EXCISION REPAIR MECHANISMS
Mismatch-repair
• Fixes replication errors missed by DNA Pol proofreading(cannot repair damage)
Base excision repair
• Damaged bases removed and replaced
• Deamination & depurination (most common spontaneous damages)
• Alkylation (except for O6-alkyl guanine)
• Oxidation
Nucleotide excision repair
• Damaged nucleotides removed and replaced
• 2 types: global genomic NER (transcriptionally inactive) & transcription-coupled
• Repairs wider variety of lesions that distort DNA helix
• Pyrimidine dimers and other intrastrand adducts
• Bulky group addition (via carcinogen-exposure)
BASE EXCISION REPAIR
• Model: cytosine spontaneously deaminates to uracil
- DNA glycosylase excises uracil: cleaves N-glycosidic bond between base & deoxyribose
• Produces apyrimidinic site (AP site) - AP endonuclease cleaves deoxyribose backbone adjacent to AP site
• Excises deoxyribose moiety - DNA polymerase and ligase fill/seal gap with cytosine
• Prokaryotes: DNA Pol. I
• Eukaryotes: DNA Pol. beta
NUCLEOTIDE EXCISION REPAIR
• Model: thymine dimer in E. Coli (prokaryotes)
Global genomic NER: transcriptionally inactive region
• Uvr genes: discovered in E. Coli, mutations conferred extreme UV light sensitivity
- UvrA recognizes helical distortion as damage
- UvrA recruits uvrB and uvrC
Intertextual variation exists for above step.
- Uvr B and C cleave DNA on either side of damage
• Uvr ABC complex: excinuclease - Helicase unwinds DNA and releases damaged segment
- DNA polymerase fills gap and ligase seals it
• DNA Pol. fills gap in 5′ to 3′ direction
• Prokaryotes: DNA Pol. I
• Eukaryotes: DNA Pol. delta and epsilon
Transcription-coupled NER: transcriptionally active region
• Repairs more rapidly than global genomic pathway
- NER enzymes recognize RNA polymerase stalled by lesion and displace it
• E. Coli: NER enzymes are Mfd proteins
• Humans: RNA polymerase II (prokaryotes only have one RNA Pol.) & CS proteins - Mfd proteins (E. Coli) and CS proteins (humans) recruit other proteins to site
• E. Coli: Mfd proteins recruit uvr proteins
• Humans: CS proteins recruit more CS and XP proteins (amongst others) - Recruited proteins cleave and excise damaged oligomer
- Identical to Step 5 in global genomic pathway
CLINICAL CORRELATION
Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP)
• Rare genetic defect produces dysfunctional XP proteins
• Patients extremely sensitive to UV light: develop skin cancers in sun-exposed areas
