No abstract

The antineoplastic quinobenoxazines A-62176 and A-74932 were shown to be potent inhibitors of mammalian DNA topoisomerase II in vivo. This was demonstrated by their selective inhibition of the SV40 DNA replication stages that require topoisomerase II. Neither drug stabilized a covalent complex of the enzyme with SV40 DNA, which suggests that they are not poisons of DNA topoisomerase II. A-77601, an analog having little antitumor activity, barely inhibited DNA topoisomerase II in vivo, even at high concentrations. These findings were supported by in vitro studies which showed that A-62176 and A-74932, but not A-77601, strongly inhibited the catalytic activity of mammalian DNA topoisomerase II. A-62176 did not cause topoisomerase II-mediated DNA strand breaks in vitro under conditions in which adriamycin produced extensive DNA breakage. The antineoplastic and topoisomerase inhibitory activities of the quinobenoxazines correlate with their ability to unwind DNA. A-62176 antagonized the poisoning of topoisomerase II by VM-26 in vivo and in vitro, but had no effect on DNA breakage induced by camptothecin, a DNA topoisomerase I poison. A-62176 and A-74932 thus inhibit DNA topoisomerase II reactions at a step prior to the formation of the "cleavable complex" intermediate. These findings indicate that stabilization of the DNA topoisomerase II-DNA cleavable complex is not necessary for the antitumor activity of this class of quinolones and that the catalytic inhibition of DNA topoisomerase II may contribute significantly to the anticancer activity of other DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors.

No abstract

Aldehydes with specific protein-DNA crosslinking ability disrupted simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA replication to cause replication fork failure by the 40S intermediate pathway, in which replicating viral genomes become inactivated and torsionally stressed. In contrast, aldehydes without detectable protein-DNA crosslinking ability had no effect on SV40 DNA replication during the 10 min exposure times employed. This indicates that protein-DNA crosslinks block either DNA polymerase or the entire replication complex. Replication failure by the 40S pathway is known to initiate recombinational events in the damaged SV40 replicons. Similar events in cellular replicons may play a role in the clastogenic effects of formaldehyde. In addition, formaldehyde and acrolein caused accumulation of catenated (topologically linked) SV40 daughter chromosomes--a signature of topoisomerase II inhibition.

The simian virus 40 chromosome, a model for the mammalian replicon, is a uniquely powerful system for the study of drugs and treatments which target enzymes of the mammalian replication apparatus. High resolution gel electrophoretic analysis of normal and aberrant viral replication intermediates can be used effectively to understand the molecular events of replication failure. These events include breakage of replication forks, aberrant topoisomerase action, failure to separate daughter chromosomes, protein-DNA crosslinking, single and double strand DNA breakage, alterations in topology and inactivation of replication intermediates. The SV40 replication system can also be used to study the recombinational events which often follow drug-induced replication failure.

Highly compacted (40S) SV40 DNA replication intermediates formed in vivo during aphidicolin exposure and immediately broke down in two stages. In the rapid initial stage, single strand DNA breaks caused loss of superhelicity in the 40S replication intermediates. This DNA breakage was accompanied by the formation of strong, permanent protein-DNA crosslinks which reached a maximum as nicking of the aberrant DNA replication intermediates was completed. These protein-associated DNA strand breaks were not repaired. In the slower second stage of breakdown, the aberrant DNA replication intermediates remained nicked and strongly associated with protein as they underwent DNA replication fork breakage and recombinational changes to produce high molecular weight forms.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the obesity candidate genes glucagon-like-peptide receptor (GLP1R), agouti signaling protein (ASIP) and the melanocortin receptors 4 and 5 (MC4R and MC5R) for DNA polymorphisms in their coding regions. SUBJECTS: Unrelated, non-diabetic Pima Indians (8 to 12 from each extreme of body fat). MEASUREMENTS: DNA sequencing within the coding regions of each gene. RESULT: Only one variant was detected, a silent substitution in exon 6 of GLP1R. CONCLUSION: The exclusion of any common amino-acid polymorphisms (allele frequency ! 0.20). implies that structural variants of these genes do not contribute to variation in the high level of obesity observed among the Pima Indians.

No abstract