DNA adducts of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) and its trans isomer inhibit RNA polymerase II differentially in vivo.

The effects of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP) and trans-DDP adducts on mammalian transcription in vivo have been investigated. A plasmid containing the beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) reporter gene was modified with either of the two platinum compounds and transfected into human or hamster cell lines. A 2-3 fold higher level of transcription was observed in both cell lines from plasmids containing trans-DDP adducts as compared to plasmids modified by cis-DDP. This difference in transcriptional activity was not decreased in human and rodent nucleotide excision repair deficient cell lines, indicating that more efficient excision repair of the trans-DDP adducts was not the cause of its lower ability to block transcription in this assay. For this conclusion to be valid, it is assumed that trans-DDP adducts are repaired primarily by the nucleotide excision repair pathway, as is the case with the adducts of cis-DDP. The possibility that trans-DDP adducts are preferentially bypassed by RNA polymerase was examined by monitoring the elongation of beta-gal mRNA on damaged templates in vivo. Nascent beta-gal mRNA transcripts were recovered from excision repair deficient xeroderma pigmentosum A cells transfected with platinated plasmids, and the extent of RNA synthesis was measured by using ribonuclease protection. Fourfold more trans-DDP than cis-DDP adducts were required to inhibit transcription elongation by 63%. RNA polymerase II bypassed cis- and trans-DDP DNA adducts with efficiencies of 0-16% and 60-70%, respectively. These data provide insight into the differential toxicity of the two platinum isomers.