Brca2/Xrcc2 dependent HR, but not NHEJ, is required for protection against O6-methylguanine triggered apoptosis, DSBs and chromosomal aberrations by a process leading to SCEs

Abstract O 6 -methylguanine (O 6 MeG) is a highly critical DNA adduct induced by methylating carcinogens and anticancer drugs such as temozolomide, streptozotocine, procarbazine and dacarbazine. Induction of cell death by O 6 MeG lesions requires mismatch repair (MMR) and cell proliferation and is thought to be dependent on the formation of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) or, according to an alternative hypothesis, direct signaling by the MMR complex. Given a role for DSBs in this process, either homologous recombination (HR) or non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or both might protect against O 6 MeG. Here, we compared the response of cells mutated in HR and NHEJ proteins to temozolomide and…