Establishment of a monoclonal antibody recognizing cyclobutane-type thymine dimers in DNA: a comparative study with 64M-1 antibody specific for (6-4)photoproducts.

We obtained a monoclonal antibody (TDM-1) binding to 313-nm UV-irradiated DNA in the presence of acetophenone. The binding of TDM-1 to 254-nm UV-irradiated DNA was not reduced with the subsequent irradiation of 313-nm UV. Furthermore, the treatment of UV-irradiated DNA with photolyase from E. coli and visible light exposure reduced both the antibody binding and the amount of thymine dimers in the DNA. A competitive inhibition assay revealed that the binding of TDM-1 to UV-irradiated DNA was inhibited with photolyase, but not with 64M-1 antibody specific for (6-4)photoproducts. These results suggest that TDM-1 antibody recognizes cyclobutane-type thymine dimers in DNA. Using TDM-1 and 64M-1 antibodies, we differentially measured each type of damage in DNA extracted from UV-irradiated mammalian cells. Repair experiments confirm that thymine dimers are excised from UV-irradiated cellular DNA more slowly than (6-4)photoproducts, and that the excision rates of thymine dimers and (6-4)photoproducts are lower in mouse NIH3T3 cells than in human cells.