title: Response of base excision repair enzymes to complex DNA lesions.
abstract: There is now increasing evidence that ionizing radiation generates complex DNA damage, i.e. two or more lesions--single-strand breaks or modified nucleosides--located within one to two helical turns on the same strand or on opposite strands. Double-strand breaks are the most readily recognizable clustered lesions, but they may constitute a relatively minor fraction of the total. It is anticipated that clustered lesions may play a significant role in cellular response to ionizing radiation since they may present a major challenge to the DNA repair machinery. The degree of lesion complexity increases with increasing LET. This has potential implications for space travel because of exposure to high-LET cosmic radiation. It is therefore critical that we begin to understand the consequences of such damaged sites, including their influence on DNA repair enzymes. This paper presents a short review of our current knowledge of the action of purified DNA repair enzymes belonging to the base excision repair pathway, including DNA glycosylases and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonucleases, on model complex lesions.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1Z2, Canada. michaelw@cancerboard.ab.ca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weinfeld
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rasouli-Nia
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Chaudhry
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Britten
mesh_terms: D019757:Carbon-Oxygen Lyases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D004249:DNA Damage; D045647:DNA Glycosylases; D011088:DNA Ligases / Q000378:metabolism; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000502:physiology*; D043603:DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase; D043223:Deoxyribonuclease IV (Phage T4-Induced); D006801:Humans; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D043223:Deoxyribonuclease IV (Phage T4-Induced); D045647:DNA Glycosylases; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D019757:Carbon-Oxygen Lyases; D043603:DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase; D011088:DNA Ligases