Mullins Elwood A, Rubinson Emily H, Pereira Kevin N, Calcutt M Wade, Christov Plamen P, Eichman Brandt F
Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
Methods. 2013 Nov;64(1):59-66. doi: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2013.07.020. Epub 2013 Jul 20.
DNA glycosylases excise a broad spectrum of alkylated, oxidized, and deaminated nucleobases from DNA as the initial step in base excision repair. Substrate specificity and base excision activity are typically characterized by monitoring the release of modified nucleobases either from a genomic DNA substrate that has been treated with a modifying agent or from a synthetic oligonucleotide containing a defined lesion of interest. Detection of nucleobases from genomic DNA has traditionally involved HPLC separation and scintillation detection of radiolabeled nucleobases, which in the case of alkylation adducts can be laborious and costly. Here, we describe a mass spectrometry method to simultaneously detect and quantify multiple alkylpurine adducts released from genomic DNA that has been treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). We illustrate the utility of this method by monitoring the excision of N3-methyladenine (3 mA) and N7-methylguanine (7 mG) by a panel of previously characterized prokaryotic and eukaryotic alkylpurine DNA glycosylases, enabling a comparison of substrate specificity and enzyme activity by various methods. Detailed protocols for these methods, along with preparation of genomic and oligonucleotide alkyl-DNA substrates, are also described.
DNA糖基化酶从DNA中切除广泛的烷基化、氧化和脱氨基的核碱基,作为碱基切除修复的第一步。底物特异性和碱基切除活性通常通过监测从经修饰剂处理的基因组DNA底物或含有特定感兴趣损伤的合成寡核苷酸中释放的修饰核碱基来表征。传统上,从基因组DNA中检测核碱基涉及高效液相色谱分离和放射性标记核碱基的闪烁检测,对于烷基化加合物而言,这可能既费力又昂贵。在此,我们描述了一种质谱方法,用于同时检测和定量从经N-甲基-N-亚硝基脲(MNU)处理的基因组DNA中释放的多种烷基嘌呤加合物。我们通过监测一组先前表征的原核和真核烷基嘌呤DNA糖基化酶对N3-甲基腺嘌呤(3 mA)和N7-甲基鸟嘌呤(7 mG)的切除,说明了该方法的实用性,从而能够通过各种方法比较底物特异性和酶活性。还描述了这些方法的详细方案,以及基因组和寡核苷酸烷基化DNA底物的制备。