Mutational specificity of 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea in the Escherichia coli lacl gene of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase-proficient and -deficient strains

✍ Scribed by Juan Jurado; Francisco Ferrezuelo; Carmen Pueyo

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1995
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 666 KB
• Volume: 14
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0899-1987
• DOI: 10.1002/mc.2940140403

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Forward mutations induced by 1‐(2‐chloroethyl)‐3‐cyclohexyl‐1‐nitrosourea (a) in the lacl gene of Escherichia coli were recovered from bacteria proficient (Ogt^+^ Ada^+^) and deficient (Ogt^−^ Ada^−^) in O^6^‐alkylguanine‐DNA alkyltransferase activity. A CCNU dose of 1 mM was selected for DNA sequence analysis. A total of 245 induced mutations were characterized. The mutations were almost exclusively (95%) GC→AT transitions, indicating that CCNU‐induced mutations arose in bacteria primarily from misreplication of O^6^‐chloroethylguanine, in total agreement with results obtained for monofunctional alkylating agents. The distribution of CCNU‐induced GC→AT mutations was significantly altered by the presence of DNA alkyltransferase activity (P = 0.01). In the Ogt^+^ Ada^+^ mutational spectrum, guanines flanked on both sides by A:T base‐pairs were on average 2.8 times more likely to mutate than those flanked by G:C base‐pairs on at least one side. This bias disappeared in the Ogt^−^ Ada^−^ genetic background, thereby providing evidence that O^6^‐chloroethylated guanines adjacent to G:C base‐pairs are better targets for bacterial alkyltransferase than those not adjacent to G:C base‐pairs. We recently reported a similar bias for ethyl methanesulfonate, strengthening the idea that CCNU is acting as a simple ethylating compound. In summary, this paper presents for the first time evidence that DNA repair by O^6^‐alkylguanine‐DNA alkyltransferases plays a major role in removing lesions responsible for GC→AT transitions induced by CCNU, influencing their ultimate distribution with respect to sequence Context. © 1995 Wiley‐ Liss, Inc.