Nucleotide excision repair and human syndromes

DNA damage is implicated in cancer and aging, and several DNA repair mechanisms exist that safeguard the genome from these deleterious consequences. Nucleotide excision repair (NER) removes a wide diversity of lesions, the main of which include UV-induced lesions, bulky chemical adducts and some forms of oxidative damage. The NER process involves the action of at least 30 proteins in a 'cut-and-paste'-like mechanism. The consequences of a defect in one of the NER proteins are apparent from three rare recessive syndromes: xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), Cockayne syndrome (CS) and the photosensitive form of the brittle hair disorder trichothiodystrophy (TTD). Sun-sensitive skin is associated with skin cancer predisposition in the case of XP, but remarkably not in CS and TTD. Moreover, the spectrum of clinical symptoms differs considerably between the three syndromes. CS and TTD patients exhibit a spectrum of neurodevelopmental abnormalities and, in addition, TTD is associated with ichthyosis and brittle hair. These typical CS and TTD abnormalities are difficult to comprehend as a consequence of defective NER. This review briefly describes the biochemistry of the NER process, summarizes the clinical features of the NER disorders and speculates on the molecular basis underlying these pleitropic syndromes.