Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Current aspects on the radiation induced base damage in DNA

  • Published:
Radiation and Environmental Biophysics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

In this short review, some current aspects of our knowledge about base damage in DNA induced by ionizing radiation will be summarized. It is not intended, to describe all the literature in this field; a very extensive review has be given in the book of Hüttermann et al. (1978) and also in later by Cadet and Berger (1985), Hutchinson (1985) and v. Sonntag and Schuchmann (1986). However, in this review, current ideas and unsolved problems concerning DNA base damage will be discussed, which may outline possible future research in this field.

The understanding of DNA base damage requires the analysis of radicals formed in irradiated single DNA moieties as well as in whole DNA. Chemical studies about can be used for the molecular alterations of bases and biochemical methods for DNA-sequencing. In addition enzymes recognizing DNA damage and immunological methods with specific antibodies can be employed. However special emphasis should be given to the analysis of DNA base damage in irradiated cells and it will be shown, that a distinct gap in knowledge exists in this field in contrast to the radiation chemistry in aqueous solutions of DNA.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahnstroem G (1984) Sequence-specific patterns of base damage inγ-irradiated DNA revealed by DNA-sequencing gels. Int J Radiat Biol 46:806–807

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews J, Martin-Bertram H, Hagen U (1984) S1 nuclease-sensitive sites in yeast DNA: an assay for radiation-induced base damage. Int J Radiat Biol 45:497–504

    Google Scholar 

  • Belfi CA, Box HC (1985a) HPLC-n.m.r. studies of radiation damage to d(TpA). Int J Radiat Biol 47:393–398

    Google Scholar 

  • Belfi CA, Box HC (1985b) Radiation chemistry of DNA model compounds. Int. Conference on Mechanism of DNA damage and Repair. Gaithersburg, MA, USA

  • Bockrath R, Wolff L, Person S (1983) Mutation by [5-3H]cytosine decay in DNA of Escherichia coli lacking uracil-DNA Glycosylase activity. Radiat Res 96:635–640

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bonicel A, Mariagge N, Hughes E, Teoule R (1980) In vitro-irradiation of DNA: identification of radioinduced chemical modifications of the adenine moiety. Radiat Res 83:19–26

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bothe E, Schulte-Frohlinde D (1982) Release of K+ and H+ from poly U in aqueous solution uponγ- and electron irradiation. Rate of strand break formation in poly U. Z Naturforsch 37c:1191–1204

    Google Scholar 

  • Breimer LH (1984) Enzymatic excision fromγ-irradiated polydeoxyribonucleotides of adenine residues whose imidazole rings have been ruptured. Nucl Acids Res 12:6359

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bresler SE, Noskin LA, Kuzovcleva NA, Noskina IG (1979) The nature of the damage to Escherichia coli DNA induced byγ-irradiation. Int J Radiat Biol 36:289–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Cadet J, Berger M (1985) Radiation-induced decomposition of the purine bases within DNA and related model compounds. Int J Radiat Biol 47:127–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Carew JA, Feldberg RS (1985) Recognition of a cytosine base lesion by as human damage-specific DNA binding protein. Nucl Acids Res 303

  • Cathcart R, Schwiers E, Saul RL, Ames BN (1984) Thymine glycol and thymidine glycol in human and rat urine: A possible assay for oxidative DNA damage. Proc Natl Acad Sci (USA) 81:5633–5637

    Google Scholar 

  • Cerutti P (1981) Measurement of thymine damage induced by oxygen radical species. In: Friedberg EC, Hanawalt PC (eds) DNA repair - A Laboratory Manual of Research Procedures, Part A. Marcel Dekker Inc., New York Basel, pp 57–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Chetsanga CJ, Grigorian C (1985) In situ enzymatic reclosure of opened imidazole rings of purines in DNA damaged byγ-irradiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci (USA) 82:633–637

    Google Scholar 

  • Claycamp HG (1985) Improved assay for thymine base damage in E. coli using high performance liquid chromatigraphy. Abstr. Ff-8, Rad. Research Soc. meeting 1985 Los Angeles USA

  • Cullis PM, Seymons MCR (1985) Electron spin resonance studies of the mechanism of radiation damage to DNA. In: Simic MG, Grossman L, Upton AC (eds) Mechanisms of DNA damage and repair. Plenum Press, New York London, p 29

    Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham P, Weiss B (1985) Endonuclease III (nth) mutants of Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 82:474–478

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Deeble DJ, Sonntag C von (1984)γ-Radiolysis of poly (U) aqueous solution. The role of primary sugar and base radicals in the release of undamaged uracil. Int J Radiat Biol 46:247–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Dizdaroglu M, Simic MG (1984a) Radiation-induced crosslinking of cytosine. Radiat Res 100:41–46

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dizdaroglu M, Simic MG (1984b) Radiation-induced formation of thymine-thymine crosslinks. Int J Radiat Biol 46:241–246

    Google Scholar 

  • Dizdaroglu M, Karam LR, Simic MG (1985) Intramolecular H-atom abstraction from the sugar moiety by thymine radicals in oligo- and polydeoxynucleotides. Int. Conference on Mechanism of DNA-damage and Repair. Gaithersburg, MA, USA

  • Dooley DA, Sacks PG, Miller MW (1984) Production of thymine base damage in ultrasound-exposed EMT6 mouse mammary sarcoma cells. Radiat Res 97:71–86

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fuciarelli AF, Raleigh JA (1985) An immunochemical probe for 8,5′-Cycloadenosine-5′-mono-phosphate and its deoxy analog in irradiated nucleic acids. Radiat Res 104:272–283

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Graeslund A, Rupprecht A, Köhnlein W, Hüttermann J (1981) Radiation-induced free radicals in oriented bromouracil-substituted DNA. Radiat Res 88:1–10

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Greenstock CL, Whitehouse RP (1984) Base damage in irradiated DNA and the effect of oxygen. In: Bors W, Saran M, Tait D (eds) Oxygen radicals in chemistry and biology. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin New York, p 619

    Google Scholar 

  • Gregoli S, Olast M, Bertinchamps A (1982) Radiolytic pathways in irradiated DNA: Influence of chemical and conformational factors. Radiat Res 89:238–254

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hazra DK, Steenken S (1983) Pattern of OH· radical addition to cytosine and 1-, 3- and 5-substituted cytosines. Electron transfer and dehydration reactions of the OH-adducts. J Am Chem Soc 105:4380–4386

    Google Scholar 

  • Hentosh P, Henner WD, Reynolds RJ (1985) Sequence specificity of DNA cleavage by Micrococcus luteus endonuclease. Radiat Res 102:119–129

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herak JN, Rakvin B, Voit K, Hüttermann J (1985) ESR search for the guanine action in irradiated DNA. Int. Conference on mechanism of DNA-damage and repair. Gaithersburg, MA, USA

  • Hissung A, Sonntag C von (1979) The reaction of solvated electrons with cytosine, 5-methyl cytosine and 2′-deoxycytidine in aqueous solution. The reaction of the electron adduct intermediates with water, p-nitroacetophenone and oxygen. A pulse spectroscopic and pulse conductometric study. Int J Radiat Biol 35:449–458

    Google Scholar 

  • Hissung A, Sonntag C von, Veltwisch D, Asmus K-D (1981) The reaction of the 2-deoxyadenosine electron adduct in aqueous solution. The effects of the radiosensitizer p-nitroacetophenone. A pulse spectrosopic and pulse conductometric study. Int J Radiat Biol 39:63–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang H, Wallace SS (1985) Quantitation of thymine glycols in X-irradiated DNA by enzyme immunoassay. Int. Conference on Mechanism of DNA-damage and repair. Gaithersburg, MA, USA

  • Hüttermann J, Köhnlein W, Teoule R, Bertinchamps AJ (eds) (1978) Effects of ionizing radiation on DNA. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson F (1966) The molecular basis for radiation effects on cells. Cancer Res 26:2045–2052

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson F (1985) Chemical changes induced in DNA by ionizing radiation. Prog Nucl Acid Res Mol Biol 32:115–153

    Google Scholar 

  • Javanovic SV, Simic MG (1985) Comparison of OH radical and oxidative damages to DNA bases. Int. Conference on Mechanism of DNA-damage and repair. Gaithersburg, MA, USA

  • Junker B, Martin-Bertram H, Hagen U (1984) Distribution of S1-nuclease sensitive sites and double-strand breaks inγ-irradiatedλ-DNA. Int J Radiat Biol 46:675–679

    Google Scholar 

  • Keck K (1968) Bildung von Cyclonucleotiden bei Bestrahlung wäßriger Lösungen von Purinnucleotiden. Z Naturforsch 23b:1034

    Google Scholar 

  • Kow GW, Wallace SS (1985) Some properties ofE. Coli endonuclease III as elucidated by kinetic studies. Int. Conference on Mechanism of DNA-damage and Repair. Gaithersburg, MA, USA

  • Martin-Bertram H, Andrews J, Junker B, Hagen U (1985) S1 nuclease-sensitive sites in DNA: Direct effect of radiation. Int. Conference on Mechanism of DNA-damage and Repair. Gaithersburg, MA, USA

  • Mitchell DL, Nairn RS, Allivar JA (1982) Loss of thymine dimers from mammalian cell DNA. The kinetics for antibody-binding sites are not the same as that for T4 endonuclease V Sites. Biochim Biophys Acta 697:270–277

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oleinick NL, Chin SM, Friedman LR (1984) Gamma radiation as a probe of chromatine structure: Damage to and repair of active chromatin in the metaphase chromosome. Radiat Res 98:629–641

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O'Neill P (1983) Pulse radiolytic study of the interaction of thiols and ascorbate with OH adducts of dGMP and dG: Implications for DNA repair processes. Radiat Res 96:198–210

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O'Neill P, Chapman W (1985) Potential repair of free radical adducts of dGMP and dG by a series of reductants. A pulse radiolytic study. Int J Radiat Biol 47:71–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Patil MS, Locher SE, Hariharan PV (1985) Radiation-induced thymine base damage and its excision repair in active and inactive chromatin of HeLa cells. Int J Radiat Biol 48:691–700

    Google Scholar 

  • Polverelli M, Teoule R (1974a) Gamma irradiation of cytosine in an aerated solution. I. Identification of radiolysis products of cytosine resulting from the deamination pathway. Z Naturforsch 29c:12–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Polverelli M, Teoule R (1974b) Gamma irradiation of cytosine in an aerated solution. II. Kinetic study of the formation of the radiolysis products of cytosine resulting from the deamination pathway. Z Naturforsch 29 c:16–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Polverelli M, Teoule R (1976a) Gamma irradiation of cytosine in an aerated solution. III. Identification of two new radiolysis products: 1-carbamyl-5-hydroxy-hydantoin and N-formylbiuret. Z Naturforsch 31b:580–582

    Google Scholar 

  • Polverelli M, Bonicel A, Teoule R (1976b) Gamma-irradiation of cytosine14C labelled DNA of E. coli. Identification of the major radiolysis products resulting from rupture of the N-glycosidic bond. J Radiat Res 17:127–134

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Polverelli M, Ulrich J, Teoule R (1984) Identification of N1-glycolbiuret in the gamma radiolysis of aerated aqueous solution of cytosine. Influence of the pH. Z Naturforsch 39c:64–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Rajagopalan R, Melamede RJ, Laspia MF, Erlanger BF, Wallace SS (1984) Properties of antibodies to thymine glycol, a product of the radiolysis of DNA. Radiat Res 97:499–510

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raleigh JA, Fuciarelli AF (1985) Distribution of damage in irradiated 5′-AMP: 8,5′-cyclo-AMP, 8-hydroxy-AMP, and adenine release. Radiat Res 102:165–175

    Google Scholar 

  • Richmond RC, Kelman AD (1981) Effect of aqueous free radicals and cis-dichlorodiamineplatinum (II) on radiation induced base release from DNA. Radiat Res 88:476–488

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roots R. Okada S (1975) Estimation of life times and diffussion distance of radicals involved in X-ray-induced DNA strand breaks or killing of mammalian cells. Radiat Res 64:306–320

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schön-Bopp A, Schäfer G, Hagen U (1977) Endonuclease activities in extracts of Micrococcus luteus that act onγ-irradiated DNA. Int J Radiat Biol 31:227–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Schulte-Frohlinde D (1985) Comparison of mechanisms for DNA strand break formation by the direct and indirect effect of radiation. In: Simic MG, Grossman L, Upton AC (eds) Mechanisms of DNA damage and repair. Plenum Press, New York London, p 19

    Google Scholar 

  • Schulte-Frohlinde D, Bothe E (1984) Idenfication of a major pathway of strand break formation in poly U induced by OH radicals in presence of oxygen. Z Naturforsch 39c:315–319

    Google Scholar 

  • Simic MG, Slobodan VJ (1985) Free radical mechanisms of DNA base damage. In: Simic MG, Grossman L, Upton AC (eds) Mechanisms of DNA damage and repair. Plenum Press, New York London, p 39

    Google Scholar 

  • Skov KA (1984) The Contribution of hydroxyl radical to radiosensitization: A Study of DNA Damage. Radiat Res 99:502–510

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Skov KA, Palcic B, Skarsgard LD (1982) DNA-Damage and radiosensitizers: M. luteus sensitive sites for misonidazole-TAN Combination. Radiat Res 92:113–119

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Slifkin MA, Amarasiri A (1978) Corrected values of radiolysis data of purines and pyrimidines. Int J Radiat Biol 34:291

    Google Scholar 

  • Sonntag C von, Schuchmann HP (1986) The radiolysis of pyrimidines in aqueous solutions: an updating review. Int J Radiat Biol 49:1–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomilin NV, Barenfeld LS (1979) Excision repair of gamma-ray-induced alkalistable DNA lesions with the help ofγ-endonuclease from Micrococcus luteus. Int J Radiat Biol 35:253–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Waldstein EA, Peller S, Setlow RB (1979) UV-endonuclease from calf thymus with specificity toward pyrimidine dimers in DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci (USA) 76:3746–3750

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace SS (1985) Detection and biological consequences of DNA base damage. Int. Conference on Mechanism of DNA-damage and Repair. Gaithersburg, MA, USA

  • Ward JF (1981) Some biochemical consequences of the spatial distribution of ionizing radiation-produced free radicals. Radiat Res 86:185–195

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ward JF (1985) Ionizing Radiation Induced DNA Damage: Identities and DMA repair. In: Simic MG, Grossman L, Upton AC (eds) Mechanisms of DNA damage and repair. Plenum Press, New York London, p 135

    Google Scholar 

  • Warters RL, Childers TJ (1982) Radiation-induced thymine base damage in replicating chromatin. Radiat Res 90:564–574

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • West GH, West IWL, Ward JF (1982) Radioimmunoassay of 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoadenine (8-hyd-roxyadenine). Int J Radiat Biol 42:481–490

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Strahlenbiologie der GSF, D-8042, Neuherberg, Germany

    U. Hagen

Authors
  1. U. Hagen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hagen, U. Current aspects on the radiation induced base damage in DNA. Radiat Environ Biophys 25, 261–271 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01214639

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01214639

Keywords

Search

Navigation