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)

Ether-permeabilized (nucleotide-permeable) Escherichia coli cells respond to alkylating and arylalkylating carcinogens with DNA excision repair, as assessed by their stimulation of DNA repair synthesis. In the present work, we have investigated whether DNA repair synthesis in ether-treated E. coli cells can serve as a general indicator to monitor the DNA-binding of carcinogens, mutagens and antitumor agents. Therefore, a standard assay was developed and comparative analyses were performed on 11 ultimate carcinogens, 10 proximate carcinogens, 2 tumor promoters, 6 mutagens, and 12 antitumor agents. All ultimate carcinogens (alkylating, acylating, arylalkylating agents) and mutagens (e.g., hydrogeen peroxide, acridine derivatives) caused DNA excision repair in wild type cells as measured by [3H] dTMP incorporation and simultaneously inhibited replicative DNA synthesis to various extents. Control experiments with the mutant cells uvrA and uvrB were performed to determine whether the pyrimidine-dimer-specific UV-endonuclease was involved in the removal of DNA damage. This was found to be true for the ultimate carcinogens (Ac)2 ONFln, mitomycin C, and for very reactive alkylating carcinogens. None of the ultimate carcinogens induced repair polymerization in mutant cells lacking the 5'-3' exonucleolytic activity of DNA polymerase I. Proximate carcinogens, such as Me2NNO, 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide and aflatoxins, did not induce excision repair in the standard assay, probably because of the inability of E. coli to perform the activation steps necessary for covalent DNA-binding. However, Me2NNO, when pretreated with Udenfriend's hydroxylating mixture, gave rise to a low level of repair polymerization in ether-treated cells. Intercalating mutagens, such as quinacrine and ethidum bromide, inhibited replicative DNA synthesis. However, they were not found to be repair-inducers. THE TUMOR PROMOters TPA and phorbol-12,13-didecanoate did not cause excision repair, even when applied at high concentrations, nor did they inhibit repair synthesis stimulated by MeNOUr or (Ac)2 ONFln. The antitumor agents may be classified into two groups on the basis of the influence they exert on DNA synthesis: members of the first group (involving BCNU and bleomycin) stimulate repair polymerization and, in addition, inhibit DNA replication. These compounds are known to bind covalently to DNA. The second group of drugs (including adriamycin and cis-Pt(II)diammine complexes) inhibits DNA replication without stimulating repair synthesis. The predominant DNA-interaction of these compounds is known to be a non-covalent (i.e., intercalative, electrostatic) binding. Our experiments show that the ether-permeabilized E. coli cell can be successfully used to test ultimate carcinogens, mutagens and antitumor agents for repair-inducing and replication-inhibiting activity. The standard test might be extended to pre- and proximate carcinogens, provided these can be suitably activated.
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PMID:The nucleotide-permeable Escherichia coli cell, a sensitive DNA repair indicator for carcinogens, mutagens, and antitumor agents binding covalently to DNA. 15 98

The chemical class of drugs known as the nitrosoureas are a recently developed group of very active alkylating-agent anticancer drugs which are best represented by BCNU, CCNU, and methyl-CCNU (meCCNU). The nitrosoureas are among the most active, if not the most active, anticancer drugs both quantitatively (log kill of sensitive tumor cells in vivo) and qualitatively (spectrum of mouse, rat, and hamster tumors responding to treatment). Therapeutic anticancer activity of the nitrosoureas has been consistently observed with oral as well as parenteral administration. The nitrosoureas are clearly the most active group of anticancer drugs observed against experimental meningeal leukemias and intracerebrally implanted transplantable primary tumors of central nervous system origin (eg, gliomas, ependymoblastomas, and astrocytomas in mice and hamsters). The nitrosoureas have been observed to be less than additive in lethal toxicity for vital normal cells in the mouse in combination with representatives of the other major classes of anticancer agents, eg, purine antagonists, pyrimidine antagonists, inhibitors of DNA polymerase(s) or ribonucleotide reductase(s), mitotic inhibitors, drugs that bind to or intercalate with DNA, and other alkylating agents. Therapeutic synergism against one or more transplantable or spontaneous tumors of mice, rats, or hamsters with one of several nitrosoureas in two-drug combinations with representatives of most of the major classes of anticancer agents listed above has been reported. With a number of advanced-stages mouse tumors, generally considered to be refractory to treatment with most anticancer agents, long-term cures have been obtained with combination-drug or combined-modality (surgery plus chemotherapy) treatment. The demonstrated lack of cross-resistance of several leukemias and solid tumors of mice selected for resistance to BCNU, meCCNU, or other alkylating agents suggests that the widely held opinion that all alkylating agents are very similar in biologic mechanism of action, and therefore resistance to one alkylating agent probably predicts cross-resistance to all alkylating agents, may no longer be tenable. If not, then alkylating-agent drug combinations, either used alone or combined with other treatment modalities (eg, surgery) which have been reported to result in therapeutic improvement in a number of experimental murine tumor systems, may be indicated for serious consideration as surgical adjuvant chemotherapy by surgeons or as primary therapy by medical oncologists.
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PMID:Nitrosoureas: a review of experimental antitumor activity. 78 94

Damages in secondary DNA structure and inactivation or activation of some repair enzymes such as DNA polymerases alpha and beta and poly(ADP-riboso)polymerase induced by 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea (MNU) and 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) after administration of the drugs at therapeutic single doses to mice bearing parent L1210 leukemia cells (L1210/0) and MNU- and BCNU-resistant L1210 leukemia cells (L1210/MNU and L1210/BCNU) were studied. Damages in DNA structure of all three leukemia strains were investigated using centrifugation on alkaline or neutral sucrose gradients. More MNU-induced single-strand breaks (SSB) and alkali-labile lesions in L1210/0 and L1210/MNU cells were revealed in newly replicated DNA as compared with those in preexisting DNA. BCNU induced fewer SSB in newly replicated DNA of L1210/0 cells than MNU. The fastest repair of the damages in newly replicated DNA was detected in L1210/BCNU and especially in L1210/MNU cells as compared with L1210/0 cells. These results suggest that there are prone errors in the repair of DNA template as many SSB were revealed in the newly replicated DNA synthesized on the repaired DNA. Repair of DNA damages in L1210/BCNU and especially in L1210/MNU cells was accompanied by activation of DNA polymerases alpha and beta and poly(ADP-riboso)polymerase. It was shown that both DNA polymerases alpha and DNA polymerase beta were involved in the repair of damages induced by MNU and only DNA polymerase beta was involved in repair of damages induced by BCNU.
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PMID:In vivo DNA damage and resistance to 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea and 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea in L1210 leukemia cells. 312 36

Previously, mouse NIH 3T3 cells were stably transfected with human DNA polymerase beta (beta-pol) cDNA in the antisense orientation and under the control of a metallothionein promoter [Zmudzka, B.Z. and Wilson, S.H. (1990) Som. Cell Mol. Gen., 16, 311-320]. To assess the feasibility of enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapy by an antisense approach and to confirm a role for beta-pol in cellular DNA repair, we looked for increased sensitivity to DNA damaging agents under conditions where beta-pol is down-regulated in the antisense cell line. Such a sensitization is anticipated only where beta-pol is rate-limiting in a DNA repair pathway. A number of agents were tested: cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II (cisplatin); 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1- nitrosourea (BCNU); ionizing radiation and the radio-mimetic drug bleomycin; the bifunctional alkylating agents nitrogen mustard and L-phenylalanine mustard (melphalan); the monofunctional alkylating agent methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In the cases of cisplatin and UV radiation, a significant enhancement of cytotoxicity was observed. Damage as a result of both of these agents is thought to be repaired by the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. The results suggest that, in this cell line, beta-pol is involved in and is rate-limiting in NER. We propose that down-regulation of beta-pol by antisense approaches might be used to enhance the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin and other DNA damaging chemotherapeutic agents.
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PMID:Strategic down-regulation of DNA polymerase beta by antisense RNA sensitizes mammalian cells to specific DNA damaging agents. 747 21