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Handbook of Nutrition, Diet, and Epigenetics pp 2017–2033Cite as

Plant Monoterpenes Camphor, Eucalyptol, Thujone, and DNA Repair

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Abstract

Genotoxic and genoprotective effects of monoterpenes camphor, eucalyptol, and thujone were comparatively studied in bacterial and mammalian cells. In E. coli test system, low doses were antimutagenic against UV and 4NQO in the repair-proficient strain, but co-mutagenic in NER-deficient mutant. Additionally, they enhanced UV-induced SOS response and homologous recombination. However, high doses were mutagenic in NER- and MMR-deficient strains. Similarly, low doses decreased genotoxic effect of 4NQO in Vero cell line, while high doses were genotoxic. Genotoxicity was confirmed in human cell lines: fetal fibroblasts MRC-5 and colon carcinoma HT-29 and HCT116 cells.

Obtained results were consistent with hormesis phenomenon and indicated genotoxin-induced adaptive response provoked by low doses of monoterpenes: small amounts of DNA lesions evoked error-free DNA repair pathways, mainly NER, and provided protection against more potent genotoxic agents, such as UV and 4NQO. Adaptive response in E. coli is mediated by enhanced efficiency of NER during SOS induction. On the other hand, adaptive response in mammalian cells may involve transcriptional upregulation of NER genes DDB2, XPC, ERCC1, XPF, XPG, and LIG1 previously reported to be induced by UV. In addition, promotion of NER could involve UV-specific histone modifications, such as acetylation of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, methylation of H3 and H4, and ubiquitination of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4.

Taking into account that numerous genotoxic agents induce DNA lesions repairable by NER, adaptive response provoked by camphor, eucalyptol, and thujone could be important for protection against environmental mutagens and carcinogens.

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Abbreviations

4NQO:

4-Nitroquinoline 1-oxide

BER:

Base excision repair

DSB:

Double-strand break

HR:

Homologous recombination

MMR:

Mismatch repair

NER:

Nucleotide excision repair

NHEJ:

Nonhomologous end joining

TLS:

Translesion synthesis

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia, Project No. 172058

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microbiology, Center for Genotoxicology and Ecogenotoxicology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Biljana Nikolić, Dragana Mitić-Ćulafić, Branka Vuković-Gačić & Jelena Knežević-Vukčević

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  1. Biljana Nikolić
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  2. Dragana Mitić-Ćulafić
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  3. Branka Vuković-Gačić
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  4. Jelena Knežević-Vukčević
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Correspondence to Biljana Nikolić .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK

    Vinood B. Patel

  2. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Research Division, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK

    Victor R. Preedy

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Nikolić, B., Mitić-Ćulafić, D., Vuković-Gačić, B., Knežević-Vukčević, J. (2019). Plant Monoterpenes Camphor, Eucalyptol, Thujone, and DNA Repair. In: Patel, V., Preedy, V. (eds) Handbook of Nutrition, Diet, and Epigenetics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55530-0_106

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55530-0_106

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