Radiation-induced thymine base damage and its excision repair in active and inactive chromatin of HeLa cells.

The extent of production and excision repair of 5,6-dihydroxydihydrothymine type base (t') damage was determined in transcriptionally active and inactive chromatin of HeLa cells after exposure to 6.8 MeV electrons. It was observed that not only the yield but also rate of repair of t' products was greater in the active chromatin compared to the inactive chromatin of HeLa cells. The results strongly indicate that the conformation of chromatin is an important factor in determining the sensitivity to radiation damage and accessibility to enzymes required for repair of such damage.