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PubMed2004

DNA repair gene XRCC1 and XPD polymorphisms and risk of prostate cancer.

The X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) and xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD) genes are involved in base excision repair and nucleotide excision repair of DNA repair pathways, respectively. A growing body of evidence suggests that XRCC1 and XPD are important in environmentally induced cancers, and polymorphisms in both genes have been identified. To determine whether the XRCC1 (codon Arg399Gln) and XPD (codon Asp312Asn and codon Lys751Gln) polymorphisms are associated with prostate cancer susceptibility, we genotyped these polymorphisms in a primarily Caucasian sample of 506 sibships (n = 1,117) ascertained through a brother with prostate cancer. Sibships were analyzed with a Cox proportional hazards model with age at prostate cancer diagnosis as the outcome. Of the three polymorphisms investigated, only the XPD codon 312 Asn/Asn genotype had an odds ratio (OR) significantly different from one (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.03-2.53). Analyses stratified by the clinical characteristics of affected brothers in the sibship did not reveal any significant heterogeneity in risk. In exploring two-way gene interactions, we found a markedly elevated risk for the combination of the XPD codon 312 Asn/Asn and XRCC1 codon 399 Gln/Gln genotypes (OR, 4.81; 95% CI, 1.66-13.97). In summary, our results suggest that the XPD codon 312 Asn allele may exert a modest positive effect on prostate cancer risk when two copies of the allele are present, and this effect is enhanced by the XRCC codon 399 Gln allele in its recessive state.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Characterization of premature liver polyploidy in DNA repair (Ercc1)-deficient mice.

ERCC1-XPF is the endonuclease that cuts 5' of the damage in nucleotide excision repair (NER). Unlike other NER proteins, ERCC1-XPF is also involved in recombination and the repair of DNA interstrand cross-links. Unique among the NER gene knockouts, Ercc1 null mice are severely runted with high levels of hepatocyte polyploidy. To understand the link between DNA repair deficiency and polyploidy we have compared the premature polyploidy in Ercc1 null liver with the normal development of polyploidy in aging control mice. Polyploidy was accelerated dramatically in Ercc1 null hepatocytes, such that ploidy levels were equivalent in 3-week-old Ercc1 null and 1- to 2-year-old wild-type mouse liver. Levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21, were increased in the nuclei of Ercc1 null hepatocytes, and this increase was concentrated in, but not confined to, the polyploid hepatocytes. Much lower levels of p21 messenger RNA (mRNA) were found in old wild-type liver with equivalent levels of ploidy. We suggest that the more rapid accumulation of DNA damage in Ercc1 null liver leads to an increase in p21 levels, but that there is not a simple direct link between p21 levels and premature polyploidy. The failure to observe any link between p21 levels and polyploidy in aged wild-type liver may be attributable to the much lower levels of accumulated DNA damage, the much greater timescale involved, or the existence of a p21-independent mechanism for polyploidy. In conclusion, the premature polyploidy in Ercc1-deficient liver differs from the normal aging-related process.

Aging↗

PubMed2002

Expression and activity of the DNA repair enzyme uracil DNA glycosylase during organogenesis in the rat conceptus and following methotrexate exposure in vitro.

Uracil incorporation into DNA occurs under conditions that limit thymidine biosynthesis; uracil is removed by two isoforms of uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG; EC 3.2.2.3), UNG1 and UNG2. We hypothesize that UNG is important in protecting the mid-organogenesis stage [gestational day (GD) 10-12] rat conceptus against conditions that limit thymidine biosynthesis. Transcripts for both UNG isoforms were expressed highly in the yolk sac and embryo, increasing over 400% in the embryo between GD11 and 12. GD10 and 11 yolk sacs showed the highest levels of putatively active UNG2 protein, with little UNG1 protein. Moderate levels of UNG2 and UNG1 proteins were found in the embryo on GDs 10 through 12; no significant increase in either protein occurred on GD12. UNG activity was higher in yolk sac than embryo on GDs 10 and 11, mirroring protein levels. Exposure to the teratogen methotrexate (MTX) leads to nucleotide pool imbalance, uracil incorporation into DNA, and genotoxic stress-induced cell death. Concentration-dependent decreases in developmental growth parameters, decreased yolk sac vasculature, and malformations such as kinked tail and retarded limb development were observed in embryos exposed to MTX (0.5, 2.5, or 5 microM). UNG transcripts were elevated 30-40% in both yolk sac and embryo after a 6-hr culture with 0.5 microM MTX; however, protein expression and activity were unaffected. Thus, MTX exposure caused malformations but did not modify UNG protein expression or activity, indicating an inability to increase the removal of MTX-induced genotoxic damage. Furthermore, UNG expression was developmental stage- and tissue-specific; the discrepancy between transcript and protein levels suggests post-transcriptional regulation.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Gene amplification and expression of the DNA repair enzyme, N-methylpurine-DNA glycosylase (MPG) in HPV-infected cervical neoplasias.

BACKGROUND: Lethal and mutagenic damages of DNA is caused by a variety of agents including viruses. It is known that HPV is one of the major causes of cervical carcinogenesis and that cells eliminate DNA lesions with DNA repair enzymes. However, the role of N-methylpurine-DNA glycosylase (MPG) is not known in the development of cervical cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for the detection and typing of HPV in the biopsy. Gene amplification of MPG was measured by a PCR-based assay. The mRNA levels of MPG were determined by reverse transcription-PCR using hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase as the reference gene. An immunohistochemical technique was used to examine the distribution of MPG in the tissues. RESULTS: Of 68 Korean cervical neoplasia patients, 86.8% showed HPV infection. High-risk HPV 16/18 were the most prevalent but positive only in 47.3% of the invasive cancer patients. Gene amplification of MPG was significantly increased in high-risk HPV-infected tissues as compared to low-risk HPV-infected and normal tissues (p < 0.05). The mRNA levels of MPG were higher in HPV-infected invasive carcinoma than normal cervical tissues. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the intracellular expression and distribution (localization) of MPG altered in the cervical neoplasia. Interestingly, MPG expression in CIN III and invasive carcinoma (IC) was much higher than normal and CIN I. Granular positivity of MPG was notable in the perinuclear regions of the cytoplasm in HPV-infected invasive cancer. CONCLUSION: This is the first report on MPG expression in cervical neoplasia. Our results indicate that the gene amplification and expression of MPG were increased in high-risk HPV-infected cervical neoplasias and the intracellular distribution of MPG protein was altered, suggesting a role of MPG in carcinogenesis.

DNA Glycosylases↗

PubMed2001

Promoter hypermethylation of the DNA repair gene O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase is associated with the presence of G:C to A:T transition mutations in p53 in human colorectal tumorigenesis.

Defects in DNA repair may be responsible for the genesis of mutations in key genes in cancer cells. The tumor suppressor gene p53 is commonly mutated in human cancer by missense point mutations, most of them G:C to A:T transitions. A recognized cause for this type of change is spontaneous deamination of the methylcytosine. However, the persistence of a premutagenic O(6)-methylguanine can also be invoked. This last lesion is removed in the normal cell by the DNA repair enzyme O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT). In many tumor types, epigenetic silencing of MGMT by promoter hypermethylation has been demonstrated and linked to the appearance of G to A mutations in the K-ras oncogene in colorectal tumors. To study the relevance of defective MGMT function by aberrant methylation in relation to the presence of p53 mutations, we studied 314 colorectal tumors for MGMT promoter hypermethylation and p53 mutational spectrum. Inactivation of MGMT by aberrant methylation was associated with the appearance of G:C to A:T transition mutations at p53 (Fischer's exact test, two-tailed; P = 0.01). Overall, MGMT methylated tumors displayed p53 transition mutations in 43 of 126 (34%) cases, whereas MGMT unmethylated tumors only showed G:C to A:T changes in 37 of 188 (19%) tumors. A more striking association was found in G:C to A:T transitions in non-CpG dinucleotides; 71% (12 of 17) of the total non-CpG transition mutations in p53 were observed in MGMT aberrantly methylated tumors (Fischer's exact test, two-tailed; P = 0.008). Our data suggest that epigenetic silencing of MGMT by promoter hypermethylation may lead to G:C to A:T transition mutations in p53.

Adenoma↗

PubMed1989

DNA repair in man.

DNA repair in man can be described in general terms, but details are still obscure. Excision repair of base damage has a general similarity to the mechanism of the bacterial uvr ABC exonuclease, but the individual roles of at least 15 genes that regulate mammalian excision repair are as yet unknown. The differential repair of specific regions of DNA and of specific genes is highlighted by the clustered mode of repair characteristic of xeroderma pigmentosum group C and by the rapid repair of the dihydrofolate reductase gene. Cloning of genes that specify repair in man is proceeding slowly, in part, because of confusion by genes that produce only partial correction or nonspecific changes in sensitivity and by phenotypic reversion. In human cells, DNA damage-inducible genes are recognized that may overlap the spectra of other stress-induced proteins, but the relationship of these to any error-prone or recA-like system is unknown and unlikely. Four diseases, xeroderma pigmentosum, ataxia telangiectasia, Cockayne syndrome, and Fanconi anemia, have well-documented and significantly increased sensitivities to DNA-damaging agents, and each has recognizable though complex abnormalities in processing DNA damage. In addition, a wide variety of diseases and cellular processes have been ascribed to an association with DNA damage and repair, but the accuracy and significance of these associations are hard to identify.

Ataxia Telangiectasia↗

PubMed1994

Direct detection using the Drosophila DNA-repair test and isolation of a DNA-damaging mycotoxin, 5,6-dihydropenicillic acid, in fungal culture.

The Drosophila DNA-repair test was used in an attempt to detect fungal production of DNA-damaging mycotoxins without an extraction process. 29 species of fungi, 13 Aspergillus, 12 Penicillium and four Fusarium were inoculated directly to a Drosophila medium, and the larvae were then bred in the mouldy medium. Production of DNA-damaging mycotoxin was detected directly by counting the decrease in the survival of DNA-repair-deficient flies. With the direct detection method, Aspergillus ochraceus, A. parasiticus and A. versicolor produced DNA-damaging mycotoxins. The same results were obtained with the mouldy medium extract using the standard DNA-repair test. The direct detection method was convenient for surveying the fungal production of DNA-damaging mycotoxins. The extracts of A. parasiticus and A. versicolor contained aflatoxin B1 and sterigmatocystin, respectively. The DNA-damaging compound in the extract of A. ochraceus was isolated and purified to clear, colourless 'needles'. With nuclear magnetic resonance-mass spectroscopy spectra, the compound was confirmed to be 5,6-dihydropenicillic acid, the DNA-damaging potency of which has not been previously reported.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Preferential DNA repair in active genes.

We have demonstrated that essential genes in rodent cells and in normal human cells are preferentially repaired after UV damage. In rodent cells, some genes are repaired much more efficiently than the bulk of the genome. This may explain the long standing paradox that their overall genome repair is low, but their UV survival is as high as for proficiently repairing human cells. Rodent cells appear to repair efficiently only genomic regions of vital importance. In normal human cells, we have found that genes are repaired faster than the bulk of the genome, but eventually (after 24 hrs) all genomic regions are proficiently repaired. The demonstration of preferential DNA repair mandates caution in interpreting correlations between overall DNA repair capacity and other biological parameters. Changes in preferential DNA repair could have profound effects on such parameters without noticeably altering overall genome repair levels since the vital regions only constitute less than 1% of the genome. We have correlated overall genome repair, repair in the DHFR gene, and UV resistance for three different cell lines: CHO, XPC and normal human. The results further suggest that determinations of DNA repair in specific genomic sequences may be more important than overall DNA repair measurements for correlations to other biological end points such as resistance to UV damage. Although DNA repair heterogeneity has been demonstrated in XPC, we have found that the preferentially repaired regions in these cells do not include the essential DHFR gene. DNA repair may normally be regulated over the genome in a similar manner to that for transcription, and we propose that this regulation is deficient in the human DNA repair deficient syndrome XPC. We have also analyzed the genomic fine structure of DNA repair in and around the DHFR gene in CHO cells. We find a region of preferential DNA repair of approximately 60-80 kb in length with maximal DNA repair efficiency at the 5' end of the gene and in its 5' flanking sequences. This size corresponds very well with proposed and measured lengths for loops or domains of higher order structure in chromatin, and suggests that DNA repair efficiency in genomic regions might reflect aspects of local chromatin structure, and thus provide us with a probe for the detection of chromatin structural changes. We have found considerable differences in the repair efficiency of different genes within the same cell.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Site-specific mutagenesis in cells with normal DNA repair systems: transitions produced from DNA carrying a single O6-alkylguanine.

This paper describes a systematic study of transition frequencies produced in vivo when a homologous series of O6-alkylguanine residues located at a preselected position in gene G of phi X174 form I' DNA (double-stranded, circular, covalently-closed, relaxed) is transfected into spheroplasts from two strains of Escherichia coli having normal DNA repair systems. Mutant frequencies were measured as percent of total phage produced by single bursts. The results are: (A) Synthetic DNA without any alkyl group gave a transition frequency of 0.02%. (B) In E. coli AB1157, the frequencies fall into two groups depending on the alkyl group: methyl and ethyl, 8-11%; n-propyl and n-butyl approximately 0.9%. (C) The average transition frequencies were higher in AB1157 than in C600. These data demonstrate that a single O6-alkylguanine residue can produce a specific transition at significant frequencies in cells with normal repair systems and that the mutant frequency depends upon the nature of the alkyl group and the cell type.

Alkylation↗

PubMed2002

DNA ligase I null mouse cells show normal DNA repair activity but altered DNA replication and reduced genome stability.

DNA ligase I is the key ligase for DNA replication in mammalian cells and has also been reported to be involved in a number of recombination and repair processes. Our previous finding that Lig1 knockout mouse embryos developed normally to mid-term before succumbing to a specific haematopoietic defect was difficult to reconcile with a report that DNA ligase I is essential for the viability of cultured mammalian cells. To address this issue, we generated a second Lig1 targeted allele and found that the phenotypes of our two Lig1 mutant mouse lines are identical. Widely different levels of Lig1 fusion transcripts were detected from the two targeted alleles, but we could not detect any DNA ligase I protein, and we believe both are effective Lig1 null alleles. Using foetal liver cells to repopulate the haematopoietic system of lethally irradiated adult mice, we demonstrate that the haematopoietic defect in DNA-ligase-I-deficient embryos is a quantitative deficiency relating to reduced proliferation rather than a qualitative block in any haematopoietic lineage. DNA ligase I null fibroblasts from Lig1 mutant embryos showed an accumulation of DNA replication intermediates and increased genome instability. In the absence of a demonstrable deficiency in DNA repair we postulate that, unusually, genome instability may result directly from the DNA replication defect. Lig1 null mouse cells performed better in the survival and replication assays than a human LIG1 point mutant, and we suggest that the complete absence of DNA ligase I may make it easier for another ligase to compensate for DNA ligase I deficiency.

Anemia, Macrocytic↗

PubMed1995

Structural organization of the mouse DNA repair gene, N-methylpurine-DNA glycosylase.

N-Methylpurine-DNA glycosylase (MPG), a ubiquitous DNA repair enzyme, removes N-alkylpurines and other purine lesions induced in DNA by simple alkylating carcinogens. A mouse MPG cDNA clone was isolated from a lambda recombinant phage library of BALB/c mouse lung cell and characterized. Using the mouse MPG cDNA as a probe, the complete mouse MPG gene was isolated in two overlapping lambda recombinant genomic clones. The 6-kb gene has four exons containing 1,002 bp of coding sequence. The transcription start site was identified in the genomic sequence by primer extension of MPG mRNA from a mouse lung fibroblast cell line. The location of this transcription start site was confirmed by in vitro transcription with the promoter-containing plasmid template. Promoter function of the sequence 5' upstream of the transcription initiation site was shown by transient expression of the firefly luciferase reporter gene under the control of this sequence in transfected human and mouse cells. The mouse MPG promoter contains no TATA box, but has a CAAT element and is G.C-rich with putative AP2 elements and SP1-complementary sequences.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1998

[DNA repair enzymes and their genes].

DNA repair is of fundamental importance for protection of the genetic material against mutations in an interplay with mechanisms that regulate the cell cycle, gene expression, and programmed cell death. Defects in DNA repair, or in processes in tegrated with DNA repair, may give cells a hyper mutable phenotype that increases the likelihood of mutations in genes controlling cell growth. Two principally different DNA repair mechanisms are known; (a) direct repair of a damaged base by a single enzyme without using information from the complementary strand, and (b) excision repair, in which DNA containing the damage is removed and replaced by new DNA using DNA repair synthesis. Mechanisms for excision repair are complex and comprise base excision repair (BER), nucleotide excision repair (NER), mismatch repair (MMR), and recombination repair. In addition, the cell has mechanisms for repair of strand breaks. It has recently become clear that defective MMR is the cause of hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC), and probably some 15% of the cases of sporadic colon cancer. There is also evidence that defective repair may be a primary cause of certain other forms of cancer.

DNA Damage↗

PubMed1975

Cytotoxicity of carcinogenic aromatic amides in normal and xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts with different DNA repair capabilities.

The effect of exposure to UV irradiation or to the N-acetoxy-ester derivatives of four carcinogenic aromatic amides, 4-acetylaminobiphenyl (AABP), 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF), 2-acetylaminophenanthrene, and 4-acetylaminostilbene, on cell survival was compared in strains of cultured human fibroblasts possessing normal rates of excision repair of DNA and in three strains of xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) cells, each differing in its rate of excision repair. The survival of each strain after exposure to UV reflected its capacity to repair DNA. Thus the slope of the survival curve for the XP strain with the poorest capacity for excision repair (XP12BE complementation group A) was 5.8-fold steeper than the exponential portion of the curve for the normally repairing strains; that of XP2BE (complementation group C) was 1.95-fold; and that of XP4BE (a variant capable of a normal rate of dimer excision) was only 1.3-fold steeper. The slope of the survival curves after exposure to each N-acetoxy ester derivative for these same XP strains averaged 6.4, 2.0, and 1.4 times steeper, respectively, than that of the normal strains tested. The excision repair capacity of these lines after exposure to N-acetoxy-AAF (50 muM/ml) was tested with alkaline cesium chloride density gradient centrifugation to detect incorporation of tritiated thymidine into nonreplicated DNA. The normal strains and XP4BE exhibited DNA excision repair by this method, whereas XP patients 2 and 12 did not. The cytotoxic effect of the four parent aromatic amide carcinogens, their N-hydroxy derivatives, as well as the N-acetoxy ester of each of the four N-hydroxy compounds and the N-sulfate ester of N-hydroxy-AAF and N-hydroxy-AABP in the XP2BE strain, was compared with their effect on the normal fibroblasts. The parent amides proved to be noncytotoxic at all doses tested. In contrast, the N-hydroxy derivatives of each aromatic amide were highly cytotoxic, as were the ester compounds. For each active derivative, the slope of the survival curve for XP2BE was 2-2.k times steeper than that of the normally repairing strain.

2-Acetylaminofluorene↗

PubMed2006

Methods for studying chromatin assembly coupled to DNA repair.

In the eukaryotic nucleus, the DNA repair machinery operates on chromatin-embedded DNA substrates. Currently, a favored model for DNA repair into chromatin involves the transient disruption of chromatin organization to facilitate access of the repair machinery to DNA lesions. Importantly, this model implies that, in addition to DNA repair, a subsequent step is necessary to restore a proper chromatin structure. To study this latter step, we describe here methods for simultaneously analyzing chromatin assembly and DNA repair both in vitro and in vivo. Several cell-free systems have been developed that reproduce both DNA repair and nucleosome assembly. These in vitro systems are based on the use of defined damaged DNA. Two complementary assays are routinely used: (i) with circular DNA molecules, one can monitor in a combined analysis both repair synthesis and plasmid supercoiling; (ii) with immobilized damaged DNA, one follows specific protein interactions including histone deposition. In addition, in vivo assays have been designed to monitor the recruitment of chromatin assembly factors onto damaged chromatin either at a global level over the whole cell nucleus or locally at sites of DNA damage. Combination of these approaches provides powerful tools to gain insights into the mechanism by which chromatin organization can be restored after repair of DNA lesions.

Cell Line↗

PubMed2005

Expression of base excision DNA repair genes as a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage.

Oxidative stress induced DNA damage is considered to be the most common insult affecting the genome. Moreover, it is recognized as a common pathway to mutations and is suggested to play a major role in the development of chronic diseases such as cancer. However, current analytical methods used to detect oxidative DNA damage have been hampered by both technical and biological obstacles. These include spurious oxidation during DNA isolation and processing, and the inherent removal of damaged bases by numerous operating DNA repair systems. The removal of oxidized bases is performed predominantly by the base excision repair (BER) pathway and it has been shown that induction of DNA repair genes occurs in response to oxidative stress. Here, we demonstrate the utility of measuring changes in expression of BER genes as a sensitive in vivo biomarker for oxidative DNA damage.

Biomarkers↗

PubMed2001

Early decrease in dna repair proteins, Ku70 and Ku86, and subsequent DNA fragmentation after transient focal cerebral ischemia in mice.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Ku70 and Ku86, multifunctional DNA repair proteins, bind to broken DNA ends, including double-strand breaks, and trigger a DNA repair pathway. To investigate the involvement of these proteins in DNA fragmentation after ischemia/reperfusion, Ku protein expression was examined before and after transient focal cerebral ischemia (FCI) in mice. METHODS: Adult male CD-1 mice were subjected to 60 minutes of FCI by intraluminal suture blockade of the middle cerebral artery. Ku protein expression was studied by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. DNA fragmentation was evaluated by gel electrophoresis and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL). The spatial relationship between Ku expression and DNA fragmentation was examined by double labeling with Ku and TUNEL after reperfusion. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry showed constitutive expression of Ku proteins in control brains. The number of Ku-expressing cells was decreased in the entire middle cerebral artery territory as early as 4 hours after reperfusion and remained reduced until 24 hours. Western blot analyses confirmed the significant reduction of these proteins (59.4% and 57.7% reduction in optical density at 4 hours of reperfusion from the normal level of Ku70 and Ku86 bands, respectively; P<0.001). DNA gel electrophoresis demonstrated DNA laddering 24 hours after reperfusion, but not at 4 hours. Double staining with Ku and TUNEL showed a concomitant loss of Ku immunoreactivity and TUNEL-positive staining. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the early reduction of Ku proteins and the loss of defense against DNA damage may underlie the mechanism of DNA fragmentation after FCI.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

DNA repair protein Rad55 is a terminal substrate of the DNA damage checkpoints.

Checkpoints, which are integral to the cellular response to DNA damage, coordinate transient cell cycle arrest and the induced expression of DNA repair genes after genotoxic stress. DNA repair ensures cellular survival and genomic stability, utilizing a multipathway network. Here we report evidence that the two systems, DNA damage checkpoint control and DNA repair, are directly connected by demonstrating that the Rad55 double-strand break repair protein of the recombinational repair pathway is a terminal substrate of DNA damage and replication block checkpoints. Rad55p was specifically phosphorylated in response to DNA damage induced by the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate, dependent on an active DNA damage checkpoint. Rad55p modification was also observed after gamma ray and UV radiation. The rapid time course of phosphorylation and the recombination defects identified in checkpoint-deficient cells are consistent with a role of the DNA damage checkpoint in activating recombinational repair. Rad55p phosphorylation possibly affects the balance between different competing DNA repair pathways.

DNA Damage↗

PubMed1985

Spontaneous mutagenesis: the roles of DNA repair, replication, and recombination.

There appears to be no dearth of mechanisms to explain spontaneous mutagenesis. In the case of base substitutions, data for bacteriophage T4 and especially for E. coli and S. cerevisiae suggest important roles in spontaneous mutagenesis for the error-prone repair of DNA damage (to produce mutations) and for error-free repair of DNA damage (to avoid mutagenesis). Data from the very limited number of studies on the subject suggest that about 50% of the spontaneous base substitutions in E. coli, and perhaps 90% in S. cerevisiae are due to error-prone DNA repair. On the other hand, spontaneous frameshifts and deletions seem to result from mechanisms involving recombination and replication. Spontaneous insertions have been shown to be important in the strongly polar inactivation of certain loci, but it is less important at other loci. Perhaps with continued study, the term "spontaneous mutagenesis" will be replaced by more specific terms such as 5-methylcytosine deamination mutagenesis, fatty acid oxidation mutagenesis, phenylalanine mutagenesis, and imprecise-recombination mutagenesis. While most studies have concentrated on mutator mutations, the most conclusive data for the actual source of spontaneous mutations have come from the study of antimutator mutations. Further study in this area, perhaps along with an understanding of chemical antimutagens, should be invaluable in clarifying the bases of spontaneous mutagenesis.

Animals↗