Faithful transmission of genetic material is essential for cell viability
and organism health. The occurrence of DNA damage, due to either
spontaneous events or environmental agents, threatens the integrity of the
genome. The consequences of these insults, if allowed to perpetuate and
accumulate over time, are mutations that can lead to the development of
diseases such as cancer. Alkylation is a one type of DNA lesion produced
endogenously as well as by exogenous agents including certain
chemotherapeutics. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics, in combination with
sub-cellular fractionation, was used to understand the cellular response
to DNA damage caused by the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate
(MMS). Data from these experiments demonstrate that many proteins which
influence chromatin organization are regulated in response to MMS treatment.