DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION OF PYRIMIDINE DIMER-BINDING PROTEINS IN NORMAL AND UV LIGHT-TREATED VERTEBRATE CELLS

Abstract— The expression of UV damage-specific DNA-binding proteins was examined in various phylogenetically distant species with differing DNA repair phenotypes. Two distinct constitutive DNA-binding activities, one specific for cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and the other for non-cyclobutane dimer photoproducts, were detected. The expression of these binding activity was found to be variable throughout the animal kingdom: cold-blooded vertebrastes show a constitutive cyclobutance dimer-binding activity excusively, and primates reveal only non-cyclobutane expression (rather than the constitutive presence)of these UV damage-specific DNA-binding activities after UV traeatment correlate with the cell's capacity for DNA repair. In addition, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer-binding activities could be detected only in cells with eestablished photoreactivating activity