DNA methylation changes in cells regrowing after fractioned ionizing radiation.

Abstract

Repeated exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) can result in adaptive reactions. While DNA methylation changes in adaption to repeated stress exposure are established for a variety of drugs, their role in fractioned ionizing radiation is largely unknown. MCF7 breast cancer cells were treated 5 times a week with IR in fractions of 2 Gy, resulting in total doses of 10 and 20 Gy. Cells were harvested 48 and 72 h after the last irradiation, as well as after a recovery period of at least 14 d. To identify genes differentially methylated in irradiated versus non-irradiated cells, we used methyl-CpG immunoprecipitation (MCIp) followed by global methylation profiling on CpG island microarrays. MCIp profiling revealed methylation changes in several CpG islands 48 h after FIR with 10 and 20 Gy. Cells receiving a total dose of 10 Gy started regrowing after 14 d and exhibited similar radioresistance as mock-treated cells. Differential methylation of the CpG units associated with FOXC1 (p<0.001) and TRAPPC9 (p<0.001) could be confirmed by time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Sequenom). In summary, these data indicate that regrowth of MCF7 cells after 10 Gy FIR is associated with locus-specific alterations in DNA methylation.