The inhibition of replicative DNA synthesis that follows DNA damage may be critical for avoiding genetic lesions that could contribute to cellular transformation. Exposure of ML-1 myeloblastic leukemia cells to nonlethal doses of the DNA damaging agents, gamma-irradiation or actinomycin D, causes a transient inhibition of replicative DNA synthesis via both G1 and G2 arrests. Levels of p53 protein in ML-1 cells and in proliferating normal bone marrow myeloid progenitor cells increase and decrease in temporal association with the G1 arrest. In contrast, the S-phase arrest of ML-1 cells caused by exposure to the anti-metabolite, cytosine arabinoside, which does not directly damage DNA, is not associated with a significant change in p53 protein levels. Caffeine treatment blocks both the G1 arrest and the induction of p53 protein after gamma-irradiation, thus suggesting that blocking the induction of p53 protein may contribute to the previously observed effects of caffeine on cell cycle changes after DNA damage. Unlike ML-1 cells and normal bone marrow myeloid progenitor cells, hematopoietic cells that either lack p53 gene expression or overexpress a mutant form of the p53 gene do not exhibit a G1 arrest after gamma-irradiation; however, the G2 arrest is unaffected by the status of the p53 gene. These results suggest a role for the wild-type p53 protein in the inhibition of DNA synthesis that follows DNA damage and thus suggest a new mechanism for how the loss of wild-type p53 might contribute to tumorigenesis.

https://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/51/23_Part_1/6304.full.pdf

Participation of p53 Protein in the Cellular Response to DNA Damage

https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(00)00034-9.pdf

Mitotic phosphorylation of histone H3 is governed by Ipl1/aurora kinase and Glc7/PP1 phosphatase in budding yeast and nematodes.

The tumor suppressor protein p53 serves as a critical regulator of a G1 cell cycle checkpoint and of apoptosis following exposure of cells to DNA-damaging agents. The mechanism by which DNA-damaging agents elevate p53 protein levels to trigger G1/S arrest or cell death remains to be elucidated. In fact, whether damage to the DNA template itself participates in transducing the signal leading to p53 induction has not yet been demonstrated. We exposed human cell lines containing wild-type p53 alleles to several different DNA-damaging agents and found that agents which rapidly induce DNA strand breaks, such as ionizing radiation, bleomycin, and DNA topoisomerase-targeted drugs, rapidly triggered p53 protein elevations. In addition, we determined that camptothecin-stimulated trapping of topoisomerase I-DNA complexes was not sufficient to elevate p53 protein levels; rather, replication-associated DNA strand breaks were required. Furthermore, treatment of cells with the antimetabolite N(phosphonoacetyl)-L-aspartate (PALA) did not cause rapid p53 protein increases but resulted in delayed increases in p53 protein levels temporally correlated with the appearance of DNA strand breaks. Finally, we concluded that DNA strand breaks were sufficient for initiating p53-dependent signal transduction after finding that introduction of nucleases into cells by electroporation stimulated rapid p53 protein elevations. While DNA strand breaks appeared to be capable of triggering p53 induction, DNA lesions other than strand breaks did not. Exposure of normal cells and excision repair-deficient xeroderma pigmentosum cells to low doses of UV light, under conditions in which thymine dimers appear but DNA replication-associated strand breaks were prevented, resulted in p53 induction attributable to DNA strand breaks associated with excision repair. Our data indicate that DNA strand breaks are sufficient and probably necessary for p53 induction in cells with wild-type p53 alleles exposed to DNA-damaging agents.

DNA strand breaks: the DNA template alterations that trigger p53-dependent DNA damage response pathways.

Sodium butyrate, at millimolar concentrations, when added to cell cultures produces many morphological and biochemical modifications in a reversible manner. Some of them occur in all cell lines. They concern regulatory mechanisms of gene expression and cell growth: an hyperacetylation of histone resulting from an inhibition of histone deacetylase and an arrest of cell proliferation are almost constantly observed. Some other modifications vary from one cell type to another: induction of proteins, including enzymes, hormones, hemoglobin, inhibition of cell differentiation, reversion of transformed characteristics of cells to normal morphological and biochemical pattern, increase in interferon antiviral efficiency and induction of integrated viruses. Most if not all these effects of butyrate could result from histone hyperacetylation, from changes in chromatin structures as measured by accessibility to DNases and from modifications in cytoskeleton assembly. We do not know at the present time whether butyrate acts on a very specific target site in cell or if it acts on several cell components.

Effects of sodium butyrate, a new pharmacological agent, on cells in culture

Discoveries concerning the molecular mechanisms of cell differentiation and development have dictated the definition of a new sub-discipline of genetics known as epigenetics Epigenetics refers to a set of self-perpetuating, post-translational modifications of DNA and nuclear proteins that produce lasting alterations in chromatin structure as a direct consequence, and lasting alterations in patterns of gene expression as an indirect consequence The area of epigenetics is a burgeoning subfield of genetics in which there is considerable enthusiasm driving new discoveries Neurobiologists have only recently begun to investigate the possible roles of epigenetic mechanisms in behaviour, physiology and neuropathology Strikingly, the relevant data from the few extant neurobiology-related studies have already indicated a theme — epigenetic mechanisms probably have an important role in synaptic plasticity and memory formation

/pdf/epigenetic-mechanisms-in-memory-formation-53b04noqcw.pdf

Epigenetic mechanisms in memory formation

Preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to examine histone phosphorylation in synchronized Chinese hamster cells (line CHO). Results showed that histone f1 phosphorylation, absent in G1-arrested and early G1-traversing cells, commences 2 h before entry of traversing cells into the S phase. It is concluded that f1 phosphorylation is one of the earliest biochemical events associated with conversion of nonproliferating cells to proliferating cells occurring on old f1 before synthesis of new f1 during the S phase. Results also showed that f3 and a subfraction of f1 were rapidly phosphorylated only during the time when cells were crossing the G2/M boundary and traversing prophase. Since these phosphorylation events do not occur in G1, S, or G2 and are reduced greatly in metaphase, it is concluded that these two specific phosphorylation events are involved with condensation of interphase chromatin into mitotic chromosomes. This conclusion is supported by loss of prelabeled 32PO4 from those specific histone fractions during transition of metaphase cells into interphase G1 cells. A model of the relationship of histone phosphorylation to the cell cycle is presented which suggests involvement of f1 phosphorylation in chromatin structural changes associated with a continuous interphase "chromosome cycle" which culminates at mitosis with an f3 and f1 phosphorylation-mediated chromosome condensation.

/pdf/cell-cycle-specific-changes-in-histone-phosphorylation-3njdmtvm6o.pdf

Cell cycle-specific changes in histone phosphorylation associated with cell proliferation and chromosome condensation.

https://www.cell.com/biophysj/pdf/S0006-3495(74)70002-9.pdf

R.A. Walters

Papers

Cell cycle-specific changes in histone phosphorylation associated with cell proliferation and chromosome condensation.

Effects of Caffeine on Radiation-Induced Phenomena Associated with Cell-Cycle Traverse of Mammalian Cells

Cell-cycle-dependent variations of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate pools in chinese hamster cells

Histone phosphorylation in late interphase and mitosis

Evidence that x-irradiation inhibits DNA replicon initiation in Chinese hamster cells.