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Deoxyribonucleic acid repair in vitro by extracts of Escherichia coli

Journal Article · · J. Bacteriol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5680372

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from bacteriophage T7 has been used to monitor the capacity of gently lysed extracts of Escherichia coli to perform repair resynthesis after ultraviolet (uv) irradiation. Purified DNA damaged by up to 100 J of uv radiation per m/sup 2/ was treated with an endonuclease from Micrococcus luteus that introduces single-strand breaks in irradiated DNA. This DNA was then used as a substrate to study repair resynthesis by extracts of E. coli. It was found that incubation with the extract and exogenous nucleoside triphosphates under suitable assay conditions resulted in removal of all pyrimidine dimers and restoration of the substrate DNA to its original molecular weight. Repair resynthesis, detected as nonconservative, uv-stimulated DNA synthesis, was directly proportional to the number of pyrimidine dimers introduced by radiation. The repair mode described here appears to require DNA polymerase I since it does not occur at the restrictive temperature in polA12 mutants, which contain a thermolabile polymerase. The addition of purified DNA polymerase I to extracts made from a polA mutant restores the ability to complete repair at the restrictive temperature.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
OSTI ID:
5680372
Journal Information:
J. Bacteriol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Bacteriol.; (United States) Vol. 129:3; ISSN JOBAA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English