Methylation damage to RNA induced in vivo in Escherichia coli is repaired by endogenous AlkB as part of the adaptive response.

Cytotoxic 1-methyladenine (1-meA) and 3-methylcytosine (3-meC) lesions induced in DNA and RNA in vitro and in pre-damaged DNA and RNA bacteriophages in vivo are repaired by the Escherichia coli (E. coli) protein AlkB and a human homolog, ALKBH3. However, it is not known whether endogenous RNA is repaired in vivo by repair proteins present at physiological concentrations.

UNG-initiated base excision repair is the major repair route for 5-fluorouracil in DNA, but 5-fluorouracil cytotoxicity depends mainly on RNA incorporation.

Cytotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil (FU) and 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FdUrd) due to DNA fragmentation during DNA repair has been proposed as an alternative to effects from thymidylate synthase (TS) inhibition or RNA incorporation. The goal of the present study was to investigate the relative contribution of the proposed mechanisms for cytotoxicity of 5-fluoropyrimidines. We demonstrate that in human cancer cells, base excision repair (BER) initiated by the uracil-DNA glycosylase UNG is the major route for FU-DNA repair in vitro and in vivo.

Altered expression of PGK1 in a family with phosphoglycerate kinase deficiency.

The X-linked recessive disease phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) deficiency is caused by altered expression of the PGK1 enzyme, which causes muscle stiffness, hemolytic anemia, and mental retardation. In this study we characterized the PGK1 gene in a family of two brothers, two sisters, and their parents. A single mutation in exon 6, which was associated with the pattern of inheritance of PGK1 deficiency, was observed.

Detection of an unusual combination of mutations in the HFE gene for hemochromatosis.

In the present paper, we describe an individual, found as part of a screening study, being homozygous for the C282Y mutation and at the same time heterozygous for the H63D mutation in the HFE gene. Identical results were obtained by three different methods, i.e.

Levels of Tap-1 and Tap-2 mRNA and expression of Kd and Db on splenic lymphocytes are normal in NOD mice.

It has been reported that the level of Tap-1 (transporter associated with antigen processing) mRNA and the expression of class I on splenocytes are low in NOD mice. Class I expression at 37 degrees C depends on an adequate supply of peptides, so a decrease in Tap could lead to lower class I levels. Since hypoexpression of class I correlated uniformly with the development of diabetes, it has also been suggested that Tap-1nod is diabetogenic.