A biochemical defect in the repair of alkylated DNA in cells from an immunodeficient patient (46BR).

The fibroblast cell strain 46BR, derived from an immunodeficient individual, is hypersensitive to the lethal effects of a variety of DNA-damaging agents, this effect being particularly marked for monofunctional methylating agents. After u.v. irradiation 46BR cells show normal unscheduled DNA synthesis, daughter strand repair, and recovery of DNA and RNA synthesis. The inhibition of DNA replicative synthesis by u.v. is slightly less than that of normal cells. After gamma-irradiation the rejoining of strand breaks is normal as are the kinetics of replicative DNA synthesis. Following treatment with dimethylsulphate, replicative DNA synthesis is affected in a similar way to normal cells, unscheduled DNA synthesis may be increased relative to normal cells, but more strand breaks persist in 46BR than in normal cells. In addition 46BR cells are hypersensitive to the toxic effects of 3-aminobenzamide, an inhibitor of ADP-ribosyl transferase. This enzyme is involved in the ligation step of repair of alkylation damage. A hypothesis is presented suggesting that 46BR may be defective in DNA ligase I.