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Acerola-Derived Photorepair System for Eliminating Ultraviolet-Induced Pyrimidine Dimers in Human Cells
Mamoru Yanagimachi1, Tomohiro Umezu1, Masakatsu Takanashi1,2
1Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokyo Medical University, 6-1-1 Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan.
Nutrients
|March 13, 2025
Summary
Acerola fruit contains a novel photolyase (PHR) enzyme that repairs UV-induced DNA damage in human cells. This discovery offers potential for preventing and treating skin damage from UV radiation.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Ultraviolet B (UV-B) radiation causes skin damage by inducing cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD), which impede DNA replication.
- Photolyase (PHR) enzymes repair UV-induced DNA damage but are absent in humans.
- Acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC) is a fruit rich in antioxidants with potential health benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize a novel photolyase (PHR) enzyme from acerola.
- To evaluate the DNA repair activity of acerola-derived PHR in human cells.
- To explore the potential of acerola PHR in preventing and treating UV-induced skin damage.
Main Methods:
- Cloning of the acerola PHR gene and construction of an expression vector.
- Establishment of a stable human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cell line expressing acerola PHR (HEK293/acPHR).
- Analysis of CPD repair activity in UV-B irradiated cells, including HEK293/acPHR cells, normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs) treated with extracellular vesicles (EVs) from HEK293/acPHR cells, and acerola extract-derived nanoparticles.
Main Results:
- Blue light-dependent reduction of CPD was observed in UV-B irradiated HEK293/acPHR cells.
- CPD repair activity was confirmed in NHDFs and HEK293 cells upon treatment with EVs from HEK293/acPHR cells and acerola extract nanoparticles.
- Acerola-derived PHR demonstrated blue light-dependent DNA repair capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Acerola-derived PHR effectively repairs UV-induced DNA damage in human cells.
- Extracellular vesicle-mediated delivery of PHR presents a viable strategy for enhancing cellular photorepair capacity.
- Acerola PHR holds significant potential for applications in preventing and treating UV-related skin damage and associated conditions.
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