Open AccessDNA Repair in Escherichia coli Mutants Deficient in DNA Polymerases I, II, and/or III
Author(s) -
Robert C. Tait,
Andrew L. Harris,
Douglas W. Smith
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.71.3.675
Subject(s) - dna polymerase , dna polymerase ii , dna clamp , dna polymerase mu , dna polymerase i , biology , polymerase , dna repair , dna replication , microbiology and biotechnology , dna polymerase delta , nucleotide excision repair , dna , biochemistry , circular bacterial chromosome , gene , polymerase chain reaction , reverse transcriptase
E. coli mutants deficient in DNA polymerase I, in DNA polymerases I and II, or in DNA polymerase III, can efficiently and completely execute excision repair and post-replication repair of UV-damaged DNA at 43° when assayed by alkaline sucrose gradients. Repair by cells deficient in polymerase I and in polymerases I and II is inhibited by 1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine at 43°, whereas that by cells deficient in polymerase III is insensitive to the inhibitor. When both DNA polymerases I and III are deficient, both excision repair and post-replication repair are greatly reduced at 43°, and the residual repair capability is inhibited by 1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine. Very little dark repair is observed in cells deficient in DNA polymerases I, II, and III, and the DNA is extensively degraded. These results suggest that either DNA polymerase I or DNA polymerase III is required for complete and efficient repair, and that when both DNA polymerases I and III are deficient, DNA polymerase II mediates a limited, incomplete dark repair of UV-damaged DNA. DNA polymerases I and III thus appear to be important enzymes in both DNA replication and DNA dark repair.