On the importance of DNA strand breaks as the first event to initiate sister chromatid exchange (SCE): experiments with restriction endonuclease BglI.

The exact molecular mechanism of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) is still unknown, despite the many reports dealing with this cytogenetic end point published in the last 40 years. One point to be investigated is the nature of the original lesion(s) in DNA leading to the production of SCE. Whereas, for chromosomal aberrations, the importance of DNA double-strand breaks has been well established, there is still controversy about the relative importance of strand breaks and base modifications for triggering the process of SCE formation. In the present paper, we have taken advantage of the ability of the restriction endonuclease BglI to induce SCE and have exploited the fact that preincubation with 2,3-butanedione results in the loss of BgiI ability to cut DNA, while it is still able to recognize its sequence in DNA and bind to it, to see whether this alone is enough to initiate SCE formation, or if a physical DNA double-strand break is required. Our results seem to support the necessity of DNA breaks for SCE production.