Investigating the Induction and Purification of OGG1 Protein and Its Role in DNA-Protein Cross-Linking

Abstract

DNA-protein cross-links (DPC’s) occur when a protein reacts with a DNA strand. DPC’s can lead to cell death if it is not repaired due to its potential to interfere with cellular processes such as DNA replication and transcription because it causes a bulky distortion in the DNA double helix. Various chemical agents, such as 1,2,3,4-Diepoxybutane (DEB), are known to induce DPC’s because of their alkylating functions. When uncontrollably created in cells, DPC’s have a harmful effect, but they can have a therapeutic function if they are specifically induced in cells and controlled. Thus, with its potential lethalness to cells, DPC’s have been studied as a possible cancer treatment by trying to target its production in tumor cells and observing its biological activity. To better understand, DPC’s, this project focused on the creation of DPC’s using 8-oxoguanine glycosylase (OGG1) and the OG oligonucleotide duplex (OG). Specific focus was placed on the induction and purification of the OGG1 protein and cross-linking it to OG.