Identification of DNA repair and damage induced proteins from Neurospora crassa.

The response of Neurospora crassa to DNA damage induced by UV irradiation has been studied using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE). Whole cell extracts of irradiated and untreated cultures were compared. Five polypeptides that show changes in response to DNA damage have been identified. Several mutagen sensitive strains of Neurospora were also tested for polypeptide changes on 2-D PAGE. Profiles of whole cell extracts of these mutant strains were compared to wild type. Two changes were observed in the meiotic mutant, mei-3 and one change was detected in the excision repair mutant, upr-1. Two changes were also detected in the allelic mutants, uvs-3 and nuh-4. Profiles of uvs-3 and nuh-4 revealed one polypeptide that was missing and another polypeptide which appeared to shift to a more basic position. This same shift was detected in wild type after induction by UV irradiation or heat shock.