Repair of ultraviolet light damage to the DNA of cultured human epidermal keratinocytes and fibroblasts.

Pure cultures of dermal fibroblasts and epidermal keratinocytes have been obtained from a single biopsy of newborn foreskin. The cells were labeled, exposed to several doses of UV light, and allowed to repair in the dark for 16 hr. The number of pyrimidine dimers before and after repair was assessed by measuring the numbers of sites in the DNA sensitive to a specific UV endonuclease. At all doses used, the extent of repair was similar in the cultured keratinocytes and cultured fibroblasts.