Summary
Supercoiled DNA duplexes of phages φX 174 and PM2 were treated in aqueous solution at neutral pH with ultimate and proximate carcinogens. Subsequently, the carcinogen-treated phage DNAs were subjected to velocity sedimentation in neutral and alkaline sucrose to quantitate introduction of single strand breaks.
Reaction of phage DNA with the ultimate carcinogens N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MeNOUr), N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (EtNOUr), 7-bromomethyl-benz[a]-anthracene, N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene [(Ac)2ONFln] and K-region oxides for short periods followed by sedimentation in neutral sucrose gradients led to very few breaks. Incubation with the proximate carcinogens N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, 2-acetylaminofluorene, 7-methyl-, and 7,12-dimethyl-benz[a]anthracene did not result in breaks.
However, when the phage DNAs were reacted with the ultimate carcinogens under the same conditions but subsequently alkali-denatured and sedimented in alkaline sucrose gradients, single strand breaks were readily introduced. Incubation with the proximate carcinogens followed by alkali denaturation and sedimentation in alkaline sucrose showed that only 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and, to a minor extent, 7-methyl-benz[a]anthracene caused alkali-inducible breaks.
The ability of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine to effect breakdown of superhelical phage DNA in alkali was found enhanced in the presence of N-acetyl-cysteine.
Zusammenfassung
Superhelikale doppelsträngige DNA der Phagen φX 174 und PM2 wurde in wäßriger Lösung bei neutralem pH mit direkten und indirekten Carcinogenen umgesetzt. Anschließend wurde die Carcinogen-behandelte DNA einer Geschwindigkeitssedimentation in neutraler und alkalischer Sucrose unterworfen, um Einzelstrangbrüche quantitativ zu erfassen. Kurzzeitige Reaktion der Phagen DNA mit den direkten Carcinogenen N-Methyl-N-nitrosoharnstoff (MeNOUr), N-Äthyl-N-nitrosoharnstoff (EtNOUr), 7-Brommethyl-benz[a]anthracen, N-Acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluoren [(Ac)2ONFln] und K-Region Oxiden, gefolgt von Sedimentation in neutralen Sucrosegradienten, führte zu nur wenigen Brüchen. Nach Inkubation mit den indirekten Carcinogenen N-Hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluoren, 2-Acetylaminofluoren, 7-Methyl-und 7,12-Dimethyl-benz[a]anthracen wurden keine Brüche beobachtet.
Wurde dagegen die Phagen-DNA mit den direkten Carcinogenen unter denselben Reaktionsbedingungen umgesetzt, jedoch anschließend mit Alkali denaturiert und in alkalischen Sucrosegradienten sedimentiert, so waren zahlreiche Einzelstrangbrüche nachweisbar.
Die Inkubation der DNA mit indirekten Carcinogenen und die Analyse der Produkte in alkalischen Sucrosegradienten ergab, daß nur 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracen und, in geringem Umfang, 7-Methyl-benz[a]anthracen zu Brüchen führten.
N-Methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidin bewirkte alkali-katalysierbare Brüche in superhelikaler Phagen-DNA; dieser Effekt war besonders ausgeprägt in Gegenwart von N-Acetyl-cystein.
In weiteren Experimenten wurde PM2 DNA mit abgestuften Konzentrationen von [3H]MeNOUr, 7-Brom[14C]methyl-benz[a]anthracen und N-Acetoxy-2-[2-3H]acetylaminofluoren umgesetzt. Durch gleichzeitige Sedimentationsanalyse in neutraler und alkalischer Sucrose wurden die Anzahl der pro PM2 Duplex kovalent gebundenen Carcinogen-Reste sowie die Anzahl alkalikatalysierter Brüche bestimmt. Auf den gleichen Betrag gebundener Carcinogen-Reste bezogen, nimmt die Fähigkeit dieser Carcinogene, alkali-empfindliche Stellen in DNA einzuführen, in der Reihenfolge: 7-Brommethylbenz[a]anthracen>MeNOUr>(Ac)2ONFln ab. MeNOUr und EtNOUr bilden in DNA Alkyl-phosphotriester; weiterhin alkylieren sie unter anderem N-7 und O6 des Guanins sowie N-3 des Adenins. Diese Basenmodifikation führt zur Labilisierung der jeweiligen N-glykosidischen Bindung und zu Basenverlust (Apurinstelle). Sowohl Apurinstellen als auch Alkyl-phosphotriester sind alkali-empfindlich. Es ist wahrscheinlich, daß 7-Methyl-und 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracen (beide möglicherweise durch Luftsauerstoff aktiviert) sowie 7-Brommethyl-benz[a]anthracen, (Ac)2ONFln und die getesteten K-Region Oxide ihre Wirkung aufgrund derselben Mechanismen entfalten.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- Me2SO:
-
dimethyl sulfoxide
- MeNOUr:
-
N-methyl-N-nitrosourea
- EtNOUr:
-
N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea
- (Ac)2ONFln:
-
N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene
- (Ac)NOHFln:
-
W-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene
- (Ac)NHFln:
-
2-acetylaminofluorene
- Me(NO)(NO2)Gdn:
-
N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine
- RF:
-
double-stranded replicative form DNA
- RF I:
-
the supertwistet DNA duplex
- RF II:
-
the open-stranded DNA duplex
References
Bannon,P., Verly,W.: Alkylation of phosphates and stability of phosphate triesters in DNA. Eur. J. Biochem. 31, 103–111 (1972)
Bauer,W., Vinograd,J.: The interaction of closed circular DNA with intercalative dyes. I. The super-helix density of SV40 DNA in the presence and absence of dye. J. molecular Biol. 33, 141–171 (1968)
Bayley,C.R., Brammer,K.W., Jones,A.S.: The nucleotide sequence in desoxyribonucleic acids. J. chem. Soc. (London) 2, 1903–1907 (1961)
Beilsteins Handbuch der Organischen Chemie, Deutsche Chemische Gesellschaft (ed.), 4th ed., Vol. I, p. 342. Berlin: Springer 1929
Berwald,Y., Sachs,L.: In vitro transformation of normal cells to tumor cells by carcinogenic hydrocarbons. J. nat. Cancer Inst. 35, 641–661 (1965)
Böttger,M., Kuhn,W.: Sedimentation analysis of conformation changes of circular PM2 DNA in relation to the ionic strength. Biochim. biophysica Acta (Amsterdam) 254, 407–411 (1971)
Boyce,R.P., Howard-Flanders,P.: Genetic control of DNA breakdown and repair in E. coli K-12 treated with mitomycin C or ultraviolet light. Z. Vererbungslehre 95, 345–450 (1964)
Brookes,P., Dipple,A.: On the mechanism of hydrocarbon carcinogenesis. In: Bergmann, E.D., Pullmann, B. (Eds): Physiochemical mechanism of carcinogenesis, pp. 139–148. Jerusalem: Israel Academy of Sciences 1969
Chen,T.T., Heidelberger,C.: In vitro malignant transformation of cells derived from mouse prostate in the presence of 3-methylcholanthrene. J. nat. Cancer Inst. 42, 915–925 (1969)
Cox,R., Damjanov,I., Abanobi,S.E., Sarma,D.S.R.: A method for measuring DNA damage and repair in the liver in vivo. Cancer Res. 33, 2114–2121 (1973)
Crawford,L.V., Waring,M.J.: Supercoiling of polyma virus DNA measured by its interaction with ethidium bromide. J. molecular Biol. 25, 23–30 (1967)
Crine,P., Verly,W.G.: A study of DNA spontaneous degradation. Biochim. biophysica Acta (Amsterdam) 442, 50–57 (1976)
Damjanov,I., Cox,R., Sarma,D.S.R., Farber,E.: Patterns of damage and repair of liver DNA induced by carcinogenic methylating agents in vivo. Cancer Res. 33, 2122–2128 (1973)
Dipple,A., Slade,T.A.: Structure and activity in chemical carcinogenesis; studies of variously substituted 7-bromomethylbenz[a]anthracenes. Eur. J. Cancer 7, 473–476 (1971)
Dipple,A., Brookes,P., Mackintosh,D.S., Rayman,M.P.: Reaktion of 7-bromomethylbenz[a]anthracene with nucleic acids, polynucleotides, and nucleosides. Biochemistry 10, 4323–4330 (1971)
Eliel,E.L., Allinger,N.L., Angyal,S.J., Morrison,G.A.: Conformational analysis, pp. 193–195 and 199–206. New York-London-Sydney: Interscience Publishers 1965
Espejo,R.T., Canelo,E.S., Sinsheimer,R.L.: DNA of bacteriophage PM2: a closed circular doublestranded molecule. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. USA 63, 1164–1168 (1969)
Fuchs,R., Daune,M.: Physical studies on desoxyribonucleic acid after covalent binding of a carcinogen. Biochemistry 11, 2659–2666 (1972)
Gattermann,L.: Die Praxis des organischen Chemikers, 40. Aufl., pp. 234–236. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter & Co. 1961
Goth,R., Rajewsky,M.F.: Molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with pulse-carcinogenesis in the rat nervous system by ethylnitrosourea: ethylation of nucleic acids and elimination rates of ethylated bases from DNA of different tissues. Z. Krebsforsch. 82, 37–64 (1974)
Grossman,L., Braun,A., Feldberg,R., Mahler,J.: Enzmatic repair of DNA Annu. Rev. Biochem. 44, 19–43 (1975)
Grover,P.L., Sims,P.: Enzyme-catalysed reactions of polycyclic hydrocarbons with deoxyribonucleic acid and protein in vitro. Biochem, J. 110, 159–160 (1968)
Hess,U., Dürwald,H., Hoffmann-Berling,H.: DNA synthesis in nucleotide-permeable Escherichia coli cells. J. molecular Biol. 73, 407–423 (1973)
Hodes,M.E., Chargaff,E.: The apurinic acids from deoxyribonucleic acid fractions. Biochim. biophysica Acta (Amsterdam)22, 348–360 (1956)
Huberman,E., Kuroki,T., Marquardt,H., Selkirk,J.H., Heidelberger,C., Grover,P.L., Sims,P.: Transormation of hamster embryo cells by epoxides and other derivatives of polycyclic hydrocarbons. Cancer Res. 32, 1391–1396 (1972)
Huisgen,R.: Altes und Neues über aliphatische Diazoverbindungen. Angew. Chem. 67, 439–463 (1955)
Irving,C.C.: Enzymatic deacetylation of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene by liver microsomes. Cancer Res. 26, 1390–1396 (1966)
Irving,C.C.: Interaction of chemical carcinogens with DNA. In: Busch, H. (Ed.): Methods in cancer research, Vol. 7, pp. 189–244. New York-London: Academic Press 1973
Jones, A.S., Mian, A.M., Walker, R.T.: The alkaline degradation of desoxyribonucleic acid derivatives. J. chem. Soc. (London) Ser. C, 2042–2044 (1968)
Kaplan,J.C, Kushner,S.R., Grossman,L.: Enzymatic repair of DNA 1. Purification of two enzymes involved in the excision of thymine dimers from ultraviolet-irradiated DNA. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. USA 63, 144–151 (1969)
Kelly,R.B., Atkinson,M.R., Huberman,J.A., Kornberg,A.: Excision of thymine dimers and other mismatched sequences by DNA polymerase of Escherichia coli. Nature (London) 224, 495–501 (1969)
Kirtikar,D.M., Goldthwait,D.A.: The enzymatic release of O 6-methylguanine and 3-methyladenine from DNA reacted with the carcinogen N-methyl-N-nitrosourea. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. USA 71, 2022–2026 (1974)
Kriek,E., Miller,J.A., Juhl,U., Miller,E.C.: 8-(N-2-fluorenyl-acetamido)-guanosine, an arylamidation reaction product of guanosine and the carcinogen N-acetoxy-N-2-fluorenyl-acetamide in neutral solution. Biochemistry 6, 177–182 (1967)
Kriek,E.: Persistent binding of a new reaction product of the carcinogen N-hydroxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene with guanine in rat liver DNA in vitro. Cancer Res. 32, 2042–2048 (1972)
Kriek,E.: Carcinogenesis by aromatic amines. Biochim. biophysica Acta (Amsterdam) 355, 177–203 (1974)
Laishes,B.A., Stich,H.F.: Relative DNA damage induced in cultured human skin fibroblasts by exposure to the precarcinogen 2-acetylaminofluorene, the proximate carcinogen N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, and the ultimate carcinogen N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene. Canad. J. Biochem. 51, 990–994 (1973)
Laurence,D. J. R.: Chain breakage of desoxyribonucleic acid following treatment with low doses of sulphur mustard. Proc. Roy. Soc. (London) Ser. A 271, 520–530 (1963)
Lawley,P.D., Brookes,P.: Further studies on the alkylation of nucleic acids and their constituent nucleotides. Biochem. J. 89, 127–138 (1963)
Lawley,P.D.: Effects of some chemical mutagens and carcinogens on nucleic acids. Progr. Nucleic Acid Res. Mol. Biol. 5, 89–131 (1966)
Lawley,P.D., Thatcher,C.J.: Methylation of desoxyribonucleic acid in cultured mammalian cells by N-methyl-N-nitro-nitrosoguanidine. Biochem. J. 116, 69–707 (1970)
Levine,A. L., Fink,L. M., Weinstein,J., Grunberger,D.: Effect of N-2-acetylaminofluorene modification on the conformation of nucleic acids. Cancer Res. 34, 319–327 (1974)
Lindahl,T., Andersson,A.: Rate of chain breakage of apurinic sites in double-stranded desoxyribonucleic acid. Biochemistry 11, 3618–3623 (1972)
Lindahl,T., Nyberg,B.: Rate of depurination of native deoxyribonucleic acid. Biochemistry 11, 3610–3618 (1972)
Loveless,A., Hampton,C.L.: Inactivation and mutation of coliphage T2 by N -methylnd N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea. Mutat. Res. 7, 1–12 (1969)
Lotlikar,P.D., Miller,E.C, Miller,J.A., Margreth,A.: The enzymatic reduction of the N-hydroxy derivatives of 2-acetylaminofluorene and related carcinogens by tissue preparations. Cancer Res. 25, 1743–1752 (1965)
Lotlikar,P.D., Scribner,J.D., Miller,J.A., Miller,E.C: Reaction of esters of aromatic N-hydroxy amines and amides with methionine in vitro: a model for in vivo binding of amine carcinogens to protein, Vol. 5, pp. 1263–1269. London: Pergamon Press 1966
Margison,G.P., O'Connor,P.J.: Biological implications of the instability of the N-glycosidic bond of 3-methyldeoxyadenosine in DNA. Biochim. biophysica Acta (Amsterdam) 331, 349–356 (1973)
Margison,G.P., Capps,M.J., O'Connor,P.J., Craig,A.W.: Loss of 7-methylguanine from rat liver DNA after methylation in vivo with methylmethanesulphonate or dimethylnitrosamine. Chem.-Biol. Interactions 6, 119–124 (1973)
Michelson,A.M.: The chemistry of nucleosides and nucleotides, pp. 372–373. New York-London: Academic Press 1963
Miller,E.C., Juhl,U., Miller,J.A.: Nucleic acid guanine: reaction with the carcinogen N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene. Science (Washington) 153, 1125–1127 (1966)
Miller,J.A., Miller,E.C.: The metabolic activation of carcinogenic aromatic amines and amides. Progr. exp. Tumor Res., Vol. 11, pp.273–301. Basel-New York: Karger 1969
Murray,III,A., Williams,D.L.: Organic synthesis with isotopes, Parti, pp.583–585. New York: Interscience Publishers 1958
Noll,H.: Polysomes: Analysis of structure and function. In: Campbell,P. N., Sargent,J.R. (Eds.): Techniques in protein biosynthesis, Vol.2, pp. 101–179. New York-London: Academic Press 1969
Olson,A.O., Baird,K.M.: Single-strand breaks in Escherichia coli DNA caused by treatment with nitrosoguanidine. Biochim. biophysica Acta (Amsterdam) 179, 513–514 (1969)
Pettijohn,D., Hanawalt,P.: Evidence for repair-replication of ultraviolet damaged DNA in bacteria. J. molecular Biol. 9, 395–410 (1964)
Rayman,M.P., Dipple,A.: Structure and activity in chemical carcinogenesis. Comparison of the reactions of 7-bromomethylbenz[a]anthracene and 7-bromomethyl-12-methylbenz[a]anthracene with desoxyribonucleic acid in vitro. Biochemistry 12, 1202–1207 (1973)
Rhaese,H.-J., Freese,E.: Chemical analysis of DNA alterations. IV. Reactions of oligodeoxynucleotides with monofunctional alkylating agents leading to backbone breakage. Biochim. biophysica Acta (Amsterdam) 190, 418–433 (1969)
Setlow,R.B.: Cyclobutane-type pyrimidine dimers in polynucleotides. Science (Washington) 153, 379–386 (1966)
Setlow,R.B.: The photochemistry, photobiology, and repair of polynucleotides. Progr. Nucl. Acid Res. Mol. Biol. 8, 257–295 (1968)
Shooter,K.V.: The kinetics of the alkaline hydrolysis of phosphotriesters in DNA. Chem. biol. Interactions 13, 151–163 (1976)
Shooter,K.V., Howse,R., Shah,S.A., Lawley,P.D.: The action of methylating agents on the ribonucleic-acid-containing bacteriophage R17. Biochem. J. 137, 303–312 (1974)
Sims,P., Grover,P.L.: Epoxides in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism and carcinogenesis. Advances Cancer Res. 20, 165–274 (1974)
Singer,B.: The chemical effects of nucleic acid alkylation and their relation to mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. Progr. Nucleic Acid. Res. Mol. Biol. 15, 219–284 (1975)
Singer,B.: All oxygens in nucleic acids react with carcinogenic ethylating agents. Nature (London) 264, 333–339 (1976)
Sinsheimer,R.L.: Bacteriophage φX 174 and related viruses. Progr. Nucleic Acid Res. Mol. Biol. 8, 115–168 (1968)
Strauss,B.S., Wahl,R.: The presence of breaks in the deoxyribonucleic acid of bacillus subtilis treated in vitro with the alkylating agent, methylmethanesulfonate. Biochim. biophysica Acta (Amsterdam) 80, 116–126 (1963)
Strauss,B.S., Coyle,M., Robbins,M.: Alkylation damage and its repair. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol. 33, 277–287 (1968)
Strauss,B.S., Robbins,M.: DNA methylated in vitro by a monofunctional alkylating agent as a substrate for a specific nuclease from micrococcus lysodeikticus. Biochim. biophysica Acta (Amsterdam) 161, 68–75 (1968)
Sun,L., Singer,B.: The specificity of different classes of ethylating agents toward various sites of Hela cell DNA in vitro and in vivo. Biochemistry 14, 1795–1802 (1975)
Tamm,C, Hodes,M.E., Chargaff,E.: The formation of apurinic acid from the desoxyribonucleic acid of calf thymus. J. biol. Chemistry 195, 49–63 (1952)
Tamm,C., Shapiro,H.S., Lipshitz,R., Chargaff,E.: Distribution density of nucleotides within a desoxyribonucleic acid chain. J. biol. Chemistry 203, 673–688 (1953)
Thielmann,H.W.: Carcinogen-induced DNA repair in nucleotide-permeable Escherichia coli cells.Analysis of DNA repair induced by the carcinogens N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene and 7-bromomethyl-benz[a]anthracene. Eur. J. Biochem. 61, 501–513 (1976)
Thielmann,H.W., Vosberg,H.-P., Reygers,U.: Carcinogen-induced DNA repair in nucleotide-permeable Escherichia coli cells. Induction of DNA repair by the carcinogens methyl and ethyl nitrosoureaand methyl methanesulfonate. Eur. J. Biochem. 56, 433–447 (1975)
Weinstein,J.B., Grunberger,D.: Structural and functional changes in nucleic acids modified by chemical carcinogens. In: Ts'o,P.O.P., DiPaolo,J.A. (Eds.): World symposium on model studies in chemical carcinogenesis, pp. 217–235. New York: Marcell Dekker 1974
Wickner,W., Brutlag,D., Schekman,R., Kornberg,A.: RNA synthesis initiates in vitro conversion of M13 DNA to its replicative form. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. USA 69, 965–969 (1972)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
I thank Prof. E. Hecker for stimulating discussions during the experimental work. I am very grateful to Miss U. Reygers and Mr. H. Gersbach for excellent technical assistance. I also thank R. S. Schmidt and Dr. Howard V. Hershey for critically reading the manuscript and helpful suggestions.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Thielmann, H.W. Dection of strand breaks in φX 174 RFI and PM2 DNA reacted with ultimate and proximate carcinogens. Z. Krebsforsch. 90, 37–69 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306020
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306020