The effects of supercoiling on the topoisomerization reaction by eukaryotic DNA topoisomerases I have been analyzed. The systems used were: DNA topoisomerase I from wheat germ, chicken erythrocyte and calf thymus on a 2.3 kb DNA fragment which encompasses the immunoglobulin kappa-light chain (L kappa) promoter of the mouse plasmacytoma MPC11; S. cerevisiae DNA topoisomerase I on a 2.2 kb DNA fr...

The functional domain structure of human DNA topoisomerase IIalpha and Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA topoisomerase II was studied by investigating the abilities of insertion and deletion mutant enzymes to support mitotic growth and catalyze transitions in DNA topology in vitro. Alignment of the human topoisomerase IIalpha and S. cerevisiae topoisomerase II sequences defined 13 conserved regions ...

Four members of the structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC) protein family have essential functions in chromosome condensation (SMC2/4) and sister-chromatid cohesion (SMC1/3). The SMC5/6 complex has been implicated in chromosome replication, DNA repair and chromosome segregation in somatic cells, but its possible functions during mammalian meiosis are unknown. Here, we show in mouse spermato...

The relationship between DNA topoisomerase II activity and drug resistance was studied in cloned cell lines of Adriamycin (ADR)-sensitive and -resistant P388 leukemia; drug resistant P388/ADR/3 (clone 3) and P388/ADR/7 (clone 7) cells are 5and 10-fold more resistant to ADR than the sensitive cell line P388/4 (Cancer Res., 46: 2978, 1986). Topo isomerase II catalytic activity in crude nuclear ex...

The gene TOP2 encoding yeast topoisomerase II has been cloned by immunological screening of a yeast genomic library constructed in the phage lambda expression vector, lambda gt11. The ends of the message encoded by the cloned DNA fragment were delimited by the Berk and Sharp procedure (S1 nuclease mapping) for the 5' end and mapping of the polyA tail portion of a cDNA fragment for the 3' end. T...

Type II DNA topoisomerases are ubiquitous enzymes with essential functions in DNA replication, recombination and transcription. They change DNA topology by forming a transient covalent cleavage complex with a gate-DNA duplex that allows transport of a second duplex though the gate. Despite its biological importance and targeting by anticancer and antibacterial drugs, cleavage complex formation ...

referred to as "topoisomerase II poisons", trap the enzyme in an intermediate complex with DNAwhich prevents the final rejoining step of the reaction and results in increased DNAstrand breaks2). Nowit is generally accepted that the ability to form a cleavable complex with topoisomerase II is responsible for the antitumor activity of these drugs3). In order to identify a specific newtopoisomeras...

Patients with metastatic testis tumors are generally curable using chemotherapy, whereas those with disseminated bladder carcinomas are not. We have compared levels of the nuclear enzyme topoisomerase II in three testis (SuSa, 833K, and GH) and three bladder (RT4, RT112, and HT1376) cancer cell lines which differ in their sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. The testis cell lines were more s...

Patients with metastatic testis tumors are generally curable using chemotherapy, whereas those with disseminated bladder carcinomas are not. We have compared levels of the nuclear enzyme topoisomerase II in three testis (SuSa, 833K, and GH) and three bladder (RT4, RT112, and HT1376) cancer cell lines which differ in their sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. The testis cell lines were more s...

The relationship between DNA topoisomerase II activity and drug resistance was studied in cloned cell lines of Adriamycin (ADR)-sensitive and -resistant P388 leukemia; drug resistant P388/ADR/3 (clone 3) and P388/ADR/7 (clone 7) cells are 5and 10-fold more resistant to ADR than the sensitive cell line P388/4 (Cancer Res., 46: 2978, 1986). Topo isomerase II catalytic activity in crude nuclear ex...