Nucleoside Analogues Are Potent Inducers of Pol V-mediated Mutagenesis
Balagra Kasim Sumabe,
Synnøve Brandt Ræder,
Lisa Marie Røst,
Animesh Sharma,
Eric S. Donkor,
Lydia Mosi,
Samuel Duodu,
Per Bruheim,
Marit Otterlei
Affiliations
Balagra Kasim Sumabe
Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7489 Trondheim, Norway
Synnøve Brandt Ræder
Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7489 Trondheim, Norway
Lisa Marie Røst
Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Natural Sciences, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7481 Trondheim, Norway
Animesh Sharma
Proteomics and Modomics Experimental Core Facility (PROMEC), NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7481 Trondheim, Norway
Eric S. Donkor
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, P.O. Box 4236 Accra, Ghana
Lydia Mosi
West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana, P.O. BOX LG 54 Accra, Ghana
Samuel Duodu
West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana, P.O. BOX LG 54 Accra, Ghana
Per Bruheim
Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Natural Sciences, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7481 Trondheim, Norway
Marit Otterlei
Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7489 Trondheim, Norway
Drugs targeting DNA and RNA in mammalian cells or viruses can also affect bacteria present in the host and thereby induce the bacterial SOS system. This has the potential to increase mutagenesis and the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Here, we have examined nucleoside analogues (NAs) commonly used in anti-viral and anti-cancer therapies for potential effects on mutagenesis in Escherichia coli, using the rifampicin mutagenicity assay. To further explore the mode of action of the NAs, we applied E. coli deletion mutants, a peptide inhibiting Pol V (APIM-peptide) and metabolome and proteome analyses. Five out of the thirteen NAs examined, including three nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and two anti-cancer drugs, increased the mutation frequency in E. coli by more than 25-fold at doses that were within reported plasma concentration range (Pl.CR), but that did not affect bacterial growth. We show that the SOS response is induced and that the increase in mutation frequency is mediated by the TLS polymerase Pol V. Quantitative mass spectrometry-based metabolite profiling did not reveal large changes in nucleoside phosphate or other central carbon metabolite pools, which suggests that the SOS induction is an effect of increased replicative stress. Our results suggest that NAs/NRTIs can contribute to the development of AMR and that drugs inhibiting Pol V can reverse this mutagenesis.