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The plasma concentration of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is highly correlated with the incidence of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease. A positive physiological role for Lp(a) has not yet been clearly identified, although elevated plasma levels in pregnant women, long-distance runners, subjects given growth hormone, patients after cardiovascular surgery, and patients with cancer, diabetes, or renal disease suggest its involvement in tissue synthesis and repair. The hypothesis that Lp(a) is involved in repair/reinforcement of the aorta was tested in 38 patients undergoing surgery for aortic aneurysm. In 29 patients 1 day before surgery, the mean plasma Lp(a) protein level was 10.7 mg/dl. At about 1, 2, and 8 weeks after surgery, the level was 14.1, 15.1, and 15.2 mg/dl, respectively. These levels are significantly higher than those of a comparable group of normal subjects (6.4 mg/dl; n = 274). Specimens of resected aortic aneurysm showed extensive medial degeneration, discontinuous elastic fibers, and deposition of mucopolysaccharides; these specimens were treated with a detergent-containing buffer to extract entrapped lipoproteins. The mean Lp(a) protein level in aortic wall extracts was 14.6 ng/mg tissue; these individual values were significantly associated with plasma Lp(a) levels before surgery (r2 = 0.31, p = 0.0003). The mean Lp(a) protein level in aortic thrombus extracts was substantially higher at 69.6 ng/mg tissue; these individual levels also were significantly associated with plasma Lp(a) concentrations before surgery (r2 = 0.68, p < 0.0001). The observations that: (i) plasma Lp(a) protein is about 1.7-fold higher in patients with aortic aneurysms than in normal subjects; and (ii) that Lp(a) protein in the aneurysmic thrombus is about 4.8-fold higher than in the aortic wall suggest that this lipoprotein plays a significant and direct role in thrombus formation and in reinforcement of the aneurysmic aortic wall.

Cells are continuously exposed to DNA damaging agents that may cause mutations or lead to cell death. To counter this constant, ubiquitous attack on the genetic material, cells possess highly diverse and efficient systems to repair a variety of DNA lesions. For cells that are nondividing and are expected to remain functionally viable for many years, it is important that damage not accumulate in those genes that are essential to maintaining differentiated gene expression. If damage were to accumulate slowly in working genes, then the outcomes might appear as biological changes typically associated with senescence. Estimates on the types of DNA damage believed to arise spontaneously suggest that methylation of N7-guanine is one of the more frequently occurring events, exceeded only by single-strand breaks and possibly depurination. Previous studies have shown that the steady-state levels of m7Gua increase during aging of postmitotic mammalian tissues. To test for the possibility that repair of m7Gua might decline in senescent animals, we induced methyl adducts in young and old mice with single doses of MNU, and determined the kinetics of adduct removal. Liver, kidney and brain all exhibited some active repair of m7Gua as characterized by the rapid removal of the adduct from DNA. However, a fraction of damage was refractory to repair and was lost from DNA much more slowly. This repair-resistant fraction of damage was greater in DNA from the old tissues, but the interpretation of the data is not straightforward, because different amounts of damage were induced in young and old tissues with the same weight-normalized dose of MNU. Although old cells had higher levels of persistent adducts, initial repair rates were similar between age-matched tissues. Furthermore, experiments indicated that mRNA levels for 3-methyladenine glycosylase repair enzyme did not change with age. Our working hypothesis is that repair enzymes are present and active in senescent postmitotic tissues, but changes have occurred in old chromatin that have affected the ability of repair enzymes to efficiently process these adducts.

We have studied the interaction of LDL and Lp[a] with fibroblasts. Our studies suggest that Lp[a] does not effectively compete with LDL for binding to the LDL receptor, and does not efficiently suppress the activity of the intracellular enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. However, Lp[a-], formed by reduction of the disulfide bond between apo[a] and apoB, behaves much like homologous LDL, whether or not apo[a] is removed from the mixture, and in spite of the fact that one or more apoB disulfides may also have been cleaved. In our studies we also noted that Lp[a] often enhanced binding of 125I-LDL by fibroblasts. Further investigation has suggested that this interaction is time-dependent. Experiments in receptor-negative fibroblasts indicate that the enhancement is not related to the presence of the LDL receptor; however, it is inhibited by the removal of calcium from the medium. The presence of sialic acid at millimolar concentrations in the medium inhibits much of the Lp[a]-enhanced binding of 125I-LDL to the cells. These studies suggest that Lp[] may in some way enhance LDL binding to cells, perhaps via interaction with cell surface glycosaminoglycans or proteoglycans or with collagen.

The protein moiety of Lp[a] is widely believed to consist of one molecule of apo B-100 and one molecule of apo[a] per particle, linked by at least one disulfide bond. In this study we have re-examined the composition of Lp[a] to determine if other less abundant apolipoproteins might be present. Analysis of Lp[a] by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis under reducing conditions showed bands corresponding to < 200 kD but > 50 kD, 40 kD, 26 kD, 23 kD and 9 kD when stained with silver. Western immunoblot analysis of three preparations of Lp[a] revealed the presence of apoE and apoD. Enzyme-linked immunoassays were used to quantify apoA-I, apoA-II, apoC-I, apoC-II, apoC-III, apoE and apo B-100 in Lp[a] and autologous LDL isolated from three healthy males. There is a significant amount of apoA-I in the Lp[a], although the levels varied widely among the different samples. ApoE concentrations were consistent in the three Lp[a] samples and were between 22 and 26% of relative apo B-100 concentrations. Relatively minor amounts of apoA-II and no apoCs were detectable in the three Lp[a] preparations. In contrast, the autologous LDL preparations contained relatively higher amounts of apoA-I, apoA-II, apoE, apoC-I, apoC-II and apoC-III. The identity of the multiple bands corresponding to < 200 kD and > 54 kD and 9 kD is not established.

Electron cryomicroscopy was used to study the structure of human lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), a plasma lipoprotein implicated in cardiovascular disease. An individual Lp(a) particle consists of a neutral lipid core within a shell of phospholipid, cholesterol and glycoprotein. In principle, electron cryomicroscopy images of single particles should contain structural detail attributable to the density differences among these components and the surrounding buffer. We observed such structural detail in images of frozen, hydrated Lp(a) particles. Lp(a) particles appeared to be roughly spherical in shape with an average diameter of 210 A. As is generally true for unstained samples in vitreous ice, imaged with a low electron dose, these images have low contrast with low signal-to-noise ratios. To increase the signal-to-noise ratio, we averaged classes of similar particles. We began with a set of 5813 randomly oriented Lp(a) particles and generated classes using a linear multivariate statistical method, followed by hierarchical ascendant classification. Our initial classification, based on only the first eight eigenvectors, separated particles on the basis of gross size and shape. After a rough reference-free alignment step, a second classification used the finer details in the images. This approach yielded class averages with structural detail only faintly visible in the raw, single images.

The protein component of human lipoprotein[a] consists primarily of two apolipoproteins, apo[a] and apo B-100, linked through a cystine disulfide(s). In the amino acid sequence of apo bd, Cys4057 located within a plasminogen kringle 4-like repeat sequence (3991-4068) is believed to form a disulfide bond with a specific cysteine residue in apo B-100. Our fluorescence-labeling experiments and molecular modeling studies have provided evidence for possible interactions between this apo[a] kringle type and apo B-100. The fluorescent probe, fluorescein-5-maleimide, was used in parallel experiments to label free sulfhydryl moieties in lipoprotein[a] and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). In apo B-100 of LDL, Cys3734 was labeled with the probe, but this site was not labeled in autologous lipoprotein[a]. The result strongly implicates Cys3734 of apo B-100 as the residue forming the disulfide linkage with Cys4057 of apo[a]. To explore possible noncovalent interactions between apo B-100 and apo[a], the crystallographic coordinates for plasminogen kringle 4 were used to generate molecular models of the apo[a] kringle-repeat sequence (3991-4068, LPaK9), the only plasminogen kringle 4 type repeat in apo[a] having an extra cysteine residue not involved in an intramolecular disulfide bond. The Cys4057 residue (henceforth designated as Cys67 in the LPaK9 sequence) is believed to form an intermolecular disulfide bond with a cysteine of apo B-100. In computer graphics molecular models of LPaK9, Cys67 is located on the surface of the kringle near the lysine ligand binding site. Selected segments of the LDL apo B-100 sequence that contain free sulfhydryl cysteines were subjected to energy minimization and docking with the ligand binding site and adjacent regions of the LPaK9 model. In the docking experiments, apo B-100 segment 3732-3745 (PSCKLDFREIQIYK) displayed the best fit and the largest number of van der Waals contacts with models of LPaK9. Other apo B-100 peptides with sulfhydryl cysteine were found to be less compatible when minimized with this kringle. These results support and extend previously suggested mechanisms for a complex interaction between apo[a] and apo B-100 that involve more than a simple covalent disulfide bond.

To investigate the effects of age on DNA repair of alkylation damage, C57BL/6NNia mice ranging from 9 months to 29 months of age were injected by the intraperitoneal route with single doses of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). The rates of removal of 7-methylguanine (m7Gua) in nuclear DNA from kidney were determined at various intervals from 1 to 288 h after injection of either 25 mg or 50 mg MNU per kg body weight. Reversed phase HPLC with electrochemical detection was used to monitor adduct disappearance from DNA hydrolysates. The kinetics of m7Gua removal from DNA were at least biphasic. Evidence was obtained that there was a rapid removal of m7Gua occurring in the first 24 h after MNU administration, followed by a slow phase of removal with a t1/2 greater than 150 h. We assume that these two phases of m7Gua removal correspond to active repair of DNA by N-alkylglycosylases and to passive elimination via spontaneous hydrolysis, respectively. Young and old kidney tissues all exhibited significant repair of m7Gua (55-73% of the induced adducts were removed in the first 24 h), but a substantial fraction of m7Gua was removed slowly, indicating that there are methylated bases which were refractory to repair processes. At both doses of MNU studied, old tissues showed active repair of m7Gua that, within the limits of detection, had similar initial rates of removal as young tissues. However, old kidney did not remove this adduct with the same overall efficiency as young kidney. Therefore, the amount of m7Gua in the repair-resistant fraction was greater in the senescent tissues. The biochemical mechanisms responsible for the less efficient DNA repair in senescent kidney are not known, but we suggest that such differences are due in part to structural alterations in the chromatin.

We have measured intracisternal A-particle (IAP) RNA levels during development and aging in C57BL/6J mouse tissues to determine possible age-dependent changes in gene expression of these retrovirus-like sequences. Total RNA was isolated from tissues of embryonic and new born mice and mice ranging in age from 2 months to 32 months of age. RNA samples were either slot-blotted directly or fractionated on denaturing agarose gels and transferred to nylon membranes. Hybridization with cloned, 32P-labeled IAP sequences showed that both the mass amounts and the relative proportions of IAP transcripts varied between tissues and as a function of age. IAP gene products were higher in brain and kidney tissues than in liver and heart tissues. The relative proportion of transcripts increased in embryonic tissues until birth and following birth, was highest in neonatal or 2-month-old tissues. The adult levels of IAP-related RNAs did not change significantly from 6 to 24 months of age. However, 32-month-old tissues exhibited the lowest content of IAP transcripts, with the exception of heart tissue which did not change with age. A 5.4-kb RNA was the predominant IAP transcript in most samples, but each tissue had a characteristic size distribution of IAP-related transcripts. These results demonstrate that transcription of IAP genes continues throughout the life span of this mouse strain with tissue-specific and age-dependent regulation of expression.

The major DNA product formed by methylating agents in vitro and in vivo is 7-methylguanine (m7Gua). In untreated rodent genomes, this damage is thought to arise as a consequence of endogenous processes. Using 2 independent HPLC systems and 2 methods of detection, we observed that low levels of m7Gua are present in nuclear DNA of normal 23-month-old postmitotic mouse tissues. We then asked whether the steady-state levels of indigenous m7Gua change as a function of age in these tissues. C57BL/6NNia male mice 11 months, 23 months, and 28 months of age were analyzed. The results showed that in nuclear DNA of brain, liver, and kidney tissues, the steady-state levels of m7Gua increased approximately 2-fold between the young and old age groups. The persistence of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced m7Gua in these tissues in treated animals was also studied. Following a 25 mg MNU/kg body weight dose, administered by the intraperitoneal route, m7Gua appeared to be at least partially persistent for a period of up to 20 days. The degree of persistence of m7Gua, however, appeared to be independent of tissue or age. Since m7Gua has intrinsic mutagenic potential and the content of m7Gua is generally a good indicator of overall alkylation damage to DNA, an age-related increase in the steady-state amounts of m7Gua may be relevant to basic mechanisms of aging and carcinogenesis.

The ability of eukaryotic organisms of the same genotype to vary in developmental pattern or in phenotype according to varying environmental conditions is frequently associated with changes in extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) sequences. Although variable in size, sequence complexity, and copy number, the best characterized of these eccDNAs contain sequences homologous to chromosomal DNA which indicates that they might arise from genetic rearrangements, such as homologous recombination. The abundance of repetitive sequence families in eccDNAs is consistent with the notion that tandem repeats and dispersed repetitive elements participate in intrachromosomal recombination events. There is also evidence that a fraction of this DNA has characteristics similar to retrotransposons. It has been suggested that eccDNAs could reflect altered patterns of gene expression or an instability of chromosomal sequences during development and aging. This article reviews some of the findings and concepts regarding eccDNAs and sequence plasticity in eukaryotic genomes.

The plasma concentration of human lipoprotein[a], Lp[a], is highly correlated with coronary artery disease. The protein moiety of Lp[a], apoLp[a], consists of two apoproteins, apo[a] and apoB-100, linked by one or more disulfide bonds(s). Apo[a], the protein unique to Lp[a], exists in polymorphic forms that exhibit different apparent molecular weights (Mr). Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate followed by immunoblotting was used to separate and visualize these different forms and to determine the polymorphic pattern of apo[a] in the plasma samples of 692 individuals. A total of 11 different polymorph bands ranging in Mr from 419 kD to 838 kD could be resolved, but only 1 or 2 bands were present per individual. The polymorphic band pattern for an individual was assigned to 1 of the 66 different phenotype designations representing the total number of possible single- and double-band combinations of the 11 detectable bands. All 11 of the possible single-band phenotypes but only 32 of the 55 possible double-band phenotypes were represented. There were 412 plasma samples (59.5%) that contained a single band, 274 (39.6%) contained two bands, and only 6 (0.9%) had no detectable apo[a] band. A highly significant inverse correlation was found between the Mr of the band(s) present and the plasma apoLp[a] concentration (r = -0.461; rho = 0.0001). The correlation was better between apoLp[a] and single-band (r = -0.495; rho = 0.0001) than double-band (r = -0.382; rho = 0.0001) phenotypes. Of the 274 individuals exhibiting double-band phenotypes, the lower Mr band was more intense in 141 (51.4%), the two bands were equally intense in 85 (31.0%), while the higher Mr band was more intense in 48 (17.5%). Based upon the hypothesis that apo[a] polymorphism is controlled by different alleles at a single locus, the frequency of the 11 alleles determined from the observe phenotypes (low Mr----high Mr) was: band 1) 419 kD, 0.00875; band 2) 489 kD, 0.00510; band 3) 536 kD, 0.0555; band 4) 553 kD, 0.0758; band 5) 613 kD, 0.135; band 6) 680 kD, 0.0824; band 7) 705 kD, 0.104; band 8) 742 kD, 0.151; band 9) 760 kD, 0.246; band 10) 796 kD, 0.128; band 11) 838 kD, 0.00802. The observed distribution of phenotypes in the population was compared by chi-square analysis to that predicted on the basis of simple Mendelian inheritance, and the hypothesis was rejected (chi 2 = 921.7; rho less than 0.001). Significantly, the singleband phenotypes are over-represented in the population compared to that predicted.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A method for the isolation of eucaryotic extrachromosomal circular (ecc) DNA is described. Exonuclease III was used to preparatively digest linear and open circular forms of DNA; the resultant exonuclease-resistant molecules were then characterized by buoyant density gradient sedimentation and were found to be essentially covalently closed circular DNA. The efficiency of the exonuclease method was compared to ultracentrifugation techniques and was found to give yields greater than those obtained by two or more equilibrium density gradients. The utility of the exonuclease III technique was determined by purifying eccDNAs from mouse liver, brain, heart, and kidney tissues. The results showed that there are tissue-related differences in eccDNA content.

Extrachromosomal circular (ecc) DNA was isolated from mouse brain, liver, and heart tissues at different ages. To determine the abundance of repetitive sequences in eccDNAs, preparations were probed for short-interspersed (B1 and B2), long-interspersed (L1), endogenous retroviral-like (IAP), and tandemly repeated satellite sequences (SAT) of the mouse genome. Together these sequence families comprise approximately 15% of the mouse genome. The hybridization results showed that each tissue had a characteristic pattern of repetitive sequence elements in eccDNAs, and the abundance of repetitive sequences changed as a function of age. Repetitive sequences decreased in liver and brain eccDNAs from 1 month to 8 months of age but appeared to remain stable thereafter. In contrast, repetitive sequence families in heart eccDNAs were constant from 1 month to 16 months of age but declined in 24-month-old mice. The present studies indicate that extrachromosomal sequences exhibit greater flexibility than chromosomal sequences.

Physical and chemical criteria of lipoproteins containing apolipoprotein B, extracted from human aortic intima, were compared with those of plasma low density lipoproteins (LDL). Homogenates of grossly normal intima and advanced atherosclerotic lesions were subjected to differential ultracentrifugation to isolate a d = 1.006--1.063 g/ml density fraction which was extensively characterized. By electroimmunoassay, over 90% of the recovered apolipoprotein B immunological reactivity was found in isolates from both plaques and normal intima. In isolates of plaque and normal intima, particles of the same size as LDL were found, although a small population of very large structures was also present in plaque fractions. Apolipoprotein composition was similar to that of plasma LDL except for the presence of human serum albumin in aortic isolates. Fractions from aorta demonstrated greater electrophoretic mobilities than LDL. The lipid composition of isolates from normal intima was similar to that of LDL. The lipid composition of plaque fractions showed a significant decrease in the cholesteryl ester to free cholesterol ratio and in the triglyceride content in comparison to LDL and to fractions from normal intima. The fatty acid pattern of the cholesteryl ester fraction from isolates of both normal and plaque aortic homogenates demonstrated a significant decrease in the linoleate to oleate ratio as compared to LDL. Our initial studies suggest that althought aortic fractions are similar to LDL by certain criteria, some differences observed are more pronounced in fractions from lesions than from normal intima.

Cholesteryl ester rich very low density lipoproteins (CER-VLDL), isolated from the plasma of rabbits fed a hypercholesterolemic diet, have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and spin-label electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to determine the temperature-dependent dynamics of cholesteryl esters in the hydrophobic core and of phospholipids on the polar surface. Intact CER-VLDL exhibit two DSC heating endotherms; these occur at 40-42 and 45-48 degrees C. Cholesteryl esters isolated from CER-VLDL also exhibit two DSC endotherms; these occur at 50.0 and 55.1 degrees C and correspond to the smectic----cholesteric and cholesteric----isotropic liquid-crystalline phase transitions. A model mixture containing cholesteryl linoleate, oleate, and palmitate in a ratio (0.21, 0.51, and 0.28 mol fraction) similar to that in CER-VLDL exhibited comparable DSC endotherms at 45.2 and 51.5 degrees C. CER-VLDL at 37 degrees C gave 13C NMR spectra that contained no resonances assignable to cholesteryl ring carbons but detectable broad resonances for some fatty acyl chain carbons, suggesting the cholesteryl esters were in a liquid-crystalline state. When the mixture was heated to 42 degrees C, broad ring carbon resonances became detectable; at 48 degrees C, they became narrow, indicating the cholesteryl esters were in an isotropic, liquid-like state. With increasing temperature over the range 38-60 degrees C, the resonances for cholesteryl ring carbons C3 and C6 in CER-VLDL narrowed differentially. Similar spectral changes were observed for the synthetic cholesteryl ester mixture, except they occurred at temperatures about 10 degrees C higher. These results indicate that the two DSC transitions in CER-VLDL do not directly correlate with the smectic----cholesteric and cholesteric----isotropic transitions exhibited by pure cholesteryl esters. (5-Doxylpalmitoyl)-phosphatidylcholine (5-DP-PC) and (12-doxylstearoyl)phosphatidylcholine (12-DS-PC) were used to probe the polar surface monolayer of CER-VLDL; the corresponding cholesteryl esters (5-DP-CE and 12-DS-CE) were used to probe the hydrophobic core. None of these probes in CER-VLDL detected an abrupt change in EPR order parameters, S, or maximum splitting, 2T max, over the temperature range 20-58 degrees C even though 12-DS-PC and 5-DP-PC can detect phase transitions in phospholipid bilayers and 12-DS-CE and 5-DP-CE can detect phase transitions in neat cholesteryl esters. However, 12-DS-CE and 5-DP-CE did detect a much greater acyl chain order for the neutral lipids of CER-VLDL than for those of normal triglyceride-rich VLDL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

APO low density lipoprotein (apoB), the major protein in plasma low (LDL) and very low (VLDL) density lipoproteins, was localized in extracranial and intracranial arteries from normolipoproteinemics and hyperlipoproteinemics to determine if apoB extensiveness and localization varied with plasma lipoprotein profile. Specimens of carotid bifureation, internal carotid, basilar, and middle cerebral arteries from 23 subjects with normal lipoprotein levels, four with elevated LDL (type II), and 13 with elevated VLDL (type IV) values were studied with the employment of immunofluorescence techniques. Although the apoB localization pattern was identical in each group, extensiveness of positive localization was greatest in lesions from type II cases and the same in lesions from type IV and normolipoproteinemics. This suggests that sites of apoB retention are dependent on the chemical and structural changes in atherosclerotic arteries, whereas extensiveness correlates with the apoB concentration gradient between plasma and tissue.

The fine-structural localization of apoB, the major protein constituent of both the low and very low density plasma lipoprotein fractions, was described in human middle cerebral and basilar arteries. Using an immunoperoxidase technique together with electron microscopy, apoB was localized only in arteries with atherosclerotic involvement and to the following regions in these arteries: 1. on the outer aspects of extracellular spherical structures with diameters of 250 to 700 A found predominantly in lipid cores and between bands of collagen fibers of advanced atherosclerotic lesions; 2. on the surface of reduplicated elastica; 3. along collagen fibers and; 4. on aggregates of extracellular spherical lipid globules. These results suggest that the extracellular spheres may represent the fine-structural morphology of deposited low and very low density lipoproteins and that free apoB may be bound to lipid globules, elastica, and collagen fibers.

Human Lp[a] was isolated in preparative amounts from two donors; the native lipoprotein and its constituent apoproteins, apo[a] and apoB, were characterized extensively. Based on differences in apparent molecular weight, four different isoforms of apo[a], a1-a4, were observed between the two donors. The number and relative distribution of these isoforms varied between donors but were constant for each donor. Each apo[a] isoform was shown to be derived from a discrete apo[a]-B100 disulfide-linked complex present before reduction. Complete delipidation of Lp[a] was followed by solubilization, reduction, and carboxamidomethylation of the constituent apoproteins. These apoproteins were then separated by immunoaffinity chromatography using anti-apo[a]- or anti-apoB-Sepharose; their purity and structural integrity were demonstrated by Western blot analysis. ApoB isolated by this procedure was essentially identical to apoB from autologous LDL with respect to molecular weight, secondary structure, amino acid composition, and sialic acid content. However, apo[a] differed from apoB in that it exhibited: a much less alpha-helical, less beta, but much more disordered structure; a lower proportion of aspartate, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, and lysine, but a higher proportion of proline, glycine, and threonine; and a much higher content of sialic acid. These results indicate that apo[a] is not a superglycosylated form of apoB but is distinctly different in its composition and structure.

The amounts of buffer- and Triton-extracted apo B (LDL-protein), as well as the sum of these two fractions, were correlated with the total tissue cholesterol and hydroxyproline content (as a measure of collagen) in grossly normal intima, fatty streaks, and fibrous plaques of human aortas obtained at autopsy. Quantitative values of buffer- and Triton-extracted apo B were obtained by sequentially extracting homogenates of aortic intima with an aqueous buffer and one containing Triton X-100, and measuring the apo B content in each extract by an electroimmunoassay relative to plasma LDL or Triton-treated LDL. Significant positive correlations were obtained between the following: tissue cholesterol and both buffer-extracted and total-extracted apo B in grossly normal intima; tissue cholesterol and Triton-extracted apo B in microdissected fibrotic caps and cores of fibrous plaques, as well as in whole plaques. A positive correlation was also obtained between tissue cholesterol and total-extracted apo B in the necrotic core. A significant negative correlation was found between Triton-extracted apo B and collagen in whole plaques. The calculated mean percent of total tissue cholesterol in the different aortic regions that could be present as part of an intact LDL particle were: 100% in grossly normal intima, 16% in fatty streaks, and 11% in fibrous plaques. The positive correlation between Triton-extracted apo B and cholesterol in plaques suggests one or both of the following: the extracellular pool of cholesterol or some material increasing concurrently with cholesterol interacts with apo B or another part of the LDL particle; or the apo B containing lipoprotein is trapped in the hydrophobic environment of extracellular lipid. Both possibilities would render the particle less soluble in aqueous buffers. The negative correlation between Triton-extracted apo B and tissue collagen and the lack of a significant correlation between buffer-extracted apo B and collagen content suggests that collagen is probably not responsible for apo B retention in the aortic intima.

Using alkaline denaturation-renaturation, exonuclease III digestion and density gradient centrifugations, we have isolated covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) molecules from 1-, 8-, 16-, and 24-month C57BL/6 mouse heart tissues. Electron microscopic analyses demonstrated that all these preparations contained small polydisperse circular DNAs (spcDNAs). spcDNAs showed similar size distributions at all ages, but more discrete size classes and slightly larger circles were observed in the 24-month heart spcDNA preparations. Based upon the final yields of spcDNAs, there appeared to be no age-related changes in the quantity of these circular molecules in vivo. Furthermore, [3H]-pBR322 recovery studies revealed no endogenous factors that might have affected the yield of spcDNAs from young and old tissues. To determine if there were any age-related changes in the quantity of repetitive sequences in spcDNAs, we probed heart spcDNAs with B1, B2, IAP, L1 and satellite sequences of the mouse genome. The hybridization results showed that these sequence families were differentially represented at all ages in spcDNAs. B2 sequences were the highest across all the age groups while L1 sequences were the lowest. The quantity of B1-, B2-, IAP-, and L1-spcDNAs appeared to decrease at 24-months. Satellite sequences appeared to decrease from 1-month to 8-months, but no change beyond 8-months.

It is not known if DNA lesions, such as covalently modified nucleotides, change qualitatively or quantitatively during aging of post-mitotic cells. If genetic damage accumulates faster than cellular systems can repair it, a cell will eventually become defective in maintaining homeostatis. This situation would be particularly serious for cells that do not divide after they have differentiated to their terminal forms, for example, heart muscle cells. To examine this possibility a 32P-postlabeling technique was used to measure the relative level of modified nucleotides in mouse myocardial DNA as a function of age. The postlabeling analysis indicated that a modified nucleotide changed in an age-dependent manner. A nucleotide with similar chromatographic properties was induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) alkylation of synthetic polydeoxynucleotides containing the base guanine but not by alkylation of synthetic DNAs lacking this base. This modified nucleotide was found to increase about 9-fold in heart DNA between 2 months and 39 months. These results suggest that the steady-state level of this type of genomic damage is greatly elevated in senescent mouse heart tissue.

We have examined a cDNA displacement synthesis procedure in which the extent of precursor incorporation and the unusual kinetics of displacement synthesis suggest a unique replicative form of DNA and the occurrence of multiple rounds of displacement synthesis, leading to amplification of mRNA sequences. Globin double-stranded DNA containing a hairpin loop was extended by the addition of a homopolymer to the 3' end. This was followed by displacement synthesis with the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I that was primed by an oligonucleotide hybridized to the homopolymer. Thus, the hairpin cDNA was copied to form an open duplex with an inverted repetition of globin sequences. These molecules can then serve as templates for additional synthesis which would be primed from oligomers bound the homopolymer. Globin cDNA sequences appear to be amplified 10-fold or more by this procedure. Globin cDNA obtained by displacement synthesis was similar in size to the original template. However, displaced molecules associate to the extent that they are not readily resolved by electrophoresis or sedimentation under nondenaturing conditions. Restriction endonuclease digests of 32P-labeled displaced strands gave fragment patterns similar to rabbit globin cDNA hairpin molecules. S1 nuclease studies demonstrated that displaced complexes and replication intermediates are partially single stranded, which might account for their aggregation properties.

The DNA content and ribosomal RNA gene copy number in heart of the inbred mouse strain C57BL/6 were determined at different ages. The DNA content of mouse heart remained constant, at about 150 micrograms DNA per heart, from 1 to 30 mth of age. The number of rRNA genes, as estimated by 28S rRNA . DNA hybridization, was not found to change significantly as a function of age. Likewise, the extent of rRNA hybridization to DNA from cultured human WI-38 cells at early and late passage levels was the same. These data support the notion that genomic rDNA sequences are not lost during in vivo and in vitro aging. However, the rDNA sequences are quite large and numerous small deletions or base pair substitutions would not have been detected in these studies.