Defective thymine dimer excision from xeroderma pigmentosum chromatin and its characteristic catalysis by cell-free extracts.

Specific excision of thymine dimers from isolated normal human and xeroderma pigmentosum (XP complementation groups A, C, D and G) chromatin was investigated under cell-free conditions. Crude extracts derived from unirradiated XP groups A, C and G cells were unable to excise dimers from their own nuclear sonicates, native chromatin and whole-cell sonicates prepared after exposure to 100 J/m2 of u.v. radiation at 254 nm, while normal-cell extracts were able to do so from all substrates including purified DNA. However, the extracts of XP groups A, C and G cells became capable of excising thymine dimers from chromatin preparations depleted of loosely bound nonhistone proteins with 0.35 M NaCl and from purified DNA. Extracts of XP group D cells catalyzed normal levels of excision from nuclear sonicates, native chromatin and 0.35 M NaCl-treated chromatin. These results suggest that none of the XP groups examined is deficient in a dimer-specific u.v. endonuclease. XP groups A, C and G cells are apparently defective in 'XP factors' present in the non-histone protein fraction, which are required for the excision of thymine dimers from chromatin. The XP group D factor appears to be different from the others. Extracts from XP groups A, C and G cells were able to complement each other with respect to dimer excision from chromatin. Novobiocin (200 micrograms/ml) completely inhibited dimer excision effected by extracts of normal cells or by complementing extracts of XP cells.