Repair of DNA-protein cross-links in an excision repair-deficient human cell line and its simian virus 40-transformed derivative.

DNA-protein cross-links are induced in mammalian cells by X-rays, ultraviolet light, fluorescent light, and numerous chemical carcinogens. Others have shown that these cross-links are repaired by normal cells but that excision repair-deficient xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) Group A cells, XP12BE, are deficient in repair of these bulky adducts. This paper compares the DNA-protein cross-link repair competency of another XP Group A strain, XP20S, with its more rapidly proliferating simian virus 40-transformed derivative line and with normal human skin fibroblasts. DNA-protein cross-links were induced with 20 microM transplatinum(II)diamminedichloride and assayed by the membrane alkaline elution procedure of Kohn. Treated and untreated cells are lysed on a polycarbonate membrane filter, and the coelution rates of the DNA at pH 12.2 are compared; DNA-protein cross-links retard elution of DNA. The repair competency of XP20S cells for trans-platinum(II)diamminedichloride-induced DNA-protein cross-links was similar to that of XP12BE cells, but the competency of the simian virus 40-transformed XP20S cells was nearly equal to that of normal human skin fibroblasts. These results suggest that either cell cycling compensates for the genetic deficiency present in the nucleotide excision process of XP Group A cells or that a process other than nucleotide excision can repair these lesions; this process requires cell cycling or activation by the virus.