0000000000653885
AUTHOR
Jörg Dosch
DNA repair protein MGMT protects against N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced conversion of benign into malignant tumors
Tumor formation is a multi-step process that can be divided into the stages of tumor initiation, promotion and progression. Previously, we showed that overexpression in skin of mice of the DNA repair protein O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) protects against N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced tumor initiation without affecting tumor promotion. This indicated that O(6)-methylguanine, which is specifically repaired by MGMT, is a major tumor-initiating lesion. Here we extended this transgenic approach to the study of tumor progression. Benign papillomas that arose on the skin of CkMGMT transgenic mice upon initiation with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) and promotion by 1…
Transgenic systems in studies on genotoxicity of alkylating agents: critical lesions, thresholds and defense mechanisms
Abstract Transgenic systems, both cell lines and mice with gain or loss of function, are being used in order to modulate the expression of DNA repair proteins, thus allowing to assess their contribution to the defense against genotoxic mutagens and carcinogens. In this review, questions have been addressed concerning the use of transgenic systems in elucidating critical primary DNA lesions, their conversion into genotoxic endpoints, low-dose effects, and the relative contribution of individual cellular functions in defense. It has been shown that the repair protein alkyltransferase (MGMT) is decisive for protection against methylating and chloroethylating compounds. Protection pertains also…
Mismatch G-T binding activity and MSH2 expression is quantitatively related to sensitivity of cells to methylating agents
To elucidate mechanisms involved in alkylating drug resistance, Chinese hamster cells resistant to methylating agents have been generated upon transfection with human DNA. Here it is shown that these Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) variants exhibit the tolerance phenotype: they are alkyltransferase deficient (Mex-), cross-resistant to 6-thioguanine, exhibit reduced G-T binding (MutS alpha) activity and express the mismatch repair protein MSH2 at a significantly lower level than the corresponding control. By comparing wild-type cells with different tolerant strains that show gradual differences in resistance to methylating agents, it was shown that both the G-T binding activity and the amount of…
Inducible Responses and Protective Functions of Mammalian Cells Upon Exposure to UV Light and Ionizing Radiation
In mammalian cells, ultraviolet (UV) light as well as ionizing radiation (IR) transcriptionally activate the early-responsive genes c-fos, c jun,junB and junD. The induction of fos and jun by UV-C is currently understood to occur via activation of the EGF receptor and the Ras, Raf, ERK and JNK cascade leading ultimately to phosphorylation of transcription factors such as Fos and Jun (AP-1). This, finally, gives rise to transcriptional activation of AP-1 dependent target genes. Another gene we have recently demonstrated to be immediate-early inducible upon UV-irradiation encodes the Ras-related small GTPase RhoB. The pathway of rhoB induction appears to be different from fos/jun because (i) …