[Repair of bulky DNA damages--derivatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons].

The genomic DNA is damaged under the influence of different environmental factors such as air pollutions, ultraviolet and ionizing radiation, and toxic substances that negatively impact on the humans. Air pollution by the products of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbon fuels and waste of various industries are main sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Some metabolites of these compounds can damage DNA through forming the bulky DNA adducts that potentially leads to mutagenesis and cancer. A nucleotide excision repair is the major pathway for the reparation of such DNA lesions in eukaryotic cells. The excision efficiency of bulky adducts depends on many factors including the structure of a substituent and degree of DNA double helix distortion induced by a lesion. The most danger for cell is clustered DNA lesions. To repair them the cooperation of different DNA repair systems is required in the process of damage recognition and removal. This review is focused on the features of repair mechanisms for DNA with bulky lesions appeared in the result of action of natural carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene as an example.