Plant homologue of human excision repair gene ERCC1 points to conservation of DNA repair mechanisms.
Nucleotide excision repair (NER), a highly versatile DNA repair mechanism, is capable of removing various types of DNA damage including those induced by UV radiation and chemical mutagens. NER has been well characterized in yeast and mammalian systems but its presence in plants has not been reported. Here it is reported that a plant gene isolated from male germline cells of lily (Lilium longiflorum) shows a striking amino acid sequence similarity to the DNA excision repair proteins human ERCC1 and yeast RAD10. Homologous genes are also shown to be present in a number of taxonomically diverse plant genera tested, suggesting that this gene may have a conserved function in plants. The protein encoded by this gene is able to correct significantly the sensitivity to the cross-linking agent mitomycin C in ERCC1-deficient Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. These findings suggest that the NER mechanism is conserved in yeast, animals and higher plants.
Xu
H
H
Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Swoboda
I
I
Bhalla
P L
PL
Sijbers
A M
AM
Zhao
C
C
Ong
E K
EK
Hoeijmakers
J H
JH
Singh
M B
MB
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D006224:Cricetinae; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D006801:Humans; D019668:Liliaceae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015719:Single-Strand Specific DNA and RNA Endonucleases; D013045:Species Specificity
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018744:DNA, Plant; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C071447:ERCC1 protein, human; D004720:Endonucleases; C499360:Ercc1 protein, mouse; C064162:RAD10 protein, S cerevisiae; D015719:Single-Strand Specific DNA and RNA Endonucleases