Evidence for a Recombination-Independent Pathway for the Repair of DNA Interstrand Cross-Links Based on a Site-Specific Study with Nitrogen Mustard

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Abstract
DNA−DNA interstrand cross-links are thought to be important for the cytotoxicity of many chemotherapeutic agents. To study this more definitively, adduct site-specific methods are used to construct a plasmid with a single nitrogen mustard interstrand cross-link (inter-HN2-pTZSV28). Replication efficiency (RE = [colonies from (inter-HN2-pTZSV28)/(control with no cross-link)]) is ∼0.3 following transformation into Escherichia coli, implying that the cross-link is repaired. The commonly accepted pathway for cross-link repair, which involves both nucleotide excision repair (NER) and recombination, is ruled out since RE is ∼0.3 in a ΔrecA strain. Non-RecA-directed recombination such as copy-choice is also unlikely. However, NER is involved since RE was ∼0.02 in strains deficient in NER. Base excision repair is not important since RE is ∼0.3 in strains deficient in 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylases I and II, FAPY DNA glycosylase, both known apurinic/apyrimidinic endonucleases, or DNA deoxyribophosphodiesterase. Another hypothetical repair pathway hinging on a 5‘ → 3‘ exonuclease activity is unlikely since RE is ∼0.3 in cells deficient in either the 5‘ → 3‘ exonuclease activities of DNA polymerase I, exonuclease VII, or RecJ. Thus, aside from NER, it is unclear what else participates in this recombination-independent repair pathway, although a pathway involing NER followed by replicative bypass of the lesion is the current working hypothesis. Psoralen interstrand cross-links appear not to be repairable by this second pathway, which may have implications for the relative cytotoxicity of interstrand cross-links from different agents.