Edmund P. Salazar

ERCC2: CDNA cloning and molecular characterization of a human nucleotide excision repair gene with high homology to yeast RAD3

Human ERCC2 genomic clones give efficient, stable correction of the nucleotide excision repair defect in UV5 Chinese hamster ovary cells. One clone having a breakpoint just 5′ of classical promoter elements corrects only transiently, implicating further flanking sequences in stable gene expression. The nucleotide sequences of a cDNA clone and genomic flanking regions were determined. The ERCC2 translated amino acid sequence has 52% identity (73% homology) with the yeast nucleotide excision repair protein RAD3. RAD3 is essential for cell viability and encodes a protein that is a single‐stranded DNA dependent ATPase and an ATP dependent helicase. The similarity of ERCC2 and RAD3 suggests a role for ERCC2 in both cell viability and DNA repair and provides the first insight into the biochemical function of a mammalian nucleotide excision repair gene.

Molecular cloning and biological characterization of a human gene, ERCC2, that corrects the nucleotide excision repair defect in CHO UV5 cells.

The UV-sensitive Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line UV5, which is defective in the incision step of nucleotide excision repair, was used to identify and clone a complementing human gene, ERCC2, and to study the repair process. Genomic DNA from a human-hamster hybrid cell line was sheared and cotransferred with pSV2gpt plasmid DNA into UV5 cells to obtain five primary transformants. Transfer of sheared DNA from one primary transformant resulted in a secondary transformant expressing both gpt and ERCC2. The human repair gene was identified with a probe for Alu-family repetitive sequences. For most primary, secondary, and cosmid transformants, survival after UV exposure showed a return to wild-type levels of resistance. The levels of UV-induced mutation at the aprt locus for secondary and cosmid transformants varied from 50 to 130% of the wild-type level. Measurements of the initial rate of UV-induced strand incision by alkaline elution indicated that, whereas the UV5 rate was 3% of the wild-type level, rates of cosmid-transformed lines were similar to that of the wild type, and the secondary transformant rate was about 165% of the wild-type rate. Analysis of overlapping cosmids determined that ERCC2 is between 15.5 and 20 kilobases and identified a closely linked gpt gene. Cosmids were obtained with functional copies of both ERCC2 and gpt. ERCC2 corrects only the first of the five CHO complementation groups of incision-defective mutants.

Comparative genotoxic effects of the cooked-food-related mutagens Trp-P-2 and IQ in bacteria and cultured mammalian cells

As part of a major study to evaluate the mutagenicity of chemicals produced during the cooking of foods, we examined the responses of bacteria and cultured Chinese hamster cells to the compounds Trp-P-2 (3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole) and IQ (2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline), constituents identified in cooked beef and fish. In the Ames/Salmonella tester strain TA1538, both compounds were confirmed to be extremely potent mutagens that were active at levels below 1 ng/plate in the presence of hamster-liver S9 microsomal fraction. 50-fold higher doses of both compounds were required for mutagenicity in the uvr+ tester strain TA1978. Trp-P-2 also behaved as a strong mutagen in CHO cells using the standard exogenous activation with hamster-liver S9 fraction. At concentrations below 1 microgram/ml it produced dose-dependent increases in cell killing, mutations at the hprt and aprt loci, sister-chromatid exchanges, and chromosomal aberrations. An excision-repair-deficient strain was about 2-fold more sensitive than the normal CHO cells with respect to these genotoxic effects of Trp-P-2. IQ had unexpectedly weak activity for all genetic endpoints in the CHO cells, and it produced clear-cut responses only in the repair-deficient cells and only above a concentration of 10 micrograms/ml. The toxicity that was observed with IQ was not affected by the repair capacity of the cells and was not associated with chromosomal aberrations, indicating that damage to cellular structures other than nuclear DNA was likely the predominant pathway for cell killing. Because the culture conditions normally used for CHO cell exposure were shown to be competent in producing bacterial mutagenicity with IQ, it was concluded that the active metabolite of IQ was present in the medium but was somehow ineffective in reaching the DNA of CHO cells and/or reacting with it. These results suggest that the relative mutagenic potency of compounds in Salmonella may bear no direct relationship to relative mutagenicity in CHO cells, emphasizing precaution in attempting to extrapolate microbial data to mammalian somatic cells. This study illustrates the use and merits of a multi-endpoint assay for genetic damage in CHO cells, the utility of using CHO cells that are defective in excision repair of DNA, and the importance of comparative testing between bacterial and mammalian systems.

Repression of mutagenesis by Rad51D-mediated homologous recombination

Homologous recombinational repair (HRR) restores chromatid breaks arising during DNA replication and prevents chromosomal rearrangements that can occur from the misrepair of such breaks. In vertebrates, five Rad51 paralogs are identified that contribute in a nonessential but critical manner to HRR proficiency. We constructed and characterized a knockout of the paralog Rad51D in widely studied CHO cells. The rad51d mutant (clone 51D1) displays sensitivity to a diverse spectrum of induced DNA damage including γ-rays, ultraviolet (UV)-C radiation, and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), indicating the broad relevance of HRR to genotoxicity. Spontaneous chromatid breaks/gaps and isochromatid breaks are elevated 3- to 12-fold, but the chromosome number distribution remains unchanged. Most importantly, 51D1 cells exhibit a 12-fold-increased rate of hprt mutation, as well as 4- to 10-fold increased rates of gene amplification at the dhfr and CAD loci, respectively. Xrcc3 irs1SF cells from the same parental CHO line show similarly elevated mutagenesis at these three loci. Collectively, these results confirm the a priori expectation that HRR acts in an error-free manner to repress three classes of genetic alterations (chromosomal aberrations, loss of gene function and increased gene expression), all of which are associated with carcinogenesis.

Recent Progress with the DNA Repair Mutants of Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

SUMMARY Repair-deficient mutants of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are being used to identify human genes that correct the repair defects and to study mechanisms of DNA repair and mutagenesis. Five independent tertiary DNA transformants were obtained from the EM9 mutant, which is noted for its very high sister-chromatid exchange frequencies. In these clones a human DNA sequence was identified that correlated with the resistance of the cells to chlorodeoxyuridine (CldUrd). After EcoRI digestion, Southern transfer, and hybridization of transformant DNAs with the BLUR-8 Alu family sequence, a common fragment of 25–30 kilobases (kb) was present. Since the DNA molecules used to produce these transformants were sheared to <50kb in size, the correcting gene should be small enough to clone in a cosmid vector. Using drug-resistance markers to select for hybrids after fusion, we have done complementation experiments with ultraviolet light (u.v.)-sensitive mutants and have identified a sixth complementation group, line UV61. Additionally, CHO mutants UV27-1 and MMC-2, isolated in other laboratories, were found to belong to UV group 3, which is represented by line UV24. To study the behaviour of transfected DNA molecules in repair-deficient cells, we treated plasmid pSV2gpt with either u.v. radiation or cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP) and introduced the damaged DNA into normal CHO cells (AA8) and mutants UV4 and UV5. Unrepaired damage to the plasmid was indicated by loss of colony-forming ability of the transfected cells in selective medium containing mycophenolic acid. With u.v. damage, the differential survival of the cell lines was similar to that seen when whole cells are treated with u.v. However, with cis-DDP damage, mutant UV4 did not exhibit the extreme hypersensitivity (50-fold) that occurs when cells are treated. This result suggests that UV4 cells may be able to repair cross-links in transfected DNA.

Rapid detection of DNA-damaging agents using repair-deficient CHO cells

A screening method is introduced to detect and classify DNA-damaging agents using DNA repair-deficient strains of Chinese hamster ovary cells. Differential cytotoxicity (relative growth) of the mutant cells compared to the wild-type cells was interpreted as a measure of lethal, potentially repairable damage to DNA. The assay consists of exposing the wild-type cells and three mutant strains to the test compound in a 24-well tray and using staining intensity to estimate growth after 72 h. The battery of mutants consists of two UV-sensitive strains (UV4 and UV5) that are deficient in different aspects of nucleotide excision repair, and strain EM9, which is defective in DNA-strand-break rejoining. The assay was highly reproducible, and the magnitude of the differential cytotoxicity response compared favorably with the amount of differential killing measured by colony-formation survival curves for several chemicals. 15 direct-acting and 7 metabolism-dependent agents that were expected to produce bulky, covalent DNA adducts were tested in the assay, and all produced a differential cytotoxicity response in at least two of the mutants. UV4 and UV5 showed a response to all of the test compounds whereas EM9 showed a response to 7 of the test compounds. Thus, the pattern of mutant responses presumably reflects the types of DNA damage produced by a compound. Although this aspect is still under development, these results indicate the potential of a larger battery of mutants to classify a wide spectrum of chemicals according to the lesions they produce. 13 non-DNA damaging agents were also tested and none produced a differential cytotoxicity response, suggesting that this endpoint is specific for DNA damage. We conclude that this assay may be a cost-effective alternative or adjunct to the existing short-term tests.

Identification of nucleotide-excision-repair genes on human chromosomes 2 and 13 by functional complementation in hamster-human hybrids

The CHO UV-sensitive mutants UV24 and UV135 (complementation groups 3 and 5, respectively) are defective in nucleotide excision repair. After fusing each mutant with human lymphocytes, resistant hybrid clones showing genetic complementation were isolated by repeated exposure to UV radiation. Using a combination of isozyme markers, DNA probes,and cytogenetic methods to analyze the primary hybrids and their subclones, correction of the repair defect was shown to be correlated with the presence of a specific human chromosome in each case. Chromosome 2 corrected UV24, and the gene responsible was designated ERCC3.Line UV135 was corrected by human chromosome 13 and the gene designated ERCC5.The UV-sensitive mouse cell line, Q31, was shown not to complement UV135 and thus appears to be mutated in the same genetic locus (homologous to ERCC5)as UV135. Breakage of complementing chromosomes with retention of the genes correcting repair defects allowed the following provisional assignments: regional localization of ERCC5to 13q14-q34, exclusion of ERCC3from the region of chromosome 2 distal to p23, and relief of the ambiguity of ACPlassignment (2p23 or 2p25) to 2p23 proximal to MDH1.

An eighth complementation group of rodent cells hypersensitive to ultraviolet radiation

Two mutant lines (US31, US46) of mouse lymphoma cells that are hypersensitive to ultraviolet (UV) radiation were previously found to belong to different complementation groups. The mutants were tested for their ability to complement the six known complementation groups of UV-sensitive Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, which are defective in nucleotide excision repair, as well as a seventh group represented by a V79 mutant. Hybrid cells were produced by fusion with polyethylene glycol and tested in situfor UV resistance. The mouse mutant US46 complemented all CHO mutants except UV61. Therefore, US46 is assigned to the same complementation group as UV61, and it is probably defective in the same locus. The mouse mutant US31 produced UV-resistant hybrid cells in each of the seven crosses, indicating that it forms an eighth complementation group among the rodent mutants. Thus, at least eight genes are likely required to repair UV damage in rodent cells.

Hypersensitivity to cell killing and mutation induction by chemical carcinogens in an excision repair-deficient mutant of CHO cells

A strain of Chinese hamster ovary cells that is deficient in nucleotide excision repair, strain UV5, was compared with the normal parental CHO cells in terms of cytotoxicity and mutagenesis after exposure to several chemical carcinogens that are known to produce bulky, covalent adducts in DNA. Induced mutations were measured at the hprt locus using thioguanine resistance and at the aprt locus using azaadenine resistance. The compounds tested that required metabolic activation (using rat or hamster microsomal fractions) were 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, 3-methylcholanthrene, benzo(a)pyrene, aflatoxin B1, 2-acetylaminofluorene, and 2-naphthylamine. The direct-acting compounds (+/-)-r-7,t-8-dihydroxy-t-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene, N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, and N-OH-2-naphthylamine were also studied. For all compounds except 2-naphthylamine and its active metabolite, the repair-deficient cells were significantly more sensitive to killing than the normal CHO cells. Mutation induction at both loci was also more efficient in UV5 cells in each instance where enhanced cytotoxicity was observed. By using tritium-labeled N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, normal and mutant cells were shown to bind mutagen to their nuclear DNA with similar efficiency, and a greater amount of adduct removal occurred in the normal cells. From this study it is concluded that the use of excision repair-deficient CHO cells provides enhanced sensitivity for detecting mutagenesis and that a positive differential cytotoxicity response gives an indication of repairable, potentially lethal genetic damage.

DNA repair characteristics and mutations in the ERCC2 DNA repair and transcription gene in a trichothiodystrophy patient

Patient TTD183ME is male and has typical trichothiodystrophy characteristics, including brittle hair, ichthyosis, characteristic face with receding chin and protruding ears, sun sensitivity, and mental and growth retardation. The relative amount of NER carried out by a TTD183ME fibroblast cell strain after ultraviolet (UV) exposure was ∼65% of normal as determined by a method that converts repair patches into quantifiable DNA breaks. UV survival curves show a reduction in survival only at doses greater than 4 J/m2. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the ERCC2 (XPD) DNA repair and transcription gene cDNA revealed both a Leu461‐to‐Val substitution and a deletion of amino acids 716–730 in one allele and an Ala725‐to‐Pro substitution in the other allele. The first allele has also been reported in one xeroderma pigmentosum group D patient and two other trichothiodystrophy patients, while the second allele has not been previously reported. Comparisons suggest that the mutation of Ala725 to Pro correlates with TTD with intermediate UV sensitivity. Hum Mutat 9:519–525, 1997.