Versatile cell-based assay for measuring DNA alkylation damage and its repair

Li, Yong, Mao, Peng, Basenko, Evelina Y ORCID: 0000-0001-8611-5447, Lewis, Zachary, Smerdon, Michael J and Czaja, Wioletta (2021) Versatile cell-based assay for measuring DNA alkylation damage and its repair. Scientific Reports, 11 (1). 18393-.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97523-w

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>DNA alkylation damage induced by environmental carcinogens, chemotherapy drugs, or endogenous metabolites plays a central role in mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and cancer therapy. Base excision repair (BER) is a conserved, front line DNA repair pathway that removes alkylation damage from DNA. The capacity of BER to repair DNA alkylation varies markedly between different cell types and tissues, which correlates with cancer risk and cellular responses to alkylation chemotherapy. The ability to measure cellular rates of alkylation damage repair by the BER pathway is critically important for better understanding of the fundamental processes involved in carcinogenesis, and also to advance development of new therapeutic strategies. Methods for assessing the rates of alkylation damage and repair, especially in human cells, are limited, prone to significant variability due to the unstable nature of some of the alkyl adducts, and often rely on indirect measurements of BER activity. Here, we report a highly reproducible and quantitative, cell-based assay, named alk-BER (<jats:underline>alk</jats:underline>ylation <jats:underline>B</jats:underline>ase <jats:underline>E</jats:underline>xcision <jats:underline>R</jats:underline>epair) for measuring rates of BER following alkylation DNA damage. The alk-BER assay involves specific detection of methyl DNA adducts (7-methyl guanine and 3-methyl adenine) directly in genomic DNA. The assay has been developed and adapted to measure the activity of BER in fungal model systems and human cell lines. Considering the specificity and conserved nature of BER enzymes, the assay can be adapted to virtually any type of cultured cells. Alk-BER offers a cost efficient and reliable method that can effectively complement existing approaches to advance integrative research on mechanisms of alkylation DNA damage and repair.</jats:p>

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Cells, Cultured, Cell Line, Humans, Neurospora crassa, DNA Damage, Biological Assay, Cell Culture Techniques, DNA Repair, Alkylation, Time Factors, Workflow
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	28 Sep 2021 09:38
Last Modified:	18 Jan 2023 21:28
DOI:	10.1038/s41598-021-97523-w
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3138565