Molecular basis for the mutagenic and lethal effects of ultraviolet irradiation. Progress report, December 1, 1977--November 30, 1978

Our earlier work on the chemical basis of mutagenesis led to certain chemical generalities necessary to explain how certain mutagens such as UV light and hydroxylamine functioned in information transfer systems (replicative, transcriptive and translational). When such modifications were applied to biologically active DNA in a controlled manner biological expression was non-stoichiometric because much of the damage was removed from the DNA by repair systems. Our efforts were then directed to these systems which led to: the isolation, purification and characterization of endonucleases responsible for the first and controlling step in DNA repair referred to as incision in both M. luteus and E. coli; the isolation, purification and characterization of exonucleases responsible for the removal or excision of damaged nucleotides in M. luteus and human placental trophoblasts; the repair of UV damaged biologically active transforming and transfecting DNAs by purified endonucleases, exonucleases, DNA polymerase I and polynucleotide ligase from M. luteus and E. coli; the characterization of the dual gene control for incision phenomenon in M. luteus and E. coli; and isolation, purification and characterization of repair enzymes from human placenta