Dominant negative rat DNA polymerase β mutants interfere with base excision repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Caroline A. Clairmont, Joann B. Sweasy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

DNA polymerase β is one of the smallest known eukaryotic DNA polymerases. This polymerase has been very well characterized in vitro, but its functional role in vivo has yet to be determined. Using a novel competition assay in Escherichia coli, we isolated two DNA polymerase β dominant negative mutants. When we overexpressed the dominant negative mutant proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the cells became sensitive to methyl methanesulfonate. Interestingly, overexpression of the same polymerase β mutant proteins did not confer sensitivity to UV damage, strongly suggesting that the mutant proteins interfere with the process of base excision repair but not nucleotide excision repair in S. cerevisiae. Our data implicate a role for polymerase IV, the S. cerevisiae polymerase β homolog, in base excision repair in S. cerevisiae.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)656-661
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of bacteriology
Volume178
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1996
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology

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