Generation of single-nucleotide repair patches following excision of uracil residues from DNA.

The extent and location of DNA repair synthesis in a double-stranded oligonucleotide containing a single dUMP residue have been determined. Gently prepared Escherichia coli and mammalian cell extracts were employed for excision repair in vitro. The size of the resynthesized patch was estimated by restriction enzyme analysis of the repaired oligonucleotide. Following enzymatic digestion and denaturing gel electrophoresis, the extent of incorporation of radioactively labeled nucleotides in the vicinity of the lesion was determined by autoradiography. Cell extracts of E. coli and of human cell lines were shown to carry out repair mainly by replacing a single nucleotide. No significant repair replication on the 5' side of the lesion was observed. The data indicate that, after cleavage of the dUMP residue by uracil-DNA glycosylase and incision of the resultant apurinic-apyrimidinic site by an apurinic-apyrimidinic endonuclease activity, the excision step is catalyzed usually by a DNA deoxyribophosphodiesterase rather than by an exonuclease. Gap-filling and ligation complete the repair reaction. Experiments with enzyme inhibitors in mammalian cell extracts suggest that the repair replication step is catalyzed by DNA polymerase beta.