Transfection with extracellularly UV-damaged DNA induces human and rat cells to express a mutator phenotype towards parvovirus H-1.
Human and rat cells transfected with UV-irradiated linear double-stranded DNA from calf thymus displayed a mutator activity. This phenotype was identified by growing a lytic thermosensitive single-stranded DNA virus (parvovirus H-1) in those cells and determining viral reversion frequencies. Likewise, exogenous UV-irradiated closed circular DNAs, either double-stranded (simian virus 40) or single-stranded (phi X174), enhanced the ability of recipient cells to mutate parvovirus H-1. The magnitude of mutator activity expression increased along with the number of UV lesions present in the inoculated DNA up to a saturation level. Unirradiated DNA displayed little inducing capacity, irrespective of whether it was single or double stranded. Deprivation of a functional replication origin did not impede UV-irradiated simian virus 40 DNA from providing rat and human cells with a mutator function. Our data suggest that in mammalian cells a trans-acting mutagenic signal might be generated from UV-irradiated DNA without the necessity for damaged DNA to replicate.
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D010321:Parvoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D014162:Transfection; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D004247:DNA