To assess helical parameters that dictate fast or slow removal of carcinogen-DNA adducts, we probed human nucleotide excision repair (NER) activity with DNA containing L-deoxyriboses. Unlike natural lesions such as pyrimidine dimers or base adducts, L-deoxyribonucleosides (the mirror images of normal D-deoxyribonucleosides) involve neither the addition nor the loss of covalent bonds or functional groups and hence exclude modulation of repair efficiency by adduct chemistry and size. Previous studies showed that single L-deoxyribonucleosides distort DNA backbones but are accommodated in the double helix with intact hydrogen bonding between complementary strands. Here, we found that such single L-enantiomers are rejected as excision repair substrates in a NER-proficient cell extract. However, the same L-deoxyribose moiety stimulates NER activity upon incorporation into a nonhybridizing site of one or, more effectively, two base mismatches. In contrast to single L-deoxyriboses, multiple consecutive L-deoxyriboses interfere with normal hybridization; in this case, the intrinsic derangement of base pairing was sufficient to promote the excision of a cluster of three adjacent L-deoxyribonucleosides without any requirement for mismatches. Thus, using stereoselective substrates, we demonstrate the participation of a recognition subunit that guides human NER activity to sites of defective Watson-Crick strand pairing, This conformational sensor detects labile hydrogen bonds irrespective of the type of deoxyribonucleotide modification
Stereoselectivity of human nucleotide excision repair promoted by defective hybridization
1998
Abstract
To assess helical parameters that dictate fast or slow removal of carcinogen-DNA adducts, we probed human nucleotide excision repair (NER) activity with DNA containing L-deoxyriboses. Unlike natural lesions such as pyrimidine dimers or base adducts, L-deoxyribonucleosides (the mirror images of normal D-deoxyribonucleosides) involve neither the addition nor the loss of covalent bonds or functional groups and hence exclude modulation of repair efficiency by adduct chemistry and size. Previous studies showed that single L-deoxyribonucleosides distort DNA backbones but are accommodated in the double helix with intact hydrogen bonding between complementary strands. Here, we found that such single L-enantiomers are rejected as excision repair substrates in a NER-proficient cell extract. However, the same L-deoxyribose moiety stimulates NER activity upon incorporation into a nonhybridizing site of one or, more effectively, two base mismatches. In contrast to single L-deoxyriboses, multiple consecutive L-deoxyriboses interfere with normal hybridization; in this case, the intrinsic derangement of base pairing was sufficient to promote the excision of a cluster of three adjacent L-deoxyribonucleosides without any requirement for mismatches. Thus, using stereoselective substrates, we demonstrate the participation of a recognition subunit that guides human NER activity to sites of defective Watson-Crick strand pairing, This conformational sensor detects labile hydrogen bonds irrespective of the type of deoxyribonucleotide modificationI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.