Molecular identification of a human DNA repair gene following DNA-mediated gene transfer.
Although it has long been evident that the response of eukaryotes to DNA damaging agents is determined by the effectiveness of a variety of DNA repair systems, there is little detailed knowledge of the nature of these systems or the genes which control them. In humans, a number of hereditary conditions, including xeroderma pigmentosum, ataxia telangiectasia and Fanconi's anaemia, exhibit increased sensitivity to a variety of DNA damaging agents and a predisposition to cancer, suggesting a defect in some aspect of DNA repair. This report describes the identification of a human DNA repair gene following DNA-mediated gene transfer into Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) mutant cells, that like xeroderma pigmentosum cells, are sensitive to a variety of DNA damaging agents and are defective in the initial incision step of DNA repair. The resulting transformants exhibit normal resistance to DNA damaging agents and independent transformants demonstrate a common set of human DNA sequences associated with a human DNA repair gene. These observations provide the basis for the isolation and characterization of the human genes responsible for DNA repair.
D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D004260:DNA Repair; D016685:Mitomycin; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D008937:Mitomycins; D016685:Mitomycin