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V(D)J Recombinase-like Activity Mediates hprt Gene Deletion in Human Fetal T-Lymphocytes¹

Environmental Health Research and Testing, Inc, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709 [J. C. F., L. J. Z.], and Genetics Laboratory, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05401 [M. J. L., J. A. N., J. P. O., R. J. A.]

Studies from several laboratories worldwide have developed a large database for in vivo hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase gene mutations in human T-lymphocytes. Sufficient differences have been found thus far between the spectrum for spontaneous mutations in adults and that observed in the fetus to suggest fundamental differences in in vivo mutagenic mechanisms at these two life stages. In adults, only 15% of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase mutations have structural alterations on Southern blots, while in the fetus 75% of mutations show alterations of which one-half are deletions of exons 2 and 3. We have now sequenced the breakpoint sites for these specific deletions in 18 mutant lymphocyte clones isolated from 13 normal newborns. Three classes of deletions were found. Each class had the same intron 1 breakpoint but a different intron 3 breakpoint. These mutations have all the signatures of a V(D)J recombinase-mediated event (a 5' consensus heptamer, 3' consensus heptamer and nonamer, nibbling, non-germline-encoded nucleotides, P-nucleotides). At the 3' breakpoint of the most common class (comprising 83% of the mutants) a perfect heptamer can be created by postulating a hairpin loop which could attain a Z-DNA configuration. This feature may indicate recombinase preference for certain DNA structures. These results implicate the V(D)J recombinase in illegitimate events causing mutation in this housekeeping gene during T-cell development. Inactivation of genes involved in the control of growth and differentiation (e.g., tumor suppressor genes) by this mechanism may have important implications for cancer development.

¹ Supported in part by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Contract 68-02-4456 (J. C. F., L. J. Z.), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Cooperative Agreement CR-183565 (J. P. O.), NIH Grant ROI CA30688 (J. A. N., J. P. O., R. J. A.), NIH Grant T32-07122 (M. J. L.), and U.S. Department of Energy Grant FG028760502 (J. A. N., J. P. O., R. J. A.). This article has not been subjected to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency review and therefore does not necessarily reflect the views of the Agency and no official endorsement should be inferred. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. Department of Energy support does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of Energy of the views expressed.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Environmental Health Research and Testing, Inc., P. O. Box 12199, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.

Received 8/27/91. Accepted 9/16/91.

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