Ku86 modulates DNA topoisomerase I-mediated radiosensitization, but not cytotoxicity, in mammalian cells

Ku86 is an integral component of the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway of cellular double-strand break repair. In the current study, we investigated the role of Ku86 in DNA topoisomerase I-mediated radiosensitization induced by camptothecin in mammalian cells. Interestingly, as examined by clonogenic survival assay, a 30-minute camptothecin treatment induced significantly higher levels of radiosensitization in the Ku86-deficient Chinese hamster ovary xrs-6 cells than in the hamster Ku86-complemented xrs-6+hamKu86 cells, albeit exhibiting similar drug toxicity in these two cell lines. To confirm these findings, similar studies were conducted in two pairs of transfectant sublines established from the Ku86-deficient Chinese hamster lung fibroblast XR-V15B cells. Compared with the vector-alone sublines, radiation resistance was restored in the human Ku86-complemented sublines without alteration of cell cycle distributions. Again, significantly higher levels of camptothecin-induced radiosensitization were observed in the vector-alone sublines than in the Ku86-complemented XR-V15B sublines. In contrast, camptothecin treatments, ranging from 0.5 to 24 hours, induced similar cytotoxicities in both vector-alone and Ku86-complemented sublines. Because neither the DNA-damaging etoposide and cisplatin nor the tubulin-binder vinblastine induced enhanced levels of radiosensitization in the Ku86-deficient cells, Ku86 seems to uniquely affect topoisomerase I-mediated radiosensitization induced by camptothecin. Furthermore, cotreatment with DNA replication inhibitor aphidicolin abolished both camptothecin-induced cytotoxicity and radiosensitization in the vector-alone, as well as the Ku86-complemented subline cells, indicating both events are initiated by replication-dependent topoisomerase I-mediated DNA damages. Taken together, our data show a novel role of Ku86 in modulating topoisomerase I-mediated radiosensitization, but not cytotoxicity, in mammalian cells.