing the (+)-trans-anti-B[a]P-N2-dG were replicated in E. coli, survival of each adducted genome was less than 1% as compared to the unadducted genome. Upon induction of SOS, viability increased 2-6-fold. DNA sequencing showed no base substitutions in the progeny from SOS-uninduced cells, although small deletions in a quasipalindromic sequence occurred with the adduct being located at either site. However, following SOS induction, up to 40% targeted base substitutions were detected when the adduct was located at G1, while approximately 12% of the progeny were mutants with the adduct at G2. Most base substitutions were targeted G-->T transversions. We conclude that (+)-trans-anti-B[a]P-N2-dG is a highly mutagenic and replication blocking lesion. In addition, the biological consequence of this adduct depends on whether it is located at G1 or G2, suggesting that sequence context plays a major role in the mutagenic processing of this adduct.
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PMID:Sequence specific mutagenesis of the major (+)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-DNA adduct at a mutational hot spot in vitro and in Escherichia coli cells. 911 72


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