The molecular mechanism of DNA damage recognition by MutS homologs and its consequences for cell death response.

We determined the molecular mechanism of cell death response by MutS homologs in distinction to the repair event. Key protein-DNA contacts differ in the interaction of MutS homologs with cisplatinated versus mismatched DNA. Mutational analyses of protein-DNA contacts, which were predicted by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, were performed.

MSH2 missense mutations alter cisplatin cytotoxicity and promote cisplatin-induced genome instability.

Defects in the mismatch repair protein MSH2 cause tolerance to DNA damage. We report how cancer-derived and polymorphic MSH2 missense mutations affect cisplatin cytotoxicity. The chemotolerance phenotype was compared with the mutator phenotype in a yeast model system.