Genomic 8-oxoguanine modulates gene transcription independent of its repair by DNA glycosylases OGG1 and MUTYH.

8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (OG) is one of the most abundant oxidative lesions in the genome and is associated with genome instability. Its mutagenic potential is counteracted by a concerted action of 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1) and mutY homolog DNA glycosylase (MUTYH). It has been suggested that OG and its repair has epigenetic-like properties and mediates transcription, but genome-wide evidence of this interdependence is lacking.

Enhanced glutathione levels confer resistance to apoptotic and ferroptotic programmed cell death in NEIL DNA glycosylase deficient HAP1 cells.

The NTHL1 and NEIL1-3 DNA glycosylases are major enzymes in the removal of oxidative DNA base lesions, via the base excision repair (BER) pathway. It is expected that lack of these DNA glycosylases activities would render cells vulnerable to oxidative stress, promoting cell death. Intriguingly, we found that single, double, triple, and quadruple DNA glycosylase knockout HAP1 cells are, however, more resistant to oxidative stress caused by genotoxic agents than wild type cells.

Safety and efficacy of plasma transfusion from exercise-trained donors in patients with early Alzheimer's disease: protocol for the ExPlas study.

Introduction: Given that exercise training reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), induces changes in the blood composition and has widespread systemic benefits, it is reasonable to hypothesise that exercised plasma (ExPlas) may have rejuvenative properties. The main objective is to test safety and tolerability of transfusing ExPlas from young, healthy, fit adults to patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early AD. The study is a pilot for a future efficacy study.

Association of Klotho Protein Levels and KL-VS Heterozygosity With Alzheimer Disease and Amyloid and Tau Burden.

Importance: Identification of proteins and genetic factors that reduce Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology is of importance when searching for novel AD treatments. Heterozygosity of the KL-VS haplotype has been associated with reduced amyloid and tau burden. Whether this association is mediated by the Klotho protein remains unclear.

Age- and sex-dependent effects of DNA glycosylase Neil3 on amyloid pathology, adult neurogenesis, and memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Oxidative stress generating DNA damage has been shown to be a key characteristic in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, how it affects the pathogenesis of AD is not yet fully understood. Neil3 is a DNA glycosylase initiating repair of oxidative DNA base lesions and with a distinct expression pattern in proliferating cells.

Impact of Oxidative DNA Damage and the Role of DNA Glycosylases in Neurological Dysfunction.

The human brain requires a high rate of oxygen consumption to perform intense metabolic activities, accounting for 20% of total body oxygen consumption. This high oxygen uptake results in the generation of free radicals, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), which, at physiological levels, are beneficial to the proper functioning of fundamental cellular processes. At supraphysiological levels, however, ROS and associated lesions cause detrimental effects in brain cells, commonly observed in several neurodegenerative disorders.

NEIL1 and NEIL2 DNA glycosylases modulate anxiety and learning in a cooperative manner in mice.

Oxidative DNA damage in the brain has been implicated in neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. DNA glycosylases initiate base excision repair (BER), the main pathway for oxidative DNA base lesion repair. NEIL1 and NEIL3 DNA glycosylases affect cognition in mice, while the role of NEIL2 remains unclear.

DNA glycosylase Neil3 regulates vascular smooth muscle cell biology during atherosclerosis development.

Background And Aims: Atherogenesis involves a complex interaction between immune cells and lipids, processes greatly influenced by the vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotype. The DNA glycosylase NEIL3 has previously been shown to have a role in atherogenesis, though whether this is due to its ability to repair DNA damage or to other non-canonical functions is not yet clear. Hereby, we investigate the role of NEIL3 in atherogenesis, specifically in VSMC phenotypic modulation, which is critical in plaque formation and stability.

HMST-Seq-Analyzer: A new python tool for differential methylation and hydroxymethylation analysis in various DNA methylation sequencing data.

DNA methylation (5mC) and hydroxymethylation (5hmC) are chemical modifications of cytosine bases which play a crucial role in epigenetic gene regulation. However, cost, data complexity and unavailability of comprehensive analytical tools is one of the major challenges in exploring these epigenetic marks. Hydroxymethylation-and Methylation-Sensitive Tag sequencing (HMST-seq) is one of the most cost-effective techniques that enables simultaneous detection of 5mC and 5hmC at single base pair resolution.

DNA glycosylase Neil2 contributes to genomic responses in the spleen during clinical prion disease.

The DNA glycosylase Neil2 is a member of the base excision repair (BER) family of enzymes, which are important for repair of oxidative DNA damage. Specifically, Neil2 participates in repair of oxidized bases in single-stranded DNA of transcriptionally active genes. Mice with genetic ablation of Neil2 (Neil2) display no overt phenotypes, but an age-dependent accumulation of oxidative DNA damage and increased inflammatory responsiveness.

Diverse functions of DNA glycosylases processing oxidative base lesions in brain.

Endogenous and exogenous oxidative agents continuously damage genomic DNA, with the brain being particularly vulnerable. Thus, preserving genomic integrity is key for brain health and neuronal function. Accumulation of DNA damage is one of the causative factors of ageing and increases the risk of a wide range of neurological disorders.

Neuromodulatory Effect of NLRP3 and ASC in Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy.

Background: Following birth asphyxia there is a robust inflammatory response. NLRP3 is a receptor of the innate immune system. Upon activation, NLRP3 forms an inflammasome together with ASC and procaspase-1 to mediate release of IL-1β and IL-18.

8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (Ogg1) controls hepatic gluconeogenesis.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) resides in close proximity to metabolic reactions, and is maintained by the 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (Ogg1) and other members of the base excision repair pathway. Here, we tested the hypothesis that changes in liver metabolism as under fasting/feeding conditions would be sensed by liver mtDNA, and that Ogg1 deficient mice might unravel a metabolic phenotype. Wild type (WT) and ogg1 mice were either fed ad libitum or subjected to fasting for 24h, and the corresponding effects on liver gene expression, DNA damage, as well as serum values were analyzed.

No cancer predisposition or increased spontaneous mutation frequencies in NEIL DNA glycosylases-deficient mice.

Base excision repair (BER) is a major pathway for removal of DNA base lesions and maintenance of genomic stability, which is essential in cancer prevention. DNA glycosylases recognize and remove specific lesions in the first step of BER. The existence of a number of these enzymes with overlapping substrate specificities has been thought to be the reason why single knock-out models of individual DNA glycosylases are not cancer prone.

NEIL3-Dependent Regulation of Cardiac Fibroblast Proliferation Prevents Myocardial Rupture.

Myocardial infarction (MI) triggers a reparative response involving fibroblast proliferation and differentiation driving extracellular matrix modulation necessary to form a stabilizing scar. Recently, it was shown that a genetic variant of the base excision repair enzyme NEIL3 was associated with increased risk of MI in humans. Here, we report elevated myocardial NEIL3 expression in heart failure patients and marked myocardial upregulation of Neil3 after MI in mice, especially in a fibroblast-enriched cell fraction.

Neil3 induced neurogenesis protects against prion disease during the clinical phase.

Base excision repair (BER) is the major pathway for repair of oxidative DNA damage. Mice with genetic knockout of the BER enzyme Neil3 display compromised neurogenesis in the sub-ventricular zone of the lateral ventricle and sub-granular layer of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. To elucidate the impact of oxidative DNA damage-induced neurogenesis on prion disease we applied the experimental prion disease model on Neil3-deficient mice.

PML regulates neuroprotective innate immunity and neuroblast commitment in a hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy model.

Regulation of innate immune responses and activation of tissue regenerative processes are key elements in the pathophysiology of brain injuries. The promyelocytic leukemia (PML) gene was originally identified on a breakpoint of chromosomal translocation t(15;17) associated with acute PML. We have studied the role of PML protein during acute and regenerative phases after hypoxia-ischemia (HI) in brains of neonatal mice.

Enhanced base excision repair capacity in carotid atherosclerosis may protect nuclear DNA but not mitochondrial DNA.

Background: Lesional and systemic oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, potentially leading to accumulation of DNA base lesions within atherosclerotic plaques. Although base excision repair (BER) is a major pathway counteracting oxidative DNA damage, our knowledge on BER and accumulation of DNA base lesions in clinical atherosclerosis is scarce. Here, we evaluated the transcriptional profile of a wide spectrum of BER components as well as DNA damage accumulation in atherosclerotic and non-atherosclerotic arteries.

Neil3-dependent base excision repair regulates lipid metabolism and prevents atherosclerosis in Apoe-deficient mice.

Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative DNA damage accumulates in atherosclerosis. Recently, we showed that a genetic variant in the human DNA repair enzyme NEIL3 was associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction. Here, we explored the role of Neil3/NEIL3 in atherogenesis by both clinical and experimental approaches.

Synergistic Actions of Ogg1 and Mutyh DNA Glycosylases Modulate Anxiety-like Behavior in Mice.

Ogg1 and Mutyh DNA glycosylases cooperate to prevent mutations caused by 8-oxoG, a major premutagenic DNA lesion associated with cognitive decline. We have examined behavior and cognitive function in mice deficient of these glycosylases. Ogg1(-/-)Mutyh(-/-) mice were more active and less anxious, with impaired learning ability.

Quantification of DNA Damage by Real-Time qPCR.

This chapter describes the use of real-time qPCR to quantify damages in genomic DNA. The method is based on the ability of a lesion in one strand to inhibit restriction enzyme digestion of double-stranded DNA. Subsequent amplification of the complementary strand after restriction cleavage gives a quantitative measure of the damage content in that site (Real-time qPCR Analysis of Damage Frequency; RADF).

Analysis of mitochondrial DNA and RNA integrity by a real-time qPCR-based method.

This chapter describes the use of real-time qPCR to analyze the integrity of mitochondrial nucleic acids quantitatively. The method has low material requirement, is low cost, and can detect modifications with high resolution. The method is specifically designed for mitochondrial RNA and DNA, but can be easily transferred to other high-copy number cases.

Genome instability in Maple Syrup Urine Disease correlates with impaired mitochondrial biogenesis.

Objective: The mitochondrial branched-chain ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKD) catalyzes the degradation of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), which have been shown to induce oxidative stress. Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) is caused by impaired activity of BCKD, suggesting that oxidative stress and resulting DNA damage could contribute to pathology. We evaluated the potential effect of BCKD deficiency on genome integrity and mitochondrial function as a downstream target.

Addressing RNA integrity to determine the impact of mitochondrial DNA mutations on brain mitochondrial function with age.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations can result in mitochondrial dysfunction, but emerging experimental data question the fundamental role of mtDNA mutagenesis in age-associated mitochondrial impairment. The multicopy nature of mtDNA renders the impact of a given mtDNA mutation unpredictable. In this study, we compared mtDNA stability and mtRNA integrity during normal aging.

The distribution of DNA damage is defined by region-specific susceptibility to DNA damage formation rather than repair differences.

The cellular genomes are continuously damaged by reactive oxygen species (ROS) from aerobic processes. The impact of DNA damage depends on the specific site as well as the cellular state. The steady-state level of DNA damage is the net result of continuous formation and subsequent repair, but it is unknown to what extent heterogeneous damage distribution is caused by variations in formation or repair of DNA damage.