Investigation of the abasic sites induced by hydrogen peroxide and methyl methanesulfonate in calf thymus DNA and BEAS-2B cells

The primary goals of this study were to investigate the formation of abasic sites (AP sites) induced by methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and to characterize specific types of these pro-mutagenic DNA lesions in calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA), and BEAS-2B human lung normal cell line. Furthermore, these profiles were compared with those observed in leukocytes derived from healthy controls (HC), breast cancer patients (BCP) before treatment, and 5-year survivors. Results indicated that both H2O2 and MMS induced the concentration- and time-dependent formation of AP sites in CT-DNA. To characterize the specific types of AP sites induced by H2O2 or MMS, we performed AP site cleavage assay using putrescine, T7 exonuclease (T7 Exo), and exonuclease III (Exo III). Results showed that the AP sites induced by H2O2 in CT-DNA were predominantly 5’-and 3’-nicked AP sites and no intact AP sites were detected. By contrast, the majority of AP sites generated by MMS in CT-DNA are not excisable and are classified as residual and intact AP sites. Similar approaches were performed in human BEAS-2B cells and comparable observations were confirmed in the cell-based model. Further investigation indicated that the profile of the AP sites observed in Taiwanese HC is identical to that of BEAS-2B cells treated with H2O2 whereas the pattern of AP sites detected in BCP is similar to that of CT-DNA exposed to H2O2, suggesting that these AP sites were produced primarily through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. More than 70 % of the AP sites in leukocytes derived from BCP were 5’-nicked and residual AP sites. Furthermore, the characteristics of the AP sites detected in 5-year survivors are comparable with the ones in HC by using putrescine cleavage assay. Overall, we speculate that deficiency in the DNA repair cascade may play a role in mediating the formation of specific types of AP sites detected in BCP. [Display omitted] •H2O2 predominantly induces 5’-cleaved AP sites.•MMS predominantly induces non-excisable AP sites.•The profile of AP sites in leukocytes of healthy controls is similar to that of BEAS-2B cells treated with H2O2.•The profile of AP sites in leukocytes of breast cancer patients is similar to that of CT-DNA exposed to H2O2.•The predominant AP sites in human leukocytes are derived from oxidative stress primarily through the generation of ROS.