In nucleotide incision repair (NIR), an endonuclease nicks oxidatively damaged DNA in a DNA glycosylase-independent manner, providing the correct ends for DNA synthesis coupled to the repair of the remaining 5'-dangling modified nucleotide. This mechanistic feature is distinct from DNA glycosylase-mediated base excision repair. Here we report that Ape1, the major apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease in human cells, is the damage- specific endonuclease involved in NIR. We show that Ape1 incises DNA containing 5,6-dihydro-2'-deoxyuridine, 5,6-dihydrothymidine, 5-hydroxy-2'-deoxyuridine, alpha-2'-deoxyadenosine and alpha-thymidine adducts, generating 3'-hydroxyl and 5'-phosphate termini. The kinetic constants indicate that Ape1-catalysed NIR activity is highly efficient. The substrate specificity and protein conformation of Ape1 is modulated by MgCl2 concentrations, thus providing conditions under which NIR becomes a major activity in cell-free extracts. While the N-terminal region of Ape1 is not required for AP endonuclease function, we show that it regulates the NIR activity. The physiological relevance of the mammalian NIR pathway is discussed.

OGG-1 DNA glycosylase (OGG-1) is an enzyme involved in DNA repair. It excises 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine, which is formed by oxidative damage of guanine. We have investigated the role of OGG-1 in inflammation using three models of inflammation: endotoxic shock, diabetes, and contact hypersensitivity. We found that OGG-1(-/-) mice are resistant to endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS)-induced organ dysfunction, neutrophil infiltration and oxidative stress, when compared with the response seen in wild-type controls (OGG(+/+)). Furthermore, the deletion of the OGG-1 gene was associated with decreased serum cytokine and chemokine levels and prolonged survival after LPS treatment. Type I diabetes was induced by multiple low-dose streptozotocin treatment. OGG-1(-/-) mice were found to have significantly lower blood glucose levels and incidence of diabetes as compared with OGG-1(+/+) mice. Biochemical analysis of the pancreas showed that OGG-1(-/-) mice had greater insulin content, indicative of a greater beta-cell mass coupled with lower levels of the chemokine MIP-1alpha and Th1 cytokines IL-12 and TNF-alpha. Levels of protective Th2 cytokines, IL-4 and IL-10 were significantly higher in the pancreata of OGG-1(-/-) mice as compared with the levels measured in wild-type mice. In the contact hypersensitivity induced by oxazolone, the OGG-1(-/-) mice showed reduced neutrophil accumulation, chemokine, and Th1 and Th2 cytokine levels in the ear tissue. The current studies unveil a role for OGG-1 in the regulation of inflammation.

It has previously been reported that 1,N 6 -ethenoadenine (A), deaminated adenine (hypoxanthine, Hx), and 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), but not 3,N 4 -ethenocytosine (C), are released from DNA in vitro by the DNA repair enzyme alkylpurine-DNA-N-glycosylase (APNG). To assess the potential contribution of APNG to the repair of each of these mutagenic lesions in vivo, we have used cell-free extracts of tissues from APNG-null mutant mice and wild-type controls. The ability of these extracts to cleave defined oligomers containing a single modified base was determined. The results showed that both testes and liver cells of these knockout mice completely lacked activity toward oligonucleotides containing A and Hx, but retained wild-type levels of activity for C and 8-oxoG. These findings indicate that (i) the previously identified A-DNA glycosylase and Hx-DNA glycosylase activities are functions of APNG; (ii) the two structurally closely related mutagenic adducts A and C are repaired by separate gene products; and (iii) APNG does not contribute detectably to the repair of 8-oxoG.