Detection and repair of a UV-induced photosensitive lesion in the DNA of human cells.

Irradiation with UV light results in damage to the DNA of human cells. The most numerous lesions are pyrimidine dimers; however, other lesions are known to occur and may contribute to the overall deleterious effect of UV irradiation. We have observed evidence of a UV-induced lesion other than pyrimidine dimers in the DNA of human cells by measuring DNA strand breaks induced by irradiating with 313-nm light following UV (254-nm) irradiation. These breaks, measured by alkaline sucrose sedimentation, increased linearly with the dose of UV light over the range tested (10-40 J/m2). The breaks cannot be photolytically induced 5 h after a UV dose of 20 J/m2 in normal cells; however, in xeroderma pigmentosum variant cells, the breaks are inducible for up to 24 h after UV irradiation. Xeroderma pigmentosum group A cells in the same 5-h period show an increase in the number of strand breaks seen with 313-nm light photolysis from about 2 to 4 breaks/10(9) dalton DNA. These breaks can then be induced for up to 24 h. These data suggest that, in normal cells, the lesion responsible for this effect is rapidly repaired or altered; whereas, in xeroderma pigmentosum variant cells it seems to remain unchanged. Some change apparently occurs in the DNA of xeroderma pigmentosum group A cells which results in an increase in photolability. These data indicate a deficiency in DNA repair of xeroderma pigmentosum variant cells as well as in xeroderma pigmentosum group A cells.