A simpler, more robust method for the analysis of 8-oxoguanine in DNA

Free Radic Biol Med. 2000 Aug;29(3-4):357-67. doi: 10.1016/s0891-5849(00)00316-6.

Abstract

The oxidized DNA base 8-oxoguanine has been commonly measured by enzymatic digestion of DNA to nucleosides followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation of the adduct 8-oxodeoxyguanosine. There has recently been an enormous debate surrounding the validity of this approach, from which it has become clear that artifactual oxidation of the native base to 8-oxoguanine can occur at numerous stages in sample preparation. Hence, we have designed an alternative protocol to traditional enzymatic digestion of DNA which (i) limits the potential for artifactual oxidation, (ii) speeds up the assay markedly, (iii) increases the assay's sensitivity moderately, and (iv) addresses criticisms that have been raised concerning the efficiency of DNA digestion by nucleases. In short, we use the Escherichia coli repair enzyme formamidopyrimidine (Fapy) glycosylase to release the base 8-oxoguanine from full-length DNA, then separate 8-oxoguanine from high molecular weight molecules by ultrafiltration (10,000 Da exclusion) and analyze the base adduct by reverse-phase HPLC. Benefits of this approach include (i) rapid removal of the roughly million-fold molar excess of unaltered bases from the sample, (ii) reduction in the length of enzymatic incubations and the number of steps, (iii) elimination of high temperature incubation, (iv) a very clean chromatographic separation, and (v) rapid elution of the analyte and correspondingly greater throughput. Using this improved method, we have followed the induction of 8-oxoguanine in the DNA of peroxide-treated HeLa cells, an experiment that had proved cumbersome with traditional methods.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Artifacts
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • DNA / metabolism
  • DNA Damage / drug effects
  • DNA Repair
  • DNA-Formamidopyrimidine Glycosylase
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Escherichia coli / enzymology
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli Proteins*
  • Guanine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Guanine / analysis
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / pharmacology
  • Molecular Weight
  • N-Glycosyl Hydrolases / genetics
  • N-Glycosyl Hydrolases / isolation & purification
  • N-Glycosyl Hydrolases / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Time Factors
  • Ultrafiltration

Substances

  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • 8-hydroxyguanine
  • Guanine
  • DNA
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • N-Glycosyl Hydrolases
  • DNA-Formamidopyrimidine Glycosylase
  • DNA-formamidopyrimidine glycosylase, E coli