PHOTOREPAIR OF NONADJACENT PYRIMIDINE DIMERS BY DNA PHOTOLYASE

Abstract
— Photolyases reverse the harmful effects of UV light on cells by converting pyrimidine dimers (Pyr[]Pyr) into two pyrimidine monomers by utilizing near‐UV and visible light. Previous work has shown that photolyase repairs T[c,s]T and T[t,s]T in DNA as well as U[]U in RNA, all of which are formed by joining the two adjacent pyrimidines in a light‐dependent reaction. In this report, we show that Pyr[]Pyr formed in nonadjacent pyrimidines are also substrates for DNA photolyase.