Interleukin-4 enhances PARP-dependent DNA repair activity in vitro

Eukaryotic cells possess several DNA repair mechanisms, including homologous recombination and the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) system. There are two known NHEJ systems. The major mechanism depends on the catalytic unit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) and DNA Ligase IV, and an alternative mechanism (B-NHEJ) depends on poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). These systems are upregulated by genotoxic agents. Interleukin 4 (IL-4) is an immunoregulatory cytokine that is secreted by immune cells upon contact with certain genotoxic compounds and is known to regulate several genes encoding components of DNA repair systems in human monocytes. We have investigated the possible effects of IL-4 on the DNA repair process within murine and human cells exposed to selected genotoxic compounds. In a series of experiments, including the comet assay, cell surface annexin V staining, analysis of histone H2AX phosphorylation, and a DNA end-joining assay, we observed that IL-4 decreased DNA damage in murine fibroblasts and human glioblastoma cells exposed to genotoxic agents and increased DNA ligation activity in the nuclei of these cells in a process that depended on PARP. These observations suggest that IL-4 is capable of upregulating the alternative NHEJ DNA repair mechanism in murine and human cells.