Abasic sites linked to dUTP incorporation in DNA are a major cause of spontaneous mutations in absence of base excision repair and Rad17-Mec3-Ddc1 (9-1-1) DNA damage checkpoint clamp in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, inactivation of base excision repair (BER) AP endonucleases (Apn1p and Apn2p) results in constitutive phosphorylation of Rad53p and delay in cell cycle progression at the G2/M transition. These data led us to investigate genetic interactions between Apn1p, Apn2p and DNA damage checkpoint proteins. The results show that mec1 sml1, rad53 sml1 and rad9 is synthetic lethal with apn1 apn2.

Ddc1 checkpoint protein and DNA polymerase ɛ interact with nick-containing DNA repair intermediate in cell free extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

To characterize proteins that interact with base excision/single-strand interruption repair DNA intermediates in cell free extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we used a combination of photoaffinity labeling with the protein identification by MALDI-TOF-MS peptide mapping. Photoreactive analogue of dCTP, namely exo-N-[4-(4-azido-2,3,5,6,-tetrafluorobenzylidenehydrazinocarbonyl)-butylcarbamoyl]-2'-deoxycytidine-5'-triphosphate, and [(32)P]-labeled DNA duplex containing one nucleotide gap were used to generate nick-containing DNA with a photoreactive dCMP residue at the 3'-margin of the nick. This photoreactive DNA derivative was incubated with the yeast cell extract and after UV irradiation a number of proteins were labeled.

Topoisomerase 1 provokes the formation of short deletions in repeated sequences upon high transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

High transcription is associated with genetic instability, notably increased spontaneous mutation rates, which is a phenomenon termed Transcription-Associated-Mutagenesis (TAM). In this study, we investigated TAM using the chromosomal CAN1 gene under the transcriptional control of two strong and inducible promoters (pGAL1 and pTET) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Both pTET- and pGAL1-driven high transcription at the CAN1 gene result in enhanced spontaneous mutation rates.

PCNA monoubiquitylation and DNA polymerase eta ubiquitin-binding domain are required to prevent 8-oxoguanine-induced mutagenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

7,8-Dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) is an abundant and mutagenic DNA lesion. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the 8-oxoG DNA N-glycosylase (Ogg1) acts as the primary defense against 8-oxoG. Here, we present evidence for cooperation between Rad18-Rad6-dependent monoubiquitylation of PCNA at K164, the damage-tolerant DNA polymerase eta and the mismatch repair system (MMR) to prevent 8-oxoG-induced mutagenesis.

dUTPase activity is critical to maintain genetic stability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We identified a viable allele (dut1-1) of the DUT1 gene that encodes the dUTPase activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The Dut1-1 protein possesses a single amino acid substitution (Gly82Ser) in a conserved motif nearby the active site and exhibits a greatly reduced dUTPase activity. The dut1-1 single mutant exhibits growth delay and cell cycle abnormalities and shows a strong spontaneous mutator phenotype.

The post-replication repair RAD18 and RAD6 genes are involved in the prevention of spontaneous mutations caused by 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) is an abundant and mutagenic lesion produced in DNA exposed to free radicals and reactive oxygen species. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the OGG1 gene encodes the 8-oxoG DNA N-glycosylase/AP lyase (Ogg1), which is the functional homologue of the bacterial Fpg. Ogg1-deficient strains are spontaneous mutators that accumulate GC to TA transversions due to unrepaired 8-oxoG in DNA.

Catalytic and DNA-binding properties of the human Ogg1 DNA N-glycosylase/AP lyase: biochemical exploration of H270, Q315 and F319, three amino acids of the 8-oxoguanine-binding pocket.

The human Ogg1 protein (hOgg1) is an antimutator DNA glycosylase/AP lyase that catalyzes the excision of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG) and the incision of apurinic and apyrimidinic (AP) sites in DNA. In this study, we have investigated the functional role of H270, Q315 and F319, three amino acids that are located in the 8-oxoG-binding pocket of hOgg1. Wild-type and mutant hOgg1 proteins (H270A, H270R, H270L, Q315A and F319A) were purified to apparent homogeneity.