Selenite activates the ATM kinase-dependent DNA repair pathway in human osteosarcoma cells with mitochondrial dysfunction

Mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced oxidative damage are implicated in the pathogenesis of several human diseases. Based on our previous findings that ROS level was higher in human osteosarcoma cybrids—Neuropathy, Ataxia and Retinitis Pigmentosa (NARP) and was reduced by selenite treatment, this study was designed to elucidate the effects of selenite administration on oxidative and nitrosative damage to lipids, proteins and DNA. Oxidative and nitrosative damage to lipids and proteins was not increased in NARP cybrids or mitochondrial DNA-lacking Rho0 cells (displaying mitochondrial dysfunction) when compared with control WT cells. However, we found the enhanced formation of DNA double-strand breaks based on the level of histone γH2AX (phosphorylated at Ser 139), which is known to be phosphorylated by ATM (Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated) kinase in response to DNA damage. Selenite increased the activity of ATM kinase in NARP cybrids and Rho0 cells without concomitant increase in levels of histone γH2AX. Activation of the ATM kinase-dependent DNA repair pathway triggered by selenite could not be associated with enhanced DNA damage but might rather result from selenite-induced activation of ATM-dependent DNA repair mechanisms which could account for protective effects of this agent.